Fridays Mull Nature Explorer

Bright spells and calm winds made for perfect conditions to explore Mull’s coast today before the cloud arrived in the afternoon.

Our morning began at a sea loch where two magnificent White-tailed Eagles perched in the trees before lifting off to hunt across the water. Behind us, a solitary Otter quietly fished in the bay, surfacing close to shore and offering beautiful views. The excitement grew as a Golden Eagle appeared on a nearby hillside, slowly circling higher into the clear sky.

Further along the loch, two Slavonian Grebes dived as did several Harbour Seals, while another Otter — this time with a tiny cub — fed out on a reef. A fleeting Merlin then swept across the loch, pausing briefly on a telegraph pole before vanishing into the distance.

The Otter encounters continued, with a mother and large cub feeding right along the shoreline. As they worked through their meal, an immature White-tailed Eagle drifted overhead, pursued noisily by a group of Buzzards.

Later, we watched Common Dolphins breaching and feeding in the loch while Goosanders and Great Northern Divers moved gracefully along the coast. The afternoon brought yet another Otter family — a mum and two cubs, briefly hauling out before slipping back into the sea.

We ended the day beside a quiet river, where a pair of Dippers busily fed along the water, a peaceful finale to the day.