A day for reflection

Today is a good day to reflect and remember. Even on days when the cloud level is low and the drizzle doesn't let up, you know that it won't be long before the clear, blue skies return. The weather here usually moves through rapidly - stand around for an hour and you can get all four seasons. Mull can be a magical place at this time of year - the air seems full of young birds testing new wings, toadstools appear on roadside verges and frogs cover the roads on wet nights. The swallows and house martins are leaving en masse but still at dusk, pipistrelle bats flit around the garden. It's that in-between time: summer is not quite done but autumn is standing by, threatening in the wings. Today has been grey and dull and dreich - but out of it all, we've witnessed a remarkable event with two northern bottle-nosed whales appearing in Loch Scridain, probably a mother and calf. Why come here from their deep water Arctic home? They look well and healthy; let's hope they stay that way.

Meanwhile at Loch Frisa our sea eagle chicks have, not surprisingly, kept a low profile. We know they are fine from the satellite tag data; we know Mara the male has been exploring far and wide (see the map) from Calgary, north to Tobermory and south to Salen. Breagha continues to be more of a stay at home daughter but is also going further afield in her brother's wake. It's a time of mixed emotions for all of us. We've watched them from day 1 as tiny, down covered chicks who would fit in the palm of your hand, to today as fully grown young eagles with 7-8 ft wingspans, ready to explore their new world. We know they will leave us soon and we have a sense of trepidation. We know how dangerous it will be for them. They don't. So on this day when so many are remembering world changing events from the past, it is comforting tonight to think of our eagle family, roosting together in their favourite trees around their favourite loch and that whatever happens for them in their next life chapter, we've all helped give them the best start possible.

Tomorrow is the last day at the hide this season and the last day here for Chris Griffin, our Information Officer. We'll report tomorrow on whether the eagles give him a good send-off. I think they will.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer