Eyes Up!

Some real West Coast weather this week but the chicks don't seem too bothered by it. On Monday we were treated to a cracking view of the osprey feeding above the loch. It had found itself a great wee perch to enjoy a trout or two so fingers crossed it'll book that table again!

Skye and Frisa have been feeling the draft and have taken to perching out of the wind up above the nest so our intrepid visitors have been leaving the warmth of the hide. Their patience has been more than rewarded with some great views. This morning, the male bird, Skye, flew right over our heads, so close that you could clearly see his eyeball. Absolutely fantastic! Later on, a juvenile also flew over our heads. From below, we caught the yellow wing tags but no more - could it have been Haggis or Oatie, the 2006 chicks? Fortunately when this year's chicks fledge we'll have the satellite tags so no more wondering what they are up to!

Won't be long now though. With the chicks celebrating their 10 week birthday on Sunday, they could fledge any time after that so the next fortnight we'll be keeping an extra-close eye on them.

Keeping Tabs

Its not just the birds that fly up here, time seems to as well. The chicks are now 8.5 weeks old and have been introduced to some real Mull weather this week as the we 'enjoy' some refreshing showers - keeps the dust down at least! They should fledge sometime in mid-July so they can be seen stretching those wings at the moment and building up some much-needed muscle. Yesterday, the satellite tags were fitted to the birds so once they fledge we can keep a really close eye on them and find out more about their dispersal patterns over the next 5 years.

Its a busy time for lots of anxious adult birds at the moment as all sorts of chicks take to the wing and some of the smaller birds are on their second clutch. Some enterprising swallows have built a completely round nest on the security light over the door of the hide. There are four eggs in there at the moment so we'll be keeping an eye on them too with the aid of a CCTV camera.

Nest To See You

Another fantastic week of weather despite a few showers which have at least served to keep the dust down. Justin, the RPSB tree-climber was up this week to ring the chicks which are now 7 weeks old. The 2008 nest seems to be in great shape and there was plenty evidence of prey up there so all's well and the chicks are still growing, growing, growing. Mind you, from up there he may have got an eagle's eye view but he did miss the osprey mobbing a juvenille sea eagle near the hide! We've also been treated to a cracking view of a very obliging peregrine falcon which perched near the hide for over an hour! Just goes to show that Loch Frisa is still full of surprises!