Mull Eagle Watch

Farewell from Mull Eagle Watch 2018

2018-11-04T01:32:00Z

3^rd November 2018

My goodness, it has been the most challenging season for Mull Eagle Watch! We’ve had some great highs and way too many lows but still, we managed to salvage the season and end with some fantastic and well-deserved news. Here is a summary of the key events that occurred this summer.

The season got off to a fantastic start at our brilliant new host site, Craignure Golf Course, where we watched the long-established white-tailed eagle pair, Scalla and Anna, beginning their breeding season. Sadly, within a week of Anna laying her eggs – and within a week of us starting our tours – the nesting attempt had failed. We think the cause was another adult bird whose interference may be to blame for their eggs breaking. The pair remained around the golf course for the next month, giving our visitors fantastic views, but ultimately decided to explore further afield.

Anna landing in the nest at Craignure Golf Club

With no sea eagles to see, we turned our attention to the coast and were pleasantly surprised by the rewarding sights of distant golden and white-tailed eagles, otters and seals in the Sound of Mull, common and Arctic terns and a great variety of waders including curlew, ringed plover, turnstone, dunlin, common sandpiper and sanderling.

Common seals

Ringed plover on the beach

Arctic tern at Craignure Golf Course

Tern chick at Craignure Golf Course

We also decided to return to our usual location at Tiroran Community Forest to watch our old friends Fingal and Iona. The view of their nest this year was unbelievable! It was relatively close and very visible, giving our visitors unbeatable views of the parents and chick at all times. But disaster struck again; just two weeks into our tours here, the chick passed away. The post-mortem revealed that it had died from a chest infection. A huge blow to the project but even more heart-breaking for the eagles.

Iona and chick on the nest in Tiroran Community Forest

Just as we felt well and truly defeated, the opportunity arose to return to West Ardhu to run tours and we jumped at the chance! Parents, Hope and Star, had two adult-sized healthy eaglets when we arrived and visitors flocked to the site to see them. Here, we saw lots of young kestrels whizzing around, the occasional sparrowhawk, the very rare golden eagle and of course, the white-tail family flying in and out and all around to the delight of our visitors.

Hope flying past at West Ardhu

Hope and Star's male eaglet

So despite the challenges this summer has thrown at us - due in large part to the high nest faliure rate of the eagles (9/22 failed) -, we seem to have unbelievably pulled through and even ended on a surprising high; amazingly last night, we took home the Working Together for Tourism award from the Highland and Islands Tourism Awards. A real testament to the success of this partnership and how the partners and other organisations can pull together. And not forgetting the 5* Visit Scotland rating we were awarded based on an eagle-less tour at Craignure Golf Course!

RSPB Mull Officer, Dave, collecting the HITA award!

Thank you to all who supported us this season whether that be by attending a tour, donating to us or just reading this blog and our other social media posts. And thank you to all the partners: Mull and Iona Community Trust, Police Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the RSPB and also to Craignure Golf Club, South West Mull and Iona Development (Tiroran) and North West Mull Community Woodland Company (West Ardhu) for hosting us.

We hope to be back next year, so see you then!

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

An update on Shelly - the sea eagle rediscovered after 7 years

2018-10-15T04:17:00Z

14th October 2018

In 2010, MEW watched as sea eagle pair, Fingal and Iona, raised a chick. The female was named Shelly after Glen Seilisdeir, the valley in which the birds reside on the Isle of Mull.

Shelly as a chick in 2010 having her leg rings and satellite tag fitted ( Forestry Commission Scotland)

Shelly was fitted with a satellite tag which was designed to track her movements. Disappointingly, after only three years, the tag stopped transmitting on the Isle of Lewis. Luckily though, it was recovered with no eagle attached so it was hoped she was still alive.

Last year, RSPB Mull Officer, Dave Sexton, received an exciting email from a birder named Iain who had been photographing eagles on a loch up in Sutherland. In one photo, the bird’s leg rings could quite clearly be read as C9 39.

Heart-racing, knowing that the blue/silver colour combination of the ring was worn by birds hatched in 2010, Dave searched the database of leg rings and found it was her! He had finally found the answer to her disappearance all those years ago. As it turns out, Shelly had been breeding at this location since 2015 and had raised four chicks with her partner who was from Lewis, the Isle where Shelly had lost her tag.

This Summer, Iain kindly gave us an update on Shelly and her family. She has hatched another two chicks this year and the whole family can be seen in the photo below. Thank you to Iain Paterson for this revelation, the update and the fantastic photos.

Sea eagle Shelly (C9 39) as an adult in Sutherland

Shelly's mate (C9 23) from the Isle of Lewis

Male in the nest with the two large chicks (one's head only just visible below male's left wing) and Shelly coming in to land

Meanwhile, Mull's class of 2018 are getting ready to leave thier parents. Where will they end up?

We are into our last week of tours this season. So for a chance to see Hope, Star and their chicks, book on a tour at West Ardhu on 01680 812556.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

Hunting eaglets and a surprise visitor at West Ardhu

2018-10-03T20:43:14Z

3rd October 2018

A few weeks ago, we were seeing Hope and Star, our adult white-tailed eagles at West Ardhu forest, bringing food back to the nest trees, only to eat it all themselves in front of the hungry chicks! On one occasion, after calling incessantly for half an hour, the chick that was perched above Hope decided to bend forward and poo on its mother! That shows her.

This ‘tough love’ seen from the parents was perhaps an attempt to encourage the chicks – now 23 weeks old – to join them on their hunting excursions.

Eaglet flying

Eagles flying together

Indeed, after a week away from the hide, I returned to deathly silence in the nest trees and views of the eagles floating around in the distance.

Last week, just as I’d been explaining how elusive golden eagles are, we had one pass right over the car park, close enough to see the plumage colour. Thanks to visitor Rob White for the photos.

Golden eagle at West Ardhu (Rob White)

Golden eagle (Rob White)

We’ve also been seeing the odd sparrowhawk and lots of buzzards and fiesty young kestrels hovering around the forest, often relentlessly mobbing the local sparrowhawk and even our eagle family! Flocks of goldfinches have moved into the area and ravens are becoming a more common sight, displaying their acrobatic flight as they chase each other overhead.

Kestrel mobbing a white-tailed eagle

Tours are still running until 18^th October but, as ever, views of the eagles are not guaranteed and they are now more often seen flying around the area but do occasionally return to the nest trees for a perch.

To book on a tour, call the Craignure Visit Scotland iCentre on 01680 812 377

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

Buzz off!

2018-09-02T22:34:22Z

2nd September 2018

We were spolit with eagle action last Thursday at West Ardhu!

Hope arrived with a measly portion of food but, instead of dropping it in the nest, she perched underneath Misak to eat it herself, despite the incessant calling from the hungry chick.

Ulva, appeared at the same time but, realising the food wasn’t for sharing, she swiftly moved on and soared up high for our visitors for a while before being mobbed by ravens.

Ulva, one of the chicks, soaring overhead

And there was more mobbing to come! The visitors would have gone home happy then but in the final moments of the tour, Hope flew past us over the nearby hillside. Instead of following her normal route, she strangely decided to stop and perch precariously atop a very spindly tree. She was now sat about 100 metres away from us – something we rarely see them do!

Almost immediately, she was greeted with hostility by one of the local buzzards who proceeded to mob her as she called out, swooping past her again and again until she finally up and left, with the buzzard in pursuit.

Here is the series of Cian’s photos to illustrate the story!

Hope, coming in to land near the group

The buzzard mobbing Hope

Hope looking up at the buzzard

Hope has had enough!

Hope leaves, pursued by the buzzard

Tours at West Ardhu are still running throughout September. To book on a tour, please call 01680 812 556. Of course these are wild birds so please bear in mind that you may not get as lucky as this!

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

An Unwelcome Visitor at the nest

2018-08-24T00:00:00Z

23rd August 2018

At West Ardhu Eagle Watch, we are having the odd sighting of an immature white-tailed eagle who is obviously very inquisitive about what’s going on in the nest.

One day, it went as far as to sit in the nest tree, peering down at the eaglet in the nest before Hope crashed in to chase it off. The nearby group of five kestrels also joined in!

The intruder lands in the nest tree and peers down at the eaglet on the nest

Hope to the rescue!

The intruder leaving... only to circle back again

One of the eaglets escaping the commotion

We are still running tours until the end of September so to book on one, call the VisitScotland iCentre on 01680 812556.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

Soggy eagles (and visitors) at Wet Ardhu!

2018-08-20T20:33:52Z

20th August 2018

Where did all that lovely weather go?

I’m, once again, living in waterproof overtrousers and boots which have been damp for days. However I can’t help but pity the eagles more than myself as they sit sheltering under branches, holding their wings out to dry.

Hope drying off her wings

Star drying out

An eagle on the drive home! Possibly Hope from West Ardhu

Despite the dismal weather, our eagles have still been going about their daily business to the delight of cheerful but sodden visitors. We’ve seen Hope and Star bringing food back to nest and the eaglets flying around and even perching closer to us to investigate!

Hope bringing food back to the nest in talons and beak!

Star bringing home some food

One of the eaglets stretching its wings

So, even on the dismal days, we are still seeing good action (although tours may be cancelled if the visibility is too bad due to the rain/cloud). We are still running tours until the end of September so to book on one, call the VisitScotland iCentre on 01680 812556.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

Fledging, flapping and flying chicks at West Ardhu Eagle Watch

2018-08-01T02:56:00Z

31st July 2018

Alongside tours at Craignure and Tiroran, Mull Eagle Watch is now running tours at the West Ardhu eagle watch at Dervaig, owned by North West Mull Community Woodland Company.

We return to Hope and Star, the pair we watched here last year. They have successfully raised and fledged two chicks again, which are now 14 weeks old, and we’ve been seeing lots of action even in our first week here!

The two chicks in the nest

The more confident chick is taking short flights along the treeline and exploring the vast range of perching spots whilst the other remains close to the nest.

Chick flying

We’ve seen Hope bringing in what looks like a shag for the now adult-sized chicks to tuck into whilst Star brought back what looked like a measly lump of meat for them to fight over.

Hope bringing a bird back to the nest

And there is an immature white-tailed eagle which keeps making an appearance, often to be shooed off by Hope and Star. But an extra eagle never hurts on tours!

We’re also seeing buzzards mobbing the eagles, sparrowhawks whizzing around clutching prey, plenty of kestrels chasing each other, a few great-spotted woodpeckers and lots of siskins on the feeders.

Buzzard at West Ardhu

A juvenile great-spotted woodpecker at the feeders

Siskins at the feeders

Even though our chicks have fledged, they'll be hanging around for a while yet and we'll be running tours until the end of September.

Our family/dog-friendly tours are running at 11am and 2pm Sunday-Friday at North West Mull Community Woodland Company Eagle Watch.

Prices: Adults, £10 (Including RSPB members) and Children, £5. Family of four is £25. Locals go free.

At Craignure Golf Club, we are running a coastal wildlife watch where we are seeing eagles, breeding terns, waders, seals and even the odd otter! This site is ideal for daytrippers.

Booking is recommended and is done through the VisitScotland Craignure iCentre in person or on 01680 812 556/377. And please inform of any mobility issues.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Eagle Ranger

Tiroran chick post-mortem

2018-07-03T02:51:00Z

2nd July 2018

Sadly, on Thursday 14^th June, the Tiroran chick was confirmed dead. It had only been ringed on the Monday and the team remarked at how placid it had been when being handled.

The Tiroran chick being ringed

Looking back, that wasn’t a good sign. Cian had been watching the chick all week with visitors and had seen it feeding well on Monday and Tuesday but hunkered down on the Wednesday during storm Hector. By Thursday afternoon, it was apparent to him that the chick was lifeless.

The ringing team were visiting their last nest of the day when they were informed. Instead of clocking off at 6pm, they journeyed back to Tiroran to retrieve the body.

It was sent off for post-mortem and the results suggested that it had a birth defect or a chest infection and it is likely that the storm was the final straw. It also had no food in its crop (the pouch in the throat used to temporarily store food) which suggested it had not been feeding despite there being food in the nest and the parents attending to it.

A very sad tale for Fingal and Iona this year. I had the honour of watching them raising their chick, Arwen, last year and seeing her go from egg to fledge in such a short space of time was very special. But they aren’t alone. Sadly a higher-than-average 9/20 white-tailed eagle nests have failed this year on Mull.

Despite having lost their chick, Fingal and Iona are still around Tiroran and have even been seen sitting in the nest tree on our tours.

Iona sat above the nest having lost her chick

If you would like to book on a tour here or at Craignure Golf Club where we are running coastal wildlife watches, please call the Visit Scotland Craignure iCentre on 01680 812377.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl

RSPB Ranger

Open Farm Sunday at Treshnish: farming, flowers and fantastic food!

2018-06-12T04:22:00Z

11th June 2018

The Mull Eagle Watch rangers attended the beautiful Treshnish (and Haunn cottages) Farm on Sunday 10^th June for their Open Farm Sunday event. This national scheme run by LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) gives farmers an opportunity to show people how they are farming in an environmentally-friendly way and for us, as consumers, to learn about where our food comes from – one of the most beautiful places on Mull apparently!

The farmers, Somerset and Carolyne, gave us an interesting insight into their annual itinerary regarding lambing and meadow management before guiding us around their land.

The meadows looking over to Calgary Bay

And their meadows host the most magnificent myriad of wildflowers you can imagine!

We had orchids (butterfly, heath spotted, common spotted, fragrant, northern marsh to name a few).

Northern Marsh Orchid

Heath Spotted Orchid

Butterfly Orchid

Me smelling the Fragrant Orchid

And the most colourful swathes of other flowers including the pink lousewort, white burnet rose, blue speedwells, yellow buttercups, purple vetch, red sorrel, heaps of wood bitter vetch and even a rare moonwort.

Burnet Rose

Moonwort

We finished the walk with a delicious Moveable Feast by Jeannette’s at Ballygown which we all tucked into on the array of multi-coloured picnic blankets that had been laid out down the lawn, giving us a superb view across to the Isle of Coll. We were joined in our picnic by a group of porpoise who were feeding in the sea below us!

A fantastic event; great farming, great wildlife, great people and great food!

If you fancy seeing this wonder for yourself, why not take a peek at their cottages for your next holiday!

Thanks,

Meryl

RSPB Ranger

Trouble at Tiroran!

2018-06-09T00:29:00Z

8th June 2018

Due to the nest failure at Craignure Golf Club, we have now re-opened tours at Tiroran Community Forest! We are still running tours at the golf course but sightings of eagles can, sadly, no longer be 100% guaranteed.

The first week of tours at Tiroran are now over and Fingal and Iona have not disappointed!

We’ve watched as the eagles fly in to feed the chick who’s now stumbling around the nest and slumping face-down, exhausted from the heat.

But yesterday, on arrival, I was greeted with a view of two adults. Iona was on the nest but it wasn’t Fingal perched above. It was another eagle!

Iona nervously stared up at the bird, intermittently calling for over an hour until Fingal finally smashed into the top of the tree to shoo the intruder away. As it flew, I noticed it’s tail - white with a dark terminal band, making it a 4 year-old/sub-adult. Was this their young from a previous year or a stranger thinking of moving in?

And so the drama continues...

With thanks to Viking Optical and Swarovski Optik for the annual loan of their amazing telescopes, allowing us to capture these moments!

Meryl

RSPB Ranger

Coastal antics at Mull Eagle Watch

2018-05-16T04:38:42Z

15th May 2018

Unfortunately, as many of you know, the first nesting attempt of the Golf Course eagles failed and we were crossing everything in hope that they may re-lay. They teased us with some promising signs such as bringing back nesting material, performing aerial displays and then for four days, they appeared on the nest in the incubation position but… nothing.

Scalla landing in the nest tree

Experts were consulted and books were read, all in hope of giving our pair a bit more time to re-lay but we have now truly passed that window of possibility. It’s not all doom and gloom though as Scalla & Anna have used this site for a decade and are showing no signs of moving on. They are still gracing us with their presence on almost every tour, being very vocal and showing their ginormous wingspans!

Scalla and Anna appearing over our heads as we were ending the tour having not seen them!

What we are even more excited about here at Mull Eagle Watch is all the other fantastic wildlife we are seeing. Now that we know they are not going to lay any more eggs, we can cast our eyes towards the coast and watch the nests of ringed plover, oystercatchers and a variety of gull species forming on the beach around us.

Ringed plover

Oystercatcher

Not to mention our first couple of otter sightings! A big shout out to Gill from Devon who was our otter expert for the morning, she spotted an otter from the site for the first time this season. And credit to Olly for getting photographic evidence (below)! There were in fact two there that morning and we have since seen them on a similar outcrop in the Sound of Mull a few metres away.

Otter on the skerries in the Sound of Mull (credit: Olly Ingram)

The shoreline here is really starting to buzz with the calls of our coastal birds like common sandpiper, turnstone and dunlin. Not to mention the return of the terns! (Excuse the poor joke) We have seen and heard a flock of common and arctic terns on the skerries. Though these may not be the birds that attempt to nest here this year, it’s the start of a very interesting few months at Craignure Golf Club.

Common sandpiper

Dunlin

We also just wanted to thank NWMCWC (North West Mull Community Woodland Company) for providing our shelter with woodchips to protect us from the mud, thanks!

Cian

Mull and Iona Community Trust Ranger

Uh oh! Drama unfolds at the nest…

2018-04-13T21:58:59Z

13th April 2018

On Good Friday, when people all across the country (including myself) were getting excited about tucking into their (*cough* nine) chocolate eggs, we at Mull Eagle Watch were most excited about an egg that wasn’t chocolate at all. It was the first egg that Scalla and Anna had laid in their nest at Craignure Golf Club.

Tours began soon after and our visitors were able to see an incubating eagle on the nest with the telescopes that Swarovski and Viking kindly loan to the project every year.

We were getting great views of one parent flying and of a group of eagle youths that loitered around the area. But there was a third adult around who became a very unwelcome visitor.

On a few tours, this eagle was seen flying around and towards the nest which distressed Scalla and Anna and led them to tackle him mid-air and chase him away. And unfortunately, it became apparent that something had happened in the scuffle which caused this first clutch to fail.

The intruder may well have intended to oust Scalla in order to take over his territory and female. Last year, Anna’s 37 year-old father who lived around Lochdon on Mull, fell victim to this behaviour when the younger male succeeded in killing him.

But don’t fear! Our hopes remain high; we’ve been seeing the pair flying, perching and calling together and even bringing in new nesting material to repair the nest. This is a very positive indication that they will, very soon, attempt to lay a second clutch of eggs!

Scalla and Anna perched together after their interrupted nesting attempt

For now, the pair is wowing visitors by perching in very convenient places and, on occasion, flying right over our heads! It’s just a matter of time before Anna lands in the nest for good.

To book on a tour, call the VisitScotland iCentre in Craignure on 01680 812556

Bye for now,

Meryl

Eagle Ranger

Welcome back to Mull Eagle Watch, 2018!

2018-04-12T03:15:00Z

11th April 2018

I’m excited to be returning to the role of RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer this summer and will be running the eagle nest tours alongside Cian Burke-Brown (pictured) who is the seasonal ranger for Mull and Iona Community Trust.

This year, we are being hosted by the wonderful Craignure Golf Club. A team of volunteers has been busy refurbishing the club in time for us opening and is even providing refreshments for golfers and our visitors to enjoy post-tour.

It is also the place where Scalla and Anna call home.

Introducing Scalla and Anna

Scalla

Age: 22

Birthday: 15^th August 1996

Birthplace: Mull

Tag: Grey O (both lost)

Famous family:

Son of Blondie – the female who hatched and fledged the first chick since the species was reintroduced in 1985.
Younger brother to Frisa – one half of Skye and Frisa who were the stars of Springwatch and the first pair that Mull Eagle Watch followed.
1996 nest brother to the (probably infertile) female, Grey L, who attempted to incubate goose eggs on Mull in 2017!

Favourite food: fish

Anna

Age: 23

Birthday: 4^th July 1995

Birthplace: Mull

Tag: White O (both lost)

Famous family: Daughter of the oldest pair of sea eagles in Scotland who finally died last year on Mull aged 37

Favourite food: fish and small children.

Eagle activity

We’re loving the Golf Club’s coastal habitat which is new to Mull Eagle Watch this year and the constant soundtrack of gulls and oystercatchers that comes with it. And we have the beautiful snow-capped mountains behind us to scan for goldies, hen harriers, ravens and the group of juveniles sea eagles that often give us a fly-past.

We’ve seen lots of action already and there’s plenty more to come!

To book on a tour, please call the VisitScotland Craignure iCentre on 01680 812556 or pop in when you arrive. Please inform of any mobility issues.

Also, Debby Thorne is now running new tours of Star and Hope at West Ardhu (where we were based last year). So for another chance to see these magnificent birds, you can book to visit her at the iCentre too.

Thanks for reading.

Meryl

RSPB eagle ranger

West Ardhu chick names and a final farewell for 2017

2017-09-25T02:59:07Z

24th September 2017

Mull Eagle Watch tours have come to an end after another successful season in 2017.

Thursday 21^st was the last day of tours and, after cancelling on the Wednesday due to a return of miserable weather, I was pleased to be greeted at West Ardhu with sunshine and clear views.

Visitors saw Star swoop in and perch in the nest tree where he proceeded to sit for the rest of the day. It’s easy to think that eagles have easy lives when you see them like this but Star and Hope and indeed Fingal and Iona have all been incredibly busy parents this season, managing to raise three chicks between them despite the gruelling weather that Mother Nature has thrown at them.

The parents are doing all they can to equip their eaglets with the skills they need to survive; only half of all juveniles make it to adulthood at five years of age so we're still crossing our fingers for all three. They should now be catching their own prey but they will remain with their parents throughout most of the winter before beginning their long journeys around Scotland in search of a mate and their own territory for the next few years.

And we finally have names for the West Ardhu chicks! Gael and Storm have been chosen by Dervaig Primary School. So I think its safe to say that, along with the name ‘Arwen’ that was chosen for our Tiroran chick, we have some good strong names for these majestic birds. Thank goodness we dodged Eagley McEagleyface as some visitors suggested!

I’m already back at home in Windermere having left my life on Mull. Today, I went for a walk near Ambleside and enjoyed the familiar views of the surrounding mountains that the Lake District is famous for (along with the lakes) and I couldn’t help but scan the summits, expecting and hoping an eagle to pop up any second. Needless to say, none were seen. But the Lake District was home to the last golden eagle in England until last year and the last pair of English white-tailed eagles resided here too in the 1800’s before their extinction. After the successful reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle to Britain over 40 years ago, we are now seeing the population grow from strength to strength so it’s only a matter of time before they re-colonise England and I’m hoping it will be here, on my doorstep.

Thank you all for supporting the project this year whether you visited one of our two hides or just followed us on our blogs and social media. The money we raised will be donated to the two community forests that hosted us to aid with their conservation and education projects.

I’m already thinking about when I can return to Mull to visit but in the meantime, I’m hoping I’ll receive eagle updates from Dave Sexton who does such a fantastic job of monitoring these eagles on Mull and leading this partnership project.

Here are some of my favourite photos from the season. Enjoy!

Iona and Arwen in theTiroran nest

Four-week old Arwen having her leg rings fitted

Gael and Storm being ringed at 6 weeks old

Hope feeding her eaglets

Visitors to Tiroran Community Forest enjoying overhead views of golden eagles

Gael and Storm in the West Ardhu nest

Sibling rivalry at West Ardhu

Newly-fledged Arwen looking regal on her parents' perch

Saga Pearl II cruise ship visit to West Ardhu

Fingal perched above old nest at Tiroran

Best wishes and thanks for following,

Meryl

RSPB Community Information and Tourism Officer

Mull Eagle Watch

And the name is...

2017-08-30T23:21:00Z

30th August 2017

Bunessan Primary School have now named our chick at Tiroran Community Forest after visiting for a day of fun and learning with The Mull and Iona Ranger Service and Mull Eagle Watch.

Children got messy making plaster casts of animal hoof prints along the forest tracks before learning about dinosaurs – the ancestors of eagles – with Emily and Kate from the Ranger Service. Over at the eagles hide, they learnt all about white-tailed eagles and enjoyed handling the real eagle feathers and other props but sadly, our eagle family was nowhere to be seen!

How many children make a white-tailed eagle? (photos: Sue Hawkes)

Over lunch time, with mouthfuls of ham sandwiches and cheesy wotsits, they shouted out name suggestions for the one female chick and the list was handed over to John Clare, the Forest Officer, to pick the name. Which was...

Arwen!

This translates as ‘muse’ or ‘noble-woman’ form Celtic languages. It is also one of the main female characters from J R R Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings – a half-elf, half human who eventually becomes a queen. A strong name for a powerful bird.

Dervaig Primary School are currently coming up with names for the two chicks at West Ardhu so watch out for these in the next few weeks.

Arwen is the most commonly seen eagle around Tiroran now, with Fingal and Iona proving trickier to track down these days but we’ve been seeing golden eagles, buzzards and kestrels and a juvenile great-spotted woodpecker on the feeders along with the chattering of crossbills high up in the conifers.

Arwen on her parents' perch in Tiroran Forest

Trips at both hides are running until late September and you can book on a tour by calling The Visitor Information Centre in Craignure on 01680 812556 or by popping in in person. Tours are free for locals.

Thanks for reading,

Meryl