MOUNTAIN BIRDER: WHAT A PLONKER!!!

I was hoping to blog on here about my trip to The Isle of Mull on the west coast of Scotland and show you all the wonderful wildlife I've photographed but like the plonker that I am I left my camera, binoculars and telescope all at home ARRRHHHHHH!!!!!! What a complete idiot I felt when we got to our first stop off point in Dumbarton and I realised what I'd done. Although I was completely gutted I had to make the most of it. The wife god bless her went into the Argos shop in Dumbarton and bought me some bins to use on the trip so at least I had something to watch the wildlife with.

We went through Loch Lomond on the way there and stopped off a couple of places and took some pic's (with the wife's bridge camera) what an absolute wonderful and beautiful place.

We caught the ferry from Oban to Craignure and set on our way to Toblermory where we were based. It's where they made the children's series Ballamory.

Tobermory

We went on a birding trip where we saw White tailed and Golden Eagles, Red breasted merganser, Red throated, Black throated, and Great northern divers, Black guillemot, all firsts for me. We also saw Common seal, Otter, and Red deer. This next bird was also a first or lifer as it is called in birding circles. We got pretty close for this decent image.

Hooded crow

What a beauty this Hoody is. Below is some Red deer that I took with my iphone.

Red Deer

Although I really wanted to we didn't go on any sea bird watching trips though I would have loved to have seen the Puffins. Lack of optical equipment oouch!! the expense and the fact that most of the sea birds have finished their breeding season and have gone out to sea for the winter leaving only a small number left and they could go at any time so I couldnt justify it.

We did go down to Loch Frisa where the Sea Eagles breed each year and was featured on Springwatch. A bleeding two hour hike to get down there and not a Eagle in sight.

Loch Frisa

We did get lucky on the way back to Toblermory, Aneurin our youngest spotted a White tailed eagle on the side of a mountain being mobbed by Ravens and what a beauty it was. We stopped the car and I quickly got out my Argos binoculars and watched as it soared by the mountain side. It went down for a while then up it went again and flew straight over the top of us across the valley and I had no bloody camera!!
Aneurin earned himself the biggest ice cream I could afford and I had a memory that would stay with me forever (or maybe even longer) it would have been a hell of a picture arrrrhhh!!

Mull is a stunning place "even without your camera"

The beaches are stunning white sand and birds everywhere, Oystercatchers, Gannets, Terns, Gulls, Waders, Sea Ducks, and on the grassland there's Chats, Pipits, Finches and loads more there's just life everywhere.