Travelled to Mull at the weekend for a few days of cycling and camping with a friend. This is the first time I have ever been and I have to say, it took my breath away.
We took the ferry to Craignure and cycled a circular route round the lower half of the island, camping overnight on the shores of Loch na Keal at Knock. A total of 50 miles or so, which meant I suffered pain in places I had never experienced before! Nonetheless, I must recommend cycling as a way of touring the island and taking in the bird life. Being in a car just doesn't feel the same.
Anyway, the birds...
We left the ferry and turned left on the road out to Glen More. After only 20 minutes, our first raptors appeared 100 yards to our right off the road. Two juvenile hen harriers playing in the sunshine. The landscape on Mull is just a raptors' paradise. We saw the harriers in a classic patch of moorland at the foot of a hill on the approach to the Glen.
Clearly, my aim was for sightings of eagles, and in particular the white-tailed variety. I was not to be let down.
We cycled throught the Glen and stopped at various locations to scope birds on ridges and identified numerous buzzards and two immature golden eagles as we passed through Glen More. Lacking the high powered scopes, we were reliant on good quality sightings at a closer range. We heard and saw stonechats at various locations in the Glen. As we were cycling, I caught sight of a large bird wheeling away over Loch Sguabain to our left. Excitedly, I leapt from the bike and found it in the binocs - heron. Not exactly what I'd been looking for but the strangest behaviour I've seen from a heron. It was soaring and wheeling like a raptor around 50 feet above the loch. Maybe I'm just trying to justify my mistake!
Onward to the B8035 and along the side of Loch Scridain. Sadly the rain started and for a while, the chances of seeing anything interesting were not looking good. But just as our spirits and rear ends were about to call it a day, the sun split the sky and we rounded the corner at Kilfinichen Bay, heading towards Balevulin. At this part of the road, you are cycling among heavy forestation with little to look at except ahead of you on the road. And just as well I was, as a vision that appeared to be an aeroplane came gliding towards us, skirting the very tops of the woodland on our right. An enormous sea eagle effortlessly glided to around 100 yards ahead before a quick turn to its left saw it gain height at an extraordinary rate. We watched in complete silence for five minutes until it went out of view before turning to one another, mouths still open, to mutter a few excited swear words.
To be honest, after that, I didn't really care much about seeing anything else! We cycled and set up camp at the edge of Loch na Keal. We watched various waders and gulls as we set up the tent. I had chosen the site at Scarisdale point with the hope of another sea eagle sighting. This was not to be however, with Beinn Ghraig rising behind us, it was not long before we had picked up another juv golden eagle soaring high above us. That, along with some very vocal buzzards wheeling over the Scarisdale Wood made for a fitting end to the birding day. Several bats made a brief appearance over the rocks by our camp fire just before we called it a night.
As we put the camp fire out and headed to bed, the sounds of the wildlife filled the air. Curlew, owl, oystercatcher, heron, to name but a few (and let's be honest, the only ones I could name) were all calling throughout the night. The highlight was a noisy deer that must have been yards from the tent in the early hours of the morning.
The following day brought us round to Salen on the bikes and along the coastal road back to Craignure. Sunburn and saddle sore aside, we had extremely close views of a buzzard hovering over small bushes and scrub not far from the airstrip. I've read that only certain types of buzzard hover (rough-legged?) but there was little doubt it was a common and I've seen many commons hover before.
And that was it, we got the ferry home, sitting smugly on the open deck bathed in sunshine. Mull is a stunning island and home to fascinating and majestic wildlife. The first of many trips I think...
(P.S. I did think I saw a juv sea eagle on the ferry across to Mull. About 10-15 minutes before reaching the island, there is a beacon painted red and white on the left of the boat, some 500 metres from grass point. Perched on the railings near the top was an enormous brown bird with its back to the boat. The shape was right too. High shouldered and broad down to its feet. It dwarfed the cormorants on the rocks below and the key is, it wasn't there on the way back. What do you think?)
Hope you enjoyed my report, as you can see, I am raptor inclined and probably missed many other interesting birds!
Sounds fantastic.
I cant blame you for being raptor inclined, I havent been but have been told it is a great place to see them.
I am sure you will go back and take the rest of it in next time. There is only so many hours in a day and you seemed to have packed plenty in.
Nice report Dave and well done.
Stewart