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1 The Isle of Mull Tobermory Mishnish Caliach point Dervaig Calgary Bay L oc h Fr is a Loch T uath Salen al a Ke Craignure ch n Loch Ba Ulva Lo Lochdon Loch Spelve ridain och Sc L Iona Loch Assapol e ui Loch Pottie B h c Lo Fidden front cover photograph by Sindri Skulason www.mullbirds.com Juvenile Red backed shrike. Dervaig 2013 The island of Mull Mull has habitats of mountains & moorlands, sea lochs & hill lochans, damp boggy marshes & sandy beaches. Supporting a good range of resident and migrant birds. Passage birds call in to re-fuel en-route North and South. Famous for its raptors, Mull is home to: golden eagles and white tailed eagles, hen harriers, buzzards, kestrel, merlin and sparrowhawk. Owls include barn owl, short eared owl, long eared owl and tawny owl. Ravens and hooded crow are plentiful. Mulls coastline is 300 miles long, an abundance of tidal lochs are very attractive to breeding waders; bar-tailed godwit, greenshank, redshank, snipe, curlew and whimbrel are just a few. Flocks of teal & wigeon overwinter with shelduck, goldeneye, red breasted merganser and goosander breed. All three divers can be seen at different times of the year and slavonian grebe can be seen on the sea lochs in the winter months. Corncrake have made a remarkable recovery due to sensitive & friendly farming on Iona, and whilst not easy to observe, Iona in May is the best time to see this elusive bird. There are plenty of safe vantage points from which to watch sea birds, to include: guillemot and black guillemot, shag, cormorant, gannet and great Skua. Boat trips are available to take you to the Treshnish Isles during the summer months where you can get close to nesting birds, puffin, shag, kittiwake, fulmar, guillemot & razorbill. We have seen many rare birds and vagrants over the years. Including, pied-billed grebe in Salen Bay, rose coloured starling at Bunessan, common rosefinch at Lochdon, hawfinch and a pair of bee eaters at Calgary. Blue winged teal at Killiechronan, spoonbills at Lochdon and red necked phalarope at Loch na Keal. Mega rare visitors were a european roller in Glen Aros, an ortolan bunting at Craignure and a black stork at Dervaig. We have red deer, fallow deer, hedgehogs, polecats, rabbits, mountain hare and pine marten. Mink are a major problem. There is a good population of otters which can be seen regularly around the coast and sea lochs. There are no badgers, foxes or squirrels on the island and we do not have any magpies resident on Mull. The web site www.mullbirds.com contains lots of information to help plan your holiday:- details about our birds of Mull and where to see them; a latest reports page keeps you up to date. 13 Bird watching area notes Calgary NM3650 : A large sandy bay which is popular and can get crowded in summer. Look out to sea for divers and marine species and to the hills for ravens and golden eagles. Spectacular views to Coll and Tiree are to the west. Ringed plover nest in the dunes. It’s a great place in winter when migrating waders stop off to rest and feed, species include sanderling, black tailed godwit and purple sandpiper, plus dunlin and whimbrel. Dervaig NM4352 : Here is the largest reed bed on the island which holds water rail, (rarely seen but heard) plus sedge warbler, whitethroat and grasshopper warbler. Very under recorded it is a likely spot for a passing bittern one day perhaps? The shores of Loch Cuin, in autumn & winter, are a feeding station for migrating birds, including: common snipe, redshank, greenshank, dunlin, golden plover and ringed plover, plus teal, wigeon, goosander, goldeneye and mallard. Occasionally little grebe. Mishnish Lochs NM4852: Three linked fresh water lochs, close to the road between Tobermory and Dervaig. There is a gull roost which always worth checking. In winter the lochs usually hold a family or two of whooper swan, a few goldeneye and occasional goosander. It was in 1998 that a rare vagrant pied billed grebe was found here, and stayed for three months. The moorland around the lochs provide habitat for short-eared owl and hen harrier, often seen hunting. In the scrub around the loch stonechat, whitethroat, whinchat and reed Bunting nest. Croggan NM7027: A good site for otters and vantage point for sea watching the Firth of Lorn. The ‘Narrows at the entrance to loch spelve are strongly tidal and often hold fishing sea birds on an incoming tide. There is scattered oak woodland along the south shore which holds both redstart and wood warbler. 14 Bird watching area notes Loch Spelve-Croggan NM6927: A very large sea loch which provides shelter from autumn & winter storms. Oystercatcher and ringed plover breed on its shores. In autumn ruddy turnstone & golden plover are found in the fields and on the shore line. Common gulls nest on the shore, shag and cormorant regularly fish in the loch as do razorbill & guillemot and black guillemot. Common eider, mallard, red breasted merganser can usually be found. Around the fish farm occasionally there are glaucous and iceland gull in winter. Rock pipit, meadow pipit, skylarks and pied wagtail and grey wagtail nest along the margins throughout the summer. Also lots of common sandpiper and wheatear. Ardura oak woodland has nesting redstart, spotted flycatcher and wood warbler, also tree creeper. Loch Buie NM2460: A south facing sea loch, holding a variety of species, all three divers in winter. Raptors include white tailed eagles and golden eagle; regularly seen here, are peregrine & ravens. gannets and manx shearwaters with fulmar and other gulls fishing in the bay. Usually good for otters & often excellent for dolphins in summer. Splendid views on a clear day towards Islay, Jura and Colonsay. Ardalanish Bay NM3718: Has perhaps the finest beach on the island it’s one of the best areas to see sanderling in spring and autumn also ringed plover, dunlin & oystercatcher. Divers can regularly be seen in the bay at different times of the year. The farmer creates excellent habitat for smaller birds by farming organically and twite and linnet feed in small flocks in autumn. skylarks and meadow pipits are numerous and gather in winter flocks before migrating south. Rock dove (true birds) feed in the fields. A few jackdaws with rooks which come over from Iona, are usually present. Chough were in the area until recently, it’s worth listening & looking out for these birds which breed on Islay and Colonsay which are not very far away, so they could be back anytime. There are many varieties of orchid here and other wild flowers. 17 Mull & Iona Species List 1 Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica scarce non breeding, winter and passage migrant scarce in summer, more frequent in winter and on passage, although summer sightings are becoming more regular. Summer plumaged birds are reported quite regularly on our larger sea lochs, Loch na Keal, Loch Spelve, Scridain, Calagry Bay and Loch Tuath. Occasionally found with other divers. Loch Buie is has proven to be especially good where all three divers can often be seen together in late autumn and winter. 2011, a pair were present in June at an undisclosed location which is encouraging, although on this occasion nothing came of it. Great-northern Diver Gavia immer autumn. winter and passage, Birds arrive in autumn and depart in late spring are often seen in summer plumage and various stages of eclipse to winter plumage. Up to 30+ birds have been recorded on loch na Keal in winter. A small number of juveniles remain throughout the summer. Often with other divers on sea lochs and in the open sea; Loch Scridain, Loch Buie and Loch na Keal are the most productive sites. However winter birds are regularly seen in the Sound of Mull, Salen Bay, Calgary and Caliach Point. Fewer birds are seen in Loch Spelve and Lochdon is too shallow and tidal. Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata scarce breeding. Winter and passage migrant. Can be seen at all times of the year. Found on all larger sea lochs, Loch Scridain, Loch Buie and Loch na Keal. At Calgary, Fishnish and Aros Bays. Small numbers breed high in the hills on lochans and come down to the larger lochs to find food. In winter often seen with other divers on sea lochs, frequently all three divers can be found together on larger sea lochs and in the Sound of Mull. White-billed Diver Gavia adamsii vagrant. Occasional birds are seen out at the sea usually in early spring, Viewing points: Calliach & Treshnish Point, Loch na Keal. Loch Scridain & Loch Buie. 30 Mull & Iona Species List 14 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus very scarce, no breeding records. Single birds recorded most years, previously records from Aros Park, Lochdon and Loch Pottie. Usually in Autumn & Winter. Common Coot Fulica atra very scarce, no breeding records 2002 a pair were recorded on Loch Pottie in July. 2009 one at Calgary in Feb also Loch Harrison & Loch Pottie during October Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus very common resident breeding Distributed throughout the island along the shore lines, our most common wader. Ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula Resident breeder and passage migrant. Breeds in suitable habitat along the shores of most lochs, also on the beach at Calgary, Uisken and Ardalanish. Large flocks can occur in winter on Loch Beg and Lochdon . Dotterel Charadrius morinellus very scarce spring passage migrant, a few records only, probably under-recorded and worth looking for on hill tops from May to August. 2011, 4th May 3 birds were displaying on the top of Ben More.

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