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Captain's Log
Massive 50 Wildlife watching trips give away!!
To win one of 50 trips available for grabs, just answer the following question: What will you see on a Sea Life Surveys trip? A. The Loch Ness Monster B. A professional wildlife guide C. A Bald Eagle GOOD LUCK!!! Terms and conditions 1 ticket per family Must be redeemed by October 2011
Spring Sights......First Whale!
Hello everyone I am pleased to say that trips are in full flow again for another season. All the hard work and preparation through the winter months is rewarded as we take to the seas again in search of all sorts of Wildlife in a special part of the world :-)
White Tailed Sea Eagles at Ardmore
The stunning Great Northern Diver being seen on our early trips
The Eagles at Ardmore have been showing well on our early season trips with the nesting pair on eggs and due to hatch any time in the next few days (22-04). A few close encounters to as an eagle would approach our boat put on a show and move on like it knows it is an attraction and has a job to do. Even better when gulls are mobbing the bird and you get a scale of the sheer size of this huge avian predator.
Bottlenose Dolphin in Tobermory with Sula Beag behind
An exciting encounter on the 8th April as 7 Bottlenose Dolphin came into the harbour just after 6pm to put on another fantastic display! The second time a group of Dolphins has visited the harbour in the space of a few weeks. Olivia from the HWDT was there at the time and managed to get these superb photos of the mammals with Sula Beag in the background. There was a number of Bottlenose Dolphin sightings reported around the coastline of Mull with particular locations being Croig and also Isle of Iona with photo records taken the HWDT are in the process of trying to match the Dorsal fin photos to identify whether the same group of Dolphins seen off Iona are the same group that has visited Tobermory harbour twice in the last few weeks.
7 Bottlenose Dolphin, Tobermory Harbour, Hopefully they take a liking to Sula Beag!
Tobermory
'Tob' as it is sometimes referred to by the locals is looking as picturesque as ever. The Peregrine Falcons have been showing well most days on the main street taking advantage of the Feral Pigeons up in the church tower and entertaining the tourists passing by.
Carins of Coll
A few visits to the Cairns of Coll have already been done on our seven hour whale watch trips. It really is a fantastic remote location and still amazes me on every visit as well as the first time visitors! It does seen to be sunny weather every time which makes it more stunning. Both species of Seals are still in good number and very relaxed at the Carins. Greater Black Backed Gulls are guarding their territories, Oystercatchers and shags are pairing up to breed. 
Porpoise!
The good old reliable Resident Porpoise have done us all proud in the last few weeks. Ardmore being the hotspot area so far this season. You need eyes in the back of your head at Ardmore point as while your looking at the eagles the Porpoise will most likely be in view behind you as well.
Sula Beag - It is true after all about gold at the end of the rainbow :-)
Loch Na Keal looking east
LNK is a great all round spot on the island as it has got the lot...scenery, Wildlife and.....good places to park up and scan from. Sightings in the area the last few weeks have included all 3 Divers (Great Northern, Black Throated, Red Throated), Slavonian Grebe, White tailed eagle fishing, Otters and Golden Eagle in the higher terrain.
The illusive Eurasian Otter
Nice views of Otters on a couple of the 4 hour family whale watch trips spotted by chief guide Ruth. They are numerous in the area but still challenging to spot but a great reward if you do so!
Golden Eagle and two Hooded Crow, a nice photo to give you a size comparison
Right i've left the best bit of news to the end and on the 21st April we set off on a seven hour whale watch with 8 enthusiastic punters on board. The trip actually started on a sour note as it had to be delayed by an hour as visibility was less than 100 yards! when we got going at at half 10 the fog had lifted slightly and you could see the sun trying to burn it off so it was looking more promising. As we arrived at Ardmore the fog had thickened again and we couldn't see land in any direction and had not even seen a Gull yet! But things can only get better and the sun burnt through and got rid of the dense fog and we headed around the north west coastline of Mull in lovely blue sky and sunshine getting entertained by Fulmars and Porpoise! We stopped for lunch and as Popz wandered up into the wheelhouse to head off north again....Whale!....done. The master finds us an early season whale and as we watched it break the water a few times I noticed its behaviour was very different in that it would surface once and then straight down for a deep dive to forage over a greater distance as the food will be more scarce at this time of year. A great early sign for the season ahead to go with plenty of feeding sea birds to go with it so things are looking promising for this year.
Trip sightings: -
- Minke Whale
- Porpoise
- WT Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Great Northern Diver
- Common / Grey Seal
- Otters
- Common Scoter
The Wildlife is hotting up and we will hopefully have plenty to report in the next few weeks. Thanks for looking :-)
Ewan
Wildlife guide
2011 season good to go!
Well hello everyone the last few weeks have been a busy spell trying to get everything all set for the up and coming season. Sula Beag has been based down in Oban for the off season on Kerrera a small island just off the west coast town. So daily trips from Mull to the mainland were done enjoying the early spring scenery The weather in March was the usual mixed bag with a good covering of snow on the second week of the month creating fantastic scenery especially around Ben More mountain range. Plenty of rain to go with it as well as plenty of sunshine hours which light up the island creating fantastic unique landscapes.
Durat Castle from Oban Ferry
Commuting to and from Oban gave us the chance to see what wildlife there was in the surrounding area. Oban Harbour had a good number of Black Guilimot and also Turnstone the masters of disguise on the rocky shore by the main street with one bird seen crossing the road without looking both ways! We also had Great Northern Diver in winter plumage seen close up next to the Oban Marina. A couple of Common Seal seen by Kerrera and Ravens and Buzzards pairing up on the steap cliff face that was looking down on the boat yard.
Black Guilimot off Oban
Sula Beag ready to take to the seas again!
View from kerrara looking east towards Oban
Looking back at Kerrara after a days work on Sula beag :-)
The SLS team were itching to get back out there and start looking for wildlife again and on the 19th of the month it became a step closer as Sula Beag was ready to be launched into the water again and head north up the sound of Mull for her homecoming back at Tobermory :-)
Bottlenose Dolphin in Tobermory Harbour, 17-03-11 An exciting event took place in Tobermory harbour on the 3rd week of the month as upto 7 Bottlenose Dolphin were spotted putting on acrobatic displays for a couple of hours with the public on the main street delighted with the free entertainment and its a good early sign for the up and coming season :-)
Red deer near Lochdon
Wildlife update for the month and there was some great sightings and encounters to be had starting with my first full day on the island and I decided to cover new ground and go and explore Ardmore right on the north part of the island. Minutes after getting out of the car...Beauty! a pair of Hen Harriers hunting over the heather in a snow blizzard. It was the first time I had witnessed a Hen Harrier in an upland habitat in its breeding environment as in the past all my sightings have been a bird coming into roost in a lowlands winter season. Hen Harrier are are doing great on the Isle of Mull and with more pairs of breeding Harriers in the north part of the island than there are in the whole of England is a credit to Mull and the way the Wildlife is valued and respected and equally a depressing state of affairs on the problems on the mainland.
Male Hen Harrier
As I arrived at Ardmore point and watched a White Tailed Eagle working the coast line I then decided to make my way back to the car and making a round route out of my journey and within minutes I came across a cat following the beaten track in front of me and instinctively I reached for my camera and managed to get one record photo before the cat spotted me and took off in a flash. When I looked back at the photo there and then I noticed the thick black banded tail markings and the sheer wildness of the cat itself made me very interested to look further into the possibility that it was a hybrid Wildcat.
I had taken an interest into Scottish Wildcats a couple of years ago and it was their rarity and illusiveness that interested me. I had read that there had been a possible Wildcat sighting on the north part of the island so I decided to send the photo to the Wildcat association and I got a response the next day confirming that it was a hybrid! The interesting part is that Mull has never been connected as part of mainland Scotland and the island is not big enough to sustain a healthy population of Wildcats over a long period of time so possible scenarios are that a desperate Cat has swam across the Sound of Mull at some point as Wildcats are known to be fantastic swimmers compared to their water shy domestic cousins. Another possibility is that one came across with man or in a timber wagon which is very unlikely as Wildcats will make no attempt to go anywhere near a human as there name tells you they are as wild as the hills. All in all a very interesting sighting and that's the beauty of wildlife that there is always something new to discover and it never ceases to amaze you.
A diagram showing the key differences between Wildcat, Feral and Domestic Cat
Great Spotted Woodpecker Silhouette, Glen Forsa Estate
Other Wildlife sightings in the last few weeks include: - - Minke Whale, west of Tiree
- Basking Shark, west of Tiree
- Pied Billed Grebe, Salen
- Red Necked grebe, Laggan bay
- Leucistic Hooded Crow, Fishnish
- 5 Bottlenose Dolphin, Croig
Ardmore looking north east
This time of the year is fantastic for Wildlife with species in stunning breeding condition and very active in display and in voice to attract a mate. The breeding Eagles will be on eggs now and incubation time is around about 38-45 days. Eagles nest early in the season to take advantage of the winter carrion available. Great news for our trips this season with the Ardmore White Tailed Eagles on eggs using the same nest site as last season which provides a great location to monitor them throughout the year. Also after noticing that the Loch Frisa pair of Eagles have been given well used names I then started wondering about the Ardmore pair and was quick to name the birds and encourage them to stick. So the newly named birds nesting at Ardmore point are John and Thelma (blue wing tag) named after the great wildlife warrior John Miles and his his amazing wife (I have to be their favourite son now!) so try and use the names in future and spread the word :-)
Golden eagle with a snowy Ben More in the back drop
A hero's return to Sealife Surveys on the 4th of April as Ruth Molley our Head Guide returned for a third season. She was delighted to be back as I caught her dancing around the visitor centre with joy but that could of just been because office manager Lydia was there....its great to have her back :-)
Thanks for reading, my next blog update will include sightings and stories from the first trips of the season as we will get out at the start of April and look for all sorts of glorious wildlife including Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise, Sharks, Eagles and more....Isle of Mull really is a Wildlife Heaven :-)
Ewan
Wildlife Guide
2020VISION: TAKING ECOSYSTEM THINKING TO A NEW LEVEL
 We are delighted to announce our support for/partnership with 2020VISION, Britain’s most ambitious photography-based conservation initiative ever! 20 of the country’s top wildlife and nature photographers have for the first time, come together with leading conservation partners to document the value of restoring Britain’s fragmented ecosystems and the life-support services they provide. From autumn onwards, this elite Phototeam will carry out 20 flagship assignments which clearly demonstrate the link between a healthy, robust natural landscape and the well being of local people.
‘Ecosystem thinking’ is something that is now prevalent in the scientific and conservation community, but the value of a wilder Britain, where ecosystems function as they should, has not yet been communicated on a scale such as this. 2020VISION bridges that gap using the motivational language of inspiring photography, a language in which everyone can find relevance.
The Phototeam, which includes top shooters like Chris Packham, Joe Cornish, Charlie Hamilton-James and Andy Rouse, will be joined by videographers, sound recordists, writers and designers and will visit key locations throughout Britain where large habitats are being restored or re-connected, not only for the benefit of the wildlife species that live there, but for people too. The thousands of images and hours of footage generated from these assignments will then be woven into compelling narratives and presented in innovative ways up and down the country – working with local partners and communities.
A healthy natural world is something we all depend upon so it makes sense for us to support initiatives like 2020VISION, which communicate often-complex messages in a way that people can easily understand and relate to. It’s education through inspiration!
More at: www.2020V.org
2011 season good to go!
Well hello everyone the last few weeks have been a busy spell trying to get everything all set for the up and coming season. Sula Beag has been based down in Oban for the off season on Kerrera a small island just off the west coast town. So daily trips from Mull to the mainland were done enjoying the early spring scenery The weather in March was the usual mixed bag with a good covering of snow on the second week of the month creating fantastic scenery especially around Ben More mountain range. Plenty of rain to go with it as well as plenty of sunshine hours which light up the island creating fantastic unique landscapes.
Durat Castle from Oban Ferry
Commuting to and from Oban gave us the chance to see what wildlife there was in the surrounding area. Oban Harbour had a good number of Black Guilimot and also Turnstone the masters of disguise on the rocky shore by the main street with one bird seen crossing the road without looking both ways! We also had Great Northern Diver in winter plumage seen close up next to the Oban Marina. A couple of Common Seal seen by Kerrera and Ravens and Buzzards pairing up on the steap cliff face that was looking down on the boat yard.
Black Guilimot off Oban
Sula Beag ready to take to the seas again!
View from kerrara looking east towards Oban
Looking back at Kerrara after a days work on Sula beag :-)
The SLS team were itching to get back out there and start looking for wildlife again and on the 19th of the month it became a step closer as Sula Beag was ready to be launched into the water again and head north up the sound of Mull for her homecoming back at Tobermory :-)
Bottlenose Dolphin in Tobermory Harbour, 17-03-11 An exciting event took place in Tobermory harbour on the 3rd week of the month as upto 7 Bottlenose Dolphin were spotted putting on acrobatic displays for a couple of hours with the public on the main street delighted with the free entertainment and its a good early sign for the up and coming season :-)
Red deer near Lochdon
Wildlife update for the month and there was some great sightings and encounters to be had starting with my first full day on the island and I decided to cover new ground and go and explore Ardmore right on the north part of the island. Minutes after getting out of the car...Beauty! a pair of Hen Harriers hunting over the heather in a snow blizzard. It was the first time I had witnessed a Hen Harrier in an upland habitat in its breeding environment as in the past all my sightings have been a bird coming into roost in a lowlands winter season. Hen Harrier are are doing great on the Isle of Mull and with more pairs of breeding Harriers in the north part of the island than there are in the whole of England is a credit to Mull and the way the Wildlife is valued and respected and equally a depressing state of affairs on the problems on the mainland.
Male Hen Harrier
As I arrived at Ardmore point and watched a White Tailed Eagle working the coast line I then decided to make my way back to the car and making a round route out of my journey and within minutes I came across a cat following the beaten track in front of me and instinctively I reached for my camera and managed to get one record photo before the cat spotted me and took off in a flash. When I looked back at the photo there and then I noticed the thick black banded tail markings and the sheer wildness of the cat itself made me very interested to look further into the possibility that it was a hybrid Wildcat.
I had taken an interest into Scottish Wildcats a couple of years ago and it was their rarity and illusiveness that interested me. I had read that there had been a possible Wildcat sighting on the north part of the island so I decided to send the photo to the Wildcat association and I got a response the next day confirming that it was a hybrid! The interesting part is that Mull has never been connected as part of mainland Scotland and the island is not big enough to sustain a healthy population of Wildcats over a long period of time so possible scenarios are that a desperate Cat has swam across the Sound of Mull at some point as Wildcats are known to be fantastic swimmers compared to their water shy domestic cousins. Another possibility is that one came across with man or in a timber wagon which is very unlikely as Wildcats will make no attempt to go anywhere near a human as there name tells you they are as wild as the hills. All in all a very interesting sighting and that's the beauty of wildlife that there is always something new to discover and it never ceases to amaze you.
A diagram showing the key differences between Wildcat, Feral and Domestic Cat
Great Spotted Woodpecker Silhouette, Glen Forsa Estate
Other Wildlife sightings in the last few weeks include: - - Minke Whale, west of Tiree
- Basking Shark, west of Tiree
- Pied Billed Grebe, Salen
- Red Necked grebe, Laggan bay
- Leucistic Hooded Crow, Fishnish
- 5 Bottlenose Dolphin, Croig
Ardmore looking north east
This time of the year is fantastic for Wildlife with species in stunning breeding condition and very active in display and in voice to attract a mate. The breeding Eagles will be on eggs now and incubation time is around about 38-45 days. Eagles nest early in the season to take advantage of the winter carrion available. Great news for our trips this season with the Ardmore White Tailed Eagles on eggs using the same nest site as last season which provides a great location to monitor them throughout the year. Also after noticing that the Loch Frisa pair of Eagles have been given well used names I then started wondering about the Ardmore pair and was quick to name the birds and encourage them to stick. So the newly named birds nesting at Ardmore point are John and Thelma (blue wing tag) named after the great wildlife warrior John Miles and his his amazing wife (I have to be their favourite son now!) so try and use the names in future and spread the word :-)
Golden eagle with a snowy Ben More in the back drop
A hero's return to Sealife Surveys on the 4th of April as Ruth Molley our Head Guide returned for a third season. She was delighted to be back as I caught her dancing around the visitor centre with joy but that could of just been because office manager Lydia was there....its great to have her back :-)
Thanks for reading, my next blog update will include sightings and stories from the first trips of the season as we will get out at the start of April and look for all sorts of glorious wildlife including Whales, Dolphins, Porpoise, Sharks, Eagles and more....Isle of Mull really is a Wildlife Heaven :-)
Ewan
Wildlife Guide
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