Our white-tailed eagle chick at Glen Seilisdeir on the Isle of Mull was 11 weeks old yesterday and is very active on the nest indicating that it will be fledging very soon. It is already ‘branching out’: flapping and scrambling out onto the branches that radiate from the broken top of the sitka spruce tree where the birds have chosen to nest this year.
This can be the most dangerous time for the young eagle as its first flight is literally a leap of faith. Sometimes the chick will be exercising its huge wings, when a sudden gust of wind catches it and off it goes. Occasionally, it gets the hang of things immediately and flaps and glides in a beautiful arc, landing back on the nest with a flurry of feathers. Other times it crashes into a nearby tree, or comes to ground below the nest tree with a bump. Often, it will then spend the next few days calling plaintively for the adults to come and feed it.
When successfully airborne, the juvenile white-tailed eagle will shadow its parents as they head off over Loch Scridain, the nearby sea loch where Iona and Fingal do much of their hunting, watching their hunting technique. Last year I watched as Iona flew down and snatched a red-breasted merganser from the water. As she headed off toward her favourite rock to perch and eat her prize, last years juvenile, Orion, launched herself from the tree where she had been watching proceedings, and flew directly toward Iona, flipping over at the last moment and snatching away the carcase. Iona had to start the hunting process all over again.
Very sadly, many of our British birds of prey still face an uncertain future as persecution is still commonplace in some areas. In the past we have had one of the Mull-fledged white-tailed eagles poisoned on the Scottish mainland, but earlier this year there was an appalling poisoning incident in Ross-shire where the bodies of at least 16 red kites and 6 buzzards were found, highlighting the ongoing problem. A couple from the Black isle that visited Mull Eagle Watch earlier in the year told me that in Spring they had been watching from their garden over 30 red kites at a time flying. Following the incident, they were only seeing one. The perpetrators of this crime are yet to be found, despite the offer of a substantial reward for information about the crime.
Hen harriers are one of the main targets for persecution, especially on the grouse moors. Last year they think that these magnificent birds were extinct or near extinction as a breeding bird in England: an appalling situation. Show your support for our birds of prey by checking out information on the internet on how you can help. Start by investigating ‘Hen Harrier Day’ which takes place for the first time on 10th August.
The ranger-lead trips at Mull Eagle Watch, which last 2 hours and start at 10am and 1pm each weekday from the car park in Glen Seilisdeir, will continue through August and September. We will be walking through the forest to the seashore, watching for our local white-tailed eagles, golden eagles and the multitude of other wildlife that occurs in Tiroran Forest. We also have many historical sites within the woodland, including the remains of a ruined township, and we plan to have our local historical expert with us on some of the trips. To book ring 01680 812 556 or call in to the Visit Information Centre at Craignure, at the head of the pier where the ferry from Oban lands.
John Clare, Isle of Mull Community Information and Tourism Officer.