(what a great song that was from Ian Dury!)
I know over recent weeks, its been hard to be really cheerful with the failure of the nest at Loch Frisa but we do have lots of things to be really cheerful about.
Our most exciting news is that one of the eggs on our buzzard nest has hatched! Our female buzzard has been incubating two eggs for just over a month - there is a camera on the nest with pictures beamed back into the hide. The first egg was due to hatch over the weekend and I couldnt get to the hide quick enough on Monday morning to turn on the camera and see if we had a chick. And there it was! A small ball of fluff, hardly able to hold its head up - and there was the proud mum, feeding the tiniest morsels with such tenderness and gentleness - I felt truly humbled to be watching this touching scene. And here it is - the first public viewing of our buzzard chick - I have taken a capture from our monitor so apologies for the quality but thought you would like a glimpse!
You can see the 2nd egg next to the chick - fingers crossed for hatching in the next day or two!
Here is a screen capture of Mum feeding the tiniest morsels to her new arrival!
On Tuesday we also spotted our first chicks out on the Loch - our female mallard set out across the Loch followed by her newly hatched brood of 10 chicks. We are pretty sure the sand martins have or are pretty close to hatching. We now have a camera set up alongside the quarry with close of views of the sand martin burrows so we can watch their comings and goings from the hide. This morning we were treated to a male hen harrier hunting across the far side of the loch - the first view of a harrier for several of our visitors.
What about Skye and Frisa I hear you ask? Well not to be outdone, they have provided some pretty spectacular displays this week. For a couple of days they had returned to a favourite knoll where they have great views of the glen - sat side by side enjoying the wonderful warm sunny weather we are enjoying at present (long may it last!). Unfortunately the lapwings were not too impressed with their choice of perch and certainly gave them a serious telling off - probably too close to their nest. Both Skye and Frisa then took off and did a wonderful flying display, across the fields and over the loch. Frisa still feels the need to spend some time on the nest - so strong is her instinct to carry on incubating the egg that must still be in the bottom of the nest - but these spells are getting shorter and shorter, mainly overnight. The pair of them are back together again and looking splendid in the sunshine.
Of course the siskins are still here - as feisty as ever and a real hit with our visitors.
Siskin - Loch Frisa, photo Debby Thorne
We also have a camera in an owl nesting box - the barn owl is a regular visitor and we have everything crossed he will take up residence in this newly installed nest box.
The weather has been truly wonderful - bright sunny days with beautiful blue skies - we really do have lots of reasons to be cheerful. So you can see, there is a great deal going on at Loch Frisa - do come and see us - we have lots to show you! Full details of Mull Eagle Watch.
Debby Thorne
White Tailed Eagle Information Officer
Hi - sorry for taking so long to do the next blog - been a bit hectic on Mull - with chick ringing, Dave has been poorly with a virus - hopefully on the mend now - school sports day and running trips to the hide! New blog published soon! Sooty - the photos that were published in the press were by Iain Erskine - there were two photos - one was of one our adult sea eagles warning off a buzzard who had been mobbing him, the second picture was one of the sea eagles with a hooded crow - I guess thats the one you are referring to. They were great pictures and really showed the agility of these huge birds. Sylviamac - Wild Isles week was a great success - lots of different events on the Island from our own Corncrake Walk, through to evening barbecues on the Treshnish Isles and the weather was great too!
Funny that what seemed like a Hooded Crow had fantastic talons and was called a Buzzard.
Thanks very much for the Daily Mail reference, Jillian - and also hope to hear soon from Dave/Debby.........
Dave and the Mull eagles famous again in the Daily Mail online today. The things he does to get into the paper. Look forward to reading the next blog about how many eagle chicks have made it this year on Mull.
JILLIAN
Thanks for your update and lovely photos Debby, - I guess the buzzard chick will have grown a bit by now. Good to hear that Skye and Frisa are relaxing and enjoying life somewhat now. We would love to be with you, visiting the hide, watching the wildlife etc. Had to put plans on hold this year, but slight possibility we may make it in September, - if not then next year! Was the Mull wildlife week well supported? It was excellent last year. So much to see and enjoy on Mull.