Harsh conditions for the Wildlife.....Survival of the Fittest

For the most part May was challenging conditions for our trips as well as all the wildlife in the peak of the breeding season. With the Loch Frisa White Tailed Eagle pair failing as well as other well known nest sites failing it could well be down to the harsh conditions with lack of food and tough hunting conditions or just natural failure with Eagles low breeding success rate. The insect feeding migrants also struggled with lack of heat not providing enough food source for them and their chicks.

Also Marine life will be effected with Phytoplankton relying on the suns energy and with Plankton dictating all the life in the oceans it is bound to cause slower progression for all the marine life involved.

Common Dolphins!

Amazing Dolphin encounters on a couple of trips in May with superb bow riding behaviour enjoyed by all the punters on board. When watching the Dolphins you can understand why they are so highly regarded animals with huge intelligence. Between 10-20 seen on both trips.

The Clowns of the sea....

Puffins showing well on most trips as well and they tend to be a bit further out to the open sea than other Auk members. The birds will either be non breeders or part of a breeding pair out hunting to provide food for their chicks. They are breeding on the island of Lunga which is the largest of the Treshnish isles. Their main prey item is Sand eels which are small fish that hide in a sandy sea bed. The Puffin can hold large amounts of fish in its bill at one time with the record being 80 fish in a Puffins bill! Their Bill's have backward pointing spikes which enables them to carry large numbers of prey in a crosswise position.

When the Puffins arrive back at their nesting burrows they have to be super quick in entering their site as there will always be patrolling Gulls waiting to catch the slower birds out before they enter and dispatch from their holes.

Carins of Coll at Sunset

The variety of light and the sun sets on Mull are amazing and this time of year with Summer Solstice approaching it does not get completely dark and the sunsets can last all through night time. The changing lights and landscapes make Mull a photographers paradise!

Basker....

A Shark Tagged off the Isle of Man which promptly headed straight for Newfoundland demonstrating the first trans-atlantic migration recorded by a Basking shark whilst also reaching never before observed depths of over 1200 metres.

Minke whale...Sightings are becoming more consistent :-)

Gannet

Gannets are one of the only sea birds that have increased in population in UK waters and it is down to their ability to cover vast areas in search for prey. They can track down fishing vessels and feed off their unwanted fish stocks. A Gannet that was ringed on Bass Rock was found and recorded off the coast of Scandinavia and had travelled over 1500 Kilometres. Other birds like Auk members and Kittiwakes cant travel such a great distance and if the food source isnt there in the area then they are going to struggle to survive.

Cairns of Coll

On our seven hour Whale watch trips we are continuing to visit the Carins of Coll for lunch and if you are lucky enough to visit the secret paradise you will not forget it. Nesting time for the birds on Coll with the likes of Common and Arctic Terns, Great Black Backed Gulls, Oystercatchers, Rock Pipits and Fulmars as well as Common Seals ready to pup.

Adder photographed by young Liam Goddard on Mull

Adders are in good number on Mull and as Britians only venomous Snake we are lucky to have them! Adders like Minke whales can be identified as unique individuals and with the snakes it is their patterns on their head which can distinguish different snakes. This photo was nicely captured by Liam Goddard who was on a trip with us along with Karen and family and this Snake is a juvenile as it has a brown colouration with the adults being green. Thanks for the photo and it was great to have you all on board!

Fulmar

Fulmars showing well on most trips and one amazing fact about this bird is that it is the only animal (apart from humans!) to have killed an Eagle. It was not to do with physical contact but to do with their defence mechanism when at their nest site. They spit out a foul substance with great accuracy in the direction of an intruder regarded as a threat to the Fulmars and their chicks. This foul vomit if making contact with feathers it will damage them preventing or stopping the possibility to fly properly. If you cant fly then you can feed and you cant survive and this was the result of a White Tailed Eagle in Norway who got struck by a very accurate Fulmar!

Kittiwake

One of the most inteligant animals in the world....Raven!

Ravens can be seen on our trips being very vocal with their gronking calls on higher ground and along with Dolphins they are regarded as the most intelligent animals on the planet. They can communicate and give commands and tactics in over 20 different vocal calls.

Golden Eagle

Goldie....

Golden Eagles in Southern Scotland and the English borders have declined in numbers with only one individual bird in the whole of England now! A possible introduction of Eagles to Cumbria and the Lake District in the future has to happen at some point as they have being removed from their former breeding range and also the huge positive effects Eagles can have on tourism and the economy with Mull as the prime example.

Here is a great article from a fantastic web site on Mull and its huge boost from wildlife.....http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/2011/06/16/the-irrival-of-white-tailed-eagles-on-mull-continues-to-bring-in-5-million-in-benefit-each-year-to-the-island/

Arctic Skua...nesting on Coll

One of the only positives from the savage westerly winds during March was that it brought in good bird records that had being on migration north up the Atlantic ocean. Skuas were showing well on most trips including Long-Tailed Skua, Pomarine Skua and Arctic Skua's in good number.

Arctic Skua

Thanks for reading everyone my next update will include some great encounters as the wildlife is really hotting up along with the weather (thankfully!)

Ewan

Wildlife Guide