Even though we are getting our satellite data through regularly and we know they are both fine, sometimes you just want to set eyes on one or both of our young sea eagles - just to be sure!
This is just a short update as I'm on the move for the next few days. We know from the latest satellite data that on Monday night, Breagha was almost back home and roosted on the opposite side to Loch Frisa from where her nest was last year. Meanwhile Mara was at Loch Ba, perhaps in the company of other young sea eagles. As the days begin to lengthen - albeit very slowly - we also saw a slight charge in the solar batteries on the satellite tags so we're hopeful this will also begin operating to its full potential in the coming months giving us even more and regular information on their movements and whereabouts.
On Sunday evening I took a call from Iain Erskine, our island Port Manager for CalMac who is an excellent photographer and who helped support Mull Eagle Watch in a big way when he was our police sergeant for Strathclyde Police. He had just witnessed a very sustained chase by one of his local golden eagles after a young sea eagle. With camera in hand (as always) he managed to fire off a trillion digital shots of the encounter which was relentless. It was only later when he looked at the images and then printed some off for me that he realised the young sea eagle had a satellite transmitter on it! The photos show him/her looking in great condition and it's just fantastic to actually set eyes on one of our chicks after so long relying on the satellite data to reassure us. We know that both chicks were fine after that dramatic encounter and from the data and location of her roost on Sunday/Monday we think the chick in question may well have been Breagha. Well done girl, you survived and probably learnt yet another valuable lesson: don't mess with territorial golden eagles!
So as the first flakes of snow begin to fall on Mull this morning (we've so far escaped the 'chaos' in the rest of the UK) I'll leave you with the news that Mara and Breagha seem in fine fettle thus far in this their first big winter test. Frisa and Skye taught them well. Until next time...
Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer