We've now changed the look of  this page to allow you to keep track of two new white-tailed eagle chicks from Mull. And now, as promised, we've added some new photos of them so you'll know what they look like - if you're ever lucky enough to see them! Thanks to Katie for sorting that. I love the shot of Oran on his nest greeting FCS climber Nick Purdy. Not a very friendly welcome! Oran and Venus are joining…

In case you missed it, here is a link to BBC2 Iplayer for the short film by Gordon Buchanan called Mull - Eagle Paradise - enjoy!

We've made you wait for this moment but they're here at last!

At the end of June this year with help from our friends at Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland, we fitted light-weight satellite tags to two of Mull's fine young white-tailed eagle chicks. World…

For a brief update on recent developments please see the Comments under this blog. For now, for various reasons it's important that this story stays here as the main posting. A new blog will be coming in the next few days but meanwhile any news will be under Comments. 

After the unfolding events of this week, there could only really be one subject for the blog at the moment For details of the case of White G, please see…

First of all, major apologies for the delay. Debby and I are flat out at the moment with monitoring the eagle nests on Mull and trips are also running daily at the hide. There never seems to be a spare moment. I suppose too, if I'm honest,  I've been putting off having to write this news. How can I put this? Things are not going according to plan for Frisa and Skye - or us.

Despite a good, normal incubation and…

As ever, it was a report from one of the farmers here yesterday which alerted me to some exciting developments. Many of the farmers help me so much in my field work and monitoring and they also do their bit to protect the eagles and help make Mull the wildlife haven it is. This call came from a farmer on the far south-west tip of Mull, down on 'the Ross'. He wasn't entirely sure what he'd just witnessed but he knew it…

Sorry for the delay in news but as you may have read we have now moved over to a new blog software!  Still finding my way round it so hope this works!!  I am holding the fort for a few days while Dave has a well earned rest.

The one piece of news I wanted to share with you is the naming of our chicks.  This year Ulva Primary School chose the names and the names chosen are Heather for our female and Bracken for our male…

but not quite yet!

This evening I went to check up on Half Pint to see whether he has fledged yet.  He and his sibling were 12 weeks old today!  Its a bit of a precarious walk and loaded with a telescope, binoculars, daughter in tow, we tentatively made our way to the best position to view the nest without any of us tripping up, dropping the scope or the other threat, getting soaked to the skin by the heavy, intermittent…

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…

Today at Loch Frisa, as we all prepare ourselves for the inevitable, an eagle's head in the clouds is pretty much all that's been visible. The dreich weather continued to cast a gloomy blanket over the forest and loch. And over the eagle's nest . As the rain fell, the soggy head and beak of Frisa (or was it Skye?) was just about visible above the rim of the nest. Sometimes the head shook, sending a small shower…

I don't know if this will work! I've tried to keep Debby's excellent blog and photos up here for a while yet so that I can just add a few words to it...

Still stunningly beautiful here on the Isle of Mull. A covering of snow, ice crystals and frost on everything. And with a cloudless blue sky, the sun has shone bright all day. The garden birds have been busy on the feeders since first light and down at the…

Well, Heather is turning out to be a quick learner.  On Friday as we watched her in a field in front of the Hide, it was clear she had caught something and was feeding.  It was very difficult to see what it was, but I was surprised how quickly she had managed to work out how to catch something.  Today, she took another step forward in her journey towards independence.  As we looked out of the Hide window, we saw a large bird…

I know. There is terrible news from Afghanistan so I won't linger for long on the death of one young eagle but just to bring you quickly up to date on some news from Loch Frisa which I know many of you have been thinking about. Thank you all for your support. The first chick we thought had fledged was found dead Friday afternoon. We had all hoped so much that he would make it. We now know the chick was a 'he'. Ironically…

I didn't just retrace my steps in the mud. I pretty much jogged as fast as my exhausted legs and aching body could manage. Admittedly that probably wasn't very fast but it felt like a Herculean effort to me at nearly 6 o'clock in the evening.

I arrived back at where I'd started; checked the phone message and grid reference again, set up the 'scope and aimed it at the point my informant had told me he'd seen…

I know many of you are thinking of the loss of Deshar tonight, as are we all, but as has been said, it's also time to think of the many positive things that have come out of this summer. It's time to concentrate our thoughts on Nethy, Mara and Breagha and to realise what an amazing, dangerous, wonderful and beautiful natural world we have around us. We are all focussing in on a tiny handful of very special birds - but…

Kellan had been away from Mull for three long months. It was time to bring him home.

The RSPB doesn't generally do wildlife rescue and animal welfare. It's just not what we're set up for - or why the Society first came into being. We protect birds and other wildlife through policy work, research, land acquisition, species protection and investigations. We don't have the expertise or experience to rescue and look after…

Kellan came into our lives on 25 April 2010. Watching from afar, we thought there had been a hatch. His mum, Yellow Black Spot (YBS) was restless, fidgety. Up and down, looking into the nest. Something had changed. Two days later we confirmed it. YBS was feeding Kellan. Delicate, tiny strips of fish from a friendly boat operator on the sea loch below. His dad was a regular visitor, taking advantage of this helpful opportunity…

then I'll begin.  How many times have you heard that phrase - for me as a young girl watching Jackanory and waiting with baited breath for the latest instalment of a story - and then counting the hours until the next programme to find out what happened next. 

And so at Loch Frisa - we begin the next instalment of the story of  Skye and Frisa - only its not fiction, its real life.  Well I am delighted to report that Frisa…

Our male white-tailed eagle chick from Mull this year, Oran, has made a dramatic flight south. He had seemed settled and has spent the last few weeks just across the water from here on Loch Sunart; then he came home for a while but has now headed down to the island of Jura. We are hearing more reports lately of young eagles on nearby Islay perhaps attracted by the thousands of wintering geese. Maybe this is where Oran…

The contrast couldn't have been greater. Strength and gentleness personified. Tapping quietly on the office door last week was a big bloke in his overalls. His hands and face were smeared in oil and grease. He had flecks of car paint in his hair and he sounded almost apologetic as he explained what was in the cardboard box he was holding so carefully in his hands. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to find as…

There is a place called hope. Despite the poisonings, the losses, the persecution and the madness, there is a new ray of hope tonight that it is all finally beginning to really work - to really knit together. The project to bring the white-tailed eagle back to the British Isles actually began some 50 years ago. Long before Fair Isle in 1968 or Rum in 1975, there was Argyll in 1959.  The late Pat Sandeman released three sea…

...but in my heart it's spring" (Love Unlimited Orchestra 1973).

January 2nd message...just to say that I've just read a blog from Mark Thomas of our Investigations Dept about our campaign called 'Good Men Stand Up'. It's inspiring and I urge you to read it. It's on our RSPB web site and is the most recent blog posted. Hopefully the winds of change will blow across our countryside in 2009 and some more good men…

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…

Phew!  What a week that was!  Just about recovered from Wild Isles Week but what a fantastic week it was.  There were many events around the Island from Corncrake Walks, Evening Birdsong Walks, Looking for Otters and lots of talks on a whole variety of subjects, as well as the Eagle Hide open to trips twice a day.  The trips were fully booked all week and our visitors were treated to some great displays by Skye and Frisa…

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…

by the Eagles (who else?)

Like some parts of the country, we've had some really wild weather here on Mull - our thoughts are with those people suffering from flood damage and the family of the Policeman who tragically lost his life as the bridge collapsed in Workington.  Just another reminder of the sheer strength of Mother Nature. 

This evening, as I went out to put the chickens away, I could hardly stand up …