Phew! What a week that was! Just about recovered from Wild Isles Week but what a fantastic week it was. There were many events around the Island from Corncrake Walks, Evening Birdsong Walks, Looking for Otters and lots of talks on a whole variety of subjects, as well as the Eagle Hide open to trips twice a day. The trips were fully booked all week and our visitors were treated to some great displays by Skye and Frisa as well as sightings of our ever growing chicks.
I am amazed at how quickly the chicks are growing - it doesnt seem five minutes ago when I rang Dave from the forward hide saying "I think we have a hatching", and then the following week ringing him and saying "I'm pretty sure we have two chicks - just keep seeing a little white ball of fluff bobbing up and down". They are now an incredible 5 weeks old - they have lost most of their fluffy white down and are now dark grey in colour. A couple of times, we have managed to spot them trying to feed themselves, trying to take a lump of food and nearly falling over in the process. You can see their little wings moving up and down as they move about the nest. Skye and Frisa are just brilliant parents, bringing in food to the nest, making sure both are fed and sitting near to the nest making sure they dont get into any trouble.
The siskins and great spotted woodpecker continue to provide great entertainment to our visitors in the hide and the young sandmartins have fledged already - the youngsters sit on the fence down at the lochside begging for food from any bird that flies past. The buzzards are rearing young as we have seen food being taken into the nest and our pied wagtails are now feeding young - its a real hive of activity.
I shall leave you with some photos I took during Wild Isles Week. I hope to get some shots of the chicks as they grow but unfortunately the light has been too poor to get a decent photo.
Here is the link to the Estonian Webcam - click on the White Tailed Eagle Camera - direct stream and see how the chicks are doing - they are the same age as Skye and Frisa's and give a great insight to their antics
Ah, Dave - talking of 'wild life,' I see that you have a police record with the Strathclyde police. See http://www.strathclyde.police.uk/index.asp?docID=5217 I was actually looking up something on a particular incident in Glasgow and found this instead! One day I hope to get to Mull, but meanwhile, and for more reasons than one, your blogs serve to paint a vivid picture for me, accompanied now by all Debby's photos and the wonders of the surrogate webcam. You bring back such fond memories of the sea eagle we met two summers running in Wester Ross. Thank you. You have also stirred me out of my complacency, to do something that might in some way help the birds. Let us all remember our common interest, which is the eagles and their well-being. I just got another friend, a Nepali out in the Himalayas, to sign the petition against poisoning the eagles in Ireland! Wonderful. So - see what a worldwide effect this blog of yours is having and know that what you are doing is very, very good. [Please note, I am nothing if not sincere]
Reply: Thanks Mex. Mull's eagles and other wildlife get alot of support from Strathclyde Police here. We're very lucky to have such dedicated police officers who work on any wildlife crime problems in addition to everything else they have to do. You have done a fantastic job helping us and the birds with issues like the poisoning of White G and now the Irish project. I'm sure you've inspired many to do the same. Glad we can bring a little bit of Mull and the private lives of the eagles into your life. By the way Mull is looking distinctly less stunning today with coast to coast low cloud and heavy rain. Hope those eaglets are tucked up nice and warm. Thank you again. D
Hi Debby yes Alexandra Mull is always stunning and wildlife is always there.We always enjoy looking for it ourselves and often find other holiday people who we meet up again with and share knowledge but we also take any help from local experts and people like Dave and the people who run the wildlife tours are brilliant and provide a good service for people who perhaps haven't much time or perhaps haven't the knowledge to find it there talents may be in other things.Personally a big thank you to people who run the wildlife tours as although we have never been on one when we have met them out and about they have been really helpful luckily where we stay we get a lot of help as well.Best wishes.
Alexandra, your first comment this year ( I haven't seen you on any earlier blogs) and you are already calling the people who kindly comment on these sites 'Spoonfed'.
We went through this last year and I am really going to object to your comments this time...Many people who comment are incapable of getting out to the wild places that
these wonderful birds live, for many reasons, a lot of them live far far away. Many are from abroad.
Your repeated assumption that those on the blog are a lazy bunch is not fair or warrented.
You live in a beautiful place in Scotland, the Black Isle, if my memory serves me correctly and have wildlife on your doorstep.
I don't expect you have to go more than a mile to see birds of prey...Well lucky you...
You are also on the blog though so why is that? Surely you must be to busy birdwatching outside to sit and watch the fascinating
unfolding of this years drama to write a comment???
Comment: Thanks for all contributions but we'll draw a line under this now. The eagle hide on Mull is unique and special and offers 'access for all' as today showed. Frisa & Skye and their two chicks are well and tonight were relaxed and preening in the evening sun. Some visitors today who might never have had the thrill of seeing, close-up, white-tailed sea eagles, were blown away by their visit and will never forget their moment in the company of eagles. For us at the hide, we hope, we know, there will be many more such moments. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. New blog tomorrow. Goodnight. Dave.