It is starting to feel slightly autumnal on the island now as mother nature takes off her summer wear and transitions into her autumnal coat, the colour palette on display is breath-taking around the island... We are waiting to hear the first bellowing of Red Deer stags which will signal the start of the iconic rutting season! For months leading up to this time of the year, sexually mature red deer stags have been preparing for the most important contest of their lives – access to a harem of fertile females.
Autumn is great time to enjoy watching bird of prey on the Isle of Mull. We continue to provide our range of day tours into September and October and have recently enjoyed seeing views of newly fledged eagles spending time on the wing, learning with their parents.
After the breeding season, the abundance of raptors on the island actually increases due to the fledged juveniles present along with new arrivals appealed by the milder oceanic conditions with less snow and ice throughout the winter months. Species like hen harrier, kestrel, sparrowhawk and merlin may visit Mull during the autumn months and they may have arrived from mainland Britain or even continental areas. Otters are increasing their time feeding around the coasts at this time of the year and we are keeping a good eye out for younger cubs appearing, which can provide some wonderful family interactions!
BOOK A DAY TOUR FOR THIS AUTUMN & 2024! We still have spaces on our range of day tours (Mull, Ardnamurchan, Morvern & Sunart) during September and October AND bookings are now available for 2024 day tours! https://www.naturescotland.com/wildlife-tours
This year we were contacted by the RSPB to assist with the national Hen Harrier census so Ewan, Jack, Indy, Rachel and Theo undertook two 10km squares to survey during the breeding season. We have just submitted all of our data so keep a good eye out for the results to be announced in the near future and lets hope that it is good news for Hen Harriers around the UK and Ireland.
We enjoyed two summer 5 day package expeditions on Mull in July/August. Read our blog posts by Theo to discover what we encountered on our summer wildlife packages. From bugs to botany, eagles to otters and even the second largest animal on the planet! Read more below... https://www.naturescotland.com/post/iolo-williams-mull-package-24th-28th-july-2023-theo-de-clermont https://www.naturescotland.com/post/mull-summer-package-with-iolo-williams-29th-july-2nd-august-2023
We are looking forward to our Autumnal five day package on Islay in October and then a November package in Norfolk before we head for the Solway! There are still spaces to join us, see below...
The Solway Winter Wildlife Expedition - December 2023 - 3 SPACES LEFT! - Monday 4th - Friday 8th December 2023 (led by Ewan and John Miles) - All inclusive package holiday - food, accommodation and wildlife tours. - Stay at a 4 STAR HOTEL & SPA - A small group experience of 6 or 7 guests - 5 wildlife tours in and around the Solway Firth and the Scottish Borders. - Over 40,000 Barnacle Geese wintering on the Solway and a plethora of other wildfowl species. - Target raptor species include - Goshawk, Peregrine, Merlin, Hen Harrier and Red Kite. - We will seek out one of the biggest Starling murmurations in the UK! - Explore Hadrian's Wall - a World Heritage Site. - We will visit one of the top winter nature reserves in the UK - WWT Caerlaverock.
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