Well, September is certainly proving to be a saviour in terms of weather. We are enjoying lots of warm sunshine and blue skies - you could almost be fooled into thinking it was May or June. Tee shirts have come out of winter storage and its lovely to feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Our family at Loch Frisa have been enjoying the warm weather too. Skye and Frisa are spending long periods, perched on the larch trees in front of the hide, looking so relaxed now the majority of this year's parental duties are done. They will still be feeding Heather but the majority of their work is done. They seem to be enjoying some "me" time before the whole process starts again.
The golden eagles have been enjoying this weather too and our visitors have been getting great views as they fly across the hide, trying to steal the limelight from Skye and Frisa. The buzzards are still a joy to watch - the youngsters now hunting on their own but occasionally taking 5 minutes out to play tag with a sibling! We still have butterflies and dragonflies around and just occasionally, we glimpse the odd swallow - so we can still pretend its summer.
Calgary Bay this week - white sand, blue sea and blue skies - Photo Debby Thorne
After tomorrow, we start a new phase at the Hide. Previously, we would now be planning to put the hide into mothballs until next Spring but from next week we are going to keep the hide open through autumn and winter, running our trips at 10.00 am and 1.00 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Bookings can be made through our friends at the Tourist Office in Craignure (Tel: 01680 812556). We are fortunate that our eagles do not migrate and are here all year round so if you are planning a trip to Mull come and see us! Details of our Eagle Watch project can be found here http://www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature/sites/mull/index.asp. The leaves on the trees are starting to turn, the heather is in bloom and the bracken starting to die off - autumn on Mull is stunning - the colours breathtaking and as for the wildlife, well ........ you will just have to come and see if for yourself!
This Sunday also sees our "Fledge" party at Loch Frisa - a chance to raise a glass to all our chicks and to say thank you to everyone involved with these magnificent birds. We are meeting at the hide at 1.00pm and the gates at both ends of the Loch will be open - if you are around, do come and join us.
Debby Thorne, White Tailed Eagle Information Officer,
Isle of Mull
You always make it sound absolutely great. Cant wait for next years Holiday.
Sandra
I am on my way.............see you soon.
That all sounds wonderful - thanks Debby - so glad that you're getting some sunshine at last.
I'll be there in spirit on Sunday - may even raise a glass :)
Lovely blog Debby it just sounds idyllic up there and so glad you have had some good weather, you certainly deserve it. Glad Frisa, Skye and having "me" time and they are still keeping an eye on the weather. Have a good fledge party all of you.
Hi all-well I can't beleive it's Friday again and I have been back at work for two and a half weeks of the term. The weather in southern Britain has been fantastic, warm enough for no cardigan's/jumpers after 10.am and the leaves have started turning now and the acrons falling. Lovely picture of the beach which had the tide in when I was there looking at it. Interesting to see that Mara and Bregha have settled on new areas for the moment and that our present family are all well.
Does Dave know how many of the chicks from the 10 on Mull were male or female?
It's also good to see that Rothes and Mallachie and Roy Dennis ospreys are doing well although poor Roy has had a few scary moments over the notorious Bay of Biscay.
I wish you all well at the hide during the Autumn season and hope you continue to have good views of Frisa and Skye. Hope you have heating in the hide!
JILLIAN
Hi Debby,Dave fellow bloggers,just back from two weeks on Mull,ten pm friday night 540 miles today will put longer blog on when more time but we saw Skye and Frisa 12 of the days and the other 2 days just saw one of them.We think we may have seen Heather but will have to see when sweep puts photos on computer to know one way or other.Icing on the cake was sooty and sweep meeting both Dave and Debby WOW.Hope you have a great Fledge party,cheers.
Hi everybody have had time to read Swallow story and comments,seems Dave has everyone in tears.I can tell you all he is just as you imagine him and having met him and his lovely family picnicking and going beach-combing on the east side of Loch Na Kael on a Sunday he was also even then taking the chance to check up on a pair of Sea Eagles he was a bit concerned about.The really nice thing was he made time for both of us just as if we were Springwatch or whatever and we all know that doesn't always happen with busy people.We think when he reads this he will probably cringe a bit as I am sure he is a really humble man,made a special effort to meet sweep.Many thanks Dave.
We saw Skye and Frisa very high above the hide one evening playing and almost locking talons which was fantastic also on two separate days saw Yellow tag black spot and her mate perched in pine trees and when a Buzzard came over she became vocal and annoyed so he took the hint and scarpered I believe she is known as a nasty one but she still looked lovely
Hi Mex yes we were on Mull,we had some good replies back about the poisoning,think attitudes will gradually change as RSPB membership increases and more people become enthralled by raptors,feel sure people like yourself help quite a lot but it is a slow process and I feel the more people who get to places like the Loch Frisa hide will all talk about the wonderful birds and help things along.I think it is good some of us others are writing or they would think it was just one obsessed person so well done for getting others on board.
Good to hear from Sooty and Sweep after the, er, little trip - we have missed you, even if Mull and Dave and Debby were enjoying you!
Thanks for the update and photo Debby, it must be really beautiful there now. So glad all is well. Have a great party tomorrow, wish we could visit you, and help with the celebrations, but hopefully next year!
Sooty - how brilliant to see Skye and Frisa nearly every day of your trip!
Going to watch the Countryfile programme tomorrow evening, about the illegal shooting and poisoning of birds of prey. I do hope it will raise awareness even more.
Dave - partying now? Sooty/Sweep: so glad to hear of your trip - and confirming what was suspected about Dave!!! And no, it's not a good idea for just one of us to be too conspicuous/vocal in this sort of thing (willing though the person may be to help the eagles). I found Roy Dennis's blog at www.roydennis.org/index.asp He had been looking for Breagha at Dundonnell on Aug 29, but found another one instead (red/white 2). He also said on Aug 10 that some estates are killing everything which might be thought to interfere with red grouse, but that Glenfeshie estate is upset that 'their' Alma had been poisoned. He asked us to write to the politicians - but he also suggested the chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage. Do any of you others feel like trying? I am told by persons with 'other' outdoor interests that some Scottish organisations are under the influence of big estate-owners. Aim for the top at SNH and email ian.jardine@snh.gov.uk or better still, write to: Ian Jardine (Chief Executive), Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness, IV3 8NW If we watch BBC1's Countryfile at 7 tonight, it may give some better ideas of what to say. Any offers, folks?
Hi everyone! Never posted here before, but I have enjoined a lot reading these blogs.
I though that I want to share the good news about seaeagles here in Finland. It has been a succesful summer, 349 chicks (by 1500 adult seaeagle pairs). Plus the ones that are "hiding". One pair even made their eyrie inlands at least 100 km from the sea (lots of lakes though nearby), to a 26m high pine. Two chicks were ringed in that nest.
It is so good to hear of Finland's success and to see Auntie joining our international community. One universal family. I saw on the Golden Eagle Trust petition that Finnish people stand high on the list of signatories - see www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php The internet has made the world a much smaller place, one in which all the 'little' individuals can play a greater role - and express big hearts. And Dave and Debby's blogs are certainly heart-warming!
Yes Mex good to have Auntie joining in feel sure that wildlife lovers all feel the same.I was under the impression Scottish Natural Heritage were heavily involved in defending the Eagles,perhaps Dave could tell us.One interesting part of our trip was that we made friends with a couple in another caravan at the farm Caroline Garnett and Colin her partner.Someone last year told me that Les her father keeps track of every Mull Sea Eagle chick and perhaps knows as much about them as Dave.What was nice was Caroline is a great spotter if any Eagles around so with Sweep being good as well Sooty was in clover.Coming home I am struck by what a nice group of bloggers are here,just what Dave and Debby deserve and how good it is to be kept in the know of all what is happening on Mull.
Thanks Debbie. The beach looks just wonderful!
Thanks Mex for the link have added my name to the petition as everything possible must be done to protect these magnificent birds.