19th - 24th September 2005
Isle of Mull. Staying at Glenforsa Hotel
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Arrived on the island on 19th after spending night of 18th and most of 19th on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, at a B&B between Strontian & Pollach.
Took ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish (watched a dipper on the pebbles at the side of a loch) and immediately drove to Gruline, where we scanned the mountains to our left where we'd been lucky with golden eagles last year. Nothing there. Then onto Loch na Keal's southern shore. Saw lots of pipits (rock pipits? Because they were on the rocks??) but nothing much else. Time to book into our hotel - the Glenforsa, 10 mins drive north from Fishnish and which we found to be excellent in every way. (If anyone wants details of the hotel I'll be happy to elaborate by PM or it has a good website). A small flock of greylags flew in and landed between the hotel and the loch (or is it the sea - the Sound of Mull) on the runway - yes, the hotel has a runway at the bottom of the garden!
After dinner Bob went outside with his bat detector as there were lots flying about. He thought they were pipistrelles but apparently Daubentons (spelling?) are on a similar frequency.
Monday morning it was raining very heavily so we visited Toronsay Castle and sat in the library there. Rain didn't let up so we drove through Glen More. Waterfalls looked good. We took the circular route then back towards Salen. On the way Bob found us a juvenile white-tailed sea eagle above the hills to our left. As we approached the sandbanks and rocks in the middle of Loch na Keal I saw two 'bumps' on one. Looking through the 'scope we were thrilled to see two adult WTSEs. Their heads and mantles were a lovely creamy brown colour. Watched them for 5 mins. or so when they took off and flapped lazily down the loch, only a few feet above the surface of the water. In and around the loch we also had stonechat, meadow pipit, black-necked grebe and black guillemot.
Tuesday. Destination was Glengorm on the north coast. Drove to Salen , then on the southern side of Loch Frisa to Dervaig. Walked from the carpark at the top of the hill to the site of the standing stones in a clearing in the forest. We find these fascinating and trudged for a further 20 mins. into the forest to find the second lot of stones but found our way blocked by a fallen tree and very boggy terrain. Had wellies on but they couldn't cope. (No rain today. It was a lovely day). Saw a group of ravens - about 9 of them! Took the B8035 and near the top end of Loch Frisa and the Mishnish lochs we saw a golden eagle 'hanging' in the sky. Thought we spotted a yellow wing tag but not sure. Thence to Glengorm where we walked for 15 mins from the castle to the field where there were 3 neolithic standing stones. Back to the castle tea-shop for soup and 'crettins'. Highly recommend this too. Had a dabchick on one of the lochs on the way back - and starlings in a field. Our first mallard of the week too. We by-passed Tobermory on the return journey and drove again to Knock (past hatchery) where'd we'd seen the WTSEs the day before. Lovely afternoon for sitting around but didn't see much else.
Wednesday. Made the long drive SW through Glen More to Fionnphort to catch the ferry to Iona. We stopped at intervals on the way to look at standing stones - one in a field; one on the moor edge and one in the driveway of a guest house. Whilst waiting on the slipway for the ferry we saw an otter playing in the sea near one of the buoys. From the ferry we watched two gannets diving for food. On the drive back from Fionnphort we stopped in a layby that had a picnic table overlooking the loch. Scanning the water's edge I picked up an otter moving through the kelp. It came onto the bank to eat a small fish and returned, still in view. Just then one of the local wildlife tour buses stopped behnd us and when we told the leader we were watching an otter the mini-bus disgorged its passengers and they came to look. Didn't see the otter again!! But I think they had already seen one that day.
Thursday was drizzly. We drove over the hump-backed bridge at Knock and parked on the left just off the road. Walked to Loch Ba. On our right as we left the trees behind we watched a pair of golden eagles soaring high then coming lower and onto our side of the mountain before rising again out of sight. As we approached the north of Loch Ba an enormous dark bird flapped ponderously towards us - a juvenile WTSE. Its tail looked to be a dirty white colour. I put it as a first winter bird. It flew into a tree - one of the pine trees by the jetty belonging to the big house there - and perched there for some time. In fact, after 10 mins. or so it was us who walked on. It looked to have red wing tags on but a day later I was told that red wing tags were for this year's birds - but I thought this year's young would have dark tails. Can someone put me right please? By this time it was raining quite heavily so back to the car.
Drove down the main road past Craignure to Grasspoint. Two people were already scoping the far shore where there were two WTSE - one by a fence and one on a rocky outcrop. (I was going to say they were 'perched' but this sounds like something a budgie does, not an eagle!) One flew towards the other and they had a bit of a 'spat' with one of them on its back on the ground with its talons grabbing for the other. They separated and one went to sit on a boulder in the loch. In the same binocular sight we had an otter just below the boulder. A flock of c12 twite were in the grass near where we were standing. We do have these near where we live in the Pennines but they're always a delight to see - and hear. (Now these do remind me of budgies).
As we'd approached Grasspoint another wildlife minibus was leaving - I do hope they'd seen the eagles too.
Rejoined the main road and drove down to the south coast and Loch Buie where we walked to the impressive stone circle with the two outliers. Then we actually just sat in the car and watched the hillside for 20 mins. And I got to read about 10 pages of my book that I'd intended finishing this week - no chance! Drove back past the mussell farm at Loch Spelve where Bob's dinner last night had come from.
Before returning for our dinner we drove again to Loch na Keal (by now you'll have guessed where our favourite watching spot is!) and as we came back, approaching Gruline, about 7 herons rose from the field. Wondering what had disturbed them we looked and saw a juvenile WTSE taking off from the meadow.
Friday. Started to drizzle after breakfast so we took the road on the northern shore of Loch na Keal as far as the Ulva ferry (road closed just past there anyway). Parked up overlooking a good otter spot (but nobody had told the otters!). Then back to the usual southern shore and as we returned, just approachng Knock again a juvenile WTSE came into view towards us. We rapidly turned round and followed it up the loch. A mini-bus group pointed it out to us to make sure we'd seen it. (What a super birthday present!)
We think one of our favourite spots has to be Loch Ba. We did have a tally of about 65 birds but the week was dominated by the eagles, as we had hoped it would be.
On Saturday we caught the after 9.00am ferry from Fishnish, then the Corran Ferry, through Glencoe, over Rannoch Moor .............. then home about
7 hrs. later.
Boat of Garten next at the end of October.
Sandra (and Bob)
Excellent , brings back fond memories. I was there in June this year stayed at Strontian for a while and went to Mull from Lochaline too. That whole west coast is just superb for eagles and otters . And even if you have to wait all day to see one it doesn't matter a great deal as the scenery is first rate.
great report thanks i really must go to mull and also shetland even tho im not sure that they are even close oh well ill be on holiday soon.