Sat tag update

Just a little more detail on the latest data from Mara and Breagha. On the 16th November, Breagha was on the south side of Loch Buie in the south of Mull at 1005. Her brother Mara was just north of Salen on Mull's east coast two days later on the 18th at 0648 so he had probably roosted nearby - and not a million miles from his old nest site at Loch Frisa.

The sat tags are now on their winter timings which means, I'm afraid, that the data will be even more sporadic. The aim of this is to conserve the battery life of the packs during the long darker winter months. But conversely it should mean that when we do get readings it will be better quality and more precise. For the scientific study which is underway using this data to plot juvenile sea eagle dispersal from their nest area it will be frequent enough to get a general picture of their movements. For me and many of you, it won't be anything like enough as I just want to know where they are all the time! This won't be possible so we'll just have to wait patiently for every download - just like the Loch Garten osprey data which is now much less frequent than during Deshar and Nethy's long migration flights. The up-side is that the batteries should last even longer - maybe 3-4 years if we're lucky. That's assuming Mara and Breagha survive their first difficult winter alone and then don't encounter anyone or anything that would harm them. Work to ensure White G's death was not in vain continues apace. Meanwhile, in between data downloads, I'll keep you posted on any other sea eagle news which arises on Mull and elsewhere.

Tomorrow, I'm on the move again - this time for a meeting in Edinburgh with the Sea Eagle Project Team which oversees and assists with all the reintroduction projects in the UK and Ireland. This year there is a lot to report on - much of it good and exciting: 28 wild sea eagle chicks fledged on the west coast of Scotland, 15 Norway-bred birds were released on the east coast, a further 20 were released in Ireland and now we hear of some exciting plans from Natural England, RSPB and Anglian Water to further boost the UK project on the east coast of England. Twenty five years ago, someone born on Mull will have grown up with these birds as a normal, natural part of their everyday lives. Now they may have children of their own. The sea eagles will seem like they've always been here. It's quite a thought that 25 years from now, if sea eagles are to become a 'routine' part of everyday life in England, our descendants will still marvel at them as we do now and as our ancestors did many Centuries ago. And they'll hopefully wonder what all the fuss and scaremongering headlines were all about in 2008! Time will tell. If you support this project or have questions about it, see the lead story on the RSPB Home Page to see what you can do to help.

More news if I can get to a computer during my travels...

Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer