16th August 2017
At last, after a long and nerve-wracking wait, the chick at Tiroran Community Forest has successfully made her first flight.
Tiroran chick in the nest at four weeks old
On the afternoon of Friday the 11th, I arrived at the hide and was greeted by the sight of an empty nest. Nothing was seen of the family until a little later when I had a quick peek through the scope and spotted a pair of conspicuous yellow feet clinging onto a branch below the nest. After comically shuffling along the branch to avoid the strong winds, we saw some flapping and eventually, the chick made it to a higher branch and sat there for the duration for us all to admire.
Chick perched underneath the nest after fledging
At one point dad even landed in the nest and we got to see him sat directly above his teetering chick who almost looked desperate to return to its safety.
On the Sunday, visitors witnessed her soaring in the sunshine already like a pro. She’ll remain dependent on her parents for a few more months yet and hopefully, by the end of this month, we’ll have a name for her.
Trips are still running until the end of September but views of the eagles at both sites are no longer guaranteed.
As usual, you can book on a tour at either (or both!) of our two hides by contacting Craignure Visitor Information Centre on 01680 812556.
Thanks for reading,
Meryl