RESPONSIBLE WILDLIFE WATCHING & PHOTOGRAPHY

Encouraging non-intrusive wildlife viewing / photography

Watching wildlife on their terms and not encroaching on their natural behaviour

Golden Eagle & White-tailed Eagle

These birds are truly majestic and top of the spotting list for a lot of people visiting Mull! Memorable views can be had of these regal raptors and they really do ignite the senses!

Firstly, the species are listed as schedule 1 so are highly protected by law, so it is a criminal offence to disturb the parents and/or dependent young at or near an active nest.

White-tailed Eagle, Golden Eagle, Hen Harrier & Red Kite are listed on Schedule 1A making it an offence to intentionally or recklessly harass them at any time.

The most sensitive (and crucial) time for the eagle species is pre laying and the incubation period. These birds are highly prone to disturbance when looking to settle down on their nest, and human presence in the vicinity can deter them from doing so.

The eagles will be incubating eggs during March and April and these months can still be cold and wet with a real feel of winter still in the air! Of course, anytime the birds are off the nest, this could cause the chilling of the eggs and lead to a failed breeding attempt for the year.
If you are on Mull and know of any active nests, please keep a responsible and safe distance away. A fieldscope is a great bit of kit to use to watch breeding eagles from a safe distance.
If the eggs hatch, then the chick(s) will be very vulnerable at an early stage, needing a lot of brooding and feeding from the parent birds.

Away from eagle nests, the birds are still performing essential daily duties which of course includes feeding themselves and their chick(s).
When out exploring Mull, you might be in a privileged position to see a White-tailed Eagle sat on the shoreline! These birds feed around the coast and the eagle may have found some carrion washed up on the shoreline or even just caught a bird such as a shag or picked a fish from the water.
Either way, it is essential to not disturb the bird from its coastal comforts. It may have been hunting all day to finally catch its prey, or it could be digesting after a good feed.

These huge raptors weigh up to 7kg and if a human was to disturb a bird and encourage it to fly, they have to expend a lot of energy to do so. By altering their behaviour you have changed their whole schedule for the rest of the day as they may have lost their food and also will have to try and replenish the lost energy from taking to the wing. The birds may also be busy parents, so you could impact the amount of food getting delivered back to the nest.

If you encounter a White-tailed Eagle sat on the shoreline, try and watch it from a safe distance and keep a good eye on the birds behaviour, as if they notice you and watch with caution that is your cue to step back and watch from a greater distance.

Feb - april

During the pre laying and incubation period, eagles are highly prone to disturbance when looking to settle down on their nest, and human presence in the vicinity can deter them from doing so, and contribute towards a failed breeding effort for the whole year. Please make the responsible decision and put the birds first, at all times.

April - July

Busy parents will be feeding eaglets during this time. If you see a WT Eagle on the shoreline, it will most likely be hunting or may even have prey ready to deliver to a hungry chick(s).

Like all wild animal encounters, do not disturb the species, enjoy them from a responsible distance.

Aug - jan

If you see an eagle perched up in a tree or on the coastline, again, do your best not to alter their natural behaviour. During the winter months, eagles can expend more energy due to the colder conditions and lack of thermals. So by recklessly flushing an eagle from a perched up position you have altered their daily routine, and they may have to now replenish that lost energy.

Otter

These mammals are truly wonderful to watch and photograph along the coasts of Mull. They are again, high on peoples wish lists when out exploring the island.

We want to watch them on their own terms. Check out this video for some great pointers to help with enjoying Otters in a responsible manner…

The island’s community has also put together 5 key points to help people digest the most important things to consider, when out watching/photographing Otters…

Keep your distance. If an otter reacts to your presence, then you are too close.
Remain quiet, keep a low profile and stay downwind. Move slowly, and only when the otter is underwater.
Never follow or chase an otter if it tries to leave the area.
Do not disturb other species, particularly ground-nesting birds.
Park responsibly. Never block roads or passing places.

Hen Harrier

These magnificent moorland birds are a real treat to see around the island. The ghostly appearance of the male along with their spectacular skydance and graceful flight make them another popular predator!

Like the eagles, Hen Harriers are a schedule 1 species, meaning they have stricter protection measures, and it is a criminal offence to disturb them near nests as well as non-breeding birds.

Hen Harriers nest on the ground, which increases their vulnerability to disturbances. If you are keen to try and get photos of Hen Harriers, we would highly suggest focusing on their hunting grounds and keep away from active nests. If you hunker down in suitable habitat, giving it time will maximise the chances of a Hen Harrier appearing and providing photo opportunities.

If a HH is calling at you, step back immediately as you are too close to a nest. Also, during pre incubation, Hen Harriers will 'sky dance' over a possible nest site, so this behaviour needs to be observed from a safe and responsible distance.

A photo that I sometimes see online is one of a Hen Harrier flying directly towards the camera, with an alert expression and looking straight down the lens. This behaviour is highly likely to indicate an agitated bird that is not happy with human presence too close to an active nest, and is illegal if the person does not have an S1 license.

Adder

Watch your footing...

The Isle of Mull is home to Britain's only venomous reptile, the Adder. As you walk the moors, you might be lucky to encounter one of these secretive snakes.
Adders are not aggressive at all, so a bite is very unlikely, however;

- Never intrude on their space, keep your distance. A responsible snake encounter is one where you leave a basking Adder is in the exact place you first spotted it, indicating that you have not altered their natural behaviour.
- We recommend that you stay at least sssssss-ix metres away from the snake. This distance enables great binocular views and camera opportunities with a long lens.
- Keep dogs under control at all times.
- If a bite does occur, seek medical or veterinary assistance immediately.

Other things to note...

- Whilst Adders have a large range across the UK, recent heavy declines, especially in England, mean it is of major conservation concern.

- The findings, published in The Herpetological Journal, are the culmination of 11 years of nationwide monitoring and showed that 90% of adder populations surveyed were declining.

Seals

We have both Harbour and Grey Seal breeding around the Isle of Mull, and they can be enjoyed year round. They are beautiful and really underrated animals to watch around the coasts.

It can be tempting to approach seals. Their big, dark eyes and dog-like faces are incredibly alluring, but getting too close can cause them distress. This stress can cause seals to flee from the area, draining energy, dividing mothers from their pups, and even causing them to avoid certain locations in favour of quieter but potentially lower quality ones. This impacts their feeding and breeding success, which in turn affects their survival and that of their young.

When they are hauled out in colonies, this is a very important daily requirement for them, sleeping, digesting and also moulting at certain times of the year.
Whether on land or on sea in a kayak or paddle board, if you see a haul out of seals and are curious to have a look, remember to keep your distance and do not disturb them from their haul outs. If you start to see them respond to you and lift their heads, move back and do not approach any closer. Binoculars or a long lens camera will suitable to get good views / photo opportunities.

Always keep at least 100 metres away - that’s about the same length as a full-sized football pitch.

Ground nesting birds - We all love Leads!

Mull has over 300 miles of coastline and most of these stretches will have ground nesting birds attempting to breed from April - July...

- If walking your dog on the shoreline, please make sure that it is under close control to minimise any threats to birds nesting along the coast.

Why keep dogs on a lead?

To avoid disturbing ground nesting birds
To protect other wildlife, such as snakes, seals, amphibians, and mammals
To avoid disturbing grazing livestock

When should dogs be kept on a lead?

During breeding season, which is usually from April to July
When on open access land, such as moorland, forests, grassland, loch shores, and the seashore
When near grazing animals

Other tips for protecting ground nesting birds:

Keep your dog in sight and under control

If in doubt, use a lead
Keep your dog close at heel
Keep as far as possible from any animals if going through fields of grazing livestock
If cows react aggressively, let the dog go and take the shortest, safest route out of the field