13th April 2018
I’m excited to be returning to the role of Community Information and Tourism Officer this summer and will be running the eagle nest tours alongside Cian Burke-Brown who is the seasonal ranger for Mull and Iona Community Trust.
This year, we are being hosted by the wonderful Craignure Golf Club. A team of volunteers has been busy refurbishing the club in time for us opening and is even providing refreshments for golfers and our visitors to enjoy post-tour.
It is also the place where Scalla and Anna call home.
Introducing Scalla and Anna
Scalla
Age: 22
Birthday: 15th August 1996
Birthplace: Mull
Tag: Grey O (both lost)
Famous family:
- Son of Blondie – the female who fledged the first chick since the species was reintroduced in 1985
- Brother to Frisa – one half of Skye and Frisa, the stars of Springwatch and the first Mull Eagle Watch pair
- Nest brother to female, Grey L, who tried to incubate goose eggs in 2017!
Favourite food: fish
Anna
Age: 23
Birthday: 4th July 1995
Birthplace: Mull
Tag: white O (both lost)
Famous family:
- Daughter of the oldest pair of sea eagles in Scotland who finally died last year on Mull aged 37.
Favourite food: fish and small children.
Eagle activity
We’re loving the Golf Club’s coastal habitat which is new to Mull Eagle Watch this year and the constant soundtrack of gulls and oystercatchers that comes with it. And we have the beautiful snow-capped mountains behind us to scan for goldies, hen harriers, ravens and the group of juveniles that often give us a fly-past.
We’ve seen lots of action already and there’s plenty more to come!
To book on a tour, please call the VisitScotland Craignure iCentre on 01680 812556 or pop in when you arrive. Please inform of any mobility issues.
Debby Thorne is now running new tours of Star and Hope at West Ardhu (where we were based last year). So for another chance to see these magnificent birds, you can book to visit her at the iCentre too.
Thanks for reading,
Meryl
Eagle Ranger
Mull Eagle Watch 
Mull is fantastic, we have just returned home after a brief visit and I have to say that Mull delivered. We were able to watch a displaying male hen harrier and his intended partner. A soaring golden eagle or two, we may have seen the same one twice as the sightings were 2 miles apart on different days. We were lucky enough to see at least 6 white tailed eagles, both young and old and one flew right over us while being mobbed by a buzzard which was tiny in comparison. Add ravens and hooded crows virtually all over and the island was a paradise.
The red deer were very relaxed when we were in their location and we had very close up views of them.
My only negative comment has nothing to do with Mull, it is that we shouldn’t have to travel for 690 miles to see wildlife that we should be able to see all over the mainland. Mull offers us all an idea of what we’re missing and I recommend that everybody visits the island at least once, along with Skye.
Don’t just think about a visit, do it.