That title relates to our Half Pint and his/her sibling! We had a beautiful afternoon on Mull today - lovely blue skies, sunshine, bit of a breeze - perfect fledging weather I thought! As I made my way to get a good view of the nest, I was half expecting to just see one dark brown chick sat on the edge of the nest - but oh no - two beautiful sea eagle chicks, sat in the sunshine, looking as chilled as they could be. They looked far too comfortable to consider fledging. As I was admiring the chicks, I received a text message from Dave "Think of me going to a birthday disco for 7 yr olds" (What a picture that conjures up!) - I did chuckle as I sent one back saying "think of me watching eagles all afternoon in the sunshine" - I think he is missing the birds! Well those two look like they are going to have to be evicted - hopefully Mum and Dad will start bringing back food but not delivering it direct to the nest, but trying to encourage them out. They will be 13 weeks old this week so are ready and able. I will pop down later in the week to check progress - watch this space!
Earlier this morning, I had to pop up to Loch Frisa to take some stuff up to the Hide - it was drizzly first thing so didnt expect to see any of the Frisa family - I stopped along the track to the Hide above the Loch where you get an all round view of the Glen - I glanced along the usual spots and was surprised to catch the outline of one of our birds. I ran (not something I do very often) back to the van to grab the scope, by the time I had it set up, the bird was up and flying - that familiar huge wingspan, dark chocolate brown - it was Heather! Fantastic - she did a great flying display before disappearing out of sight. I went down to the Hide and had a fright when I saw someone sat on our eagle bench. The Hide is now open Monday to Fridays so I wasnt expecting to see anyone. It was a gentleman who had been on our trip Friday afternoon but sadly the weather was awful and the birds were hiding. He had walked down the track (2 miles) in the rain to see if he could catch sight of one of these birds. "I dont believe they exist" he said jokingly. I told him I had just seen our chick flying but he had been looking in completely the wrong direction. I grabbed a scope from the hide and within 2 minutes, Frisa came flying across the Loch. Luckily the gentleman was looking in the right direction this time! She did a lovely fly round then landed in one of her favourite roosts. A couple of minutes later, in came Heather, following the same flight path - Frisa took off and Heather landed on the same branch she had been sitting. It was as if Frisa was showing Heather a good branch to land on! Needless to say, the gentleman was over the moon as he returns home tomorrow! If it was possible to hug those birds - I would. To see the joy on his face (and mine too for that matter) was priceless.
After checking Half Pint this afternoon, I went on a drive round the Island, checking some of the other birds and had a beautiful encounter with an adult Golden Eagle and a juvenile. As I stood there watching them soaring in a blue sky, I thought of Alma - how she must have enjoyed similar flights but sadly now, no more. Such a senseless waste of a truly majestic and beautiful bird. Can I take this opportunity to say thank you to you all in your efforts to stamp out poisoning - from signing the pledge to writing to MP's - let's hope Alma hasnt died in vain.
Debby Thorne - White Tailed Eagle Information Officer, Isle of Mull
I am very jealous reading that!! I hope the eagles give such a display when i am in Mull in October. I went to the hide last year, and the eagles were not preforming, Just Skye and Frisa sat on trees miles away, i managed to get a photo through the scope but they were happy just sitting for hours.
What a fab job you have!!
Hope you enjoyed the disco Dave :-
I am sure Half pint and its sibling will fly soon, like babies who just sit and can't be bothered crawling, and suddenly they walk!!
Thanks for the blog
Great imagery and great writing as ever, Debby - does this skill develop along with the job, or is it part of the original job description that you and Dave signed? ("Must have magical gift to enchant all readers"). Please see your previous blog for my question as to your being a free spirit, Debby - perhaps I should have said 'wizard' rather, but you will get the point, I believe?? You will realise that I ain't about to give up on behalf of your beautiful birds, whatever the cynicism and negativity that is out there in the big wide world (or at times within four walls). How many bird forums are there out there and are any of you registered with them? Spread the word, if so. Do any of you leave messages on YouTube? Nor can I let the Procurator Fiscal off the hook over a non-existent email address, after all. Watch this space, as they say. No, Debby, Alma has not died in vain. The idea of her is soaring aloft - and her satellite tagging may prove an 'angel in disguise' if it results in the firm identification of an estate perpetrating this evil. And don't worry, I'm not going to let this become an ego-trip - I keep looking at the pictures of those eagles, present, departed and/or soaring off into infinity and I know what all this is about. Perfect Creation. And the demand on us to protect it.
what a wonderful update Debby, thank you so much
Let's hope Half Pint only goes when he is ready!!
Thanks Debby. Another great update.
Hi Debby thanks for keeping us so well informed and like all parents Dave gets into all sorts of things that quite often have a funny side.That gentleman looking for Eagles and then getting a buzz from seeing them I think illustrates what a wicked thing these killings are as lots of people missing out seeing these birds because numbers are obviously lower.
Gary another clue,Sooty does work but not as chimney sweep.Sweep does that while Sooty pulls the strings.
Lovely report as ever Debbie - thanks. I love Dave's reporting but now we've got you as well, they are more frequent. I could never stop reading them and I know that I've said it before, but I'm still haunted by Electra's story. I read it now and then and it always brings a tear to my eye.
I also like Sooty and Sweep, but am terribly confused .... :)
I think I read somewhere that you have a Fleet Street background Debby. Did I imagine it?(old age plays funny tricks)! Anyway, your writing is worthy of any of the very best publications. Thanks again for such an evocative word picture. What a lucky gent to have his own flypast! Glad the eagles are doing so well.
Er -what is a troll? - a Norwegian Elkhound? -a Great Dane? - - - ??
Reply: I did work in Fleet Street for Reuters, the news agency but nothing as exciting as a reporter!
STOP PRESS...... Just had a message this afternoon that Half Pint and sibling have left the nest - at last!! Will pop up and check on them tomorrow afternoon - stay safe little ones!
STOP PRESS AGAIN! BBC 1 The One Show tonight - 7pm - tells the demise of Alma - get everyone to watch and take note!
Sorry missed about Alma but hopefully catch it on BBC I player.Great news about Half Pint and sibling,hope to see them,yourself and Dave in thirty three days should be easy to recognise me blackish face.
Go, Sibling! - and Half Pint!! Just missed The One Show, but it will be on iPlayer later. Sounds important that it was televised! Hope it shakes things up. But - talking about Reuters and reporting, the RSPB should perhaps get Simon Barnes involved re Alma and poisons. You may all know that he is the award-winning sports columnist for the Times, who also writes an ecologically/environmentally-friendly wildlife column every Saturday - as well as writing books on birds. He and a Guardian sports writer have an ongoing competition to spot birds during Test matches. Is there a publicity officer at the RSPB who could contact him, Debby - or Dave if he survived the disco? I don't think the Times has reported it yet, unlike various Scottish papers, plus the Guardian which has already been quoted, and the Telegraph - see www.telegraph.co.uk/.../Second-golden-eagle-found-poisoned-in-Scotland.html Simon Barnes could give very good publicity to a very wicked affair. He might have considerable media influence. I'm sure the public would take Alma to its hearts if her story is publicized enough.
Debby, Saw your post too late to see the programme but just caught up with it on I-player. Roy D came across very well, as ever.
PS Just as an aside: it may amuse you that Simon Barnes didn't like it much when they closed the roof on Centre Court at Wimbledon this year, because it stopped him bird-watching! (He will have to take up reporting on badminton, won't he??). I do hope that someone will brief him about Alma. You know her name means 'Nourishing' or 'kindly.' Let us do whatever we can to nourish her memory, eh?
Wow! Breagha is up in Caithness - the Google map has been updated if you want to follow Breagha and Mara's journey
www.rspb.org.uk/.../mulleagles
Lovely blog Debby as always, how rewarding it must be to see someone like the gentleman you mention going home happy having seen those wonderful birds.
I missed the One Show but I am going to watch on iplayer.
Look forward to your further news of little half pint and sibling, hope they stay safe.
Breagha....wow well done.