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+++ Mull & Iona Wildlife Week - 9 to 15 May 2009 ++++++ Mull & Iona Wildlife Week - 9 to 15 May 2009 +++

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Wildlife on the Isle of Mull

The island of Mull is unique with its vast diversity and spectacular splendour of its landscape and wild life. The beautiful rugged Hebridean terrain and maritime influences give rise to micro climates on either side of the mountainous centre of the Isle of Mull.

On the mountains and to the east of Mull, we have one of the wettest places in Scotland. On the west coast and particularly on the Ross of Mull (south west peninsula of Mull) and Iona in the spring and summer there are long, sunny, breezy days to allow you to walk the white powder beaches and explore the wonderful natural history on the many coastal walks in the area. See walks and beaches.

The Ross of Mull where Seaview is situated has a similar climate to the island of Tiree (20miles west of Mull) , which is one of the sunniest places in the UK.

Below is a description of some of the animals and birds you are likely to encounter on your travels around the Ross of Mull, as well as the isles of Iona, Staffa and Lunga.

EAGLES ON 'EAGLE ISLAND'

The Isle of Mull is one of the best locations in the UK to see eagles - golden eagles (Aquila Chrysaetos) and the largest eagle, the white tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla).

The Golden Eagle i s a large, supremely elegant raptor favouring Mull's remote mountains and crags and is often seen as a dot in the distance soaring over a high ridge. Despite this, its wide slow circling flight is often sufficient to recognise it. A good telescope helps too! In the May to June breeding season the eagles are territorial and are often chased by ravens and crows.

The Golden Eagle soars with wings raised in a shallow 'V' shape. The adult eagle has a dark brown body, tawny to golden crown, heavy feathered legs and a long tail. Juvenile birds have extensive white areas on the wings. Hunting on remote peaks and uplands of Mull, occasionally visiting coastal cliffs, (photo courtesy of VisitScotland) the eagles prey includes crows, mountain hares and rabbits, in winter carcasses of sheep or deer. There are a number of pairs on the Ross of Mull and John & Jane can give you an indication of where you are likely to view them.

Sea Eagle - Gaelic: Iolaire-suile-na-grein - 'Eagle with the sunlit eye'

The Sea Eagle is enormous and is the largest bird in the UK, up to 35% larger than its cousin the Golden Eagle with a wing span of over 2.5 metres.
The foremost and easiest place to see Sea Eagles in the UK is on Mull; there are a number of sea eagles on the south of Mull just a few miles from Seaview. John & Jane can advise you on the likeliest place to see them. On Mull, the sea Eagle usually nests on a the flat crown of a tree, building the nest with a huge pile of sticks. Sea Eagle chicks usually hatch from late April onwards and fly the nest in July or early August. (Photograph Sea Eagle on Mull © Bryan Rains). In south Mull there are a number of pairs who hunt for dead or sick fish from the sea lochs picking them out of the water with their feet. They also eat hares and rabbits. When mating you often see dynamic aerobatics including mid air tumbles.

Adult Sea Eagles have heavy striking yellow bills and a large whitish head with a white, short but distinctive fan shaped tail. Its wings are wider and longer than the juvenile. Young Sea Eagles are dark with the white tail and head developing towards maturity at five years of age.

Sea Eagles are rarely far from water, perching on dead trees, rocks by the shore or soaring over a sea loch. They are less wary of humans than golden eagles and can often be seen at fairly close quarters.

RSPB White Tailed Sea Eagle Viewing Centre

Open from April to mid July.
Meeting Place: North end of the Forestry Commission Loch Frisa track between Tobermory and Dervaig on the B8073. 3 trips provisionally on weekdays
© RSPB Website

Mon-Fri: 10 am, 1 pm, and 4 pm
Sat: 10 am and 1 pm
Sun: 12 noon and 3 pm

Early booking advisable on Tel: (01688) 302038 from mid March onwards or pick up a leaflet at Seaview for details on how to get there. Cost: £4 for adults £2 for children
 

The Isle of Mull and the Ross of Mull in particular is one of the best places to see the otter - Lutra Lutra or Eurasian Otter. The Gaelic name is Biast Dubh meaning 'black skin or fur'. Unusually the Mull Otter is a day or night hunter and the main influence on it's decision to hunt is the tide. (Photograph © Bryan Rains)

The otter has a long slim body, a flat skull with powerful jaws, webbed toes, and a rudder like tail used for under water propulsion. Otters can close their ears and nostrils when under the water. There are two layers of fur; stout waterproof hairs and a tick under layer of fur providing insulation. The fur is a chestnut brown in colour with a lighter colour on the belly. The otter needs access to fresh water burns to clean their insulating fur.

An otter's diet comprises of a mixture of fish, crabs, lobster, birds & frogs; the Ross of Mull has many features which are ideal for otter habitat especially the many bays with seaweed and rocks along with the freshwater burns running into the lochs. Over the years John has seen evidence of otters in most areas of the Ross of Mull coastline.

The best time to see the Mull otter is usually on an incoming tide from low water towards high water, just offshore where you can watch them swimming in the seaweed or running on the rocks & seaweed. Towards high tide the otters retreat to their holt.

There is no guarantee that you will see an otter on any particular day or place - however with patience, perseverance and cunning you just might!  

THE CORNCRAKE Crex Crex

The corncrake Garra-gart in Gaelic is from the same family as the moorhen or coot but differs in that it prefers dry land. Although scarce, the corncrake is making a comeback on the Scottish Islands, especially on Iona and here on the Ross of Mull (Fidden), due to the farmers cutting the hayfields later in the season. This allows the corncrake to breed without being disturbed.

The Isle of Iona in particular has seen an increase in the numbers of corncrake and they are now spreading outwards to Fidden and Creich on the Ross of Mull. All these locations are easily accessible from Seaview. There are also corncrakes on the Treshnish Isles (see Treshnish Trips).

The corncrake arrives from mid April onwards from as far away as Africa crossing the Sahara desert enroute to the western isles of Scotland and then leaves again in August. In flight the corncrakes bright chestnut coloured wings and trailing legs are unmistakeable. They nest in hollows at ground level in the reeds, iris beds and meadows.

Generally a solitary bird except when nesting it is reclusive and secretive hiding in tall reeds, grass and yellow iris in damp areas in fields around Iona village and Abbey. The corncrake's presence is betrayed by a rasping 'crek crek' call (which sounds like a very loud grasshopper!) and by May and June they are heard in the very early morning and evening throughout Iona. You are more likely to hear them than see them, but if you are patient enough and are prepared to sit and wait you will be rewarded with a sighting.

Don't take the car - you can't on Iona anyway, but listen! listen! listen! Once you have identified the area the call is coming from, then watch! watch! watch!. Silence and patience is the key to success.

The photograph of the corncrake was taken by Jane in the summer of 2005 when she was on Lunga. At the time Jane was returning to the boat and whilst coming down the path towards the beach she could hear this very loud rasping grasshopper sound coming from the tall grass and undergrowth nearby..............and then as bold as you like a corncrake appeared and continued to make this awful racket. Not quite believing her luck, Jane captured the bird on camera by simply pointing the camera and clicking away whilst gently walking towards it, hoping that at least one of the photographs would come out clear enough to prove she had seen and not just heard this rather elusive bird! Talk about beginner's luck!

PUFFINS
on Staffa and Lunga

Puffins are members of the Auk family or Alcidae. In Britain there are three other members of this family who nest around our shores - the Guillemot, Razorbill and Black Guillemot. The puffin that visits us here on Staffa and the other Treshnish Isles is the Atlantic Puffin.


This wee fella, is about 30 cm tall and has a wing span of about 45 cm; it is black above and white below with a white face; the plumage is similar for both male and female. The bill is spectacular - brightly coloured and ridged in summer, orange, red, yellow and blue. The eye is brown and surrounded by a bright red ring; above and below the eye are hard pieces of grey skin and behind the eye is a distinct crease in the feathers. The legs and feet are red with black toenails.

The Puffin walks in an upright position which gives it a Penguin like stance and it is adept at swimming under water, using its wings half folded. The wings are small for the size and weight of the bird and this means that Puffins have to flap very fast, between 300-400 beats a minute, to keep themselves airborne.

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Puffins are expert at gliding into high winds on the cliffs and manoeuvre using their feet as rudders - they are not particularly graceful at landing, very often crash landing into the scrub on the cliffs.

In the winter, the plumage is quite different - much less colourful, but as they are far out to sea in the winter months they are rarely observed. The Puffins return to land in late March or early April.

Puffin colonies can be on flat grassy topped islands or cliff tops, grassy slopes, vegetated cliffs and even in crannies and among boulders. The islands around Mull are in fact ideal nesting sites. Puffins nest underground, unlike their cousins the Razorbills and Guillemots. They excavate a burrow, approximately 2 metres long, a bit like a rabbit burrow and at the end is the nesting chamber where they lay a single white egg.

Many of the burrows are used year after year and as long as they return early and have survived the winter, the same pair of Puffins tend to come back to the same burrow. At other times, a new pair must excavate a fresh burrow in the cliff, usually at the edge of a large colony. Puffins are skilled miners: they have sharp powerful bills which pull at the soil and turf and the claws on their bright red feet are extremely strong and sharp. It takes many days to dig a new burrow so new pairs are keen where possible to use unoccupied burrows.

Puffins often nest near rabbits - sometimes they take over rabbit burrows. As burrows are being refurbished or new burrows excavated, display among the Puffins increases daily. The pair is together nearly all of the time; the male is slightly bigger and his bill is larger, brighter and ore distinctly ridged. The main display between the pair is billing and cooing with the birds touching bills and gently nibbling each other's head and neck feathers.

Mating takes place on the sea after the male has goner through a ritual of head flicking and wing fluttering. A single egg is laid in the nest chamber and is incubated by both parents which lasts between 38-43 days. Puffins coming ashore with fish in their bills are the first signs that the eggs have begun to hatch.

The chick is very small on hatching and is covered with fluffy black down. In the early days the chick is brooded by one of the parents to keep it warm and dry but is soon left unattended as both parents go out to sea fishing. The chick is fed in the nest to start with but at a couple of weeks old it starts to meet its parents at the mouth of the burrow. Chicks grow rapidly and at six weeks old it is fully feathered; at this time the chick starts to come out of the burrow at night and then finally one night at about 7 weeks it leaves the burrow altogether and flies out to sea.

Information courtesy of Roy Dennis's book 'Puffins'; photographs taken by John, Bob Winnings & Roger Morgan

RED DEER (Cervus elaphus)

The Red Deer is the largest land-mammal in the UK. Summer coat is reddish brown to brown, winter coat is brown to grey. No spots present in adult coat. Large, highly branched antlers in the stag (male).
Adult size: Stags 90-190kg, 107-137cm at shoulder. Females (hinds) 63-120kg, up to 107-122cm at shoulder.
Antlers: Highly branched. The number of branches increases with age. Up to 16 points in native animals. The angle between the brow tine and the main beam is always more than 90 degrees.
Life span: Exceptionally up to 18 years. Heavy infant mortality at and shortly after birth and during first winter in some Scottish hill populations.
Habitat: Within its range in England and southern Scotland occurs in woodlands and forests but can adapt to open moor and hill on Scottish hills and south-west England.
Food & feeding: Grazers of grasses, and dwarf shrubs e.g. heather and bilberry. Woody browse, e.g. tree shoots, is taken when other food is limiting e.g. during winter
Origins & history: Red deer migrated into Britain from Europe 11000 years ago. They were used extensively by Mesolithic man as a source of food, skins and tools (bones and antlers). Neolithic man developed agriculture and cleared swathes of forest to make way for fields. This loss of forest encouraged the decline of red deer populations, which became confined to the Scottish Highlands, south-west England and a few other small, scattered populations. The Normans protected red deer in parks and "forests" (often devoid of trees!) for royal hunting, but this protection was lost during the Mediaeval period causing another decline in numbers in England. Victorian re-introductions of "improved" stock (often inter-bred with larger related species such as Wapiti), escapes from deer parks, natural spread and increase in the Highlands and an increase in forest and woodland cover since the early 20th century mean that red deer are now widely distributed in Britain and are expanding in range and number.
Social organisation: In woodlands red deer are largely solitary or occur as mother and calf groups. On open ground, larger, single sex groups assemble, only mixing during the rut and in the Highlands of Scotland large groups may persist for most of the year.
Vocalisation: Stags roar and grunt during the rut. Hinds bark when alarmed and moo when searching for their young. Calves emit a high-pitched squeal when alarmed and may bleat to their mother.
The rut: The breeding season, or rut, occurs from the end of September to November. Stags return to hind's home ranges and compete for access to hinds by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, parallel walks and fighting. Serious injury and death can result but fighting only occurs between stags of similar size that can not assess dominance by any of the other means. The dominant stag then ensures exclusive mating with the hinds.
Breeding: Only stags over 5 years old tend to achieve matings despite being sexually mature much earlier (before their 2nd  birthday in productive woodland populations). In woodland populations hinds over a year old give birth to a single calf after an 8 month gestation, between mid-May to mid-July each year. Puberty may be delayed until 3 years old in hill hinds, which may give birth only once every 2 or 3 years.
Activity: Red deer are active throughout the 24-hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations experiencing frequent disturbance. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk. In the Highlands of Scotland red deer use the open hill during the day and descend to lower ground during the night.
Economic factors: Grazing of tree shoots and agricultural crops puts red deer in conflict with farmers and foresters due to economic damage. Conversely, many country and forest estates can gain substantial revenue from recreational stalking and/or venison production. Red deer are also farmed for their venison and are kept as ornamental park species in the UK. Whether in conflict or used as a resource, red deer populations require careful management to maintain health and quality and ensure a sustainable balance with their environment.

ROE DEER (Capreolus capreolus) Image supplied courtesy of The British Deer Society

Adult Size: 10 to 25kg, 60 to 75cm at shoulder (bucks - males slightly larger than does - females).
Colouration: Summer: reddish brown. Winter: grey, pale brown or (occasionally) black.
Antlers: Rugose, short (<30cm), 3 tines (points) on each.
Lifespan: Max: 16 years. Bucks rarely exceed 5 years, does 6 to 7 years. Heavy mortality at and shortly after birth and during first winter.

Social groups: Solitary, forming small groups in winter.
Time of birth: May to June.
Number of offspring: Up to 3, usually 1 or 2 kids.
Gestation period: 9 months (4 months of  no embryonic growth followed by 5 months of foetal growth).
Food & feeding: Browsers that actively select different food types including herbs, brambles, ivy, heather, bilberry & coniferous tree shoots.
Habitat: Woodland and forest, but may occupy fields when at high densities.
Status: Common & widespread. UK Distribution. Throughout Scotland and England except parts of Kent and the Midlands. 
Recognition: Small & elegant. White rump patch with short tush in females. Black nose, white chin.
Origins & history: Roe deer are native to Britain, having been present since before the Mesolithic period (6000 to 10000 years b.p.). Forest clearance and over-hunting led to roe deer becoming extinct in England by 1800 but remained in wooded patches in Scotland. Several reintroductions during Victorian times and their subsequent, natural spread aided by an increase in woodland and forest planting in the 20th century has meant that roe deer have become widespread and abundant today.
The rut: The rut, or breeding season, occurs between mid-July to mid-August. Bucks become aggressive and maintain exclusive territories around one or more does prior to this period. Fights between bucks can result in serious injury or death, the winner taking over the losers territory or attendant doe. Does do not maintain exclusive territories but live within overlapping home ranges. Males usually mate with several females and females mating with several males has also been observed. Courtship involves chasing between the buck and doe for some time until the doe is ready to mate.
Activity: Roe deer are active throughout the 24-hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations experiencing frequent disturbance. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk. Long periods are spent "lying up", which is where the deer lies down to ruminate between feeding bouts.
Economic factors: Browsing of tree shoots and agricultural crops puts roe deer in conflict with farmers and foresters due to economic damage. Conversely, many country and forest estates can gain substantial revenue from recreational stalking and/or venison production. Whether in conflict or used as a resource, roe deer populations require careful management to maintain health and quality and to ensure a sustainable balance with their environment.
Vocalisation: When alarmed bucks and does (males and females) give a short bark, which is often repeated. During the rut does make a high-pitched piping call to attract a buck who makes a rasping noise as he courts the doe.
Delayed implantation: Although mating occurs in August the fertilised egg does not implant and grow until January. This is thought to be an adaptation to avoid giving birth during harsh northern winters.

FALLOW DEER (Dama dama)

Recognition: Intermediate in size between roe and red deer. There are four main variations in coat but many minor variations also exist including a long-haired version found in Mortimer forest, Shropshire. The common variety is the familiar tan/fawn colour with white spotting (becoming long and grey with indistinct spots in winter) on the flanks and white rump patch outlined with characteristic black horse-shoe. The Menil variety is paler, lacks the black bordered rump and keeps its white spots all year. The black variety is almost entirely black with no white coloration anywhere. Finally, the white variety can be white to sandy coloured and becomes more white at adulthood. This is a true colour variety and not albinism, which is rare. The fallow is the only British deer with palmate antlers.
Adult size: Bucks (males): 84 to 94cm at shoulder, 46 to 94kg. Does (females): 73 to 91cm at shoulder, 35 to 56kg.
Antlers: Palmate in adult (>3 years), increase in size with age, up to 70cm long.
Life span: Exceptionally, 16 years, bucks (males) rarely exceed 8 to 10 years.
Status: Non-native but considered naturalised. Locally abundant and increasing.
UK distribution: Widespread in England and Wales, patchy in Scotland.
Habitat: Mature broadleaf woodland with under-storey, open coniferous woodland, open agricultural land.
Food & feeding: Preferential grazers of grasses although trees and dwarf shrub shoots will be taken during autumn and winter.
Origins & history: The extant species of fallow deer found in Britain was introduced by the Normans in the 10th century although some would suggest that the Romans attempted to introduce it here much earlier. Fallow deer were prized as ornamental species and were protected in Royal Hunting "Forests" for royal sport. During Mediaeval times many deer parks that held fallow deer were established and these and more recent park escapees have given rise to the free-living populations in Britain today.
Social Organisation: Group sizes as well as the degree of sexual segregation varies according to population density and habitat. Groups of adult males and females, usually with young, remain apart for most of the year in large woodlands, only coming together to breed. Sexes freely mix in large herds throughout the year in open, agricultural environments. 
Vocalisation: During the rut bucks groan tremendously and does with fawns give a short bark when alarmed.
The rut: Behaviour is dependent upon the environment and population density. In most populations bucks maintain a traditional, defended rutting stand. In others a temporary rutting stand is maintained to attract sufficient does to herd them into a harem. In areas with very high buck densities a lek may be formed. In lower density areas bucks may simply seek out receptive females. During conflict, the escalation of display behaviour in bucks, from groaning and parallel walks to fighting, is in common with other larger species of deer.
Breeding:  Adult does give birth to a single fawn in June after a gestation of 229 days.
Activity: Fallow deer are active throughout the 24-hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations experiencing frequent disturbance. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk. Most hours of the day time are spent "lying up", which is where the deer lies down to ruminate between feeding bouts.
Economic factors: Browsing of tree shoots and agricultural crops puts fallow deer in conflict with farmers and foresters due to the potential economic damage. Their propensity for reaching very high local densities can result in high local levels of damage. Conversely, many country and forest estates can gain substantial revenue from recreational stalking and/or venison production. Fallow deer are also farmed for their venison and are one of the most important ornamental park species in the UK. Whether in conflict or used as a resource, fallow deer populations require careful management to maintain health and quality and ensure a sustainable balance with their environment.

Last amended 13/02/2009
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