We have been sampling some truly wonderful Autumn weather on Mull at the moment - bright days with chilly evenings and this morning, for the first time, we had to scrape the frost from the car windscreen. The colours will now come into their own with the leaves on the trees turning every shade of yellow, orange and brown before they finally fall.
Today, at the hide, with a backdrop of blue sky and sunshine, a glass was raised to this year's fledged chicks. It has been a good year for both the white tailed eagles and the goldies - we wish them a safe journey as they embark on the long and dangerous road to adulthood.
This week at the hide, the visitors have been bowled over by some pretty spectacular displays from both types of eagles. Skye and Frisa, of course, have provided some magnificent flying displays over the loch and then coming to rest on a branch, side by side like an old married couple. We have also had a 3 year old female, fledged from Mull, hanging around. She seems to want to join in with Skye and Frisa on some of their flying displays as we have seen the 3 of them flying high above the far side of the loch. Not to be outdone, the Goldies have been pretty spectacular too - at one point, we had 3 juveniles circling high into the sky before swooping towards the ground at a rate of knots - quite a sight.
But the best surprise this week occurred one morning as I drove down to open the hide. Many of you who have visited Loch Frisa, may remember the small island in front of the hide. As I pulled up outside the hide, I glanced across and thought "wow - thats a fat heron" - and then realising, "thats no heron, its an eagle!" I quickly focussed my binoculars and there we had a young sea eagle, just going into its second winter, some white on its tail, still a relatively dark beak - Frisa sat nearby watching closely - yes, it was Heather, our female chick back home. She has spent a fair bit of time around Loch Frisa - maybe with no chicks to feed this year, Skye and Frisa are quite happy to have her around. She looked fantastic, healthy and well.
Heather - Photo Debby Thorne
Another sign of Autumn is the great migration with the arrival of geese and the change in plumage of our Divers. We have a resident population of grey lag geese but their numbers are swollen at this time of year with birds heading down from the frozen north to spend winter in the UK at many of our reserves and estuaries. This week we have seen the arrival of 4 little grebe and await our first whooper swans.
Grey Lag Geese - Photo Debby Thorne
Of course, the feeders are still busy with our small birds and even the chaffinches are a great source of delight to visitors to both young and old. The finches are forming large flocks now and the stunning goldfinches are moving in and eating up the seeds on the thistles around the bird feeders.
Female Chaffinch - photo Debby Thorne
The other great spectacle that is about to start is the Rut! Already we are seeing large groups of deer coming down from the hillside and the occasional bellow has been heard. I have to say, Autumn is my favourite season and on Mull, we are truly spoilt, not only with the colours but with some of nature's great events.
The hide will be staying open through the autumn and winter so come and share some of these magical moments with me - you wont be disappointed! Mull Eagle Watch
Debby Thorne
White Tailed Eagle Information Officer
Isle of Mull
Dave - there are one or two unfinished strands from a while ago: one is that in July you wrote about Yellow G, sighted in Argyll and his brother Yellow P, at 4 years old, paired up far away with another bird from Mull and rearing two chicks. You hoped to give us more news. Is there any? Please elucidate, if so.... [Dave, you may be relieved that I can't recall the other 'unfinished strand', but I think it may have been the survival of one out of two chicks from a nest on Mull?? Perhaps I have dreamt it... My dreams are vividly detailed and can be convincingly realistic!!]
Jane, 28th September 2010. I agree with you about the cold nights and am thinking about all our feathered friends on Mull. My husband and I are looking forward to our trip in a few weeks. We would love to see some of the action of the Rut. But ofcourse are hoping to see our favourite Yellow Black Spot sitting in her tree like a cuckoo in a clock.
We will keep tracking the new chicks and try to spot them if they are still around.
Keep up the good work.
Lovely to hear from you again and I see from the tracking map both the new chicks doing well.
How marvellous to see Heather again so near her mum and dad, I wonder if they recognise each other?
It certainly has been cold at night after a glorious September (much better than Augusts weather), even in Southern England.
I wish I could also see Mull in the Autumn, with my husband still looking for a job I hope something comes up so that we can visit you next summer.
Jillian
Fab pics as ever...nice to have one of the kids hanging about!!! I too love autumn, and am as jealous as ever of you!!!
Debby what a beautiful blog, sounds absolutely on Mull. Lovely to read about Heather and that Skye and Frisa are putting on a good show. Deer rut and all the birds too, so much to see. Off to Loch Garten next year I hope but think I will have to think about a visit to Mull to see all the things you describe so well.