03/09/2010
Best day for wildlife watching is not glorious sunshine but people enjoy it. We had an otter, sea eagle and red throated divers. In the last 15mins we saw a sea eagle racing along and I expected him above us but instead found an osprey diving at a grassy headland and there was the sea eagle on the ground, which had probably taken its fish. The osprey gave up when the mate of the sea eagle chased it, while the other sea eagle went off to feed their youngster.
02/09/2010
Well a day at the beach was pretty productive with at least seven basking sharks off Calgary Bay. A distant minke whale, lots of gannets and an otter, along with the white sand sweep of the bay of course.
01/09/2010
We had a forecast from the BBC for rain in Western Scotland !! How many people tell me that this is pretty regular down in England and yet here we are again with a most glorious, calm sunny and warm day and so we are off to the beach with relatives up from Sheffield. These strange weather forecasts do nothing for the tourism effort in these remote Islands. We have had the best weather ever here.
30/08/2010
Another super day of weather and wildlife with really close and interesting views of separate otters, golden eagles sitting and flying and really good sightings of sea eagles particularly 3 youngsters pretty close amd interracting in the air and on the ground with numerous ravens.
29/08/2010
As predicted a sunny day dawns here. It's breezy with white horses on the sea. Gannets are diving and the white sands of Iona are visible way out. Swallows are wizzing around the house, obviously not drawn to Africa yet ! We are off to get more blackberries and chanterelle mushrooms. If you want to be a professional forager come to the Hebrides, it is almost totally under picked.
28/08/2010
Seems it's going to be sunny all week here and so this your big chance to get a quick fly drive deal and get up here pronto. Pack only binoculars, sun cream, bird book amd swimwear.
28/08/2010
Its a dodgy day today with misty rain and the odd clear spell but yesterday was another glorious day. Highlight was a female otter wandering along the shoreline to eventually meet up with one of her now advanced cubs, nuzzled each other, then went off together to groom and roll around before heading back along the coast to the holt area. Gorgeous views then onshore as the two otters filled the telescope.
26/08/2010
No trip today but its another 'as good as it gets' day here in The Hebrides and a short time ago we all watched a hen harrier interracting with hooded crows for about 20 minutes right in front of the house. Could be the best long term views of harriers we have ever had from here. Off picking blackberries now and then to the swimming pool. Is there anything nicer than blackberry pie and custard?? Be honest.
25/08/2010
More good as it gets weather and sightings, with great otters, harriers and sea and golden eagles interracting with each other today. Lots of entertainment basically all day. BUT I have just emptied the picnic basket to find that in the midst of it all I forgot to give everyone a cake and a drink after lunch !! So sorry about this.I wondered why I was so thirsty !
22/08/2010
Another beautiful day here. Amazing I know but I have people on my trips who have never been to the Hebrides before ! Some have never even been to Scotland !! There are even people quite mature who do not even have a pair of binoculars. Can you believe it? What have these people been doing all their lives? It is the thinking persons destination here admittedly but I think there are a lot of people that need to travel more than they do.
20/08/2010
More of this 'tropical' weather. Today we had female and male hen harrier and obviously the usual seals, red deer etc. But the big one was interraction between adult and immature sea eagle and two adult golden eagles. With them repeatedly swooping at each other low down and one of the sea eagles circling for some time with prey [probably stolen from the goldies] either triumphant or showing the youngster what to do. Hard to tell.
18/08/2010
'Tropical' rain in the mountains and warm sun on the coast today. It gets so like Costa Rica! It's becoming a skill now to find things, as everything is on the move or on the way to Africa. But I got the otters and sea eagles and had good judgement as the rain cleared and we had close sightings of golden eagles sitting and flying. My own pleasure is in pitting my wits and knowledge against wild creatures and their relationship with the elements.
17/08/2010
Check 'Brightwater Lodge'on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula on google. We had terrific self catering accommodation and weather there this weekend. Lots of basking shark sightings with one 50m below us near a sandy bay at Sanna and more hidden beaches to find. Take any turning west on the west of scotland and you will find sandy headlands and ruined castles and lots of spectacle to behold the eye.
12/08/2010
Male and female harriers, otters and golden eagle but highlight was a quiet sea eagle territory until a young intruder got chased of by the resident female which then sat on top of a tree. We then saw their youngster pretty close and along came the adult male who gave it some prey in an open field and both then went up into trees with the youngster seemingly eating his catch.
10/08/2010
Just had two good days and lots of sightings. Particularly good was the adult golden eagle alighting on a mountainside which led us to their youngster sitting on a rock 20m away. The adult suddenly stepped forward as if to say ''watch this son'' and simply raced across the glen toward us swooping up behind us to disappear and then slowly glide along the hillside behind us to rise high and drift south. Another big and dramatic Mull encounter.
10/08/2010
Just had two good days and lots of sightings. Particularly good was the adult golden eagle alighting on a mountainside which led us to their youngster sitting on a rock 20m away. The adult suddenly stepped forward as of to say ''watch this son'' and simply raced across the glen toward us swooping up behind us to disappear and then slowly glide along the hillside behind us to rise high and drift south. Another big and dramatic Mull encounter.
08/08/2010
No trip, but like yesterday it's going to be 'tropical' with mirror calm seas, lots of sun and no wind at all and just heaven for children to enjoy. Hebridean beaches are the best in the world and I want to go in right now ! How people can live in suburbia knowing they have the choice is baffling, for we need people, particularly if they create high quality eco sensitive accommodation because we just don't have this in the Islands to be honest.
07/08/2010
A drizzly challenging day but like an eagle I get better at the challenge. So a distant sea eagle on an islet and the youngster on a large boulder. Two hen harriers sitting and one flying. Through a lot of misty rain to get an otter close another three otters and a few porpoise on the way home.
03/08/2010
A keen bunch today with 4 women from Bermuda and the east coast of America. First off an adult sea eagle sitting and then a female harrier. Up into Glenmore after seeing seals and red deer then golden eagles flying, sitting and one coming over us with another behind us during lunch which was served by a sweet and helpful 3 year old called Sophie! More sea eagles and 2 golden eagles chasing another sea. Then an otter with a huge fish dragged ashore and 2 red throated divers.
02/08/2010
Young sea eagles have left their nests around the Island and they are tough to spot being plain brownish. But I found the Grasspoint youngster sitting on top of dead tree by the water and mum watching from a mile away. A hen harrier, great view of a young golden eagle in Glenmore as it soared over us after coming from distance and then an otter giving really good views as it repeatedly came ashore onto a small islet with fish.
01/08/2010
A sunny day eventually and on a walk from Fishnish to Garmony we saw lots of crossbills. Which can turn any none birdwatcher into a keen one because of the males glorious shades of bright red plumage and his parrot like bill and actions. As usual the females are not as colourful, being greenish !
31/07/2010
I have had a profound thought. It is a myth that there is more 'to do' in the cities!! Or maybe it is if you are very rich. Here in the Hebrides I have seen families arrive and be rejuvinated and inspired by the freedom of it all, at virtually no expense. You can hike, cycle, climb mountains, swim naked off white sandy beaches, fish, sail, see whales and eagles, be very safe and totally un PC and enjoy all of natures elements and more.
31/07/2010
A day for the pessimist I guess, as so many people are ! Misty drizzly weather seemingly everywhere. So I had to do my stuff like Moses and part the waves. With a big sighting of sea eagles sitting, then it closed in again. 30 mins later great view of otter on a small islet just offshore. Then I parted the clouds again as a male hen harrier soared above a ridge and repeatedly dived at a rocky outcrop, which produced a sitting golden eagle in my scope. And I am not religious !!!
29/07/2010
What is it about the main tourist season. People arrive in a remote place with no research done on the destination and simply pick up a leaflet by any Tom, Dick or Harry who claims they have a knowledge about wildlife and off they go with them!!!In Spring all seem to have an enquiring mind and would never go on something so knowledge based as a wildlife tour with just anyone. If you were going to Costa Rica would you go into the jungle with Pedro just cos you saw his leaflet. Maybe ??
29/07/2010
Another interesting day with hen harrier, sea eagles, golden eagles and a fleeting otter on a shoreline with too many people disturbing it !!However the other otter sighting was more interesting which was again fleeting but he was a mile from the sea and ambling through bracken 25m away, until he saw us and ambled back again. Disturbed accidentally by the way. Or did he disturb us?
28/07/2010
Strange day for weather with Mull more like Costa Rica by the day. We found a dry corner and saw porpoise, peregrine falcon, short eared owl, female hen harrier and a sea eagle carried prey to its newly fledged youngster. Then we had to enter the clouds and misty peaks !! But no golden eagles nor otters at sea level but more sea eagles and then a golden eagle on the way back as it cleared to sun and we had it flying and sitting on the top of a mountain in my scope. Very romantic view.
27/07/2010
A lovely sunny day out with a really nice family. We saw sea and golden eagles, harriers and the children were a real pleasure to take out as kids often are. Very enthusiastic, full of life and above all 'optimism'. So important in children I think because an optimist can truly make thngs happen in life.
23/07/2010
Super weather and sea eagles with young, golden eagle eating a dead sheep with their youngster flying and calling. After missing 3 otters on a rocky shoreline we were coming past there again and I saw the dark silhouette of a tufty headed common sandpiper and with a flash of blue and away I realised it was a kingfisher which dived into the water and took something. Has anyone seen a European kingfisher feeding in the sea at all? Last one I saw was on freshwater here and must be 10 years ago.
22/07/2010
Glorious weather with adults and young sea eagles flying and sitting, brilliant golden eagles coming from on high and racing along a cragside with high drama and sweep over sea cliffs to perch on tree on the cliffside. Most interesting was what I thought were 3 kestrels tangling with each other, until one of the 'kestrels' took another and flew off with it. Then I realised that one of them was a young peregrine that we had been looking for !
21/07/2010
Mist and mizzle lingered all day with only the odd clearance but atmospheric yes ! So very close otter onshore and off. Sea eagle sitting and wet youngster in a nest. Good biews of adults away from the nest later. Big moment at the islands most panoramic spot as two golden eagles swept over and along sea cliffs to sit and give great sitting and flying views in a spectacular place. Male hen harrier flew alongside us on the way back.
20/07/2010
It started dubious but turned into another tropical day and with big sightings of sea eagles, otters and a young golden eagle up with adults and then alighting on a dead sheep and start eating it. I think it was an exciting wild sighting of a truly charismatic wild creature a mile away on a mountainside but great through my scope. I also had a 7 strong Flemish family and only dad spoke English, but the kids were a pleasure particularly a young Kate Humble I think !
19/07/2010
Well todays trip started very wet and misty and so not good ! But by 11am it had all cleared and Mull was sparkling and tropical looking in glorious sunshine and crystal clear light. We saw porpoise, otters, peregrines, golden eagles, sea eagles and lots of smaller birds now on the move and thinking of Africa. A beautiful and successful day.
17/07/2010
Had two really excellent trips with sightings throughout both days with peregrine falcon, sea eagles, otters, red throated divers, golden eagles, seals, red deer and lots of smaller birds.
15/07/2010
We have all seen the weather forecasts for strong wind and rain over the last cocuple of days for this area. What rain and wind !!! Where on earth do the BBC get these ludicrous forecasts from. I have had two of my best wildlife days out amid sunshine and calm balmy weather. I see that tomorrow is an equally poor forecast. Well I am looking forward to it then because it seems to mean a great day out.
14/07/2010
Mull has that wild Hebridean look today. Its windy but dry and there are huge black clouds, big slices of blue sky and lots of puffy white clouds romping over here and going toward Iona. Unusually for this time of year the wind is from the east again like it was up to a few weeks ago. It's usually a good sign for weather !!
13/07/2010
An exhilerating day yesterday with lots of interesting sightings of our top creatures and super weather. Today is also beautiful and guests staying in our own accommodation are off to see puffins and hopefully basking sharks on a very calm sea! Don't go if its rough. I remember seeing blue whales on a calm day and being sick as a pig on the next.
10/07/2010
At the beach today with all of the family and me trying to identify some flowers in the sand. For me the most beautiful moments in the Hebrides are spent on an empty white sandy beach,the sun is shining and there is just the sound of birds and gently lapping waves on the shore. Today though there was 'Charlie' who is full of life and noise at 4 years of age !!!
09/07/2010
My people were pessimistic under leaden skies and rain this morning but I comforted them with the knowledge that it would clear up and be a good day. Sure enough we stopped for refreshments and got a sea eagle sitting, then lunch and three newly fledged peregrines and sunshine !! Then a flying adult sea eagle and a sitting youngster, otter and then good views of adult and newly fledged golden eagle and more sun !! See, I am an optimist !!
07/07/2010
Worried then overjoyed were my feelings today as a golden eagle I know flew around its nest site with prey, seemingly looking for their youngster who was not in the nest and should not really have flown yet. But later in the day we had the same behaviour but some friends then pointed out the youngster 25m away from the nest and pressing up against some rocks with that scared look after its first flight ! So it had fledged and early !!
06/07/2010
It was a first for me this evening on our way out with all the family to a restaurant. As we reached our road end there was a golden eagle sitting on a telegraph post !!!! In 31 years here I have never seen that, probably because they never do it !! Although I did see a picture once of the same thing and I knew where it was and this was in the flat south of Mull where the only high point for that particular pair of eagles is a telegraph post.
06/07/2010
Had a couple of close encounters at the house yesterday as an adult sea eagle sailed about 30feet past the landing window chased by a buzzard and ravens. Later in the day an adult and a youngster went over the house and scrapped and touched talons before flying northwards. I can't be looking all the time here but when I do it's amazing what I see.
04/07/2010
Well it's driving wind and rain with a vengeance here today and there will be no more talk of anyone being out of water in the West of Scotland. We have all needed this but there is now going to be regular romanticising over the next few weeks with memories of windless warm sunny days since Christmas and I will be one of them!!
01/07/2010
We have had 12 hours of wonderful rain which should set everyone up again here. Yesterday we had really good encounters with our big three and saw male and female harriers also. Views were so good we could count the whiskers on the otter amid beautiful weather again.
28/06/2010
Had some decent rain overnight but maybe none now until Thursday but things are looking up water wise, particularly as it's good weather during the day for todays trip.
28/06/2010
It reminds me of Indonesia in the last week, strange, steamy and misty but clearing to be very warm. Today we had good views of golden eagles flying along a ridge and settling to give exciting images in the scope. Otter and sea eagles and porpoise breaking the sea like a small whale.
27/06/2010
Had a lovely weekend at the archeological site of Kilmarten Glen but the only decent hotel we could find in the area was grossly overpriced for what it was. There are too many destinations in remoter parts which you might say have the market cornered and unfortunately whose owners have little conscience ! Walking down our track this evening we had a great view of a male hen harrier which was the closest I have ever seen to the house.
25/06/2010
Still no sign of even a heavy shower for Mull. However visitors are happy about this. Male hen harrier went passed the house and females seen on the trip today with golden eagles, 3 separate otters and a sea eagle coming from range to be right over us and landing on a small islet. I am getting very warm handshakes this year, so am I getting better at it after 30 years or are they more excited about wildlife in Britain ?
25/06/2010
Well I have just had my artist friend round Angus Stewart. Showing me his film about the famous Tobermory Otter. It's brilliant. I have never seen such creative and original footage of an Otter. Add the human twist and it's really really good. Watch this space in case he decides to sell it !
24/06/2010
We got some actual rain last night. Well not really it was a sort of drizzle and now it's back to normal, as it is in the Persian Gulf ! I guess the neighbours will be out doing a rain dance again tonight. It doesn't work though and I think that stealing water in a large tanker from Watford would be more successful. Or !!! should we just enjoy the great weather and eat lots fruit because oranges are now plentiful here.
20/06/2010
The tropical weather continues here with months of little wind. I had a pretty green gang of 'beginners' the other day and the only chap with what I can call binoculars was seeing two of everything cos they were damaged. However they are now fully trained wildlife watchers after they had sightings of our top three species and more importantly learned how to look and the gear they really need to see wild creatures in Britain. Binoculars are far more important than cameras !
18/06/2010
Well it's good weather here until at least next Tuesday and probably beyond and so when it comes to paying your bills here it would help you enormously if drive up in a large water tanker and pay all your accounts with that, because it's rather like Abu Dhabi right now but with eagles !!
15/06/2010
Having more super weather with sightings of sea and golden eagles, otters and hen harriers becoming very reliable now and peregrines and short eared owl popped in for good measure. However I am certain that the easterly and northerly winds of this year have done real damage to the insect supply, though its been good weather for humans here. Mizzly weather tomorrow !
13/06/2010
The BBC are lying as usual !! Our great weather has gone on and on here. UNTIL last night and we have now had about 10 hours of drizzle, but it is clearing now and so we are happy as a sandboy with everyone at last getting some water. But tommorow is sunny again. Orchids are now showing all over the Island and eagles are rearing lots of young but one of a pair did fall out of a nest and has been taken to the mainland for some attention.
10/06/2010
Had some nice tropical rain the other evening which helped people a little and our own well !! However it's all back to normal again with sunny weather and no rain forecast for some time. Interesting the other day how a male golden eagle took a crow in the air and flew back to the nest with it. In came the female who shot out with it and landed to pluck it madly. I could here her muttering, MEN !! He knows we never have crow and just look at his presentation.
08/06/2010
Lots of sightings now with both species of eagle hen harrier, short eared owl, otters, redstarts, whinchats, stonechats, cuckoos and at last some rain, thank you God. But not enough and we now have a golden sunset with a golden landscape and red mountains and sea cliffs across the sea from here. It has felt like an 'exotic' last six months in The Hebrides.
06/06/2010
More super weather and sunny all week I am told. There is a cuckoo right now 200m from my office being mobbed by meadow pipits. Never had so many calling cuckoos as this year. Last night was a lovely evening walk from here and suddenly crows and buzzards were off the hill above us and slicing through them came a golden eagle with the evening sun glinting off its bronze head. It rushed around as if to make the usual 'I am king round here' point and then shot back behind the hill.
05/06/2010
Lots of happy customers in fabulous weather. Its like coastal Indonesia here with flat and misty seas clearing to bright sun and a stunning crystal clear light. I am meeting lots of people who say they enjoy my diary or blog as they call it. But I am in my annual rut now with eagles and otters every day and nothing too staggering to record. But I suppose it's a nice rut to be in and with such amazing weather through winter, Spring and now early summer.
02/06/2010
People are definitely becoming more townie and certainly less adventurous. I have had a number of people this year enquiring about the trips and then insisting I pick them up in Tobermory!! For heavens sake this is a big, wild Hebridean Island and I assume they are going to explore it?? Is driving to the ferry point such a challenge?? Or are they really just 'LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO' !!?? In which case I am definitely not the day out for you.
30/05/2010
It was beautiful day on the lovely wooded and totally unspoilt Island of Ulva. The girls at the small restaurant there do delicious seafood and so the prawns were perfect. In 31 years here this has been the best six months of weather with a windless winter, sunny and dry. The spring is not quite as good but it's still great and we have a stunning still evening right now with a golden glow on Ben More and flat sea.
28/05/2010
Whatever the BBC weathar forecasts tell you, it's been another good couple of days here with more big sightings of otters, sea eagles and golden eagles. Plus porpoise, redstarts, short eared owl, peregrine falcons, bar tailed godwit, grey and common seals, red and fallow deer, crossbills, wheatears, twite, all of Mulls pipits and lots of things I can't remember!
25/05/2010
Yet another dazzling day with a number of porpoise off Grasspoint, big view of sea eagles there, distant hen harrier, sensational views of golden eagles flying and sitting, whinchats, eiders, seals, red deer, lots of whitethroats, rock, meadow and tree pipits etc.
24/05/2010
I think that this year has been some of my best sightings ever of Eagles and Otters. Today we had a peregrine falcon attacking a young sea eagle which rolled over in the air as the Peregrine swooped at it from different angles. I am always elated when I can show people something that they have maybe always wanted to see and what a pleasure it is to take young children out who are keen on nature. They ask the most amazing and uninhibted questions !!
23/05/2010
No trip on this glorious day, so off to Callaich Point in the north west to see what was there. Two sea eagles were sitting nearby on the way down the track and lots of sea birds were on the water. Dark and Light phase arctic skuas, razorbills, black and common guillemots, shearwaters, gannets, terns, fulmars, kittiwakes but no cetaceans though historically good there for basking sharks.
21/05/2010
Working at home today in weather that reminds me of slightly grey calm days in Bali and before tourists had found it !! Is it the way Mull will go I wonder ? On a drive out we saw Crossbills at Killiechronan and our guests saw a large group at Langamull. Seems to me they always put muggins on top of a tree to watch out for sparrowhawks but then he could also just be the boss, resting !
19/05/2010
A gorgeous serene evening after a mizzly day. Just followed a peregrine over the house and found him a mile way chasing lapwings and then out over a golden sea. Ben More looks like it is still volcanic and erupting. Lots of sightings on the trip today. Golden and sea eagles, otter, peregrine calling and flying, twite, porpoise, dunlin, greenshank, about 12 geat northern divers in summer plumage, male hen harrier etc.
19/05/2010
Definitely up and down weather now. Brilliant yesterday again but today calm and misty, however I think this will be a good day !! Really good eagle encounters yesterday with two adjoining goldie territories having a real ding dong of a scrap. Otters and sea eagles as usual with another otter at the ferry point.
17/05/2010
Stunning day again and a flat calm sea. It seems the young Pine Martens are being allowed to fledge here but I need more info on the whole matter. Back to the weather !!! Because from my office right now there is a golden and tropical glow miles out to sea. Just fabulous and I ask again how people can live in suburbia when they have the choice.
12/05/2010
More and more glorious weather here and terrific encounters with our top three. But what do we make of a Pine Marten with kits in the roof of one of the stores in Craignure ?? After all they are not supposed to be here!! The authorities will have a dilemma whether to let them be or relocate to the Highlands. Another sighting then, as interesting as the 2 Bee-eaters at Calgary.
08/05/2010
Off to Oban shopping today and a very nice crayfish tails lunch in the deli there !! Good weather for at least a week here and simply glorious for the sail to Oban today.
07/05/2010
Great weather again and lots of cuckoos yesterday. BIG BIG sightings of sea and golden eagles, hen harrier, otters, great northern divers, goosander, whimbrel, whinchats. I rarely log deer, ravens, buzzards, eiders, red breasted merganser etc etc because we see them every day of course. Even better weather today!!
03/05/2010
Another super day of weather, which I can see is going to last for at least a week. Slow start on the trip today but in the end we had really big views of otters, sea eagles and golden eagles. All top line views with whimbrels, great northern divers etc in for good measure.
02/05/2010
Another dazzling day today. Across the sea from my office I can see the white sands of Iona twinkling along the coast. Actually very sunny days are quite tiring for me on the trips and though we humans enjoy it, so does wildlife and they can often just sit around on such settled days without the focus there is on a more showery day, which is the best for all UK wildlife watching as all creatures including us are active between showers.
30/04/2010
Typical day at the office yesterday with both eagle species, otters and always of course the more obvious species, which would be too long a list !! But today is a tropical looking day here with shorts on!! I had a day off and thought I might find the Bee Eaters sunning themselves on the beach at Calgary. Todays weather should have confirmed to them that they are quite right in assuming that they are in Sicily and so where were they?
28/04/2010
Its incredibly rewarding for me to fulfil someones dream and I had a Scot on the trip today who had always dreamed of seeing a Golden Eagle in the wild. Well we had fantastic views of a bird coming over us and alighting a couple of miles away. I found it sitting in a tree on a cragside. It was brilliant spot by me !!! Two other birds later right above us and then sitting pretty close. He was ecstatic !
28/04/2010
Nice day today but wet yesterday but still got golden eagles flying and sitting and a family of 3 otters. How ready the BBC are to say ''and rain in western scotland'' yet ignore the fact that we have had the best winter ever here with sun and no wind virtually every day. So little wind that my neighbour Tom Heap of the BBC was told on a Radio 4 programme about alternative energy that there was no wind here for his wind turbine idea !!!!!
26/04/2010
Really big trip today. Peregrines flying, sitting, feeding, golden eagle over our head with ravens, various sea eagles, Britains most handsome bird the black throated diver, in full summer plumage, same with great northerns. Big highlight was into the evening with the two Bee Eaters at Calgary Bay. To see two such exotic Mediterranean birds on the far west coast of such a northerly place as a Hebridean Island was amazing.
25/04/2010
Well we finally have rain up here as the winds go to the south west. However not enough to stop us seeing sea and golden eagles. Migrating birds are on the meove north now as southerlies give them the wind beneath their wings so to speak. We even have a couple of Bee Eaters at Calgary and I suppose they could stay and nest. The last one I had was at Glengorm castle and was as much like Sardinia as it could be. It was so exciting seeing such an ailien bird calling and glistening in the sun.
23/04/2010
Not a lot to report of late as I have not been out on trips but lots to report on paperwork and housework etc! We have our first rain for a long time but it's more like townie rain and not worth counting and so I can't see it having any effect on peoples water supplies here. Good weather tomorrow and of on a trip which should be very good I feel.
21/04/2010
I am not going to mention sunshine again but will let you know when it eventually rains here !! Excellent trip the other day with the big three and male hen harrier doing his sky dance and a female doing the same on another territory. I think the moral of the volcano thing is, holiday in Britian especially when we have had the best winter ever AND most people in Britain have never even been to The Hebrides !!!!!!! It's disgusting !!!
18/04/2010
I think we had some rain yesterday! But we have all forgotten what it looks like and so it might not have been. Crystal clear today again and if it's such weather in the Hebridean Islands then you could be in Heaven. Winds are still very very favourable for us with northerly and easterly winds when it is always sunny here but we will need water soon and we are heading for our historically dry period of May !!!
15/04/2010
More amazing weather but no otters today, however close views of golden eagles sitting and displaying, to then land on a peak a mile away. Sea eagles also very close, peregrine falcon, divers, rock doves, fallow and red deer etc. The views out to sea and across huge sea cliffs were just wonderful today with all of the Islands bathed in sunshine.
13/04/2010
More stunning weather and sea eagle sitting and then flying over us, razorbills, red throated and great northern divers, cuckoo, rock, tree and meadow pipits, stock dove and lots of rock doves, golden eagle sitting and big view of male otter in the water and onshore, whooper swans, wheaters, grey wagtails displaying and mating, red and fallow deer, slavonian grebes, seals and more.
12/04/2010
Marvellous weather again with big sightings. Yes goldene eagles, sea eagels, otters but I caught the fin of a porpoise of Grasspoint and we clambered up to get better views when someone said 'I can see more down the coast'. Anyway !! Bottle Nosed Dolphins instead of porpoise or AND porpoise. A great encounter as about 12 of them came rising and blowing from a mile out to come right below us. Massive moment for people who had never seen dolphins before.
11/04/2010
Fabulous warm and windless weather here and pretty good forecast for a week at least. A good trip yesterday but with just two people! Close views of golden eagles, sea eagles pretty close and sitting and long views of an otter, great northern diver and slavonian grebe in summer plumage and peregrine falcon breezing along his sea cliffs and climbing very high and then out to sea.
09/04/2010
Lovely weather so a day off to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and tea and scones, later on lunch and to see Chrissie at the most westerly TIC in Britain. Time seems to stand still where even the children on holiday seem like something out of 'Famous Five' books. The local shop sold absolutely EVERYTHING you could think of in a very small space. This whole area is big empty and very very serene and that's the daily sensation here.
08/04/2010
A pattern of eagle and otter sightings now with many highlights. Today was good with all three golden eagle territories up in Glenmore. Otters were delightful as we followed two cubs who then had a nap onshore showing their whiskers and cute faces. Sea eagles of course but none flying today but plenty yesterday. Cold but pretty good weather.
04/04/2010
My trips are in full swing now with a good crowd today and sea eagles, otters, peregerine falcon, great northern divers and golden eagles with all day sunshine.
03/04/2010
Our empty southern beaches enchant me and this was the case again off the northern tip of Iona. With two small islets about 400m offshore and a string of white sand and tropical blue sea between. Ive seen similar scenes in the Pacific. Two otters were frolicking out there and it was a fabulous moment with dark weather and huge mountains of Mull as backdrop.
01/04/2010
Just the most wonderful and inspirational day here with superb light. I can see the white sandy beaches of Iona across the sea and all of Ben More and its surrounding mountains are covered in snow but it's all very sunny and beautiful. Curlews are displaying below the house and there is a real feel of summer on the way. When you have a choice I don't get why anyone but anyone would want to live in suburbia !! There are no excuses when tourism is a great industry to be in.
31/03/2010
Its sunny but windy still and Wow its been pretty bad for 24 hours. However everyone thought it exciting following an otter below us and leaning into a very strong and cold wind to do so. Also had another otter at the ferry point, male hen harrier and sea eagles have been flat out on their nests protecting their eggs in testing conditions to say the least but they should be ok now.
29/03/2010
Easterly winds !!! That means another glorious day here. Very good views to be had now of the sea eagles. A golden eagle rose and checked two out which were on her territory but yesterday we had the most romantic sightings of a family of three otters and another with thick wet fur onshore where we could count his whiskers in the telescope. Also good views of peregrines sitting, flying and calling.
25/03/2010
The weather is a bit up and down now but still very good really. I attended a meeting in Oban on land use yesterday which was interesting. However I still think our species are pretty ordinary, with big ideas seemingly hard to come by. Of course I think that I have plenty of big ideas and so I would say that would'nt I !!
23/03/2010
Mull is more windy now but we are still having some beautiful weather like today. Trips have produced the usual big sightings but yesterday was tough on a greyer, colder, windier day.What I have noticed is that March and April are looking far busier than normal and I am not sure why. However the sea eagles are doing things a lot earlier too!!
20/03/2010
Sunny and colourful day today and very challenging in a cold wind later but we had slavonian grebes, 20 great northern divers in a tight group, golden eagles and lots of sea eagles many of which are on eggs now. No otters though today yet conditions looked good. Maybe tommorrow!!
20/03/2010
Just off on a trip today with sunshine and no wind at all. At least the weather people were saying 'and sunny in Western Scotland' this morning and at last giving us some credit when it is nice here. He even repeated it half an a hour later, can you believe that!! I would also like to hear them reporting on us being the sunniest place in Britain this winter.
17/03/2010
It's all change with the winds from the West now and today was grey,cold but dry. Good group of people though and we enjoyed porpoise, otter, sea eagles flying and sitting and interracting, golden eagles, divers, dippers and the usual wildlife for this time of year.
16/03/2010
Where do the BBC get their weather forecasts from? When it's sunny up here it never gets a mention but when it's sunny down south they make so much of it. They say it's grey and drizzly up here today!! Well it's bright and getting sunny. Its very calm and I have been outside painting the house.
15/03/2010
It feels wild and free here after the narrow streets of Florence but its light rain here today !! Most local people are saying it's been the best winter ever and once the winds come from the west it will all change. There is a hint of this today after such a long spell of easterlies. I like travelling the world but The Hebridean Islands are unbeatable.
14/03/2010
Well Florence was fascinating, stylish and full of art. However it was very cold with snow as we landed and still sunny on Mull !! Seeing another rare Leonardo da Vinci was thrilling, as was Michaelangelo's awesome sculpture of David which was huge. Panoramic views over the city from across the River Arno were beautiful but eating out is about 3 times more than UK. If you go travel everywhere by train, it's cheap and very easy.
07/03/2010
Just a note for anyone wanting advice or wishing to book trips or accommodation. I shall be unable to deal with phone calls and emails until Sunday the 14th of March. However anyone wishing to leave something via emial at info@scotlandwildlife.com is very welcome to do so and I will deal with this on Sunday. Thankyou.
06/03/2010
Another calm sunny miraculous day with flecks of snow tumbling down the peaks of the mountains and black rocky areas showing through and a golden landscape at the foot of the mountains. My friend has just flown over the house and given the usual dip of the wings. As you do !! Must be wonderful up there on days like this. Remember you can fly here via seaplane from Glasgow by the way.
05/03/2010
Another super day with big sightings of both eagle species, two golden eagles mating on a hillside, a few otters, with one particular family directly below us with all of them rolling on the seaweed and bringing fish ashore and splashing around in the water. A few divers also.Its going to be sunny for at least another week here and has been the best winter in 30 years. Pity I go to Florence on Monday where its going to be poorer weather I believe !
03/03/2010
Just returned from a week in Derbyshire which was 'nice' but it's all so bloomin tame compared with here. Even the weather was greyish but ok !! It was another snowy expanse with a clear sky drive through Glencoe and a mirror calm sea here now. I think it's going to be sunny again for a week at least. Why don't the weather people tell the truth !!
23/02/2010
Unfortunately I cannot read my emails for a week and so if anyone is making enquiries please do so by phone until next Monday. Thankyou !
22/02/2010
More miraculous weather here today with clear blue sky and predicted to last for at least another week. Same weather yesterday when on a trip we had lots of sea eagle sightings but no golden eagles but otter and divers and of course the more obvious Hebridean creatures.
20/02/2010
More stunning weather and visual effects here. 10otters today and sea and golden eagles. We got big snow showers on the other side of the Island as we saw two seperate otter families and then blue sky again on the west coast. Mighty view of the two Killiechronan sea eagles with the most fabulous backdrop.
19/02/2010
I think its been one of our best winters here and yet another sparkling day again today and so interesting watching what must have been snow showers in the mountains from here and yet the house bathed in sunshine. I also think it's going to last into next week at least and while ever it's cold easterly winds in Britain, it will. By the way forgot to mention the crossbills the other day!
18/02/2010
Its another wonderful day here but I am off doing normal things today like getting a haircut and buying do it yourself stuff to repair some chairs and so this is a boring posting but I am as usual inspired by such a beautiful day and I know it could be a good ferry trip to Oban. There's a recent sunset from this on my 'gallery' page by the way.
17/02/2010
No trip today and friends calling round but we have had a dusting of snow covering the entire scene from the house. It a mercury looking sea out there, flat calm with golden clouds over Iona and black looking sea cliffs and mountains covered in icing sugar. In a nutshell, vast and empty, tranquil and inviting you to explore.
16/02/2010
Another good day and trip with big views of otters, sea eagles and golden eagles. Its such a pleasure to have someone on the tour who has never seen a golden eagle and then have them soaring over his head, from maybe the most spectacular spot on the Island. But then its all spectacular here !
14/02/2010
Not so sunny now but still pretty good and even more photogenic. But it was a romantic sighting on Valentines Day from the north of Mull as the Isle of Staffa bobbed on a silver calm sea about four miles out and a golden eagle soared in the foreground over his sea cliffs. It was very poetic and evocative, but such stuff is in the eye of the beholder of course!
12/02/2010
Glorious day and trip. Porpoise, young sea eagle sitting very close onshore, black throated and great northern divers, slavonian grebe, black guillemots, golden eagles soaring, young sea eagle attacked by peregrine, adult sea's flying and landing on peak, otter and another family of three, female hen harrier, red and fallow deer, seals of course.
11/02/2010
We have just had yet another tropical looking day and had our first 'tropical' shower lasting 5minutes! The sea is golden and like glass out there with black silhoutted islets bobbing like the backs of large whales. But then its the best view in the world from the house and so it may be hypnotising me again!!
10/02/2010
Its a wonderful but wonderful tropical looking evening out there after a crystal clear day and I think I have caught the sun !! The sea is flat calm now with different shades of gold and blue going toward Iona and we are in for a super sunset for certain.
09/02/2010
We are still in the most beautiful of weather here which is going to continue with clear skies and all day sunshine. Cold yes in the wind but warm out of it as always here with our crystal clear winter atmosphere. With the sun lounge doors open today it was over 70 degrees in the sun and it was great to get that tropical feeling on your face, while reading The Times !!
08/02/2010
I would get the first flight up and hire a car at Glasgow Airport and come eagle watching on Mull because we are in great weather for at least a week here.If you don't turn up in the next few hours I am off doing more gravelling of our track and chopping logs.
07/02/2010
Another wonderful day here and interesting views of a sea eagle feeding on a headland with a crow jumping and landing on his back every now and then. I see them pestered a lot but not quite so blatantly!Then another sea eagle an hour later with his talons down swooping along trees and rising up to do the same thing again for about 5 minutes. They look sensational with claws out like this as many of my customers know.
06/02/2010
Another beautiful sunny day here and though I try to describe the views from the house particularly early morning and evening it really is impossible to acurately portray the colours of sea mountains and islands. A winter sunset in these islands is visually as good as it can get I think. A tropical sunset is great but it doesnt have the myriad of islands on the way to the sunset that we have here.
05/02/2010
Had a good day out with Argyll and Bute Council and Scottish Natural Heritage looking at interpretive panels and suitable sites along the Sound of Mull. Saw otter,seals and two separate sea eagles. Tonight is a red sun and sky with purple coloured Islands and deep golden landscape reaching out to a pink and purple sea.
31/01/2010
We have had a glorious weekend here with sun from morning to evening, light winds, cold in the wind but warm in the sun. Ben More is still dappled with snow and I wish I was on wildlife trips but all these townies are hunkered down watching the TV instead of wandering The Hebridean Islands, which are so beautiful on days like this.
29/01/2010
It's been another beautiful sunny day but cold in the wind. However, I found that at our former hotel in Tobermory even in mid winter if it was sunny and if you were out of the wind it was warm here because the atmosphere is so unpoluted and clear and it is excatly the same at the new house which is almost too warm on sunny winter days like this.
28/01/2010
Not much to report I suppose until my trips kick off again in Feb. However the weather has been reasonable I suppose though greyer and a bit mizzly at times after the sunny days previously.Good view of an otter rolling on his back and golden eagles fighting with ravens above the house but late last night on the way back from a meeting various sightings of barn and tawny owls.
24/01/2010
Another stunning day here with no wind, sunny and now finishing with a beautiful red sunset over Iona. Ben More to our left is dark with flecks of snow and a dozen sheep in the foregound on a small hill 25yds from the house. All very photogenic.If you cant produce great photo's on Mull I would chuck my camera in the sea and take up needlework.
23/01/2010
Awesome run from Glasgow back to Mull today with clear sky, snow capped peaks, no wind at all and a flatter than flat sea here on Mull. Then a short walk out in warm sun, it was such a wonderful day. To think you can leave the hurly burly of Glasgow and be amid this vast empty splendour in 3 hours. I have no problem understanding why ancient people living in such spectacularly wild places worshiped them, because as modern man I do !!!.
19/01/2010
On a trip today with two people from Bucks who had been given the day out as a present, lucky things! So a slow start with a dipper, waders, divers and barnacle geese. Then we stopped for lunch and from then we had a number of eagles both sea and golden coming from range and then right over us. When they had not seen eagles before I felt the thrill for them. But then I still enjoy The Hebrides like a little boy! All children should live somewhere like this for a chunk of their lives.
18/01/2010
Coming back from the swimming pool we stopped to enjoy the best view on the West Coast, which is 800m above the house and I was just about to say, what a terrific view, as a fishing boat bobbed on a sun setting sea.When a young sea eagle lifted of some rocks to our right and soared over us and out across Loch na Keal showing its talons a couple of times as if to say don't disturb me again.
18/01/2010
Its the most serene, windless, sunny and warm day here today. Off to the pool for a swim and to have a look for porpoise which were giving good views a few days ago on a very calm sea which is clearly the best conditions because they are not that big.
16/01/2010
The weather is back to 'normal' here with the peak of Ben More across the sea covered in grey cloud with flecks of snow disappearing into it. Ahead Iona is its usual self with golden shafts of sunlight splaying onto the Island and the south of Mull.Buzzards have been calling all day and birds on the feeders are less active. Probably a sign that they can now forage for wild food. Could be a good sunset tonight I think.
15/01/2010
We have lost the sunny days and snowy scenes and it's been much greyer with our first rain now. The snow line has retreated to halfway up the bigger mountains and it must be a relief for wildife to be able to feed again. Here the bird feeders have been busier than the winter sales at John Lewis! Buzzards and ravens are calling and scrapping behind the house and woodcocks are still rushing by. Or does that sound like the sales at John Lewis again?
11/01/2010
The roads are melting now but it's a greyer day than we have had. Driving down the coast a sea eagle swept out to sea and took something and landed to eat it with snowy peaks behind him to set the scene. The bigger female followed and after they had flown off there was a really good view of an otter on the same rocks.
10/01/2010
The thing I most remember about my first time on Mull was the sheer bigness of it all and the tangible silence everywhere. Such was today with the Islands sunny yet again and walking on the empty and tranquil west coast was lovely with frozen ground beneath our feet and black Hebridean sheep pootling along behind thinking we might feed them.
08/01/2010
More stunning weather today and yesterday. Whilst dealing with emails in my office two sea eagles drifted along the coast going toward Loch Tuath and five minutes later a female hen harrier came close to the house. We have no wind, it's sunny and the immediate landscape is now empty of snow and golden but the mountains across the sea look terrific. I think we will have a week of the same weather.
06/01/2010
It's another stunning day here with clear sky, no wind at all, still frozen roads and woodcocks all over the place!! The sun is currently bouncing off a totally flat sea and it's just wonderful to go for a walk in this. I think that visually and atmospherically this is as good as it is going to get on Mull.
05/01/2010
We had a light dusting of snow this morning but it's disapearing now and we have a clear sky, little wind and it's very warm in the conservatory. Which isn't a conservatory but more a long slab of glass with sensational sea, island and mountain views. Dont say I am lucky because you create your own and for most of my younger life I lived amid the steelworks and dirt of industrial Sheffield.
04/01/2010
It was the most mesmerizing trip from Glasgow through the Highlands today, with clear skies and roads and seemingly the whole of Scotland covered in snow as we went over Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe. The West of Mull was silent and sunny with a vast peachy sky and sunset at the house. Suburbia and cities are not places to 'live' just places to shop.
02/01/2010
We have been putting together my Christmas present from everyone today, which is my own weather station !! But I'm like an eagle and I can 'feel' the weather these days. Its all part of the magic of living somewhere like this and being so close to raw nature. But it was still great fun putting the station together and getting all technical.
01/01/2010
Each day is sunny but very cold and we have an entirely frozen landscape at the moment. But it was great sledging with the kids in the mountains today. A golden eagle soared overhead and we saw a few sea eagles up there too. I really cant describe how wonderful the whole Island looks.
Sightings from previous years
2010
David Woodhouse
Isle of Mull Wildlife Expeditions
Ulva Ferry, Isle of Mull
Argyll, Scotland
Tel/Fax: 01688 500121
Mull Eco-Charter
