El Scorchio

The weather today was very calm and roasting hot and Theo had a mull nature explorer today while Jack had a walking tour !

Theo’s Tour

Beginning the tour for Theo, they were joined by two adult white-tailed eagles resting on top of a conifer. Then, a very brief ringtail hen harrier flew over the trees—quite an unusual spot to see hen harriers!

Following the loch round, there was a small pod of common dolphins leaping and foraging. A golden eagle was also sat regally on the high cliffs above. The tour didn’t know where to look—just unbelievable scenes to have these wildlife experiences at the same time!

Harbour and grey seals were also present on the loch, enjoying the nice weather sunbathing. There was also a very brief sighting of an otter off an offshore skerry.

Over lunch, a large group of different birds gathered. An adult white-tailed eagle flew by carrying prey, pursued by corvids, and several buzzards thermalled on the hillside.

Fortunately, the tour was able to tick off both eagles for today with a very distant perched-up pair of golden eagles on the moorland, along with a few red deer and kestrels in the same vicinity.

A sparrowhawk flew from a kill by the van before we parked up on another section of moorland. The moorland was filled with ravens calling before a big immature white-tailed eagle rose, catching a thermal from behind the hill seventy meters away.

To complete the day at the loch, the tour had a brief sighting of a male hen harrier on the skyline before an adult golden eagle appeared over the hill and flew right towards us, then began soaring in the golden light—just such a special moment!

On a last scan of the mountains, two more adult white-tailed eagles appeared soaring above in the distance. Well, what a day that was—definitely a day for raptors; they really stole the show!

Jack’s Walking Tour

Well, what a day for a walking tour! In Jack’s words, it was ‘El scorchio’! The tour was a short walk around the jagged coast of Mull. On the tour, they were treated to some lovely views of common seals and their older pups, all playing on the skerry.

Then, the tour went on a detour to the standing stones, a historical landmark filled with beautiful scenery. Of course, there had to be some wildlife as well, and it just had to be one of Mull’s most iconic animals—not one, but two white-tailed eagles joined the walk!

Making it two brilliant tours today, and the weather made the day even more enjoyable. Looking forward to what the rest of the warm weather treats us to this week.