Flying into a storm

The eaglets are never far from my thoughts. It's not that you can do much, if anything, about the challenges they will face now they are well and truly on the move. It's just that you worry about them and that's not going to change. Day by day, week by week they are exploring more of this wonderful part of western Scotland. It's what they should be doing of course. It's what we want them to do. But with every new flight, every new area of land, they will be struggling every day for their survival. I'm hoping that by now they have learned well from their excellent parents, Frisa and Skye. They must have done or else they wouldn't have survived this long. Even if their hunting skills are not up to much yet, they will be happily scavenging on any carcase they find on the hill or along the shore and that will keep them going for now. Mara was the first to show some spirit and spent time on the Ross of Mull, meeting another young sea eagle from last year and then, at last, he was joined by his big sister, Breagha (meaning 'beauty' in Gaelic). I don't know what it is about her but she had me worrying more about her than I did for Mara. I know you shouldn't have favourites but I confess, I think she's one of them. Maybe it was her initial reluctance to fledge from the nest and then her tendancy to stay close to Loch Frisa when Mara was already off exploring to Tobermory and Calgary. All I know is, she made me lose some sleep this summer! I was so pleased to see from the data and maps that she had also made that journey to the Ross and that she too was showing the first real signs of becoming independent. By nightfall, they often returned to more familiar territory to roost but one day last week, Breagha took that additional further step away from her island home. The storms that have raged while I've been away will have pushed her along on that journey and the Storm Force 10 winds that battered Mull yesterday (and which nearly cancelled our ferry home), will have probably forced her on further still. I await the next sat tag data with some trepidation. Already this autumn we have received some upsetting news of one of the chicks from a nest in Wester Ross. It was found, barely alive, in a ditch some miles east of the nest after what may have been its first major flight away from the parent's home range. Local wildlife care experts and vets did their best - but sadly to no avail. I haven't heard the final results of the post mortem yet but the location of the inexperienced young bird - very near some power lines - and the types of awful injuries it had sustained, suggested it had misjudged its flight or been blown into the power lines. A sad, early end for this youngster and a warning of just some of the threats that are out there for all our young eagles at this dangerous time of year. But Mara and Breagha are strong and healthy and have their whole lives ahead of them. They've been taught well and have had the best possible start in life at Loch Frisa. We don't know where these strong winds will carry them but with the data we receive, we will, for the first time, know more about the movements of young, dispersing sea eagles than ever before. I hope you'll join me on this journey with them. We'll keep you as up to date with their news as we are, with a few extra stories of our adventures with the sea eagles over the years thrown in for good measure! Meanwhile, for Mara - and especially for Breagha - their first major journeys really have begun at last.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

2115hrs

"Autumnwatch" is coming! Tune in for the first live programme Monday evening 27 October, BBC Two 8pm. The 'Mull Eagle Diary' films begin in Week 2, next Monday 3 November, continue Tuesday 4th and conclude Wednesday 5th November. Enjoy!