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Live sea eagle webcam

There will now be a permanent link on this blog page to the fantastic live webcam from our friends in Estonia showing a pair of white-tailed eagles at their nest. This pair and their two chicks are at a very similar stage to Frisa and Skye and their two youngsters. Just click on the white-tailed eagle camera link. They have other great cameras too. The timings for the two pairs, thousands of kilometres apart, are almost identical. So with a bit of imagination, you can log on to this link above and see what is also probably going on here! We are unable to get a camera onto Frisa and Skye this year as we cannot run any risk of disturbing them. As they move around alot from year to year, we can't get a camera in before they settle down as they often seem to leave their decisions to the last minute. By then it's too risky to install anything. Ospreys are easy by comparison! Anyway, with the quality of the Estonian project giving us very similar information, we will be leaving Frisa and Skye in peace.

It's been a very busy week for us here on Mull and Iona. Our 7th Wildlife Week has been blessed with fine weather for the many guided walks, talks, film shows and events from mountain top to sea level. A quick look at the programme on the Wild Isles website shows just what an amazing array of things were happening, what a stunning environment we have here and what brilliant people we have running things on these islands!  Debby, Jenny and I did our bit too kicking off with a corncrake walk on Iona for 25 people. We heard several calling corncrakes and a handful of lucky people even managed to glimpse one in the gardens of the Columba Hotel - alas Debby wasn't one of them! Next day we ran a guided walk with the Mull & Iona Ranger Service along the coast from Fishnish to Garmony; on Thursday Debby was out on a boat trip all day on a Seabird Searcher finding minke whale, porpoise and a whole host of seabirds. That evening we ran a film show for 40 people at the Isle of Mull Hotel showing clips from the brilliant RSPB film "Eagle Odyssey" and a video diary I'd made when Springwatch came to Mull. We ended the week on another evening boat cruise with Sea Life Surveys. The on-board curry for everyone seemed like a nice touch when we set off but by the time we rounded Ardmore Point into the teeth of a gale, the novelty and appetites were wearing off fast. Despite the rough end to the week, we still managed to see sea eagles, golden eagle, porpoise and seals. Quite glad to get back to Tobermory though and onto dry land! While all this was going on, of course, the Eagle Hide was open every day for trips at 10am and 1pm and all is well with our famous family. As you can see from the webcam, the chicks at this age are growing fast with the first feathers coming through, leaving tufty down on their heads. So a full-on week and we could do with a rest but that won't be happening anytime soon. Mara and Breagha, meanwhile, are fine and still on Mull although Mara did recently have a day return to Loch Sunart and the Morvern mainland opposite Mull. They don't like to over exert themselves do they? Just so long as they're safe, that's fine with us. Debby is back at the hide today. I wonder what she's seen? Find out tomorrow. Meanwhile, enjoy the webcam!

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

The signs were not good. No off duty bird perched nearby. By now, given the fine weather, I'd have expected to see an adult enjoing the sun a short distance away from the nest. I waited and watched but all was quiet. Under licence, I ventured closer, then closer still. There should have been a reaction by now. Sea eagles react strongly if disturbed at an active nest. If there are young they will call and fly close - one of the reasons they were so easy to shoot at and exterminate 100 years ago. But the closer I got, the quieter and more desolate it all seemed. Then a glimpse of white. Yes, a white tail. But then binoculars and brain engaged and I realised it was just one white tail feather fluttering at the back of the nest. The nest was lifeless and deserted when just before the weather last week, I'd suspected a hatch. Now much closer I could see the hatched egg shell on the nest rim and in the nest cup a cold, unhatched egg. It was all over for this pair for this year. The long courtship, the nest building, the 38 days of incubation, all for nothing. I suspect the cold and wet of last week will have taken its toll on the young eaglet just out of the protective egg. Then as the days passed and the weather worsened, the dutiful parents eventually realised there was no hope and eventually did not return to the nest. Hard to imagine what goes on in an eagle's head at this time. There was fresh prey nearby, clearly brought in with the expectation of a young one to feed. But all to no avail. We can only wish them better luck and better weather next year. Time for the long slog back to the landrover. I kicked the tyres harder than I should have.

But at the next site, the signs were good! The off duty bird was there, preening contentedly in the afternoon sun. On the nest sat the female, somehow to my eye looking like she was sitting higher than the last time I checked. An hour later the male took off and soared high into the brilliant blue skies and away to the north. A determined flight away for prey perhaps? Another hour later, the female almost jumped, startled by a movement beneath her. Constantly peering down she eventually raised her mighty form and stalked delicately around the nest rim. She began to pluck a gull corpse, white feathers flying all round like a pillow fight. Then she did what I hoped was coming but was still mightily relieved to see. She pulled off tiny, thin strips of food and bent low into the nest, just as the vaguest hint of a white downy head wobbled and stretched towards the huge, yellow beak offering a morsel of food. After just a few minutes, she re-positioned herself, rocking gently from side to side and quietly settled back down on her new chicks. With the incoming tide threatening to lap around my boots, it was time to pack up and head back to the landrover, this time with a spring in my step. The oystercatchers and common sandpipers called loudly as I mused what throw of the eagle dice decided why one nest should fail why another succeeded. While one pair sits forlornly together on the skerries, calling occasionally to each other, another pair work together to raise chicks. Two pairs of white-tailed eagles on Mull about to have very different summers.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

Well, when I woke up this morning with the sun streaming through the bedroom, I thought “won’t be long before the rain arrives”.  How wrong I was.  Today has been simply glorious – blue skies and warm sunshine, just what our chicks, and also our adult birds need.  The adults haven’t been out much this week, protecting the chicks from the cold, the wind and the rain – and they have done a sterling job.  Today, both Skye and Frisa were airborne again – a breathtaking sight to see them soaring in blue sky with warm sun on their wings.  Our visitors to the Hide had fantastic views and were lucky enough to see Skye come in with a heron to feed the youngsters.  It seems as if they were airborne for most of the day just enjoying being able to stretch their wings and not get wet.  The chicks are growing at a rate of knots now and are causing great excitement amongst the visitors to the Hide.

Our sand martins are still busy building their nests, and we still have tadpoles in our puddles in the car park.  The cuckoo is becoming a regular visitor to one of the fence posts in front of the hide – a first sighting for some of our visitors.  The latest visitor to our feeders is a great spotted woodpecker, competing with the siskins for the peanuts.  We have had great sightings of both the female and male hen harrier and on the Loch a pair of red throated divers as well as the common sandpipers, curlew and mergansers. 

Wild Isles week has started on Mull and I hope the good weather lasts, not only for our visitors but for all our chicks that have hatched this year.

Below are photographs taken today just to prove how glorious it was.   The first one is a view from below the Hide towards Ben More, our munro, the furthest right peak in the picture. (All photos Debby Thorne)

And I had to include a picture of Mum – Frisa basking in the sunshine. Sorry about the picture quality but she was a fair way off!

and finally, albeit a bit fuzzy, but if you look closely you can make out 2 small heads in the nest - the first public viewing of our chicks!

So we've made it through this horrible week. Enough of the weather. Apart from reporting that the rain has now stopped. The winds have now dropped and Frisa, Skye and the two chicks are alive and well. It wasn't an easy day at the hide for Debby with constant heavy squalls rattling through every time they ventured outside. But by the afternoon the eagles were out and about, they brought in prey and there were some happy visitors. The week ahead looks fine and settled. It's 'Wildlife Week' here on Mull & Iona, our 7th and biggest and best yet. There are loads of talks, walks and events. The RSPB mini-team (Debby, me and Jenny from the Glasgow office) will be running a corncrake walk on Iona on Tuesday, a coastal wander on Wednesday, a film show on Thursday and at some point yet to be decided, perhaps an evening eagle cruise out of Tobermory and maybe an all day seabird/whale watch. So quite alot going on but most importantly, I will be trying to fit in a complete check on all our nesting sea eagles to see how they've fared during this last horrendous week. There are some worrying reports to follow up on: both adults out and flying at one site where one adult should be brooding small young; another where hatching should have happened during the worst of the storms and another where the nest looked unattended when it should have had an adult nearby. The next week should reveal all. There will have been casualties but for the most part I'm hoping nests and chicks will have been well protected by experienced parents. Thank you for everyone's supportive comments this week. It helps to keep us going. Until next time...  

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

We've just analysed some data from a recent typical day in the life of Mara & Breagha. From 4am to 7am Mara was roosting alone in a forestry plantation near Salen. He wasn't a particularly early riser and who can blame him after the recent deluge? He spent the day over the mountains of central Mull. Meanwhile his sister Breagha had also roosted alone near Glen More. She too was still at roost at 8am and then spent the day around Loch na Keal. As late afternoon turned into early evening, guess what happened? Mara & Breagha drifted ever closer to each other until they met up at about 7pm and by 10pm were roosting very close to each other in a wood. In the terrible weather of the last few days, it really is a comfort to know that they still have a strong bond and seek each other out when times get tough.

Meanwhile at Loch Frisa, the relentless rain has finally eased a bit to sunshine and showers, many of them still very violent with some fierce hail today. Finally late tonight, the winds too have calmed (I'm almost frightened to write it) and Debby managed to get another lovely view of both chicks at the nest with Frisa looking on proudly. There were several feeds today with prey going in as if they were making up for lost time. The chicks, as well as Frisa and Skye, must have been cold, wet and hungry and it was time to get back to normal - whatever that is. The 10 o'clock news is on, followed by the weather. PLEASE let it be good for a few days...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer 

Well - just back from Loch Frisa, having been soaked and battered by the wind and rain.  I am pleased to say that both Skye and Frisa are well and Frisa has been feeding two chicks.  They are fantastic parents doing such a great job in this awful weather we are having!  The chicks are only 3 weeks old so still have a lot to get through but at the moment, both doing OK.

 The rain had eased for most of the day but was replaced by strong winds but as I sit typing this, the rain is lashing down again - our rivers are full and the lowlands are flooding - lets hope there is an end to this very wet and windy spell - after all - isnt it supposed to be Summer now?

Hopefully a better night's sleep tonight for everyone!

It's late so just a quickie. As you'll continue to see from the weather forecasts, there is no let up in the current autumnal onslaught from the Atlantic. To say we're concerned would be an understatement. But it's raw, wild nature and there isn't a damn thing we can do about it. The good news - and we're mightily relieved about this - is that Frisa and Skye's nest is still there. Tonight at 7.30pm they were both out and flying in the brief 30 minutes of dry blustery conditions. They looked so dark, almost black with the wet but as the wind blew, you could see their drier plumage returning. Skye again perched with wings out. Ravens and hoodies gave him no peace and mobbed him relentlessly. Frisa did what she did two nights ago and soon flew back in to feed on the nest. Still only one chick confirmed but still the conditions were far from ideal with the telescope shaking in the wind. To be frank, if we still have one chick surviving after this monsoon, Frisa and Skye will have done well. We remain optimistic. Until it all calms down, which surely it must soon, these glimpses of life at the nest mean only one thing. There is still an active nest and that's the main concern right now. The chick we saw looked strong and active. And it couldn't have better parents. More tomorrow. Time for bed.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

Oh how I chuckled to myself as that song came on the radio this morning!  As I drove up to Loch Frisa, I wondered why I had bothered doing my hair as I knew within the space of half an hour I would be resembling someone who had just stepped out of the shower!  The rain has been pretty persistent for a few days now, not heavy, just persistent.

This morning our forward viewing hide was moved into place.  It is positioned in the field in front of the main hide and our local farmer has kindly given us permission to use his field in order to give us a view of the nest, far enough away that we don’t disturb them but close enough for us to get a really good view of the nest.

I took the first group down this morning and through the rain, we were able to make out a very soggy looking Frisa sitting on the nest.  This afternoon we saw her sitting on a tree near to the nest and then fly off for a well earned stretch of the wings and a spot of lunch.  Skye had sneaked in round the back and taken over nest duties.  In this weather, the bird that is on nest duty will be protecting the chicks from the wet and rain – they will be well hunkered down in the nest, protected from any wind too.  I know some of you were concerned as Dave had only seen one chick the night before, but Skye and Frisa are great parents – they will be sheltering and feeding the chicks as they have done for years gone by!  They are well experienced and are used to this type of weather.  Once the weather clears, we will let you know – we have every faith in Skye and Frisa.

We can't pretend it's always wonderful and perfect here on Mull. You only have to look at the TV weather maps at the moment to see what's going on. It seems like one low pressure system after another drifting in and then standing still. It's not been a very memorable day at the hide for Debby and indeed many folk took the sensible course of action and postponed their visit until a better day. Usually we still press on regardless as things can change fast and sometimes the sun breaks through and the eagles fly high to dry off. A sight to behold. But not today - at least not until about 6pm when all our visitors were back at their guest houses or self catering cottages and getting ready for dinner. Don't blame them either.

In this cold, wet rain we worry for the chicks and not without good reason. For some nests that have only just hatched, it can be a killer. The adults will brood and keep them warm but they still have to feed the chicks and themselves and that's when the wet strikes and hypothermia can take its toll on fragile downy chicks. In fact they're better off when they're still in the egg. At least they have an extra layer of protection inside that shell.

I wanted to reassure myself that all was well with Frisa and Skye and their two chicks. I half wish I hadn't bothered and had remained blissfully unaware but sometimes you just have to check. Both adults were there. They did indeed come out when the rain finally stopped and flew high in the blustery wind to dry off. Skye perched in his favourite tree with wings held open and then drooped as he let the wind act like a hair dryer through his damp feathers. Frisa was only on the wing briefly before she swooped back into the nest and started to feed herself and then one of the chicks. But try as I might I could only confirm one chick. It was always the same confident, strong little head that begged and was then fed. There was no sign of its sibling. But we've been here before. The view wasn't great. Branches kept getting in the way and the 'scope shook in the wind. Sometimes one chick is stronger or hungrier than the other. Eventually, the other one pops up and you can breathe again. But not tonight. Not yet. I comforted myself by listening to the early evening bird song - song thrush, blackbird, a mistle thrush (his old country name of 'stormcock' couldn't be more apt), willow warblers and a robin. They were all doing their best to remind us it's spring and I did my best to stay positive. That other chick would be there somewhere, Probably tucked in snugly under Frisa's warm brood patch. Probably.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

The highly acclaimed film about a year on the Isle of Mull by our good friend Gordon Buchanan is to receive its US TV premiere on Sunday May 3 on the PBS TV network in the 'Nature' series. It will be shown at 8pm on the East coast, for other US time zones check your local TV listings. In the UK this BBC film for the Natural World is called 'Eagle Island' and is available to buy in local shops and online from Amazon. In the US it has been re-titled by PBS as 'Eagles of Mull'. Our amazing sea eagles Frisa and Skye star as do golden eagles, otters, dolphins, minke whales and basking sharks. We thought our supporters in the US would like to know about this TV event and if any of our other bloggers around the world have friends or family across the pond, perhaps they could let them know to tune in on Sunday evening. This is Homecoming Year in Scotland and we hope films like this show Mull and is wildlife at is best and encourage a few more folk to decide to visit. You'll be very welcome.

Meanwhile, here I am delighted to report that the female sea eagle featured in the 'Battle of the Titans' blog has made a good recovery from her clash with another sea eagle. And what's more, Yellow Black Spot and her mate have hatched their eggs and are feeding chick(s)! What a relief. The encounter wih the other female will have been a territorial fight and they are rare. Most top predators avoid each other as they know one of them may get hurt. But every now and then, they will fight. Occasionally it may end in serious injury, even death. Usually, it's a 'flash in the pan'. Luckily for YBS, she survived to live another day, hopefully another year, hopefully more. It's a tough world out there. For now, they have chicks to feed. The Eagles of Mull have a busy time ahead of them.

 Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer   

It's when the RSPB mobile 'phone goes early on a Sunday morning that you fear the worst. Mike who was camping nearby first raised the alarm. The extra help we get from Strathclyde Police were next on the scene. An extraordinary scene lay before them: two adult white-tailed eagles on the ground, talons locked together, wings spread out across the grass, heads high, hackles raised and beaks in full attack mode. They must have been fighting for sometime already. Both birds were panting with exhaustion, occasionally resting, then resuming their assault on each other with added vigour. Down and feathers lay round about. Incredibly they must have locked talons in mid air and then tumbled earthwards which they will have thudded into with force.

A further 30 minutes elapsed before one bird, a female without wing tags, finally broke free and flew away apparently unharmed. But back in the field, the resident female with the distinctive yellow wing tags and a black spot, was floundering. Several times, she too tried to take off but couldn't. Her right wing trailing and a leg seemingly unable to support her weight. After two or three more attempts she half flew and half limped from the field down to the shingle spit at the head of the sea loch. As I watched her I could see she was a shadow of her former self. Her feathers were no longer sleek and smooth; they were ruffled and unkempt. She kept preening and fiddling with a place on her right wing suggesting some kind of wound. Every now and then she would throw her head back and call loudly to her mate who by now had been sitting on the nest within sight of the great battle for the last five hours. He must have been hungry and needing to stretch his wings but he sat tight on the eggs - torn between flying to his mate and hearing the early cheeping of his chicks from within the eggs. She too must have been desperate to return to her duties at the nest but she needed longer to recover - if she was going to recover. Two hours after she had made it to the beach, she started a more concerted effort to take flight. It was now her fourth attempt. We held our breath and had begun to make plans of what we would do next if she really was unable to fly. She started to run again with wings flapping and cleared the ground by a few inches. Flying low over land and then the loch she slowly, painfully gained height, inch by inch. The mocking flock of gulls all around her didn't help. It's as if they sensed she was not her normal self. But she battled on and eventually seemed to be flying more strongly. She circled high, lost the gulls apart from one persistant common gull and then glided puposefully back towards the nest and landed carefully in a neighbouring tree. The outburst of welcome calls from the male and her response back to him sent shivers down the spine. Yellow black spot was back. She may have been shaken but her spirit wasn't stirred. She still owned this place and at this stage, with eggs about to hatch, no one was going to take it from her.

Next time...anticipated hatch news from yellow black spot and an update from Loch Frisa

 Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

Finally, one evening this week, I had the briefest glimpse of one of our precious sea eagle chicks. A weak, wobbly white wee head appeared for a second or two as Frisa looked down proudly at her new offspring. I could only see one. We hope there may be two. Frisa tenderly fed tiny morsels of food, pausing occasionally to gaze around and to look to the far horizon for any sign of Skye approaching with new prey for the family. For a few days this week the weather has been fine but today the heavens opened and it's been dreich and chilly all day. Precarious times for tiny down covered chicks still small enough to sit in the palm of your hand. Day by day they will get stronger. We watch closely and will them to keep going.

This weekend we invite anyone involved in providing for visitors to Mull & Iona and further afield to come and see us at the hide. We will be there to welcome you from 1200 noon to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday. There will even be some light refreshments to tempt you if Frisa and Skye and chick(s) are not enough!

Meanwhile Mara and Breagha are well and on Mull as the map opposite shows. They are not far from the scene of a major incident involving two of our breeding female sea eagles recently which I will tell you all about next time. We don't want Mara or Breagha getting mixed up in anything like that. It was terrifying. More soon...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

In haste, as I need to get up there to check all is well today, but Frisa and Skye have successfully hatched young at Loch Frisa this year! They are right on schedule and so far, all seems ok. At least two rabbits have been taken in as food and Frisa has been tenderly feeding tiny morsels to the chick(s). We hope there are two but time will tell. A big thank you to all the local Mull Eagle Watch volunteers, Strathclyde Police, Air Cadets and visitors who have kept an eye on things for us over the last 38 long days and nights. We still have a very long way to go - 12 weeks in the nest in fact - but it's a great start to the season at the Eagle Hide.

I just wanted to share this breaking news story with you and I will give a full update later. Got to dash.......................

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

It's been a tough weekend. We've had one scare after another. At Loch Frisa we've had marauding corvids - ravens and hooded crows - causing mayhem at Frisa and Skye's nest. Their alarm calls have had us all on the edge of the famous eagle bench. Then the local golden eagle decided to pay a visit and caused even more heart stopping moments. Both Frisa and Skye were off the nest leaving the eggs dangerously exposed to the elements and the marauding corvids which were still loitering with intent. Finally all invaders got the message and cleared Loch Frisa's international air space. Peace was restored and it should have been time to head home for a late dinner. Then the call came in from the Air Cadets dug into the hillside near another nest. Both adult sea eagles were reportedly up in the air so a mad dash to the south end of the island and a climb up the hill to confirm that actually all was well after all. The police call them FAGI's. False Alarm. Good Intent. The Cadets have done a great job for us this Easter weekend and will hopefully have passed another stage in their bids for the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards. Thanks to all involved and Strathclyde Police for their ongoing assistance.

The final bit of news tonight is that our female satellite tagged chick Breagha from Loch Frisa in 2008 has come home (again)! After a week or more exploring the Small Isles of Rum and Canna and then on to Skye, she headed back south via Morvern to central Mull. I'm relieved to have her back. It's a dangerous world out there and maybe she didn't go far but it was still a big step for her as she begins to explore the west coast. Welcome home Breagha. Happy Easter all. Now it's time for that dinner - what's left of it!

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer