Okay, I confess, I've not been to Loch Frisa today. It was family time, a bit of gardening, sorting the pond and getting the firewood in the woodshed. I guess we all prepare for seasons in different ways. But for the autumn and winter ahead, the birds in the garden were doing their fair share of stocking up. Bullfinches were on the rose hips, chaffinches were, well, everywhere and a buzzard was hunting voles out in the field.
But despite attempts to have a day off, we were still visited mid afternoon unexpectedly by a roving GMTV film crew who were interested in finding out more about sea eagles on Mull after the various and surprising claims of lamb losses emerging from further north in Scotland in recent weeks. We'll see how that turns out tomorrow.
For now though, our Loch Frisa twins are fine and hopefully tomorrow I may even catch a glimpse of them with my own eyes and not just via sat tag data on a computer screen!
Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer
Dave - have loved your blogs so much that my husband and I have decided to visit Mull so are heading over for a few days this week. You should win an award for your contribution to the Mull tourist industry!
We stay at Grantown-on-Spey, so not too far to travel, just hope the weather isn't as bad as the forecasts say! Just one downside will be not knowing how poor Deshar is fairing - it doesn't look good, but as your blogs show, nature can sometimes surprise us.
What the heck-we know the difference!
Carrie, did they know that they were filming buzzards or did they think that they were fillming sea eagles?
Hi Dave - well - why husband and daughter went off to the screen machine, and the ironing pile just was not calling to me -thought I would have a drive up to Frisa - it's one of my favourite spots! It was late afternoon, very bright but with threat of showers - arrived at the hide - nothing! oh well I thought, will have a meander to see if there are any stray ospreys - got about 5 yards and over the nest that familiar sight that takes your breath away - no mistaking - 99% sure it was Frisa - her head is sooo white! she was just drifing on a thermal, very high and then gradually was heading in my direction! Please come and see me I was thinking - and of course, she obliged - directly overhead - very high but as if to say, hi - nice of you to pop by! just brilliant! then carried on down the loch, watched a kestrel for ages, then caught sight of black dots in the sky - 2 very large ones and the usually hoodies - would love to think they were Mara and Breagha but to be honest just could not tell from the distance - or they were 2 goldies - Loch Frisa was just beautiful in sun as ever, fleeting shower that was over before you had time to put a waterproof on - then coming out of Frisa, the most beautiful rainbow - certainly was better than doing the ironing! For any Loch Garten bloggers, I have no internet access at the moment (doing this from work) but am fully aware of Deshar's plight - everything crossed for him!