The Isle of Mull is a favourite place for bird watchers and has a large list of regularly seen species including many breeding raptors as well as rare and endangered birds. Some magnificent birds choose to over winter around the shores of Mull. Great Northern Diver and Slavonian Grebe are regularly seen in summer plumage in early winter and late spring.
Resident breeding birds include some of the most spectacular birds of prey like Golden Eagle, White-tailed Sea eagle, Merlin, Buzzard and Hen Harrier. We also have lots of singing Song Thrushes and Skylarks, now becoming much scarcer on the main land.
Rare birds visiting our shores include, from Europe, Bee-eater at Loch na Keal, and from north America, a drake Surf Scoter in Craignure Bay. Pie billed Grebe at the Mishnish Lochs. A Ross's Gull was watched for half an hour at Fidden on 6th October 2004. An American Golden Ploverat Loch Beg in September 2005 and Little Gull at Loch na Keal in February 2005. A Forsters Tern spent 2 days in Oban harbour January 2003, and Ring billed Gulls also in Oban harbour. King Eider in Tobermory harbour and others. We had a Crested Tit feeding in a Tobermory garden. Birds can turn up at any time and in any place.
In 2007 a Lesser Yellow legs at Croig and a returning Nightjar at Balmeanach, Cory's Shearwater in the Sound of Mull, a White billed Diver off Staffa and Pectoral Sandpiper at Uisken beach.
(from mullbirds.com)
The Auchnacraig Estate has a fantastic variety of birds. The estate is bordered by three bodies of water, all with their own unique style of habitat. Lochdon estuary in particular provides a fantastic haven for a variety of resident and migrating birds. We have had lots of keen birdwatchers stay with us and one couple recorded 86 different birds during a one week stay on Mull in Ardnadrochet Cottage!
