GRASS POINT
A great area for woodland birds and seawatching
SO MANY AREAS of Mull can produce the birds, but this single-track road provides a great opportunity to find the ones you have missed. With Loch Don being such a draw for waders, there are various viewpoints along this road from which to scan the loch and the river entering into it. Greenshank winter in the area and species like Black-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel and Ruff can be found in spring. Even then you have a chance of both Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl flying into view over the grassland. Evening may well bring you a Barn Owl. The woodland adds the chance of Redstart, Wood Warbler and Tree Pipit, with White-tailed Eagle always close-by. The grassland is good for both Stonechat and Whinchat with Reed Bunting, Meadow Pipit and Sky Lark also possible. A Great Grey Shrike was a good find in 2016, so it is always worth scanning the tops of bushes and trees for the unexpected, with Merlin always a hard one to get on your Mull list. The Point itself is a great location to look out for sea passage, with plenty of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Arctic Terns and even skuas possible. Golden Eagle is also a possibility along this coast along with Raven and the odd Peregrine. Great Northern Diver is a great winter bird lasting well into May.