Isle of Mull part seven

 Some of the larger birds from our time on Mull.

Female Hen Harrier seen while we were on our way to Iona.

A different female seen while we were coming back from Iona.

This male Hen Harrier was hunting in the field opposite the cottage. He put in an appearance two or three times while we were there.

A “Tourist Eagle” (Buzzard) doing what they normally do, fly off from a telegraph pole when you stop the car to take a picture.

This Buzzard was hunting the fields not far from Lochdon and at first I was convinced it was a Hen Harrier because it was so light in colour.

This one was our local Buzzard which I saw every day outside the cottage.

Short-eared Owl. These are the best shots I could manage. It was the only one we saw and it was around a quarter of a mile away and unfortunately the heat haze has just about ruined the shots. We went back on another couple of occasions but the Owl didn’t show up.

We saw Hooded Crow everywhere we went on Mull.

This dot in the sky is the only Golden Eagle we saw while we were on Mull.

Isle of Mull part one

02.07.22 There’s probably going to be lots of parts but this is the first part on Mull. We were staying in a cottage not far from Duart Castle (it’s a great place from which to explore the island) and right across from the cottage were a pair of White-tailed Eagle. Unfortunately, they were a little too far away far any decent pictures but I still took far too many. The garden and the lane outside the cottage were great for spotting all manner of birds (more of them in later Blogs).

White-tailed Eagle on top of what I soon found out was its favourite tree.

However, this Hooded Crow did not like the Eagle being there and seems to be telling it to clear off.

And it did eventually chase it off.

But it came back.

The eagle got its eye onto something.

What exactly it was I’m not sure but it looked like a cat. It didn’t get it whatever it was.

The local Buzzard.

I found out that it would hunt the fields around the cottage every day. 

Redpoll.

Stonechat.

Bait for either the Buzzard or the Eagle?

 

2nd part of our holidays

Some more images from Skye and some from the mainland.

Otter with lunch

I thought at first that these Gulls were trying to take something from a Seal

However, when I got them onto the computer

I then thought it was an Otter

And this was what they were trying to get

Another group of Gulls chasing one with a fish

There were quite a few Seals around

Hooded Crow

I think it’s a Chiffchaff. I was looking down on it hence the back of its head

Collard Dove

Pied Wagtail

A rubbish picture but this is the first time I have ever seen a Buzzard taking food back to the nest

Why don’t they sit on something more picturesque?

Any idea what spices of moth this is I’ve looked but can‘t find it. It was hiding under a table leg

Plockton was not that far away so we had to visit

Plockton

Another must see was Eilean Donan Castle