It is now.
Frisa and Skye have spent more time off than on the nest this week. They still managed to clock up 73 days. Or was it 74? To be honest we have struggled to keep up with them. One minute they're both sitting together on the distant hillside. You look away to talk to a visitor to the Eagle Hide, then you look back and there's only one bird left! Where did Frisa go? Did she just fly off or did she sneak back onto the nest? We give it an hour or so and then make a quick check and sure enough, there she is, back, low down on that very hard boiled egg.
A few minutes later, we look back at Skye who hasn't moved and there she is once more at his side. What torment must be going on in her hard-wired brain? The need to be with her egg; the need to be with her mate. Torn in all directions. But, hour by hour, day by day, the distance from the nest is growing. We all watched them on Thursday back on their favourite ridge. We had a big group to the Hide and I think we all felt 'the moment'. Skye was perched on a fence post when in flew Frisa to join him on an adjoining stob. Don't ever let anyone tell you eagles don't sit on fence posts. They do here.
As she alighted, both began the loud, echoing calls to each other which we all knew signalled the end for their nesting attempt this year. As they sadly serenaded each other, a hooded crow and then a lapwing almost knocked them off their perches. Laugh or cry, we actually felt relief that we, and they, could all at last move on. And what a show for our visitors who went away pleased to have witnessed a special moment. Frisa and Skye rarely fail to disappoint, come rain or shine in their lives.
This week we also had two busloads of B&B landladies from Oban and Argyll visit the Eagle Hide courtesy of Calmac and Holiday Mull and Iona. It was a whirlwind stop on their way to or from a tour at the Tobermory Distillery and lunch at the Western Isles Hotel. So they were all in a very good and jolly mood! And they will hopefully go back home and recommend us to their guests this summer. We may not have an eagle's nest to show them this year but we will have two stunning white-tailed eagles who will hopefully be perched nearby for much of the time. Our brilliant buzzards are due to hatch any second now and with the back drop of Loch Frisa, the mountains and moorland and plenty of other wildlife, it's a fabulous place to spend a couple of hours. We look forward to seeing you at Mull Eagle Watch
Call 01680 812 556 to book a trip, Monday to Friday at 10am and 1pm.
Dave Sexton RSPB Scotland Mull Officer
Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland Mull Officer
Dave, Debby and anyone else who may be interested: do you know about a recent book, "The sea eagle in Central Europe"? See www.biologiezentrum.at/.../band_det.php Several of the papers are in English.
I feel so sorry for the eagels this year. The bad winter seems to be hindering many nests. I have not seen the Estonian eagels for a while as site is always busy but read that the lesser spotted ones have not bread, nor their stork and one of the 4 tawny owl chicks has died due to food shortages. Also one of the 3 Goshawk chicks in the new forest died yesterday. It is hard to watch and read and follow and not get emotionally involved.
JILLIAN
"Don't ever let anyone tell you eagles don't sit on fence posts." Yes, Dave (and Heatherp) - I can vouch for that! As I have said before.... My first (and only) views of WTEs were over ten years ago, by Loch Ewe, two summers running, when we saw this huge, beautiful bird sitting on the same field wall on the two occasions. Drying off in the sun and preening, like any other bird - but one that had just paid a visit to the local salmon farm! My family all spent ages watching it, and on one occasion, a few days later, we glimpsed a[nother?] huge bird, sitting on a fence a few miles further up the road towards Gruinard. So - ? And last year, our duaghter (now a student in Scotland) saw what must have been a sea-eagle (not golden) by Gairloch. As Sooty says, once seen, NEVER forgotten. Were it not so, I would not have been spreading the word in their support, nor writing this now....
I know this has been a really tough time for all of you involved @ the hide, and as envious as we are of your jobs when things go well, I'm not sure we fully appreciate how low the lows can be and how difficult a job you have. All I can add to the other messages is that I know these birds will, and do lift your spirits, and soon there will be some highs to put the lows back in the shade. You do a fantastic job and it's always a priviledge to share in your world for a while x
Diane & Steven xx
hi all, thanks for the update, hopefully they will move on now, and most of all hopefully the weather stays nice after all they've gone through, there need a good summer, dont we all, im on my way on thursday so hopefully see you's on saturday.