Last Thursday the call went out for stories and ideas for a new specially commissioned programme for BBC Two: 'Snow Watch'. The Springwatch/Autumnwatch team wanted to know how the current freezing temperatures were affecting the UK's wildlife. The following day our good friend, cameraman and presenter Gordon Buchanan was on his way north from Glasgow across Rannoch Moor en route for the Lochaline ferry to Fishnish on…

Sunday January 3:  Hello everyone and welcome to 2010. I actually drafted this on January 1st, hit 'save' and promptly lost the lot...or so I thought. I've been unable to access the RSPB blogs for a few days (did the system crash?) but just now I tried again and amazingly here we are and my first blog of 2010 had saved and was still there! The wonders of technology. So here it is. More soon...

Happy New Year…

I don't know if this will work! I've tried to keep Debby's excellent blog and photos up here for a while yet so that I can just add a few words to it...

Still stunningly beautiful here on the Isle of Mull. A covering of snow, ice crystals and frost on everything. And with a cloudless blue sky, the sun has shone bright all day. The garden birds have been busy on the feeders since first light and down at the…

The sturdy oaks will have offered their usual sanctuary for an eagle looking for a safe roost site. Last night the Hebridean skies were clear and the temperature plummeted below freezing. By late afternoon, as the light was fading, three young sea eagles dropped out of the dark sky, circled and chased each other once or twice before vanishing out of sight into the wood. Their haunting calls echoed round the glen for a few…

 courtesy of Peaches & Cream

Well - what a turn up for the books this week.  After Dave's story of Haggis's return to a frosty welcome from his parents, I have been keeping a beady eye out at Loch Frisa.

We have have some lovely winter days here - really hard frosts, followed by crisp clear blue sky and sunshine.  There has been snow on top of the hills which is helping us all get into the festive spirit…

This wasn't the blog I'd planned to write tonight but I thought readers might like to hear of an adventure at Loch Frisa today. The other blog will have to wait a while.

Today dawned bright and very frosty. There was ice on the road and the grass crunched under foot. The sheep were huddled round a bale of fresh, sweet hay munching eagerly after a long, chilly night. Loch Frisa looked idyllic: not a ripple on…

by the Eagles (who else?)

Like some parts of the country, we've had some really wild weather here on Mull - our thoughts are with those people suffering from flood damage and the family of the Policeman who tragically lost his life as the bridge collapsed in Workington.  Just another reminder of the sheer strength of Mother Nature. 

This evening, as I went out to put the chickens away, I could hardly stand up …

Our male white-tailed eagle chick from Mull this year, Oran, has made a dramatic flight south. He had seemed settled and has spent the last few weeks just across the water from here on Loch Sunart; then he came home for a while but has now headed down to the island of Jura. We are hearing more reports lately of young eagles on nearby Islay perhaps attracted by the thousands of wintering geese. Maybe this is where Oran…

Courtesy Wet, Wet, Wet and The Troggs - Love is All Around

There is certainly a change in the air at Loch Frisa.  Yesterday morning when I drove down, I was greeted by a pair of whooper swans.  Swans are such graceful, beautiful birds - sadly they dont tend to stay long on Mull - just long enough to refuel before continuing their journey further south.

Skye and Frisa were sitting at the top of a spruce tree, side by side…

There is a place called hope. Despite the poisonings, the losses, the persecution and the madness, there is a new ray of hope tonight that it is all finally beginning to really work - to really knit together. The project to bring the white-tailed eagle back to the British Isles actually began some 50 years ago. Long before Fair Isle in 1968 or Rum in 1975, there was Argyll in 1959.  The late Pat Sandeman released three sea…

I don't believe it!  I'm sat inside typing when outside the sky is blue with a few whispy clouds - hubby is out in the garden pruning a hedge in a tee shirt - is it nearly the end of October?  Walking the dog this morning, I had a lovely view of a flock of barnacle geese and a small flock of pink footed geese stopping off to feed before they move on, maybe to the RSPB reserve at Mersehead. 

There is something quite…

Well we are being spoilt on Mull at the moment!  A lovely spell of warm, sunny weather - clear blue skies and glass like seas and lochs - just beautiful (although it is definately chilly at night although that gives us some great stargazing opportunities).

Loch Frisa has been stunning as usual and giving us some extra surprises!  We knew we had one otter in the loch but on Wednesday as we were admiring Skye and Frisa sat…

Well we've had celebrity dancing, cooking and ice skating. We've had celebrities in the jungle, up Mount Kilimanjaro and making it to the South Pole (probably the North Pole too but I must have missed that one). We've had celebrity ghost hunting, Love Island, men in boats, wife swapping and finally here comes celebrity birdwatching! Yes folks standby for a new look to Sky 1 in the New Year as comedian Bill Bailey…

Well we've had celebrity dancing, cooking and ice skating. We've had celebrities in the jungle, up Mount Kilimanjaro and making it to the South Pole (probably the North Pole too but I must have missed that one). We've had celebrity ghost hunting...

Well I really can't believe it!  As it sit here typing, I am looking at a clear blue sky, the sun is shining and the Sound of Mull is flat calm - the bracken has turned a beautiful rusty colour, leaves are varying shades of yellow, orange and gold.  There are two adult sea eagle sat on the rocks and close by a stag and 4 hinds are grazing.  Autumn has truly arrived and the deer rut has started.

At the hide yesterday…

We've now changed the look of  this page to allow you to keep track of two new white-tailed eagle chicks from Mull. And now, as promised, we've added some new photos of them so you'll know what they look like - if you're ever lucky enough to see them! Thanks to Katie for sorting that. I love the shot of Oran on his nest greeting FCS climber Nick Purdy. Not a very friendly welcome! Oran and Venus are joining…

Well, September is certainly proving to be a saviour in terms of weather.  We are enjoying lots of warm sunshine and blue skies - you could almost be fooled into thinking it was May or June.  Tee shirts have come out of winter storage and its lovely to feel the warmth of the sun on your face.  Our family at Loch Frisa have been enjoying the warm weather too.  Skye and Frisa are spending long periods, perched on the larch trees…

The contrast couldn't have been greater. Strength and gentleness personified. Tapping quietly on the office door last week was a big bloke in his overalls. His hands and face were smeared in oil and grease. He had flecks of car paint in his hair and he sounded almost apologetic as he explained what was in the cardboard box he was holding so carefully in his hands. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to find as…

Lennon and McCartney

Well Skye and Frisa have certainly been spending a lot of quality time together now that Heather seems to be fending for herself quite nicely.  Most days this week they have been together either sitting on the same branch or just a branch apart.  On one occasion, Skye slightly spread his wings, just touching Frisa who was sat next to him - they are such sociable birds and seem to just enjoy each…

We haven't seen much of the sun lately but in one break in the deluge I watched Frisa and Skye relaxing and unwinding after their busy summer. I gently pulled the landrover in, switched off the engine and rolled quietly to a halt. Frisa was to my left high in the sitkas; Skye was on my right in a larch. I panned from one to the other just enjoying them as they preened their soft plumage in the brief warm, sunny spell…

Many readers may have seen news reports this week of the tragic canoe accident on Loch Maree involving a father and his son. The man involved was Mike Madders with his seven year old son Daniel. Mike worked here on Mull in the 1980s when the first sea eagles settled on the island before he moved to Islay and latterly Poolewe. Mike wrote the 'Birds of Mull' with Philip Snow and 'Where to Watch Birds in Scotland' with Julia…

As I type this blog, the rain is falling hard and fast - our house sits on a slight incline, and the rain is running down the front path forming a small river, then turning into a mini waterfall at the front door step!  It has rained everyday since last Tuesday - not just drizzle but heavy, persistent rain while a lot of the UK has been basking in sunshine and hot temperatures.  To test the power of positive thought, please…

As we reported a while ago, Mull suddenly seemed a slightly emptier place recently when Mara and Breagha, our two satellite tagged youngsters from 2008, both left the island for the first time. In the last year, one has gone on a fly about and then returned and then the other has gone and returned and they continued to spend alot of time together here. So now, for both birds to have been gone for so long is, well, a bit…

We always get a warm glow as we finally board that ferry and begin the voyage home to Mull. It had been a long, stressful drive north on crowded motorways after a hectic fortnight of visiting family and friends in London and Wales. At one point trying to walk down Oxford Street with a great tidal wave of humanity coming in the opposite direction to us, we felt like we were about to be picked up and carried back the way…

Wow!  What a day it has been.  The weather has changed, again!  Warm and sunny with just enough  breeze to keep any midges away.  As I arrived at the Hide this morning, I was greeted by Skye and Frisa have a fly around together, enjoying each other's company with just a bit less stress now that Heather is doing so well by herself.  They still keep an eye on her but she is getting ever more adventurous, flying higher and…