Adders

Found all over, but lots of sightings in the following areas. They are often to found near or on rarely used paths, basking in the sun.

Basking Sharks

The second largest fish in the world feeds on plankton which flows with the gulf stream around our coast. While a few degrees difference in the gulf stream can mean no basking sharks at all, when conditions are right in the summer, the sea around Mull can be full of these amazing animals.

Bitterns

One of our more exotic  water birds. Rare, but slowly making a come-back.  Spring and early summer are good time to see these.

Buzzards

While rare in many parts of the UK, relatively common in north Wales. On Mull, it's often a case of, 'Is it an eagle? No, it's just another buzzard!'

Common Seals

Not as common as the name suggests, common seals are greatly outnumbered by Grey seals around the UK coast.

A good place to see os the Moray Firth, but they can be seen all around Scotland.

Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are suprisingly common around our coasts. They can be regularly seen on boat trips in the waters of North West Scotland, but for regular sightings from land, the hotspots have to be Cardigan Bay in West Wales, Inverness in East Scotland, and from the rocks at Neist Point, Isle of Skye.

Dragon Flies

Found near water in the summer, there are a number of different species to be found in the UK. Warmer spots are better, so often found in nature reserves in the South.

Fallow Deer

Fallow deer are very widespread, but that doesn't mean they're easy to spot. The London deer parks are excellent places to see both Fallow and Red deer where they can run wild, but in a relatively small and contained area.

Gannets

These cliff dwellers can be found in a number of isloated spots around the coast. Spring and summer is the time to see these magnificient birds.

Golden Eagles

The North West coast of Scotland and the Hebridean Islands are great places to see our second largest birds. Mull is particuarly good with daily sigthing on the coast road between Calgary and Loc Na Keal.

Grass Snakes

Widespread, but difficult to spot. Try the Elmley National Nature Reserve where they can sometimes be seen swimming. Spring and summer are the times to see reptiles.

Grey Seals

Grey seals can be seen all round the coast, but there are very few  places on the mainland where you are guarenteed good sightings. In the breeding season (September to December) there are two excellent places on the East coast of England where, not only are you certain to get good sightings, but you can get extremely close.

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Hares

Hares are widespread, but often hard to see, hiding in scrapes in the ground during the day.  Spring is definately the time to see them, with Eastern Norfolk being a particular hotspot for March Hare activity. Also often seen around the Bempton Cliffs area of Yorkshire. 

Hobbys

Widespread through the South West, South, and East of England, they can often be see over water where they prey on large insects and small birds

Little Egrets

A bird that is far more common than it used to be, and can be found all over England. A good place to see them in large numbers is the nature reserve at Farlington Marshes, in Langstone Habour, Hampshire.

Lizards

Common lizards are widespread, but very difficult to see on a predictable basis. Bentley wood, Parc Slip and the London Wetland Centre are good places on warm days where the lizards can often be seen basking on paths and wood.

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Natterjck Toads

Very rare ,but being reintroduced, particularly at Sefton Sands, Fornby.

Marsh Harriers

The largest of our harriers, it is indistinguishable fro other harriers apart from size

Minke Whales

Whale watching trips are popular on the Isle of Mull, with regular sightings of our most common whale species. Minkes can often be seen from ferries between the Hebridean islands, but for possibly the best, and definitely the cheapest way of seeing Minke's head up to Neirst Point of the Isle of Skye where you can see the whales from the rocks!

Orca

Orca are rare visitors to our waters, but can be seen occasionally off the coast of North West Scotland. There is a small resident pod which seems to do a loop around the waters of Skye, Lewis and the mainland. Thi group come very close to the rocks at Neist Point on the Isle of Skye.

Osprey

Extremely rare, but can can be found in Central and East Wales.

Otters

Otters can be now found in every county in England. For example, the are now resident on the Great Ouse, in Buckinghamshire, but they are extremely shy and difficult to spot, coming out mainly at night. In Scotland, however, along the West coast and on the Hebridean Islands, otter can often be seen in the daytime.

Pine Marten

Rare and secretive, but in some parts of scotland you can be fairly confident of good sightings.

Pheasant 

Widespread, but sometimes hard to find.

Porpoise

Elusive and shy, but around in quite large numbers. Found in the same sort of places you find dolphins, but not at same time as they avoid their bigger cousins.

Puffins 

Puffins spend most of the year at sea, but come back to land raise their young. They have quite specific requirements and nest in remote coastal areas where they can make burrows and are safe from predators. As such they usually be found after a short boat trip from May to July.

Red Deer

Red deer are widespread thorough the countryside of Scotland. They can often be seen on the edge of distant hills. Seeing them close-up is a very different thing, but early in the morning is probably the best time. Alternatively, they can be seen (along with Fallow deer) in the London deer parks.

Red Kites

After being persecuted to extinction in England, the remianing places to see Red kites were restricted to small areas of Scotland and Wales. However, they have been very successfully reintroduced into Buckinghamshire and in some places, (Princes Risborough and Stokenchurch, for example), is possible to see as many as 20+ birds in the air at a time.

Red Squirrels

Extremely rare in England, but can be found in a few locations. Their remaining strongholds are north of the border, but again, rare.

Sand Lizards

Very rare ,but being reintroduced, particularly at Sefton Sands, Fornby.

Sand Martins

Lovely little birds that can be seen  in dunes in the summer moths. Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull is particularly good.

Water Voles

These are very difficult to spot, but photographs appear on a regular basis from two great locations - but you do have to be really, really quiet.

Wild Boar

They're back. some in the south east, but 800 in the Forest of Dean.

White Tailed (Sea) Eagles

Driven to extinction in the early twentieth century, out largest bird of prey is making a slow recovery after it's reintroduction on the North West of Scotland. It's stronghold is the Isle of Mull, but can be seen in smaller numbers on Skye. Best place to see is Loch Na Keal on Mull.