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david sexton

As we'll see tonight on 'Autumnwatch', the process of fitting the satellite tags can be a stressful one for all concerned. We were very fortunate this year to have Justin Grant, who is very experienced and careful with handling young sea eagles in the nest whilst on the ground Roy Dennis was waiting to fit the tags. He is one of the few people in the UK able to do this and has decades of experience of handling birds of prey, especially eagles and ospreys (as many of you who read the Loch Garten blogs will know). We couldn't have had a better team assembled. Once the chicks have put up an initial impressive defense, they calm down rapidly and are quiet and relatively easy to handle. Both Mara and Breagha had their satellite tags carefully fitted by Roy. During the process, we fitted them with specially-made falconry hoods to calm them down even more and the whole job was over quickly. It's important that you know how we do it. The lightweight 70 gram packs are attached to a simple harness which fits comfortably around the wings and sits on the eaglet's back. It doesn't inhibit them in any way and they do not seem to spend any time trying to get it off or fiddling with it. It's just there from a relatively early age and is no more cumbersome than you or I wearing a wristwatch. The tape is carefully stitched together to hold it in place. This thread is designed to weather away after 3-4 years so the small pack falls off and can be retrieved from the hill wherever the satellite tells us it's lying. The eagle flies on and we can salvage the high-tech tag (each one costing £3000), carry out any maintenance that's needed and re-use it on another project. And in the meantime we have years of data to show how and where these young eagles go, all of which will help us in further sea eagle reintroduction projects across the UK.

Finally after the tags are safely attached, measurements taken and everyone's happy, we reverse the process and haul the eaglets in their soft canvas bags back into the safety of their nest. By this time, Frisa and Skye have long since given up calling and circling overhead. I can usually find them sitting together on the open hill or on a favourite tree. They may look less bothered but I know it's time we left. We need to leave them in peace now so they can quickly resume their normal feeding pattern. Just in case they take a bit longer to click back into normality, we always leave the chicks with a small offering - maybe a rabbit or two or some fish, just to see them through this brief disruption to their lives and routines. As the chicks are well developed by this stage and the adults are firmly bonded to them, there is no chance they will abandon them. That said, once we're all clear of the site and everyone else has departed, I wait and watch until one of the adults returns to the nest - just to be sure. The feeling of relief when either Frisa or Skye finally swoops down onto the nest and starts feeding a chick is hard to beat. Another year of essential monitoring work is almost complete and I can relax again. Those moments when I see the adults return to normal, feeding their young or preening nearby are some of the best bits of this job. I can pour a coffee from the flask, take a deep breath and start to enjoy life again. And I usually say to myself: "Never again!".

Update on Mara and Breagha: the latest satellite data shows that it was the male chick Mara who had the close encounter with the golden eagle on Ardnamurchan. Good on him! Meanwhile his sister Breagha seems to be conducting a tour of scenic attractions on the west coast of Mull - maybe MacKinnon's Cave, the Wilderness - anyone for Staffa? Both seem to be doing well. The map will be updated midweek. Today in stunning autumnal light, parents Frisa and Skye were together at the loch, perched one above the other in the beautiful yellow larches. On the loch were a small family group of recently arrived whooper swans, a party of wigeon and a few dabchicks. The perfect reflections of the hills in the still waters were the best I've seen them and then a lone red deer stag bellowed out his late rutting roar just below me. This is an amazing time to be on Mull - just don't tell anyone....

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

On Tuesday's 'Autumnwatch' come with us on the trip to fit the satellite tags - now you know how to do it! BBC Two 8pm

Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland Mull Officer

  • Thanks as always Dave, lovely story. Good old Mara! I had no idea the trackers were that expensive.

  • Thanks for that Dave - had to laugh at the "small snack" ie a rabbit or TWO!
  • Dave's description of Mull at the moment is spot on - we are being blessed with beautiful weather at the moment that seems to enhance the autumn colours - the sea is like glass - helps spotting the migratory birds a lot easier - hopefully some of you will see the beauty of Mull tonight on Autumnwatch - looking out of my small window at work, the garden is full of fieldfare, redwings and a magnificent Stag looking like Monarch of the Glen has just wandered past - a normal day on Mull!
  • Thank you Dave for a happy ending to your wonderful tagging story ( at least this time we knew it would be happy ) . So looking forward to tonight when we can actually see how it all happened . Your headings are very apt for me this morning as 'peace and tranquility restored' and 'stressful' are words that explained yesterday for me because my new grandson entered the world at 12.20 am this morning , drama having started at 8 ish yesterday morning . All is well and Archie has arrived !!! So pleased Mara and Breagha are doing well , so it was Mara who had the Goldie tussle - perhaps Breagha just wants to check out Mull and see where she wants to settle , you describe Mull beautifully and as I said yesterday you must have to pinch yourself sometimes when you wake to know how lucky you are - what a job . Take care Dave and roll on Autumnwatch .

    Valerie

  • You must have been really glad when it was over...As you say even though the tags and handling don't seem to bother them it must still be stressful for the parents and those on the ground.. Mull sounds wonderful at the moment... Here in the Highlands near LG we too have been enjoying the peace and quiet after the storm last week...I have been busy putting the garden to bed for the winter and making sure there are plenty of shelters for the wild critters that inhabit us.. We swept most of the leaves off the lawns but left a goodly pile for little things to nest in. The mice have now all ( like you I suspect ) encamped into the Barn for the winter as I can hear them shuffling about and next doors cat has suddenly become very interested ! The red squirrels are frantically gathering every nut and pine cone they can stuff into their mouths and dug hundreds of little holes in the garden burying them, so when the snow comes it will be fun to watch them search them out ! I have mulched all the beds which has pleased my blackbirds no end as they can now scratch it all up looking for food hiding under and finally ALL the spiders have decided that my bedroom is the place to be this winter...Sigh.... We lost several young tits in the sudden cold snap a few days ago which was sad but all else is as it should be..The only one complaining is our resident owl whose screeches at night tell me that he is mad all the mice are in the barn ! as is my other half who is busy designing our own squirrel assault course...:-)