January 2nd and New Year's Day 2009 Update - "It may be winter outside...

...but in my heart it's spring" (Love Unlimited Orchestra 1973).

January 2nd message...just to say that I've just read a blog from Mark Thomas of our Investigations Dept about our campaign called 'Good Men Stand Up'. It's inspiring and I urge you to read it. It's on our RSPB web site and is the most recent blog posted. Hopefully the winds of change will blow across our countryside in 2009 and some more good men will stand up.

And thank you for your support...this is now officially an "award winning" web site! It was voted the 'Best Wildlife Website' in the 'ForArgyll.Com' Awards. Next stop, the Baftas...

January 1st Update...welcome to 2009!

Some satellite data for 30 December just in...Mara was near Mull's highest mountain, Ben More, maybe soaring over the summit? Meanwhile Breagha was down on the south side of Mull at Loch Spelve near Croggan. Wonderful to know they're still with us into the New Year.

More in the next few days...

Dave Sexton 

So Frisa and Skye, as expected, are keeping us guessing! One day they're on their favourite old nest of a few years ago; the next they're building at an entirely new location. I wish I knew what it was about a particular tree which attracted sea eagles to start nest building. Sometimes you can hazard a guess. Some are big and obvious, the biggest tree for miles around with views in all directions. But then they'll go and settle on a feeble stunted larch hidden in a gully with no outlook whatsoever.

But here they were flying back and forth with sticks to a new tree on the edge of the wood. I've seen them perched there a few times back in the summer shortly after Mara and Breagha had fledged. I think the twins often sat around on the floor of the forest and the parents perched above them to keep a careful eye on their early flights. Now here they were back in the same tree and building fast and furious. But why that tree rather than the thousands all around? We'll never know.

As has been the case for days now, it was sunny and frosty; perfect nest building weather. Despite the wintry conditions, Frisa and Skye kept busy for an hour or more until their enthusiasm subsided and they settled down to preen. I let my mind wander and to think ahead to the spring. If they carry on building in the same spot, what will the view be like for all our visitors? Where would be the best location for the hide? And which tree will be the favourite perch for the off duty bird? So many things to ponder and to plan for next year. The trouble is we can't decide on anything until the last minute as the birds themselves might not make their final choice until days before they lay. And so for now we just enjoy watching this behaviour and making educated guesses about what lies ahead.

As 2008 draws to a close, we can take a little time to recall some of the highlights and lowpoints of the past year. Let's get the low points out of the way first: searching unsuccessfully far and wide for the X's first nest site - which probably never existed in the first place; the scare Frisa and Skye gave us in their reaction to the nest camera (happily all sorted when everything returned to normal); the disturbance of the incubating female at Territory 2 by a photographer and the subsequent failure of that nest; the discovery of the dead chick at the base of the nest tree at Territory 33 when we all thought it had fledged successfully; the loss of our 2007 Mull sea eagle chick 'White G' to poisoning in Tayside.

And the high points? Mara and Breagha fledging successfully and surviving through the autumn; over 4000 visitors enjoying their visit to see Frisa and Skye at the hide; the contributions and support for this blog; rescuing Bonnie the Jack Russell; the successful prosecution for reckless disturbance at Territory 2; finding the nest and chick at Territory 40;  the best year for a decade for golden eagles on Mull; the reaction to and impact of White G's poisoning which continues still with coverage in the Scotsman this week; welcoming some of the east coast releases to Mull; knowing Itchy and Scratchy are alive and well; filming for Autumnwatch and simply following the day to day lives of the amazing sea eagles of Mull.

Whatever you are doing this New Year's Eve, I wish you a happy and peaceful night and a healthy and prosperous 2009. Thank you for reading this and for supporting our special birds.

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer