Did you know that 28 species of whales and dolphins can be seen around the UK? Several species are recorded annually from the Mull of Galloway so this Wednesday (29.07.15) the RSPB are taking part in the Seawatch Foundation’s National Whale and Dolphin Watch. This week long study will help create a snapshot of whale and dolphin distribution around the UK and will contribute to 13 years worth of data.

Porpois…

We have experienced some dry (and even hot!) days over the last week which has given us excellent conditions for wildlife spotting. Daily walks around the reserve are wildly exciting with over 100 linnets and 50+ goldfinches a regular sight. Several meadow pipits are feeding a second brood and they can be seen catching caterpillars and moths to take back to their nests. A second brood of house martins fledged over the…

Join RSPB staff participating in the Seawatch foundation's National Whale and Dolphin Watch. This week long event will allow a better understanding of the movements of cetaceans around the UK. Harbour Porpoise are seen regularly from the Mull of Galloway and we had a sighting of a Minke whale just a week ago. Meet the RSPB staff at the visitor centre on Wednesday the 29th of July at 11am. Remember your binoculars or…

Southerly winds have prevailed for most of the last week, causing a lot of passage of Manx Shearwaters. On Tuesday we recorded a staggering 1,000 flying by in the space of only an hour- simply unbelievable!

Wednesday brought some North-Westerly winds which slowed down the movement of ‘Manxies’ however several hundred were recorded throughout the day. Whilst scanning the sea, one of our volunteers couldn’t believe his…

Join us this weekend for a range of Smuggling Events on the Mull of Galloway

Saturday 04th July 10am to 4:30pm

"The Mull of Galloway Smugglers" talks by Frances Wilkins- booking essential.

Smugglers' Guided Walks

Smugglers' Craft Market

Talk of the Town Children's Activities

Rainbow Dolls Children's Stories and Activities

Owl Magic

RSPB Treasure Trail- Find the hidden treasures of the…

At the Mull of Galloway we are looking forward to the arrival of our kittiwake chicks over the next few days, many of which will be viewable on the screens in the visitor centre thanks to our remote cameras on the cliffs.

Kittiwake chick - Photo credit: Laura Shearer

Kittiwakes lay 2 or 3 eggs which they incubate for 30 days. The chicks will then spend the next 5 or 6 weeks on their precarious platforms built from…

Who is watching who? Fledgling Wheatear (photo by Laura Shearer)

Fledgling Wheatears having a rest on the wall (photo by Laura Shearer)

The Wheatears have recently fledged their chicks and the reserve is bustling with their fledglings. Four pairs have been recorded nesting on the reserve this season so it is impossible to walk too far without spotting one! There is a wide variation in their markings, particularly…

The seabird breeding season is well underway on the Mull of Galloway and the cliffs are buzzing with life. Some of the Guillemot and Razorbill eggs have hatched and tiny little chicks can be seen sheltering underneath the wing of their protective parents. It can be a scary world out there for these chicks as Herring and Greater Black-backed gulls patrol the cliffs in search for an easy meal.

Razorbill brooding its…

We have been monitoring this pair since they began to nest

Having a snooze- its hard work raising 3 chicks and keeping a nice nest!

Protective Parent with small chicks

Shags are the earliest nesters of our seabirds and have been settled on their nests since the RSPB visitor centre opened at the end of March. We have been following the progress of a nest of shags using our LIVE video cameras which feed to television…

A pair of Razorbills enjoying each others company!

Razorbill brooding an egg

Razorbills have been on the cliffs in their pairs for over a week and we are pleased to announce they are on eggs! With lots of cliff ledges and little crevices, there are plenty of good nesting sites on the reserve. Razorbills do not make a nest, they lay their egg on the bare rock. It is a pear-shaped egg so it does not roll off the cliff…

Yesterday (Friday 8^th May) saw the return of the first swift to be sighted over the Mull of Galloway this year. These miraculous aerial acrobats spend almost their entire lives on the wing, rarely ever touching land. Swifts are generally considered the last of the migrant birds to arrive in the UK and the first to leave, spending on average just 3 months here before returning on their 3000 mile transcontinental flight…

Rocky

The Mull of Galloway is like a boxing ring at the minute as our Rock and Meadow Pipits fight in furious combat over their territory. These feisty little fellows will defend their nesting site with great vigor in order to impress the ladies. They can be seen flying over the heath in vicious battles before one wisely retreats and a winner is crowned.

Rock Pipit prepared to defend its territory

Once a suitable…

The Mull of Galloway reserve is best known for its seabirds however it is the mammals which are currently stealing the show!

Roe Deer can be found early morning almost daily grazing on the grasses and heather which make up the landscape. Recognisable by their relatively small size and big white rumps, they are often spooked by the RSPB staff on their morning birding rounds. Herds of up to 6 can be spotted however 3…

The visitor centre at the Mull of Galloway has now been open for two weeks so I thought I’d take the opportunity to fill you all in on the wildlife that has been seen recently.

There are many shags nests visible on the cliffs including the nest  below the foghorn that we can watch from the comfort of the visitor centre thanks to out fantastic cameras that provide amazing images of the wildlife on the cliffs and…

Yesterday was the last day of our season at the Mull - I had great ideas of writing a blog but with a long 'to do' list, I'm afraid that one slipped off the end.  So it's a quick word to say thanks, on behalf of Rob and myself, to our friends and partners at the Mull of Galloway Experience, to our wonderful volunteers and of course, to our lovely visitors who travelled from far and near to enjoy the unrivalled…

As I approach the end of my first season working at the RSPB Visitor Centre on the Mull of Galloway I find myself reminiscing about the many highlights of my time here.

The year started for me back in April, arriving amidst one of the most exciting times at this vastly important nature reserve. Many of the seabirds start to arrive back on the cliffs around March and by April they were settling down and building nests…

A bright and very breezy day here at the Mull today.  It's quiet this afternoon so I thought I would squeeze in a blog-ette, mainly because I have a terrible pun burning a hole in my pocket and a photo to illustrate said terrible pun!  As I walked round the reserve yesterday I counted several Fox Moth caterpillars - they're really cuddly looking, furry little fellows but it's probably best to leave them where they are…

Here's a guest blog from Gavin Chambers.  I mentioned him in my last blog - he has recently completed a contract at RSPB Vyrnwy and is heading back to Mersehead to do some residential volunteering before some other lucky reserve snaps him up!  Gavin has made several visits to the Mull in the last few weeks to record numbers of birds passing through on migration.  Over to Gavin:

On Monday I was dithering whether or not…

The Mull of Galloway in September and October is a fascinating place to be.  The cliffs have fallen silent as the last of the breeding seabirds the fulmars, kittiwakes and their chicks have finally moved out to sea.  Time then to turn our attentions to the heath where all sorts of strange sightings have been reported.  Unusual birds like robins and great tits have been seen, popping in and out of the willow scrub, also

Introducing Alan Richards, our newest local volunteer and an all-round wildlife enthusiast, with a wide breadth of knowledge.  He has been helping us to survey and record more of the flora and fauna that make their home at the Mull of Galloway.  We linked in with Butterfly Conservation's annual national butterfly count and Alan led our butterfly survey work, encouraging many visitors to take part and leading mini guided…

With the razorbill and guillemots now largely back out at sea and the kittiwakes set to head off shortly, seabird numbers are naturally reducing here at Mull of Galloway. However, large numbers of kittiwakes can still be seen around the cliffs for the time being and shags continue to congregate on the lower ledges and small outcrops of rock around the coastline. There are still a few fulmars present but these will also…

We had quite a party at the Mull last weekend; hundreds of people came.  Three days of celebrations, with free trips up the lighthouse tower, craft stalls, talks, activities from face-painting to corn-dolly making and music.  It was a pity that Bertha decided to turn up on Sunday but our spirits weren't dampened even though it wasn't quite the finale we had planned!  Most of the action took place in the Lighthouse…

This will be a shorter sightings blog than normal because we are immersed in preparations for the coming weekend - The Mull of Galloway Festival, a celebration of the first anniversary of the Community Buyout .  Three whole days of activities organised by the Mull of Galloway Trust - talks, activities, story telling for children, craft stalls... And that's just on the Friday.  Saturday, there's also tank demonstrations…

Another sticky hot day today at the Mull and I've just been watching the herring gulls feasting on swarms of flies over the heath.  I remember watching this last year on a similar day, it is quite a spectacle as you don't usually see herring gulls behaving like swallows.

People taking part in our guided walks over the past few weeks have been treated to views of an increasing number of butterflies and bugs.  Today…