Here we are into June already, and while Springwatch covers one of the more recent Isle of Mull pairs of white-tailed eagles (a Mull-fledged bird and a Scottish East coast release bird) the Mull Eagle Watch trips continue at Tiroran Forest in Glen Seilisdeir.
Our white-tailed eagle chick is 27 days old today and is growing rapidly. Already its plumage is darkening and the parents are spending less and less time on the nest. Prey in the form of sea fish and seabirds is brought in regularly, with Iona and Fingal only generally remaining for a short while on the nest itself to feed the youngster. For the remainder of the time they are either off hunting, soaring above the woodland, or roosting in the tops of nearby spruce trees where they preen and watch for potential threats.
On a clear day, the view from the hide is spectacular: Ben More, the highest mountain on Mull forms the backdrop to the foreground of dense blocks of conifer trees with moorland above. In addition to the activity of our pair of white-tailed eagles, Iona and Fingal, on and around the nest, we regularly see golden eagles soaring overhead, including a pair of non-breeding sub-adult birds that appear to be looking to set up a territory nearby. Ravens, hooded crows and buzzards are always in the vicinity too, and sometimes mob our pair as they fly to and from the nest. Siskins, chaffinches, coal tits and greenfinches regularly visit the nut and seed feeders, we hear cuckoo, wren, blackcap, willow warbler and great spotted woodpecker and occasionally red-throated diver.
Today we have hardly seen the nest at all, however, as a ceo (sea mist) rolled in at 9am and stayed for most of the day. The midges were numerous as well, thriving in the still, moist air, attracting a host of hirundines – swallows and house martins – that swooped and wheeled above the glistening tops of the forest trees and over the rushing burn that flows down the Glen to enter Loch Scridain, the sea loch where Iona and Fingal do much of their hunting.
The spruce and larch trees have put on extensive growth in the last few weeks and it is now harder from a distance to differentiate between the two species – a vital factor in visitors identifying where the eagle nest is located. In the small patches of deciduous woodland at Tiroran, the bluebells are still dominating the senses of sight and smell, while the flowers of grassland and heathland species including pignut and tormentil are now dominant in the open areas. We have been seeing more invertebrate life recently, with the emergence of green tiger beetles, wood tiger beetles, golden-ringed dragonflies and the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. An unusual sighting at the weekend was a silver hook moth – a nationally notable species.
Mull Eagle Watch is a 5-star Visit Scotland attraction and was awarded a Silver Green Tourism award 2 years ago. We still use solar panels for all of our energy requirements and have carried out various environmental improvements such as minimising vehicle usage (only less-mobile visitors are allowed to bring their vehicles on site), encouraging visitors to cycle to the event, collecting rainwater for site uses, and promoting recycling and local purchasing. We are also a dog-friendly visitor attraction and encourage children to visit and learn about environmental issues.
Trips are 2 hours long, ranger-lead and take place at 10am and 1pm each weekday. To book ring 01680 812 556 or pop in to the Visit Information Centre at Craignure.