2020 Vision....plus Gordon Buchanan trips

July was an eventful period for Sea Life Surveys with 2020 vision joining us for a week to try and capture the best environmental images and video footage around our research patch off the north end of Mull.

We also had wildlife cameraman and presenter Gordon Buchannan joining us on a couple of special Whale Watching trips. Along with the general day to day wildlife trips we had more great encounters as the season really is in full swing.

Basking Shark, Photo by Alex Mustard

2020 Vision is a multimedia project that communicates the link between peoples well being and the restoration of the natural systems. Their main aim is to raise the awareness of wildlife and their ecosystems and to help people understand the importance of them and the value they have to us.

There are 20 photographers involved and they have chosen 20 assignments. A decade from now in 2020 a new generation of decision makers will face the legacy of things we do today. So 2020 vision is exactly that: a vision for 2020. A call of action to restore Britians battered ecosystems over the next decade.

Alex Mustard joined us for the week as one of the 2020 Cameramen and he is an underwater photographer and category winner in both the wildlife photographer of the year and the British Wildlife photography awards. With a PhD in Marine Biology, much of his photography is driven by his knowledge of marine wildlife and his passion for the marine environment. It was great to have Alex joining us for the week and here is a couple of his fantastic photos he captured.

Two Basking sharks - Photo by Mark Harding

Photo by 2020 photographer Chris Gomersall

A fantastic encounter with 2020 photographer Chris Gomersall on board. We were coming to the end of a seven hour trip and approaching Ardmore we spotted splashing in the distance, as we got closer we realised it was 8 Bottlenose Dolphins displaying really well. We quickly boarded the RIB tender and Chris and I circled Sula Beag while the Dolphins were bow riding. Chris managed to get a great all round photo (above) with a Dolphin breaching while all the passengers on board were admiring the spectacle.

The Scottish Bottlenose Dolphin population averaging 3.8 meters in length are larger than their counterparts worldwide. They weigh around 400kg when fully grown. Older animals often have scars and teeth marks inflicted by other Dolphins and their life span is around 20-30 years.

Minke Whale surfacing infront of a raft of Manx Shearwaters

Its disturbing to know that not too far from our waters to the north whales are still getting removed by commercial whaling. Iceland and Norway still have a quota on hunting whales for reasons such as fish bait and research. In the peak of the whaling industry Minke whales were mainly ignored because of their smaller size they didn't appeal to the whalers as they focused on the larger great whale species. Blue and Fin Whales were primarily hunted but Humpback and Sei whales were also included. However, prior to 1914 Icelanders did not hunt Minke whales as superstition held that Minke whales were sent by God as protectors.

Gordon Buchanan wearing the SLS guide jacket with pride

A team photo with Gordon, the Crew and guests on 24/07/11

On the 24th and 31st of the month we had two special eight hour trips with Gordon Buchanan on board to entertain the passengers. On the first trip we had nice sunshine with a bit of chop in the water and we headed out to Coll and the Cairns of Coll . We picked up Porpoise on the way over and also a pair of Great Skuas before we landed at the Carins of Coll for lunch. Gordon got in with the seals to do some underwater filming and put the footage on his laptop to show everyone afterwards on board Sula Beag. We didnt pick up a whale in the 2nd half unfortunately but it was a great trip all around with Gordon being simply superb host whilst we all enjoyed the fantastic sunshine.

In the second trip the conditions were certainly challenging to find wildlife as the strong wind restricted the grounds we could cover. It was quiet on the wildlife front but again was a good trip and it was fantastic to have Gordon on board again, thank you Gordon, thanks to you and all the folk that joined us we helped to raise over £800 for the vital local charity the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

White Tail Sea Eagle....

Sooty Shearwater

One of the beauties of bird watching is finding rareties that crop up on migration normally on either end of the breeding season. The excitement of seeing new species as well as finding out about the journey they would have taken to arrive here always adds to the fascination. The picture above shows a Sooty Shearwater sat in amoungst a raft of Manx shearwaters and the Sooty is a rare bird which breeds in the soutern hemisphere and travels up to the northern hemisphere in its winter range. This is when rare birds can appear off the British isles depending on the weather conditions and wind direction. The Sooty Shearwater is slightly larger than the Manx and is all dark with silver underwing flashes and we came across this bird on one of our trips!

Minke whale surfacing...

Ben Hiant with a Calmac ferry heading west

Ben Hiant is the highest peak on Ardnamurchan at just over 500 meters. We pass the beautiful mountain on every trip and the lava plateaus on the south side light up an almost surreal shade of green. Ben Hiant is actually a failed Volcano, as simple as it sounds, it had a lot of volcanic pressure and attempted to erupt but never quite made it! Looking at the mountain from certain angles makes it quite clear, you can see evidence of a crater rim at the top. It is a lovely walk to tackle and fantastic views on top in all directions especially in to the western highlands. The Kilchoan ferry from Tobermory makes it easy to access Ardnamurchan from Mull and explore the wild beauty across there.

Golden Ringed Dragonfly

This time of year is great for Dragonflies as they only appear for a few months of the year its good to make the most of these fantastic creatures. Dragonflies have been around for 300 million years! One prehistoric fossil had a wingspan of 2 1/2 feet! Today the largest Dragonfly is found in Costa Rica and has a wingspan of 7 1/2 inches.

Some amazing facts about Dragonflies: -

- Dragonfly eyes contain up to 30,00 individual lenses, Human eyes only have one.

- Very skilled and excellent fliers they can loop the loop, hover and fly backwards.

- The record speed for a dragonfly is 36 mph!

- Dragonfly Nymphs ( the first stage after hatching) live in the water for about a year.

- After leaving the water and becoming flying insects they only live for about a month

- Their natural predators are birds.

Isle of Mull is great for Dragonflies with the rich array of habitats. The more common species on the island are Common Hawker, Golden Ringed Dragonfly (above), Four Spotted Chaser and Common and Black Darter.

Basking Shark

White Tailed Sea Eagle

There are reports in the Lake District that Cormorants are being blamed for destroying fish stocks. Anglers fear an invasion of Cormorants throughout Cumbria are eating too many fish from the regions fresh water lakes. Could the reintroduction of the White-Tailed Eagle resolve the problem faced by anglers in Cumbria? Observations show a significant increase in the number of Cormorants in Cumbria over the past three years.

How important are Predators to an ecosystem?? Predators dictate all the other life in their particular niche. A prime example is the Wolf and the Yellowstone national park where the Wolf had been removed from the area in the past so there was no natural predators. Grazers like Elk and Deer increased at an alarming unbalanced rate and also with no predators to fear they patrolled down to the lower ground. There they over grazed large areas of young trees and habitats and therefore taking away a large number of potential nest sights for birds and other animals. With the introduction of Wolves again to the national park it has created a healthy balance to all the grazers and other animals in the ecosystem. The Elk and Deer are more evenly and scarcely spread out creating a lot more room for trees and shrubs to grow providing a large number of habitats. Also the Wolves provide food for other species like Ravens, Eagles, Bears and Magpies feeding off the carcases off a wolf kill.

White Tailed Eagle catching a fish in Loch Na Keal

Short Eared Owl

The Short Eared Owl is a great bird to look out when you are on Mull. Their habitat is open grassland and heather which provides fantastic hunting and breeding grounds. Voles are their favourite food source and they nest on the ground only in thick vegetation or heather. They quite often hunt in the day in breeding season as they require more food source to feed chicks, so the you can get some great sightings. When they are on the nest, camouflage is vital and their plumage blends in very well with the surroundings. Their only problem is their bright yellow eyes which can give the game away and makes them easier to spot.

After the breeding season in August Short Eared Owls can migrate across the north sea hundreds of miles to reach Scandinavia and spend the off season there before returning to British moors to breed next spring.

Cheif Guide and Number 2.......

Thanks for reading everyone the next blog post will include all the happenings from the peak time on Mull and its Wildlife during August. Sightings and photos from our trips will be included along with other encounters from around the island and beyond......Wildlife rules!

Ewan

Wildlife Guide