Even by west coast standards, it had been an unseasonally violent and stormy night. And it had been raining continuously for 24 hours before that. It was almost mid summer's day for goodness sake! Lying in bed and listening to the storm raging outside at 3am, your mind runs riot and there's nothing you can do about it. I knew there were big eagle chicks hunkered down flat in the nests all around Mull. They were too big to be brooded and protected by the adults who would be roosting nearby. The chicks, now fully feathered and almost full grown, would just have to do their best to sit tight, cling on and not get blown out.
The winds had eased by 7am and I must have drifted off, at last getting some sleep. It's never nice being woken by the 'phone ringing and that morning's jolt into the new day was even more unwelcome after a bad night. It was an unfamiliar voice: "Oh hello, sorry to disturb you but we've been watching a sea eagle nest from our holiday cottage and we've just looked this morning and , well, we think it's gone..." His voice trailed off having not taken a breath. Minutes later having established where he was calling from, I was in the landrover and setting off on the hour's journey through single track, wet lanes avoiding startled red deer and sheep. Only then realising I'd had no breakfast, not made a flask and I was heading to a part of the island with no local shop. Not a good combo so far this morning. All I could think of was that a few days previously I had watched two big, strong sea eagle chicks bouncing up and down on their cliff face nest. They probably had another 2-3 weeks to go I remember thinking, before their maiden flight. All I could hear was the caller's voice "...we think it's gone...".
I drove as close as I could get and switched off the engine. Everything seemed so peaceful after the noise and screaming winds of last night. Now the oystercatchers were piping, curlews were calling and sheep and cattle were being fed out in the fields and on the beach. I got the telescope on the tripod and focussed on the distant sea cliff, still a mile or more away. With a thumping heart, I looked again and again at where the nest had been. That huge, bundle of sticks and branches, as big as a bed, had gone, wrenched from the cliff face in the teeth of the gale. I could see broken tree trunks, boulders balancing on the edge of new rock falls and just a new, bare, shiny outcrop where the nest had been. I tilted the 'scope down, down the cliff face to the base and scanned around. Surely nothing could have survived this. The terror for those chicks would have been unimaginable: pitch black, storm force winds, lashing rain and suddenly you're falling through the air. My eye noticed a brownish blob at the base of the cliff - just one. It wasn't moving but I was too far away to see any detail. There was nothing else for it but to hike in - that would take another hour at least. To lose two chicks in this way, so close to fledging was just terrible. I couldn't put it off any longer. Wellies on, slam the landrover door and I set off. It was going to be a very long day.
Continues tomorrow...
'Animal 24:7' BBC Two 2.15pm Thursday 4 September: Mull and the white-tailed eagles
Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland Mull Officer
I've read your stories and watched the programme this afternoon and I WANT TO COME TO MULL NOW! As I've previously said we're coming to Aviemore in September but it's already booked and paid for. But we are toying with the idea of maybe having a day trip, albeit a long one just to see the wonder of Mull for ourselves. We live in Norfolk so it's not just a case of popping up for the weekend either Bye the way, Alexandra, thanks for convincing us that Mull is the best place to visit. You and the boy Sexton have done a grand job of publicising the place. We will do it, if not this year, maybe next! Meanwhile I'll just read your stories. Dave, and imagine that I'm there already.
Oh dash it, I missed the BEEB2 programme !!
Wild Freckle, I think I saw the Gordon Buchanan programme on the BEEB, I think it's the same one. Didn't know it was out on DVD, I'll put it on the Xmas wish list. He really is wonderful. Did you see the one where he went to the Shetlands to film the killer whales ? Everyone he spoke to had seen them but in the time that he had, they never appeared. I just loved when he went to the cliffs to see the puffins, lay down on the ground and talked puffin into a nest . LOL. I think even he was surprised when they puffined back to him.
I also admire Simon King and can't wait until Autumn Watch is back on.
Dave, Amazon have e-mailed me to ask why I haven't been ordering books recently. Blamed it all on you and your wonderful blogs !! LOL.
Well now a face to those wonderful stories . What a wonderful programme so lovely to see , it has made me even more determined now to come up to Mull next year and hopefully help in some way to safeguard these beautiful creatures , it was so sad to see the death of those poor babies lets hope next year Mum and Dad have more luck . Thank you Dave once again and I might have to wait up tonight to read next instalment of 'The Longest day' !!!
Valerie
I hope your ears are burning Mr Sexton! I may have just questionned your parentage under my breath! I can't cope with this suspense - I only had one nerve left and it's now dangerously frayed! Looking forward to the next instalment!
I've just checked Google earth and the kids are definitely on their travels now aren't they? It's great to be able to see their movements - well done all!
Diane & Steven xx