The Magic of Mull: New Beginnings

Pages from the Mull Magic notebook

Biophilia : the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. A love of nature.

Voracious yet Benign

Looking like something that has escaped from the set of the latest Dr Who regeneration, the Golden-Ringed Dragonfly possesses marvellous visual acuity. Despite its ferocious look, it doesn’t have a sting and is harmless to humans. Its huge, multi-faceted compound eyes are made up of thousands of tiny lenses, allowing this insect to see above, below and side to side at the same time. It really is a creature that could be said to have eyes in the back of its head! – 31/08/11

Wizened and Resilient

Like a wizened sun bereft of all its energy, this Dandelion clock face has done its job, casting its burden of seeds to the wind. The Dandelion clocks of childhood are reminders of this incredible plants resilience. Relatively few of the millions of seeds scattered are destined to germinate and develop, but some will have travelled great distances in the air before falling to ground. Dandelion seeds, carried on hair-like parachutes, may relocate tens, if not hundreds, of kilometres from their parent plant – 18/05/11

Delicious if Alarming

The salmon pink gills of the edible False Saffron Milkcap live up to the name of that great migratory fish. Resembling flakes of smoked fish, this attractive toadstool is one of the most colourful fungi to be found in woodlands on the Isle of Mull. Apparently very tasty to eat, this species has the rather alarming, if harmless, side effect of turning the urine red. Not one for worriers then! – 10/09/11

Stunted and Contorted

This view across the serene coastal waters of Loch Spelve to the Central Highlands of Mull, with Ben Talaidh (left) and Sgurr Dearg (Red Rocky Ridge) (right) in the distance. The awe-inspiring landscapes of the island today have undergone cataclysmic changes over the past 60 million years, having been fired and forged by the intense heat of volcanoes, then moulded and sculpted by the immense grinding power of glaciers. What is left is a young island, full of vitality and character – 04/05/11

Obsessive and Unrelenting

These are words that best describe us, rather than the subject of this photograph, such has been the Mull Magic quest to see Ptarmigan on the island. Our search for the previously labelled ‘Mythical White Grouse’ came to an inevitable conclusion, when we stumbled across three juvenile birds near the summit of Ben Buie in early August. With an interest in birds spanning four decades and surrounded by eagles on a daily basis, the thrill of finally catching up with these ‘living stones’ was simply indescribable. With flag rooted at the summit cairn, champagne cork popped and celebratory hugs and kisses complete, we descended the hill with smiles on our faces and a weight off our shoulders! – 05/08/11