First off, apologies to all of you fantastic eagle lovers waiting for all of the news from our eagles at Loch Frisa, it's been a very busy few weeks, and with waiting for press releases, and the following flood of visitors to come and see our new local celebrities I'm afraid my blog is now a bit behind the times....... So let's get you all right back up to date with all the latest happenings on the wonderfully sunny Isle of Mull!!!
As you now know, our chicks have successfully hatched, but it wasn't until just last Monday that we actually saw the first glimpse of one of our little bundles of white fluff!! What a thrill it was, watching Frisa bend down into the nest, and carefully place a wee morsal of food next to our ravenous chick, and seeing chick #1 reach up to fill his/her little tummy with a bit of fulmar freshly brought back to the nest by Skye!
The visitors watching with me must have thought I was crazy as I danced about the field, proud as punch, smiling from ear to ear after seeing our chick for the first time..... I know it's an eagle chick, but I almost feel responsible for them, and to finally catch a glimpse of my little hatchling was absolutely amazing!!!!
Frisa and Skye continue to delight, with each visitor opening their mouths in awe each time they fly around showing their incredible size and their majestic grace. In week 6 they started to come out and perch on the perching tree together, giving people the chance to compare the differences between them, (Frisa being slightly larger and more silvery on the head and chest), and giving us a great sign that the chicks are strong and healthy enough to be left on their own for a while..... the first week of an eaglets life is a very dangerous one as they can't keep themselves warm, so mum and dad have to brood them constantly, but with both adults out and about, the chicks have got past with crucial stage with flying colours and the lovely sunny weather that we've had has meant that they go from strength to strength!!
It's fascinating seeing our little eaglets, just how small they are.... it's amazing to think that at the moment you could fit them both in the palm of your hand, but in just 10 weeks they'll be pretty much fully grow eagles preparing to take their first flight!!! Talk about having a growth spurt!!!
Now we're back on track, all we can do is hope that the chicks continue to do as well as they have been, and keep watching this space for any more news from the Mull eagle project!!!
We visited on the morning of 21 May - it was a real joy to see Skye and Frisa flying and perching, Skye got very close to us as we arrived at the hide, it was absolutely wonderful to see him swooping by so near to us. We also enjoyed watching him having a bath in the loch - with an attentive crow watching him closely! Thanks Chris, and to your colleague, for the fun, insight and enthusiasm – it was a very special experience. Regards, Jean and Mark.
David and I were also at Loch Frisa last week with Chris and saw Skye and Frisa flying and perching. What a glorious sight! Beautiful weather and the light was just perfect. Cant wait to see if you can get the webcam up and running, then we can watch from down here in Leicestershire. Many thanks Chris for a great day, I cannot praise you enough for your positive and happy attitude.
Phil and I visited the eagles last week on a beautiful, sunny day and had great views of both Frisa and Skye on the perching tree! We were amazed at the size of the eagles both perching and flying, we heard them calling and we even saw the heads of 2 chicks over the top of the nest! What a fantastic day we had! Thanks especially to Chris for being so helpful, informative and enthusiastic - you made our visit very special.