Be young, be foolish but be happy

It was time to ground-truth the satellite tag data which has been coming in recently for one of the two 2010 white-tailed eagle chicks. The data was suggesting that the chick might have fledged but the last time I checked, the youngster was still firmly on the nest although it frequently jumped out onto a nearby branch and then back again. It wasn't quite ready just yet.

This sunny Sunday afternoon, I bumped along the rough farm track towards the river and was suddenly aware of a commotion down by the loch. I pulled up in a cloud of dust and gravel causing the local sheep to look up in alarm. Down at the water's edge, I saw first one, then both adult sea eagles flying fast and furiously in all directions, as if chasing something. They were under seige from a large flock of hooded crows and I suspect the eagles were probably in pursuit of a young hoodie. As one eagle missed its target, its mate took over the chase. The speed and skill of the two massive birds made me realise, yet again, just how misjudged they often are when it comes to aerial dexterity. They have a reputation for being lazy; of sitting around all day waiting to steal prey from some other predator which has done all the hard work and then loses it to a marauding sea eagle. Lazy this was not.

As quickly as it had started, it was all over. Both eagles landed, one with their chosen quarry clenched firmly in those hand-sized feet and talons and the hoodies reluctantly departed. For once, they were the losers. The flock containing one less member. What amazing cooperative hunting from the two adult eagles. When they have a hungry chick to provide for, there's no arguing about who gets the food.

I positioned the Landrover with a good view to the loch, just as the adult with the prey took off and flew purposefully towards the nest area. I said a quiet 'Yeeesss!' to myself as the recently fledged, dark brown and unsteady chick came hurtling out of the wood and gave chase. The adult kept flying, as if making the offspring work for its supper. With the chick closing on its parent, the adult eagle dropped to the ground. The chick crash landed, smashing into the adult which went tumbling backwards in a flurry of brown and white feathers. The chick quickly recovered its composure and pounced on the prey, just as the adult bird leaped out of the way. This was no longer a cute, downy chick which the parent had to tenderly feed beak to beak. Oh no. This baby was now fully grown. The food belonged to him and he was perfectly capable of tearing it up himself. Move over mum. This eaglet has landed!

As the chick mantled the prey with young, perfect wings outstretched in the bracken and bog myrtle, the parent took off and perched in a favourite tree to recover from the ungrateful treatment it had just received from the tetchy toddler. Then the chick's dismantling of the prey began with feathers flying in all directions. Watching this fabulous young eagle dispatching the prey so skillfully made me feel strangely proud. Another youngster was well on its way to independence day, several months from now. It was like being at your kid's graduation.

After half an hour or so, with the food all gone, the chick flew with the surprising agility of a bird which had probably been on the move for a few days. The satellite data was correct after all. I should never have doubted our eye in the sky. However, the eaglet still has some work to do to perfect the landings. There was another crumpled heap as he plonked down by the loch edge and then tottered straight into the water. It was comical to watch as it peered down into the water for minutes on end. Perhaps he was seeing his scary reflection or maybe watching young trout flashing through the shallows? 

He bent forward to drink several times, the droplets dripping off the tip of that massive beak. The last time he bent forward, he over-balanced and splashed a bit further in. You could almost see the thought processes going on in that hard-wired raptorial brain - so is this what a bath is like? With that, he settled right down in the water and started to splash around with some uncertainty. First one side, then the other. Then the whole head under. Suddenly it must have all felt a bit too deep and dangerous and he leaped out with a great shower of water and slumped onto a slippery boulder - which he promptly slipped off and back into the water again with a splosh.

Enough was enough. Time to compose some regal eagle splendour. This time he summoned up all his strength and newly discovered skill and he flew, with an osprey-like shake of water from his feathers, to a stunted, dead oak and landed surprisingly gracefully. With the adult still perched nearby watching this whole ungainly performance, the young eagle began to relax and preen and all was right with the world. The image of that chick with the parent bird alongside in that exact same setting transported me back 25 years to that very special first chick. But that's another story.

It was time to head for home. Another special young eagle was starting to make his way in the world. "Don't let the rain get you down, it's a waste of time. Have your fun, live every day in the bright sunshine".

And we'll be with him every step of the way.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

This year's two satellite tagged sea eagle chicks from Mull will make their debut on the world stage later this summer. Stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile please come and visit the Mull Eagle Hide by calling to book on a trip on 01680 812 556 Mull Eagle Watch