Wednesday 17th June - Bens first Mull Nature Explorer!

Jack and Ben were leading Mull Nature Explorers today, with both tours heading to the south of the island.

It was Ben's very first tour as a guide, with a full group of eight guests. He started the day with a stunning sighting of a group of redpolls perched on a dead tree, while swallows zoomed just above the grass behind the group. They also spotted some harbor seals with white throats and heard a Whinchat calling in the distance. To top it off, they managed fleeting glimpses of two female Hen Harriers, possibly the same bird.

At the next stop, the tour encountered a large group of red deer stags right next to the roadside, which was absolutely brilliant. A few guests managed to capture some great photos, including shots of the stags with their velvet antlers.

After the incredible red deer sightings, the group moved on to see a White-tailed Eagle. Luckily, there was a proud female bird sitting on her nest. The guests were thrilled by this unbelievable sight—such a majestic bird, undisturbed in her natural habitat. While observing the eagle, the group also enjoyed some lovely botany, including round-leaved sundew, a few hybrid orchids, and St. John’s Wort.

After lunch, the group travelled along an incredible road with views over the Treshnish Isles and eventually arrived at a Golden Eagle nest. Almost immediately, one of the guests spotted two Golden Eagles soaring over the cliffs. Everyone quickly got out of the van and was treated to unbelievable views. I set up the scope, so the group could see the Golden Eagles' nest tucked into a cove in the cliffs. It was fantastic, especially when an adult bird returned to the nest. While enjoying the sight, we had some hot drinks and took it all in. Golden Eagles were the main species the guests wanted to see today, so it was incredibly special to have such stunning views of this elusive bird. The guests were thrilled and even managed to capture some photos of the Golden Eagles in flight.

The eagles continued to amaze us as we drove around and spotted yet another pair of White-tailed Eagles perched on a pine tree right next to the road. It almost felt like they were following us!

At the sea loch, we observed a large group of Greylag Geese, along with some lovely Red-breasted Mergansers and Black Guillemots diving just off the shore.

This rounded off an enjoyable day. A huge thank you to the guests who made my first tour unforgettable. Also, I just have to say thank you so much to my van driving instructor Mr Ewan Miles for the lessons in the van it paid off, the van is so much fun!