Monday 28th & Tuesday 29th - Some great unexpected appearances

Jack's and Ewan's tours at the start of this week, were three mull nature explorers and had some incredible sightings with some lovely weather, which means lots of time out of the van.

Jack's Monday Tour

Monday began with a surprising start when two stunning white-tailed eagles were spotted flying and perching. One of the eagles went to hunt some avian prey but returned being mobbed by an osprey instead. This allowed the guests to truly appreciate the size of the white-tailed eagle. Ospreys do not breed on Mull and are seen infrequently, usually during migration or when travelling long distances for food. Seeing an osprey is always a special moment on a Mull tour, making it a fantastic way to start the day.

Continuing around the loch, Jack spotted an otter napping on the shoreline. Everyone saw the otter, which is always a bonus. To complete the "Big Three" of Mull, a regal pair of golden eagles was seen soaring over the moors. It was a day full of sightings, including an unexpected visit from an osprey.

To cap off an excellent day, the tour also saw a slow worm, a type of legless lizard. The variety of wildlife sightings, combined with great weather, made for a wildlife-packed day.

Ewan's Tuesday Tour

Ewan had a private tour with a Belgian family, picking them up from the ferry in Craignure.

The first highlight of the tour was watching two white-tailed eagles flying overhead before landing on a coastal skerry to feed. Shortly after viewing the eagles through the scope, an amazing moment occurred when a small group of common dolphins appeared in the calm, grey sea. Viewing dolphins from land, seeing their dorsal fins appear and disappear, is incredible.

After a brilliant morning with white-tailed eagles and common dolphins, Ewan spotted a golden eagle perched in its mountain realm during the lunch stop. This was quickly followed by a female hen harrier driving through a high moorland road. Additionally, there were some great bonus birds, including red-throated divers, golden plovers, and turnstones, all in pristine summer plumage. The day was blessed with beautiful sunshine in the afternoon, which felt quite hot towards the end of the tour.

Again, the variety of sightings was fantastic, and it was brilliant to see dolphins on a land-based tour. We dropped the guests back at the ferry, hoping they had an enjoyable day trip on this magical island.

Jack's Tuesday Tour

Jack's tour began with excellent views of common seals hauled out on large rocks in the middle of the loch. Suddenly, a white-tailed eagle flew straight over, providing great views while on the hunt.

A large dog otter also appeared near the seals, hunting in the small waves. The otter's signature three body parts, tail, back, and head, were visible in the water. The signature tail flick before diving impressed the guests. An unfortunate moment occurred when a common seal was scavenged by the impressive great black-backed gulls, the largest gulls in the world.

All the tours have made a great start to the week with nice weather and sightings, making for very enjoyable tours. We look forward to more.