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Day One at the Loch Frisa Eagle Hide: and so it begins...

Some 30 excited visitors joined Debby, Sue and myself for a day to remember as the Isle of Mull's famous Eagle Hide opened its doors for business. The sky was bright but a chilly wind blew from the south east. After a brief stop at the Mull Eagle Watch volunteer's lookout post to get our bearings, we descended to the luxury 'hide' and out of the cold. From there, all eyes scanned the distant horizons for any sign of an eagle. Nothing stirred. The occasional passing buzzard, raven and even a crow set pulses racing for a second or two. The early chatter subsided as we all realised that we might be in for a long wait. This was wild nature after all. Nothing was predictable. As PC Finlay Christine, our 'Wildlife Crime Enforcer of the Year' once said to an impatient visitor who was expecting the eagles to perform on cue, like feeding time at the zoo: "This isn't Disney World you know!"

At last, there on a distant ridge, a powerful telescope picked up the unmistakable form of a hunched, perched white-tailed eagle. Even at that range we could all pick up the paleness on the head and yellow beak. All of a sudden, another eagle appeared above it, this time an immature golden eagle. Everyone in the hide was on to it now and could see what we were all getting excited about. Then the young goldie was joined by a second - another immature with the trade-mark white 'Spitfire' wing patches and white tails. Together they chased and circled each other before drifting ever closer to our eager eyes. Before we knew it, both birds were directly over Frisa and Skye's nest and just a short distance from where we sat spellbound - although many were now on their feet. Within a few minutes, the quiet patient hide had become a buzzing, anxious and excited place. Everyone was getting good, long, quality views of the golden eagles - not necessarily the species they'd come to see but utterly engrossing all the same. Then as we watched, the 'off-duty' male sea eagle Skye came steaming in across the loch and straight towards the young goldies. He was very much 'on-duty'! Skye gave chase. They were just too close for comfort. Normally the two species avoid each other and certainly avoid any conflict as the chances are that if they clash, someone is going to get seriously hurt. The two goldies were not to be easily dispersed and their curiosity of the sea eagles domain kept bringing them back for more. At times, we didn't know which way to look with three eagles, two ravens, a buzzard and two hooded crows zigg-zagging across the tree tops. It was a confusing, exhilerating and compelling drama but the finale was yet to play out. As the two golden eagles finally got the message and drifted a little way off and Skye circled low over his nest wood, all the activity had attracted the attention of the neighbouring adult golden eagles. The highly territorial male plunged like a flaming golden canonball into the theatre of war and successfully dispersed just about everyone in a matter of seconds. But Skye was not having it. This was his patch. Just metres away sat his loyal mate Frisa on her eggs. Amazingly she sat tight even with all this frenzied activity going on all around her. The urge to come off to help defend the nest area must have been huge but the need to stay put on the eggs was even stronger. Whilst we were all excited to see this encounter, I was terrified she would launch off the nest in a panic and this is when fragile eggs can get broken or kicked out. But she clearly had great faith in Skye's abilities to take care of things. He banked steeply and dived down towards the adult goldie and both vanished from view behind the forest. The two youngsters who'd started the whole event were now high in the sky and keeping their distance. This was no place for amateurs. We waited and watched. Who would emerge victorious? Minutes later after we'd all held our collective breath, Skye sailed out over the tree tops, unscathed circled once then dropped down on to the nest for a change-over as if nothing had happened. The adult golden eagle emerged too and flew fast back towards their nest area. The score had been settled, thankfully with no injury to either bird.

As the first hide visit of the season began to disperse, we couldn't promise every day would be like this but it was a memorable start to the season. And it was a good moment to ask everyone to sign the visitor's book and to tell us what they thought of their visit! This one would be hard to beat. But we do like a challenge...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

Come and visit the Mull sea eagles yourself. See the link on the blog page, visit the 'Date with Nature' pages on this web site or call 01688 302 038 to book. We look forward to seeing you.   

Hello everyone

Just a short update to let you know that with Frisa and Skye settled, we open the hide today for trips which you can book on to by calling 01688 302 038. Or visit our Date with Nature web page on this site. There was some concern yesterday when two adult sea eagles were seen high up in the clouds above the nest site. But it turned out not to be Frisa and Skye but another pair who are clearly not settled yet and still wandering. We just hope they don't stick around and disrupt the breeding attempt at Loch Frisa as has happend in the past.

Meanwhile, Breagha has spread her vast wings at last and headed north to Canna where we hope she is looked after well by our friends in the National Trust for Scotland. And Mara was last recorded still here in central Mull but I have a feeling it won't be long before he too starts wandering. Keep an eye on the map...

Very sorry to hear the news about Nethy but, ever the optimist, I'll join many of you and just hope her sat tag has fallen off and that she continues to fish and enjoy the sun in west Africa.

A fuller update will follow when we get ourselves organised with trips to the hide. Until next time...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

If she'd stayed in Scotland, there's no guarantee she would have been any safer. And yet I can't help feeling we betrayed her. A young golden eagle chick from Mull - like others before her - was donated last year to the bold and successful golden eagle reintroduction project in Ireland. She was from a brood of two and was whisked off to her new home along with other young Scottish goldies. Her sibling fledged successfully and I watched him soaring wih his parents over the Glen More hills last Autumn. The Mull female also 'fledged' successfully in Ireland and was tracked all winter by the team from the Golden Eagle Trust. Earlier this month her satellite signal showed the worrying pattern that she wasn't moving anymore. Maybe the tag had fallen off? Maybe it had malfunctioned in some way? As the trackers moved in on the signal on a remote hillside inside a National Park, their worst fears were realised. There lying under a blanket of fresh snow was our 10 month old golden eagle. Later tests by the Irish authorities showed she had been poisoned. So just like our young sea eagle 'White G' in Tayside last year and many birds of prey since, she had fed on one of the countless poisoned baits scattered carelessly and lazily around UK and Irish hills and fields. Set to kill anything and everything which takes a bite of a free meal. It will be their last. The knee jerk reaction for some may be to say 'no more eagles to be donated'. But this would be quite wrong. Imagine if the Norwegian authorities, who have been so generous in donating their white-tailed eagles to Scotland since 1975, shouted "Stop!" every time there had been a poisoning incident here? If they had we wouldn't be in the healthy and encouraging position we are today with some 45 pairs of sea eagles established on the west coast and more arriving every year in the east. Scotland is in no position to lecture anyone on the indiscriminate killing of our birds of prey. The person who poisoned the Mull golden eagle in Ireland will probably claim they were 'only after crows and foxes' as if it's okay to give them a horrific and painful death. The long, primary feathers of our young goldie were broken and torn, showing she had writhed and struggled for who knows how long in the dark Irish peat. The gentle, soft snow which had covered her contorted body blanked out the pain and presented a scene of calm and peace to the angry and frustrated fieldworkers from the project who found her. Whoever was responsible is lucky they didn't meet them on their way back down the hill with her frozen corpse in a black plastic sack. She was in very good condition showing she would have done well in her new home - given half a chance.

And I guess that's the real message here. The golden eagles are generally doing very well back home in Ireland. Indeed Scottish estates and fieldworkers who help every year should feel proud that they are trying to make a difference to this sometimes stricken planet. Last year the Irish project celebrated with the first successful fledging of a golden eagle chick since the reintroduction began. As we know only too well with the sea eagles from Norway, it can be a long haul to get to that point. For us it took ten years since the first release to the first wild chick. For the Irish golden eagle project to succeed so quickly proves that it will work, that it is working. So long as we all hold firm and chart a steady course through sometimes troubled waters. So do I feel guilty about being part of the process that ended in the untimely death of a healthy young golden eagle from Mull? Yes, of course I do. If she'd still been exploring Mull's hills, barring natural hazards, she would still be alive today. But this spring, she would have started wandering as all young eagles do - just as Mara and Breagha will - across the length and breadth of Scotland. And as readers of this blog will know only too well, their safety in our hills is far from certain. Let's though keep an optimistic outlook: she was healthy and had thrived in her adopted home; she has helped show it can work and that we can right some wrongs as others of her kind are still proving in the mountains of Ireland. As we enter another spring of breeding attempts for that new, young pioneering population, she did not die in vain. We wish our Golden Eagle Trust friends and colleagues well in all their endeavours to make it work and to eradicate the threats which can still cause such painful setbacks. We stand ready to help again just as we have been supported by others helping to bring back lost majestic species to our skies. But as I watch her parents in their glen, as I did this week visiting their nest, I will say a silent 'sorry' on behalf of all of us.   

If you haven't done so already, please consider signing the Bird of Prey Pledge. Just click on the link to the right of this blog. To read the extensive press coverage in Ireland about this case, just Google 'golden eagle poisoned in Donegal' and you'll see how serious the Irish authorities are taking this incident and what is being done to solve it.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

It's been a crazy and exciting week here on Mull Eagle Watch. Frisa and Skye have been up to their usual tricks and have made life even more frustrating than usual for us this year. There have been days when Frisa has been sitting on one nest and Skye has been building at another. Behaviour I've never seen before at this late stage in their breeding cycle. It's almost as if they've had a serious disagreement.

I've long suspected that Frisa favoured a nest they've both been on and adding to many times over the winter. It's a nest where they raised three set of twins over three consecutive years from 2004. And yet, all along Skye has been dragging her back kicking and screaming to a brand new pad which he's clearly very proud of. He's been at it since before Christmas and yet to my eye it still looks half finished and Frisa is clearly unimpressed by his efforts. You'd think that by Mothering Sunday, he'd at least have made a trip to Oban's Homebase store to get a few bits and bobs to add the finishing touches to his efforts. But no. It still looks like one severe gust of wind will blow it all sky high.

At one point, with Frisa settling into her old favourite, even making a cosy nest cup for future eggs, Skye was beavering away on his own some distance away. It was a stand-off. Or a sit-off. As I watched, Frisa reluctantly stood up and moved to the edge of the nest. She preened for a few more minutes in a nonchalent sort of way as if to make a point, made a huge squirt over the edge in his general direction and then launched off.

She vanished from my view so I raced round to the other side of the wood just in time to see her white tail disappear into the wood where Skye had been hard at work. Perhaps her decision had been made. She'd given in. I just hope they've made the right choice. From now on there will be no rest for any of us. Mull Eagle Watch is in full swing. Extra Wildlife Crime Officers from Strathclyde Police and beyond are pitching in; the Air Cadets will be digging into the hillside for the long haul and islanders are on full alert. I'm grateful too for visitors here at the moment also doing their bit while on holiday and being extra eyes and ears on the island. Everyone coming together to help protect our precious eagles. Good luck to everyone this year.

Meanwhile, a warm welcome to Sue and Debby who will be helping to run the trips to the Eagle Hide this year. We've had quite a week, at one point watching eight young sea eagles together - more of that encounter another time. For now, preparations proceed apace for the opening of the hide on 6 April. Why not come and see us? For details visit our 'Date with Nature' pages on this website or call 01688 302 038. Our partners on this unique project are Forestry Commission Scotland, the Mull & Iona Community Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage and Strathclyde Police.

And finally, another warm welcome to Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games who are joining the BBC Springwatch team this year following Bill Oddie's decision to take a break. Like Kate, Simon and Gordon before him, Chris has been here to Mull to see Frisa and Skye at the Eagle Hide. After a memorable encounter with them and an even closer encounter with a minke whale on a whale watch, he was - uncharacteristically - lost for words! Watch out for an update on Mara and Breagha during this year's series which starts, as usual, in the last week of May. More news on our sat tag twins here next time.

For now, spare a thought for our eagles sitting out the coming cold, wet and gales which seem to racing into Scotland's west coast as I write. We're in for some sleepless nights.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

Even with the thick cloud this week, it's been noticable how light it is at night with the full moon occasionally breaking through. And for several evenings running at about 7 o'clock, just as the moon is rising, there have been excited shouts from the children of "Barn Owl!" We've raced to the conservatory at the back of the house to watch the beautiful pale form of a barn owl floating over the rushy pasture at the bottom of the garden. One evening we all snuck quietly outside and crept down to the fence as the owl quartered closer and closer to our tight little group watching spellbound from behind the hedge. It was so intent on hunting, it never looked our way. Twice it dropped into the rushes after a vole but came up empty-taloned. Eventually it drifted further down towards the bay and we lost sight of it as the light faded. Watching out for the '7 o'clock barn owl' has become something of an evening fixture in the schedules this week. As good as it is it sure beats 'The One Show' for live action.

At about this time of the day, as a lone song thrush sings on well into dusk, I often wonder where Mara and Breagha are roosting for the night. Always hoping they've found a safe perch in a wind-proof tree in a forest or on a mossy crag in a sheltered corrie. This week our amazing satellite data has shown us something very touching about our famous twins, something we couldn't ever have known without the space-age technology. There have been several occasions when Mara and Breagha have met up again and spent time flying closely together. The GPS satellite readings have plotted them flying side by side over some of Mull's highest hills and through our deepest glens. I wonder who is following who? They've perched together on ice-cracked boulders near the summits, surveying the endless, wild country all around them in search of a fresh, running hare or a tough old carcass to feed on. At this toughest of times of year, they will not be too fussy what they eat to keep themselves alive.

I wonder how many other sea eagle siblings are spending this much time together after so long out of the nest? The scientists may tell us that this is all just a coincidence of course. That sea eagles are so 'hard wired' that there is no room for such sentiment or compassion. And yet Mara and Breagha have grown up together in their tree-top eyrie. Week after week, month after month - for over three months in fact - they will have heard each other's food begging calls as first one, then the other will have spotted Frisa or Skye in the distance returning home with prey. Then for another three months after fledging before their first solo flights to the mainland last autumn, they were never far apart and will have inevitably formed a close bond. From a purely survival point of view, two sets of piercing eagle-eyes are better than one but maybe it's more than that. Maybe there's a sense of safety in sticking together and a feeling of comfort in knowing you're in familiar company.

So as the weak Mull sun sets at the end of day and the far brighter early spring moon rises, where do Mara and Breagha head for? The data shows us that on at least one night they made for a traditional sea eagle roost which has attracted young eagles for over 30 years now - probably much longer. There's always been something about the area which has been a magnet for young birds out on their own. These youth clubs are important learning and socialising venues and our two will know they'd be safe there for the night. Just as they'd spent the day together, they roosted close to one another through the bright, moon-lit night. Maybe they glimpsed hunting barn owls too emerging from the ruined byre up the glen? The moon's reflections on the loch will have illuminated the splash and ripples of passing sea trout heading through the loch and into the mouth of the river. Perhaps the silvery V-shaped wake of an otter following the fish will have caught their eyes as they peered down from their roost high in the branches. The hours of night passed peacefully for Mara and Breagha. Each bird safe in the knowledge that the other was nearby, until the first hint of dawn appeared as a pale yellow glow in the eastern sky. The first song thrush sang again from the same wood, then a robin, then the chaffinch, all gradually tuning up for the forthcoming full-on dawn chorus. A small flock of woodpigeons clattered out of the wood and startled our two young eagles. They ruffled their feathers with a shake, stretched out a foot with clenched talons and then a wing. The moon had all but vanished now as their new day was just beginning. What would it hold for them? Where would it take them? Would this be the day their close bond weakened and they ventured off again on their own? I wonder where they'll both be by the time of the next full moon...

Dave Sexton  RSPB Scotland Mull Officer        

Well it's finally happened. It's been months of waiting. Sometimes we thought it would never happen. Where would she lay? Which nest would she choose? But at last, all the signs looked good. She kept herself to herself all morning and then quietly slipped away. We kept watch from a safe distance, checking in on her only occasionally so as not to disturb her at this most important moment.

The world around her carried on as normal but she had only one thought on her mind. We watched as she nestled down low in her chosen spot. What had taken her so long to choose this place? It was perfect. Secluded, private and safe.

She fidgeted and resettled several times. An hour later, she stood up, looked down beneath her and moved aside to reveal an amazing, precious gift. Henrietta, one of our Christmas hens, had produced her first egg! (That got you going didn't it?). She strode proudly out of the hen house, clucked loudly for several minutes and then joined the other two feeding in the garden as if nothing had happened. 

How wrong she was! While it was still warm, it was whisked away, cracked into the sizzling frying pan on the Rayburn, sunny side-up, then added to the crispy free-range bacon on a toasted muffin. Probably the best tasting egg and bacon muffin in the world. Move over Little Chef; stand aside Egg McMuffin. This is the real thing. I'm lovin' it!

Meanwhile, the wait for Frisa and Skye goes on...   

The GPS satellite tag data for Mara and Breagha is getting better with the longer days...

It can't be long now. The clock is ticking...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer 

I've been holding off writing, hoping to give some news on Frisa and Skye - like where they're going to nest this year. Not too much to ask by early March you'd think. But a combination of dreadful weather and the birds going AWOL means that we still have no definitive news. There have been occasional sightings but the wet and cold seems to have cooled their nesting instincts for now. Oh well, plenty of time yet...

As you'll see from the map, the latest satellite data shows Mara and Breagha still with us here on Mull. This weather will be taking its toll on deer and sheep at this time of year and there may well be carcases in the hills which are keeping them here for now.

This year on Mull from 9th -15th May we will be celebrating our Homecoming Wild Isles Festival with a Wildlife Week packed with events, film shows, walks and boat cruises. Check out the 'Wild Isles Website' for details of what's happening where and when and then the 'Holiday Mull & Iona Website' for where to stay. Many local organisations and tour operators contribute to this week which has now evolved into a major celebration of all the natural wonders Mull & Iona have to offer. RSPB will be doing its bit with a corncrake walk on Iona, boat cruises to watch eagles, whales and seabirds, a film show, guided walks and of course we'll be at the Loch Frisa Eagle Hide every day. Why not come and join us? If you can't make that week, there's another 51 weeks in the year to choose from! This year the Eagle Hide plans to open on 6 April with guided visits with a ranger to watch, we hope, Frisa and Skye and offspring at their nest - wherever that will be!  The booking line will start taking bookings on 16 March on 01688 302 038. We hope to see you there. Meanwhile, as soon as I have news on Frisa and Skye, you'll be the first to know.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

First of all my apologies for the delay in posting a new blog. It's been a very hectic week with interviews, admin and field work. The season seems to be kicking off earlier than ever! Most of the pairs of white-tailed eagles on Mull are busy refurbishing their nests or building new ones. One day I feel like I know what's happening with each pair, the next it's all up in the air again - literally. Needles to say Frisa and Skye are still leading me a merry dance and today I had the most unexpected encounter of all. Up on a ridge above Loch Frisa sat two adult sea eagles. Great, Frisa and Skye together. I'd better just check them out. I got the 'scope on them just a second or two before they took off. But in those brief seconds I did a double take and a sharp intake of breath: both birds were wing tagged! One, the female I think, had pink tags from 2003 and the letter 'K'. The other, a male, had blue tags from 2002 but there was no time to read the tag. At one point possibly a third unknown adult appeared and then an immature - and then a pair of golden eagles joined the fray so it was all quite difficult to make out what was going on! But I tried to follow the adult pair of white-tails who were very much together and as far as I can ascertain, may well be a newly established pair, currently of no fixed abode. Or do they have the Loch Frisa catchment in their sights? They were certainly in no hurry to continue their journey and even more worrying: where were Frisa and Skye to move them on? But I can worry some more about that this coming week and I'll keep you posted. For now I just quickly want to share with you a magical experience from this week...

I was back where I'd watched our 2008 satellite tagged male sea eagle chick from Loch Frisa the week before. I didn't really expect to pick him up again and he certainly made me work for it. After several hours of fruitless searching, I picked up a soaring sea eagle over Glen Forsa. As it drifted closer, I could see it was an immature and by its size I guessed it was a male. And then, as it banked and glided towards me head on, I could just make out that tell-tale back pack and aerial. Mara was back! I'm not sure who is following who anymore. He flew straight in and landed on the shingle spit at the head of the loch below where I was sitting. He ruffled his feathers a few times, then walked to the edge of the water, bent down and drank. The sun glistened on the water droplets on the end of his massive hooked beak and as they dripped back into the still, flat calm loch, they formed their own rings of bright water all around him. As I was drinking all this in I became aware of a big dark shadow overhead. Mara too was now looking up and following a second bigger immature as it circled lower and lower and I held my breath as it too lowered the landing gear and dropped in to land on the sandy bar opposite Mara. I nudged the telescope onto the new arrival, pulled focus, blinked a few times and let out a quiet whoop of glee as I could see another satellite tag!  Big sis Breagha had come to visit. To see them both so close to each other and looking so well was such a relief. The tags and aerials were barely visible and were clearly no problem for them whatsoever. Although I'd managed to convince myself they would be okay and not inhibit the birds in any way, there's always a part of me that worries. But here they were looking fantastic and healthy and well fed. Breagha flew to Mara's plot and he obligingly gave way to his larger sibling. Once again I found myself wondering about what recognition there might have been towards each other. Of all the glens in all the world and they both fly in and settle in front of me. For an all too brief half an hour or so, the three of us sat looking at each other. The chicks - or should I say young eagles - occasionally preening and gazing around, while I finished my sandwiches. A tranquil scene of calmness after some of the dreadful winter storms they must have endured and for me a deep sense of satisfaction. Boy, those Marmite sarnies tasted good.

But it couldn't last forever. First Breagha, content that her little brother was doing just fine without her, launched off, flapped hard to gain height over the water and soared ever upwards. Then Mara took off too, perhaps initially ill at ease that she had gone as he tried to follow her flight path. For a short while they soared together before the quickening breeze took them in different directions. Who knows if they'll ever meet up again? She flew purposefully west, out towards the sea loch. He flew north into another glen. They were alone again - naturally.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer 

There was something in the air this Valentine's week. Something had changed. There was more a sense of an urgency to Frisa and Skye. It's as if they've suddenly realised the clock is ticking, the nights are shorter, the days are longer. It may only be four weeks to go before that first precious egg appears. It was time to start making some decisions.

They were calling regularly to each other. Every few minutes the still air reverberted to their haunting cries. It seemed to set everything else off as well. A small family group of whooper swans on the loch, the parents and two cygnets started calling too! Not to be outdone, the local hoodies joined in. Not quite as melodic. And finally the buzzards got carried away and called loudly from high above the forest. Frisa flew purposefully to their old nest. She almost vanished from my view as she settled down as if she already had eggs! She kicked her talons out the back to form a scrape - a place that one day soon might be lined with dry moor grass in readiness for the clutch. Now Skye joined her for a few minutes. They jostled and nudged each other. They re-arranged sticks and then Skye launched off and floated down to the forest floor. A few minutes later, he was back with a huge larch stick. He struggled to land it properly and wrestled this way and that to get it into the right position. Then it was Frisa's turn and she followed his flight path to the rich stick grounds. Soon she was back too, hauling her branch onto the edge of the nest. A noisy fully-laden timber truck lumbered through the forest but the busy pair of eagles barely looked up from their toil. This is a working forest and the birds know that. So long as the truck sticks to its familar route and doesn't stop, they know it means no harm. In fact it's a familiar part of their daily life and the important business of forest harvesting can proceed.

And then an hour or so after they arrived on the nest, Frisa, quickly followed by Skye took off and headed out over the loch. They kept going across the hillside and then caught a thermal and started to rise. They made big wide circles in the air, hardly a flap between them, higher and higher. They flew in parallel, mirroring each others wing beats. I wondered if I might be about to witness that rarely seen courtship ritual of a full, spiralling talon-grapple. But then I remembered that Frisa and Skye don't seem to go in for that much anymore - even on Valentine's Day! Perhaps they've been together for so long that they feel secure enough? I thought I could just hear Frisa call out to Skye 'you don't bring me flowers anymore' but then they turned once more and went into a determined glide down, down towards a rocky knoll on the distant horizon. They must have been a mile or more away but in the movements of their distinctive miniature silhouettes, I could see that they clearly hadn't lost the mood. I could hear nothing but the crows and buzzards around me but with their heads thrown back again, Frisa and Skye were renewing their vows as only they know how. 

From my discreet distance, I felt slightly uncomfortable about watching them through the telescope at this tender, private moment. Skye edged towards Frisa and while a few months ago she had spurned his advances, this time she knew the time was right. I could just make out his flapping wings behind the rocks. A stunning, beautiful location overlooking their loch-side home with the snowy peak of Ben More as a back drop. Then they sat side by side, preening and looking around. It was time for me to leave them in peace. I looked back at their nest. Was it built up enough? Was this really their first choice of nest or did they have another site secretly on the go elsewhere in the forest. It won't be long, I hope, before they finally give up their secrets.  

Dave Sexton Mull Officer RSPB Scotland  

After being away for a few days, I always need to get a quick fix of the big birds. So I headed into the Valley of the Eagles to see who was about. It's weird: there are some days when you think you know where to look, where to go. How wrong can you be? The conditions were perfect: clear blue frosty skies, even a hint of some warmth in that winter sunshine. But try as I might I just couldn't connect with anything. Not an eagle in sight. I scanned the ridges; I focused on the favourite perches, I strained my ears to hear even the most distant sea eagle call. All was silent. Nothing stirred. I ventured deep into the glen in the hope that they may be feasting quietly on a deer carcase carried down stream in the rain the day before. A buzzard jumped up from the river bed. A hooded crow sat quietly on the bank while a fabulous grey male hen harrier floated back and forth over the flooded rushy pastures. But no eagles. Beinn Talaidh was still thick with snow on the summit but where before I've watched eagles chasing hares or each other, the slopes were still and lifeless.

By now the tea in my so-called travel mug was barely luke warm but I drank it anyway. Why can't they design one that actually works? At the next gate, I got out of the landrover and stepped straight into a huge, crusty cow pat, my foot almost disappearing into the oozing depths. I cursed that too. When I got back in, having submerged my boot in an icy burn to wash it, I discovered my boot leaked and the cold, wet ache from my sodden foot crept relentlessly up my leg. Oh yes and the front right tyre looked worryingly soft. Please don't let me have a puncture up here! My day watching eagles in the beautiful frosty sunshine was going downhill fast.

And then a dark silouette broke the skyline. At last! I forgot my pathetic woes. A dark young sea eagle was circling up on the weak thermals. Once or twice, as it turned, I thought I could see something on its back. Then the sun caught it and I convinced myself there was the quickest, faintest glint. Then I convinced myself I was seeing things, just wishful thinking. But as it soared nearer, the small pack and then the aerial became clearer and clearer - it was one of our satellite tagged chicks! Suddenly it went into a long, steep dive and headed into the hillside and eventually crashed into a feeding frenzy of three other young sea eagles and numerous hoodies. So they'd been there all along. They all scattered as our bold bird took charge of the deer carcase. The size difference with one of the larger youngsters showed our bird to be a male - it was Mara. My first confirmed sighting of him since last autumn. I felt a tingle of pride and relief that he looked so fit and well. His temporary control of the feast didn't last long. The bigger female lunged back at him and knocked him sideways as she mantled over her frozen prize. He sat back and waited his turn. He could be patient. He had already learned not to take unnecessary risks. He looked fantastic and in great shape sitting alongside his friends on the hillside. As ever, by late afternoon my time was running out and the light was fading. It had been a long search but it had ended very well indeed. All four eagles were still there when I left. Mara still waiting for his chance to jump in to feed before nightfall. Something to sustain him during the long, cold frosty night. After the glorious sunny weather yesterday, I thought I'd go back this morning to see him again but at dawn the cloud had descended, the drizzle was falling steadily and I wouldn't even have been able to see across the loch. The word 'dreich' summed it up perfectly. Mara probably hadn't gone very far but maybe the satellite data will tell us soon? I just hope it's not another four months before I see him again!

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer  

Even though we are getting our satellite data through regularly and we know they are both fine, sometimes you just want to set eyes on one or both of our young sea eagles - just to be sure!

This is just a short update as I'm on the move for the next few days. We know from the latest satellite data that on Monday night, Breagha was almost back home and roosted on the opposite side to Loch Frisa from where her nest was last year. Meanwhile Mara was at Loch Ba, perhaps in the company of other young sea eagles. As the days begin to lengthen - albeit very slowly - we also saw a slight charge in the solar batteries on the satellite tags so we're hopeful this will also begin operating to its full potential in the coming months giving us even more and regular information on their movements and whereabouts.

On Sunday evening I took a call from Iain Erskine, our island Port Manager for CalMac who is an excellent photographer and who helped support Mull Eagle Watch in a big way when he was our police sergeant for Strathclyde Police. He had just witnessed a very sustained chase by one of his local golden eagles after a young sea eagle. With camera in hand (as always) he managed to fire off a trillion digital shots of the encounter which was relentless. It was only later when he looked at the images and then printed some off for me that he realised the young sea eagle had a satellite transmitter on it! The photos show him/her looking in great condition and it's just fantastic to actually set eyes on one of our chicks after so long relying on the satellite data to reassure us. We know that both chicks were fine after that dramatic encounter and from the data and location of her roost on Sunday/Monday we think the chick in question may well have been Breagha. Well done girl, you survived and probably learnt yet another valuable lesson: don't mess with territorial golden eagles!

So as the first flakes of snow begin to fall on Mull this morning (we've so far escaped the 'chaos' in the rest of the UK) I'll leave you with the news that Mara and Breagha seem in fine fettle thus far in this their first big winter test. Frisa and Skye taught them well. Until next time...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

The famous pair of wild Scottish sea eagles at Loch Frisa are being as indecisive as usual. Frisa, the female is in her 17th year. Her loyal mate for the last 12 years, Skye, will be 15 years old in April. You'd think by now they'd know what they wanted. But no. As I write they are adding sticks to at least two different eyries and it's anyone's guess which one they'll finally settle on. They have previous form. Almost every year they seem to prefer to build a new nest and have done since 1997. Some pairs are like this and rarely return to an established eyrie. Others are more sedentary and we usually know where they will be from one year to the next. Frisa and Skye are great ambassadors for their species. From their first starring roles on the first Springwatch in 2005, they have 'captured the hearts of the nation' (to borrow a newspaper headline) and we await their news from their new nest every year. But Springwatch this year will be very different. I don't know yet whether Frisa or Skye will feature or what news there might be of Mara and Breagha (or the original Springwatch twins, Itchy & Scratchy). But one familiar face will be missing from the established winning team. Bill Oddie announced today that he will be 'taking a breather' from Springwatch 2009. Bill came to see Frisa and Skye when filming for his series 'How to Watch Wildlife' and he was genuinely excited to see his first wild Scottish sea eagles. His only other UK sightings had been of rare, occasional vagrant young sea eagles on the east coast of England in the 1950s. Now he was watching a fully mature pair of sea eagles, born and bred in Scotland. On the other side of the the loch he watched that years recently fledged youngsters chasing each other across the bracken clad hillside. We left him in peace to watch, reflect and enjoy.

Later we talked about what the sea eagle meant to the local community and what economic benefits they brought to Mull. This year the Mull & Iona Community Trust has just selected the local groups and good causes which will benefit from the Mull Eagle Fund - the proceeds from visitors to the Loch Frisa eagle hide which last year amounted to over £10,000. Looking back at the groups which have benefitted from this fund over the years, you might well ask what on earth have they got to do with sea eagles or nature conservation? Young Mull Musicians, the Gaelic Mod Club, Tobermory Girl Guides, Mull Athletics Club, stage lighting for Dervaig Village Hall, disabled access stair lift for the Aros Hall, eco gardens and equipment for Iona, Salen and Loch Don Primary Schools, Salen Church renovations, Dunaros Residential Home, kit for school sports days and so on...  The point is that they may not be directly related to sea eagles but they are all part of the rich and varied fabric of island life and they all benefit because the eagles are back.

But Bill Oddie put his finger on it as we watched the eagles across the loch. At public viewing hides like Loch Frisa, the birds need people to visit. But more than that, he said, people increasingly need birds like sea eagles in their lives; to inspire, to escape, to treasure. Enjoy your breather Bill. And Kate, Simon and Gordon - go for it! Hopefully by then, Frisa and Skye will have two new chicks to show to the world - in whichever nest they choose!

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer.    

This is a big year in Scotland. The 'Year of Homecoming' has just been launched to coincide with the 250th birthday of Robert Burns. The hope of the Scottish Government and of everyone involved in tourism is that as many people as possible will think about 'coming home' to Scotland in 2009. Whether your ancestors once travelled from the Motherland to the New World and you want to see where they once lived or you just want to see Scotland because you never have or because it's your favourite place in the world, this is the year to come. And we hope Mull is on your travel itinerary...

Mull is the official 'Home of the Sea Eagle'. It's where it all began for the return of this once heavily persecuted species when the first reintroduced pair bred successfully here in 1985. A gift from the people of Norway to the people of Scotland - the sea eagle had indeed come home. Other once extinct species have also settled once more in Scotland. Some like the red kite have been helped back like the sea eagle having been originally shot, poisoned and trapped to oblivion. Ospreys made it back on their own but were then helped considerably by many people over many years to really get established as they are today.

But there was a remarkable homecoming scene on the shore at Killiechronan recently which was both heart warming and poignant at the same time. It was witnessed by a field trip of the Mull Bird Club and photographed by Bryan Rains of 'Wild about Mull'. The local pair of sea eagles were in a favourite place on the shoreline at the eastern end of Loch na Keal. They were facing up the loch and straight into the strong westerly wind. At times they were almost blown off their feet but they braced themsleves, stayed close and with their heads down they were determined to sit out the approaching storm. Nothing, not even a ferocious gale, would beat an eagle. Or maybe they were watching something further up the loch, unseen by the hardy observers in the squalls and saltspray which was rapidly coating their binoculars and telescopes?  For out of the mist drifted two young eagles. They flew confidently considering the worsening weather and almost looked like they'd been there before. When they finally landed, right next to the adult pair, all became clear. The adults showed no aggression to either bird which was unusual given their very close proximity. Even though sea eagles can be sociable, they do normally have their limits. The darkest and youngest bird, a fledged chick from 2008, was most likely to have been their chick from last year given the lack of any animosity from the adults although the visibility was just not quite good enough to read the colour ring on her leg to be sure. But the identity of the other young eagle was not in doubt. She had yellow wing tags with the letter 'C'. She was their chick from 2006. She too had come home. For a young eagle to revisit her family home like this nearly three years after fledging and for the parents to accept her so readily made me wonder, not for the first time, about what really goes on in the mind of an eagle. We are told so often that a top predator like a sea eagle is so 'hard-wired' for pure instinct that there is little, if any scope for feeling or emotion. When you think about it, the noble head of an eagle is nearly all eyes and beak with not much room for anything else - like a long memory or a caring attachment to offspring long since fledged and independent. And yet looking at the photos of this small, reunited family, I couldn't help but let my own mind wander. Did the parents recognise a brief, familiar call from one or both chicks, unheard by their keen observers in the strong winds? The youngsters will have certainly been very familiar with this stretch of beach. It's where the parents take their chicks soon after fledging; a safe place for the young birds to explore and investigate as they learn the essentials of being a sea eagle. At a time of rough weather, when times are hard in mid winter, what better place to be than at home? Familiar, secure, comforting.

But the peaceful family scene, despite the strengthening storm, was not complete. Something was missing. All four eagles were looking around; up the loch, across to the wood, along the beach as if expecting another arrival. And then it dawned on me what that something was. Their chick from 2007 was missing. That chick was 'White G'. He was poisoned on a sporting estate in Angus, Tayside last May. Sadly, he would never be coming home. What a picture that would have made; maybe three generations of chicks with their parents!  Shocking, still, that we have been robbed of even that remotest of possibilities.

The field trip group, now numb with cold and with eyes watering from the wind, moved on to another birding spot leaving the four eagles to sit out the gale in the only way they knew how - with a sheer, rugged determination to survive. Soon the eagles would lift up from the shore and go their separate ways once more. The parents back to their nearby nest wood in the tall, secure trees and the two youngsters off to wherever the storm force winds would carry them. A simple, brief yet touching moment in their lives captured in our minds forever. The next morning I went back to the loch to see if this scene might happen again; maybe I could read the colour ring on last year's chick just to be absolutely sure - but no such luck. The wind and rain had gone. But so had the eagles.    

It's been quite a day on the other side of the pond. Quite a day for all of us. Watching the coverage on TV, on cold, clear days like this in Northern Virginia, I'm transported back to my favourite university class in the US: 'Ornithology 1' - especially the field trips! I couldn't wait for those fantastic winter excursions in to the marshes and woods around the James River identifying cardinals, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, catbirds and Bohemian waxwings. And very occasionally down by the river we would catch a glimpse of that close cousin to our white-tailed sea eagles, the bald eagle. There is a distinct family resemblance to Frisa and Skye. Our birds may be a little bigger and lack the pure white head, but their pale head, yellow beak and white tail, their habits and behaviour show just how closely related they actually are - right down to chasing ospreys until they drop the fish they've caught as we watched them do at Loch Don last year. Infact last night, on the eve of this historic day, Frisa and Skye were perched together in a favourite lochside tree with the low angle of the winter sun illuminating them perfectly as if in a spotlight on a stage. And not for the first time I thought how much alike they are to their North American brothers and sisters. As Skye landed next to Frisa, they simultaneously threw their heads back skywards and called loudly to the heavens - just like the bald eagles along the James and Potomac Rivers and like African fish eagles along the Mara River - so many echoes, so many memories.

Whilst studying at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, I had the good fortune to be taught by Professor Mitchell Byrd. Dr Byrd is responsible for successfully reintroducing peregrine falcons to the State and for pioneering work on bald eagles which are now thriving again to the point where they've recently been removed from the endangered species list. I worked with him on the peregrine project on Cobb Island off the eastern shore of Virginia and conducted aerial surveys from a small plane on breeding bald eagles. I can well recall feeling more than a little queasy as our pilot tilted the plane's wings for us to gaze down at a bald eagle's nest to count the young as the adult bird gazed up and watched us fly on to the next nest further up river. Not quite how we do it here but it was a very effective method of getting round alot of eagle territories. Maybe I should try submitting a bid in the next budget round? OK, no chance. It's leg work and Landrover power on Mull for the time being. When I couldn't get my fix of white-tailed eagles on Mull, the bald eagles were the next best thing and very majestic and awe-inspriring they are too. Sometimes when I see the young and adult sea eagles along the river banks here on Mull waiting for spent salmon or sea trout to pass by, I can imagine bald eagles along a river in Alaska - all we're missing are the brown bears!

Last summer as we travelled north on the train from the nation's Capital - the scene of such celebration today - we gazed out over the mighty Chesapeake Bay. As we moved along, an excited cry went up as we saw an osprey, some shore birds, cormorants and then a bald eagle flapping across the surface of the bay. As the train moved on, there was just time to watch it lift up from the water and soar high and free before we lost sight of it behind the trees. Fantastic to realise that the bald eagles were now a fairly common sight in the US, a huge conservation success story. Hopefully one day, our white-tails will follow their lead and we'll glimpse them from train journeys along Scotland's and England's east coast. Let's also hope that the new administration in Washington, along with everything else it will have to tackle, puts wildlife and protection of the environment higher up the political agenda than the last lot did. Good luck Mr Obama, your National Bird and the whole World wishes you well.

Dave Sexton RSPB Mull Officer

This is not the blog I intended to write but now it's late and I will write more in the morning. I'd planned to brief you on the activities of the females chasing the male sea eagle, of the most recent report of Mara and of the golden eagle and the deer but I've just read the Met Office Inshore waters forecast for Ardnamurchan Point and the title of this blog says it all. I'd been hoping that the dire warnings on the BBC TV weather forecasts might have been over egging it a bit but it appears not - we're in for a serious battering tomorrow night. Tonight it's calm out there, even some stars showing through. The calm before the storm. Tomorrow looks fine first thing but going downhill rapidly in the afternoon. I will keep busy continuing this blog tomorrow with the updates as promised as well as preparing for the night from hell. What on earth do our eagles do in this kind of extreme weather? Are they on the forest floor or clinging on for their lives to a branch? Stand by...it's going to get bumpy. 

Saturday January 17 2009 1400 

It's beginning. Nothing out of the ordinary yet but a hint of what might lie ahead. This morning was sunny and flat calm for a while giving us a chance to get the wood in, the fire set and a quick dash to the shop. But now the clouds in varying shades of grey are rolling in and there are sudden gusts which send the chickens scampering across the garden to the bushes for shelter. At the moment it's a day not unlike the one when I set off in search of Mara after his last satellite fix. It was a blustery day along Loch na Keal with the waves lapping on the shore and bits of marine debris blowing about the road. The mountain top he'd been recorded on was empty. Not even a buzzard was up. But several miles further up the track, I picked up a young male sea eagle hanging in the wind like a giant kestrel on broad outstretched wings above the ridge. I know eagles don't really hover as such but he was doing a good impersonation, clearly putting just enough effort in to maintain his stationary position. I couldn't make out an aerial so can't be sure it was Mara but then he suddenly started to glide quite rapidly along the ridge and the cause of this change in behaviour soon became evident. Flying hard straight towards him with a determined, aggressive air were three larger, presumably female sea eagles, all immatures. The young male was keeping just ahead of them but they were gaining ground all the while. He stopped gliding and started flapping hard to stay in front but very quickly the greater strength and speed of the females overwhelmed him. One by one they pummelled into him sending him spinning through the air. Everytime they attacked, he would turn in mid air and try to present his talons in defense but to little effect. He was just outnumbered and out manoeuvred and he was in trouble. Why would they be so aggressive in this way? As immatures they had no territory to defend but they clearly wanted him out of their patch. The relentless pursuit, one of the longest I've ever witnessed, went on for some 25 minutes. They would disappear and then reappear from behind the ridge, all still flapping like mad, following every twist and turn, shooting vertically up into the air, then diving down and away again out of sight like some military jet exercise. On the last dive, they didn't emerge again. I scanned the hill tops for the next hour hoping to pick them up but they must have continued their chase in another hidden glen or all given up their exertions and returned to their normal behaviour. Or perhaps they were all resting for they must have been exhausted after such a prolonged bout of hard flight. Or...well I'd rather not consider any other possible outcomes at the moment.

Meanwhile on the southern face of the hill, while scanning for the sea eagles I picked up a young golden eagle, still with lots of white on the tail and wings so presumably one of last year's fledglings. As I watched it folded its wings back in close to the body and fell earthwards like a bullet. I could barely keep up with it through the telescope but then it levelled out and dived straight in to a large herd of red deer hinds and calves which had been calmly grazing on the hillside. They scattered in all directions, the eagle shot up again, banked sharply and came in again for another attack, this time making contact with the rear end of a well grown calf. It galloped on across the rough ground, the eagle veered off and went again, this time at a full grown hind and holding on briefly to the back of the panicking beast. It let go and soared up high above the herd which had all come to a halt to watch the eagle and to see what it did next. It looked like it had had its fun for the day. I guess if one of them had stumbled and broken a leg, it would have eventually had a meal but for now it was giving up and drifted off to seek out easier prey. But it did once again show the might of the eagles and what they may be capable of at times. The deer returned to grazing as dusk approached. They'd survived another day in this harsh west coast winter environment. As they prepared for a long night on the hill, I rolled the window up against the strengthening wind and drizzle and headed homewards.

And talking of strengthening wind, it really is now starting here. Heavy rain and sudden gusts howling round the garden. I'd better get out there and do one last check that everything is tied down and try to coax the hens into cover. It's going to be a long night. 

Sunday January 18, 2009

1230pm:  Maybe we were in the 'eye of the storm' but we seem to have escaped unscathed. In fact it seemed alot worse last weekend! Anyway we should be grateful and better to be prepared and safe than sorry. So now we just have a normal Sunday in winter on Mull - the atrocious weather isn't done with us yet: angry squalls of hail and rain persist and it still feels like it's not really light yet. But this is as good as it's going to get. Time to browse holiday brochures for holidays we can't afford to take this year and to survey the garden from the warmth of the conservatory to imagine what will appear where in the coming spring - deer and hens permitting.

Tomorrow it's back on the trail of the eagles, to discover which nests survived the maelstrom and to hopefully get some new satellite fixes for Mara & Breagha. I should just mention that the very latest fix we have for Mara was - bizarrely - directly above our house a few days ago! I thought it was some kind of early April Fool prank by our Data Unit team in Edinburgh but no, he really did fly over the garden. Let's hope he and Breagha found a safe and sheltered place to spend last night and that as this grim weather persists, that they discover a meaty carcase somewhere on the hill to keep them going. They deserve a hearty Sunday lunch after what they've endured last night. Until next time...   

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer