Our chick is desperate to get up in the air!

We have had a mixed week of weather from sunshine to mist to rain and the chick has sat through all of this and at the same time wings flapping like mad !

During this week there has been a very International flavour at the hide with visitors from Wisconsin USA, Australia and families from from Austria & Germany.

Our male bird Fingal has been around a lot more this week flying in with food at regular intervals. Many small gosling have been eaten and often the nest if covered with white fluff and feathers! When Fingal lands on the nest, its like a hover craft coming in and blowing all the feathers up in the air, a sight to behold!

Iona watches over her chick at the nest

Iona has been sitting on the branch very close to the chick, to the right as you look at the nest. On Thursday, she sat there for five hours without flying off!

The hide will be open all summer until the end of August as the chick will stay in the area and they often come back on the nest for about a month, so please still come and see us.

Once the chick has fledged we will walk you through the Glen to observe all three birds.
Booking is a must and can be done by calling 01680 812556 or visit forestry.gov.uk/mullseaeagles for more info.

Blog published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Cheryl Callow, Mull Ranger

Glorious weather on Mull - great for eagle viewing trips!



Parents and chick all at the nest together

I returned from a few days off to find the chick nearly fully grown. It is very big  and beautiful.

There is much wing flapping and many poo’s over the side of the nest! John and I have gasped many times when she does this and we think we should have safety around the top of the nest next year!

In the early part of the week all three birds were on the nest, a rare sight.

We have had some wonderful guest to the hide including wild life.I was helping an elderly couple view the Eagles near the hide with their daughter when a dragon fly came down and landed on my brand new van.

The colour of it against my very clean van stood out. It was a golden moment we both stood still and took pictures and marvelled at nature and its beauty.

The weather has been excellent with wall to wall sunshine, but in the morning we have been having a sea mist. The same day I was at the hide with the elderly couple and the dragon fly, I had to go off for five minutes to check some mist/smoke that was rolling in. It was sea mist and when I drove down the drive away from the hide it had  dropped 6 degrees in temperature.

The next day we had a group of gentlemen from Israel visit us. Also in the group were Lyn and her mum Dorothy. During this visit, a parent bird came in with a large object. Dorothy asked to see the back play on one of the Isreali gentlemen's cameras and we all saw it was a large fish they had brought into the nest which the chick eat straight away…. Great shot, great timing .. thank you Dorothy for asking ……

It was a small group that day, but plenty of questions were asked, whilst there was lots of camera activity, which was so fast it sounded like ticker tape off the old teleprinter machines , if you remember them !!!

I met Lyn and her mum again yesterday on my ranger walk at Calgary where I had 22 people. It was a stunning day of weather and we had great fun.

 

Well I must go to the hide. John is off today and I am on my own so I will have some private moments with the chick on the nest to cherish. What a privileged job I have helping the public see this rare bird , speak soon……

If you have not visited us yet, or your back on the Island do come and see us, we run trips at 10am or 1pm. If you are passing at these times and you have not booked, just check with us at the lower car park.

To book please phone 01680812556. Just to note, we are at the South of the Island at Glen Seilisdeir and not at Loch Frisa as in year's previous.

Blog published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow.

Our chick is nine weeks old today!

The chick is nine weeks today and is growing very fast.
It’s been amazing to watch the female Iona, who has been bringing in afterbirth from seals.
I have now seen this three times, it’s been a bit messy and Iona’s tail has been blood red instead of white!
The chick has been eating it very much like a piece of elastic at times, pulling up on stringy pieces of flesh like material.

I spent a private half hour on Friday on my own at the end last week, watching this wonderful sight. The feathers of the chick were drying out, after a morning of rain, and then sea mist. The feathers were just fluttering, in the slight breeze, so delicate to watch.


Our growing chick flapping
it's wings


The sharp beak is working well, and the chick is feeding itself. I realised that I have become very fond and very attached to this wonderful chick. What an honour it is to be able to watch this beautiful bird grow up.
My heart is in my mouth every time it flaps it's wings, building up its strength. It tends to move to the back of the nest and very close to the edge, if it was to fall out now it may not survive and could spell disaster!

I have got to say the groups that have been in the last week have seen some great views of the wings flapping. I am keeping my wings crossed that when I return from my holiday the wee young bird I have given the name 'Friday’s Chick’ will be safe and well. The chick will be named formally soon by a local school.
We are still waiting to hear what gender it is.

I thank every one who has visited us so far this season and thank you for all your emails, blog comments and trip advisor entries.

Please keep coming to see this wonderful chick and parents. John Clare ,the RSPB Ranger will be there ready for you. He likes chocolate and do laugh at his beak joke!
Bye for now Cheryl back on Monday 8th July 2013.
To book now please phone on 01680 812556

Blog published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow

Busy times at the Mull Eagle Hide - our chick is growing up fast!

The chick is now 54 days and growing so fast! It is being well fed by its parents and since last week we have seen small goslings, a grey bird very much like a gull and today a bloody mass which looked like a placenta of an animal brought in to the nest.

The chick is very vocal now and will soon let you know when a parent bird is coming into the nest by its calling and looking up and around.

The nest itself has had some extra layers added but you can see at times the heat haze coming off the top and the flies from the dead bodies in the nest.

The wings have filled out now and there is much flapping happening. I just cannot get over the size of growth, come and see for yourself!

We has a large number of visitors last week, with several families returning to Mull to enjoy the wealth of wildlife. The weather has also been kind to us which always helps!



Great picture taking by one of our visitors Peter

 We have had several couples that come back up to the hide three to four times a week to observe and take photographs. We had one such couple Sharon and Darren, who were a delight to have in the hide and we really enjoyed their company.

Another couple, Peter and Monica, were also excellent company and provided wonderful fudge on their  visit! They sent in some wonderful pictures too , thank you to both couples for your kindness.



Picture of Iona taken by Matthew Syratt



We also had a lovely family who brought their daughter and granddaughter Chloe to the hide. She was treated to activity sheets and things to do during her visit. It is so lovely when parents bring the next generation to the hide and I thank Chloe's father Matthew for a great picture of Iona sitting out proud watching over her chick ...

On Monday we had Dervaig Primary school come to the hide. We had a great morning viewing the birds and I did a talk on some basic facts before RSPB ranger John escorted them to the forest hide. The feedback from the head teacher is that it was the best visit ever to the hide in all the years they have been taking the children. 



Dervaig school children visit Mull Eagle Watch



Just a reminder, that residents of Mull can visit the hide free. So call us to arrange your visit to this wonderful wildlife experience right on your doorstep!

With the Scottish school holidays starting at the end of the week, a trip to Mull may part of your plans, so don't foget to give us a visit. Call us to book on 01680 812556.

We look forward to seeing you!




Blog published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow

A visit from Radio 4 as we witness our growing chick

Last Friday the chick was growing at such a fast rate that all of a sudden wings appeared and they started to flap! I managed to catch this on camera whilst Iona looked on. I was amazed by the length of wings and the fine skeletal vision through the scope.

The new chick flaps it's wings as Iona looks on



The chick is now about 43 days old and being well fed by the parent birds. I have recently seen two shag brought to the nest with several other sea birds and fish . So far this season I have only seen two lambs in the nest.

After the ringing of the chick, the parent birds take it in turns to guard it, perching on a tree at close distance .

On Monday, we had a wonderful day with the children of Lochdonhead school coming to visit us, with the Head Teacher and three other members of staff . Some of the children and staff had not seen a White Tailed Eagle before.

Alongside this visit, we had Yvonne Slater visiting us from Radio 4 who was recording the event and the children's reactions to what they were seeing . We spent about an hour at the forest hide, enjoying the questions asked by the children, whilst John Clare and myself  gave them some interesting facts about the eagles, which the children enjoyed. The School staff were as excited as the children at what they saw and remarked on the size of this large chick with a white fluffy crown and a large beak.

When we came out of the hide to head back along the track, one of the parent birds flew over with its majestic white tail and head.  I saw its under carriage come down ( my technical talk ), with the massive talons and land with ease on a tree behind the hide.

The children were excited and gather round making noises of enjoyment and laughter whilst the teachers took the binoculars and focused in quickly. The staff were taken a back with what they had seen and a resounding wow!! came from our group .


Radio 4's Yvonne Slater with RSPB Ranger John Clare

 

At this point I was looking at Yvonne who had the big grey fluffy radio microphone boom. This was now wobbling as she too got so excited. I spoke to her afterwards and you could see from her eyes the emotional connection to these special birds. One of the school staff , who has lived on Mull for many years, commented that they had never seen a White Tailed Eagle, and today they got their wish!

The radio programme goes out later in the year I let you know when it's on ...


Monday afternoon brought a large group of 31 people to the hide. They saw the chick sleep, then wake up to stretch its wings. The adult birds were out of sight although we could hear them calling.


New hide discovered on Mull



The next day I was off on a Ranger walk north of the island where 14 very keen people joined me for a fantastic day.  During the trip, I found a new hide to watch the eagles and otters from ...

Back to the office today looking out at Ben More, John Clare and the wonderful chick , speak soon .....

To book a trip to The Eagle Hide please call in advance on 01680 812556

The blog is published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow

Our new chick is ringed in the nest

It's been a very eventful week with the chick being checked and ringed in the nest on Wednesday 5th June .

A team arrived of Forest Commission and RSPB staff came to ring the chick in the nest . The parent birds were not on the nest as the chick is much bigger at about 18 inches tall and grey in colour.


Staff at the nest checking and ringing the chick


The public group in attendance had the most marvellous morning witnessing this rare event .

There were three main tree climbers who made their way to the tree and two entered the nest . The chick went very flat and stayed still . The nest was also checked for food. It was full of sea birds and fish .
The chick was measured, ringed and a salvia swab taken for genetic checking .
After the team had completed their task they left a dead rabbit in the nest and came down .
It took an hour for Iona to come back to her chick . The parents made no noise or calling whilst this process was going on .


Chick in the nest after ringing



In the hide, James, the Forest Commission Wildlife Officer gave an explanation to the group as to what was going on.

Later we were joined by David Sexton the RSPB Manager who also came into the hide to explain what would happen afterwards and notified the group that initial thoughts are that it could be a female chick but this will need clarification.

Such a great day and experience , one I shall always remember, a golden moment for me.

Blogs published by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow.

Visitors from far and wide this week as our new chick continues to progress well

We have had a very exciting week so much has gone on ...



Iona and Fingal nurturing their young chick which is three weeks old , the chick is standing about 18 inches

Iona with her new chick

 tall covered with white downy fluff soon to be feathers.

Iona has been spending more time off the nest but in a tree near by not far away to protect the chick .
Fingal disappeared for two days but came back and was seen on Tuesday afternoon.

The food larder has reduced around the nest this week and so we have had good views of the chick this week.

Most of the food has been sea birds and fish we have had one lamb since we started on March 20th 2013. This came in over two weeks ago and there are still remnants of it on the nest.

I have noticed in the last two weeks several people revisiting us that came in March. It is excellent to see people coming back to this magical Island and seeing the wonderful views of the majestic birds.

We have had some excellent feed back again this week and I love working with John Clare the RSPB ranger who is very knowledgeable , I bring to the group my wealth of experience of visiting this island for 22 yrs and now living here permanently, having bought our house nine years ago.



John and I have been working hard on upgrading our Silver Green Tourism award  to Gold.  We have made a few changes to the site and also added such things as recycling rain water, cycle-stand made by recycled wood, green tourism feedback and suggestion box and a wind up torch. Not that we need it at the moment as its so light up here! 

During the week we have had people from America , Germany and Norway.
The German couple were late over due to ferry delays and arrived when we had just finished, so I took them down to the hide and they had their own private viewing. We had a wonderful time .
We also had another German gentleman who saw a black stork at Dervaig which he regularly sees in his home country.

On Wednesday the old nest Icthy and Scratchy arrived from Loch Frisa. This was the nest that was filmed by Simon King for Springwatch. It has many different memories for previous staff that worked at the hide and the public, who like myself, watched every programme religiously, in awe of these wonderful rare birds..

I will be using it as a demonstration piece to the groups and school children who are soon to visit .


Norwegian visitors to the Mull wildlife hide



We have had many visitors to the hide this week and the weather has been brilliant , so come and see us .

On Friday we had a group of Norwegian people visit. The group were from an organisation who organise wildlife trips, so they were interested in the running of the hide. They were particularly interested in the things that go on behind the scenes to make it work and of course the history of the birds, since the reintroduction programme was helped by Norway, providing the young chicks and the start of them living back on the Isle of Mull.

 I took a day off and managed to get a picture of that rare bird the corncrake so I have included it as I know many of you are serious about your birds!
 

Corncake on Mull

A recent comment left by a visitor said "that is the best £6 I have spent on this island this week , the birds were fantastic,  great views and very helpful knowledgable guides in John and Cheryl."

So don't miss out, come and see us soon ... 01680 812556

You can also comment via Trip advisor, we welcome your feedback.

Blogs posted by Colin Baxter on behalf of Mull Ranger Cheryl Callow



Our chick is doing well, whilst other wildlife make an appearance

The weather has greatly improved here on Mull and the single chick has grown to about 18 inches tall , very white and fluffy and can be seen from behind the food larder on the nest.

The female bird Iona is often sitting in the tree above the nest looking down on the chick and taking time out herself. The chick is regularly fed from the dead carrion, very delicately by Iona pulling off small pieces of meat from the bird carcasses and fish.


White tailed eagle with raven intruder

We have not seen the ravens like we did previously which caused concern for her and us all last week.

I reported that a grey and white bird that flew through the nest was confirmed as an osprey and it was with great delight that Alison Palmer who had visited the hide and drove off round Loch Scridain after leaving the hide had a very close view of it flying near this loch and being very adjacent to an oystercatcher, great photos Alison and a big thank young.


Osprey and oyster catcher over Loch Scridain - by Alison Palmer 



Also on Loch Scridain we have had many reported sightings of otters and was true for too for Alison too, another great shot.



Otter in the water at Loch Scridain - by Alison Palmer

This is a magical island and if you love wildlife and photography then come to Mull and visit us at the hide.

A five star wildlife experince we are in demand, so don't delay, make your booking on 01680 812556.

In the first week of June we hope to be ringing the young chick and also taking a genetic saliva test for future reference.

The concern about wildlife has been taken by a Wildlife Stock just published on 22nd may 2013 and we must all do our bit to keep our species healthy, the five partners on the Isle of Mull come together to protect the white tailed sea eagles and other wildlife.

We are part of The Green Tourism Award and I will be blogging shortly on what that means for us and how you can help us with our award, we hold a silver award at present and hope to improve on that.

I hope you have been watching The Herbride's on BBC Scotland which you can still get it on iplayer. Last Monday's programme showed the nest from Glen Seilisdeir and the birds ,Iona and Fingal, were at the forefront of the programme, such great photography, do watch if you missed it.

The groups of people visiting us this week has been on average about 25 and we have managed to get most people in the hide to get some great shots on smartphones, digiscoping and many other cameras of all shapes and sizes.  



An abundance of wildlife in and around the hide

After a weekend of rain, the week started with yet more and the concern that the only chick had survived the conditions.

The beginning of the week saw Iona staying on the nest and Fingal bringing in sea birds as the main food source .

In the nest we saw Fulmars , Gulls and a female Eider duck stored around the nest edge .

From behind the food larder we could see one small wee fluffy white head popping up now and again. With the male bird keeping guard .

The road to work was very dramatic and at Gribun it has been spectacular with the clouds rolling in .

The reception hide has seen numerous siskins on the feeders in their bright colours . We are still waiting to capture a photograph of the Scottish crossbill .


Otters on Mull



The wood itself has some amazing views in both directions. On the walk to the west and then also, off to the east along a track, affording a view high up where there has been a new track established which shows the forest to us all .

Around the Loch nearby there have been sightings of short eared owls and otters captured by John Clare the RSPB ranger .

On Thursday we had the George Watson College attend the hide and they had a wonderful visit that included building the WTE nest demonstrated in the photograph attached - well done and come back soon .


Constructed white tailed eagle nest



Mull - a bird spotters paradise and maybe another chick?

Last week started off with thoughts of possibly two chicks in the nest. Monday brought heavy rain and Iona sat on her nest for most of the day protecting her brood. Tuesday came bringing sunshine and we were able to see the head of one small chick.



Iona at the nest with chich just visible behind



 I was able to take some photos of both Iona and Fingal on the nest, which is now becoming full of various carrion such as Gull, Fulmar and rabbits. This pair of WTE are known for taking sea birds based on previous research when cleaning up and analysing the content of the nest at the end of last season.

On Wednesday we had mixed weather and had large groups at the hide, who were treated to some action in the afternoon, when what was described as a grey bird flew in past the nest.


Rainbow over Loch Na Keal



The nearby Ravens were also making a lot of noise. I went off for 10 mins to go and see what was going on. I saw a large bird sitting off down the Glen towards Loch Scridain but could not identify it.

I came back and reported this to the group and John Clare the RSPB ranger. Later that day four very keen gentlemen birders left the hide and subsequently reported seeing an Osprey on Loch Scridain. Ospreys are infrequent visitors to Mull so this was a great spot!

Thursday continued with yet more well attended groups including some new honeymooner's - we have had seven couples now so far this season.

On the way to work yesterday I saw a wonderful rainbow over Loch Na Keal and on the way home, I caught up with the four gentlemen who had spotted the Osprey on Wednesday. On this occasion they were watching three Golden Eagles over Ben More. They reported seeing so much wonderful wildlife during their week on the island and this was now their fourth consecutive year visiting Mull.

First two chicks make an appearance on Mull!




Iona and Fingal at the nest - by Claire Hammond

 The first chick hatched to Fingal and Iona on Friday 3rd May witnessed in pouring rain by John Clare the RSPB ranger .

The second chick hatched on Sunday 5th May, again witnessed by John Clare as he went  to check on the white tailed sea eagles over the weekend as it has been so wet.

Yesterday it rained all day and we arrived to find both Iona and Fingal on the nest eating some carrion that had been brought into the nest.

The female bird at different times has got up and moved around removing the rain from her body with a quick shake down and then back on the nest keeping the chicks protected.

Fingal flew off about 10.45 am and had not come back when we left at 3pm yesterday. Thankfully, the weather had justed started  to clear a little. I did hear him calling to her about 2pm when the public were in the hide so he was not far away.

We wish for some dry weather to give these chicks a chance this week .
No pics as yet but we hope to have some for the next update later this week....

It's a waiting game for the appearance of eagle chicks here on Mull

This week has been a very quiet week at the hide and we are playing the waiting game .

Our eggs are due to hatch any time now and everytime the adult bird on duty stands up on the nest we are waiting to see if the chicks have hatched!

The weather this week has been very mixed and the last three days have seen heavy showers and the temperature dropping to 4C which is quite cold.

The adults seem to be just turning the eggs and settling down to incubate again. Eggs can easily take 36 hours to hatch so we must all be patient and wait and see. John and i will be watching for any change in behaviour around the adults.

Last year the Mull Sea Eagles successfully fledged 19 eagle chicks with a total of 60 on the west Coast of scotland.

Our view from the hide is from the forest directly in front of the nest at a safe distance so as not to disturb the birds. Within the hide you get some excellent views of the nest and you feel close to nature, with the smell of the pine and clean air. It give you the ambiance of being close to the Eagles. The shaded area of the hide that you look out from gives great protection from disturbing them.


Some of our visitors in the hide


As you look out at this enormous nest you cannot help but feel privelaged to witness a very rare bird that has been reintroduced successfully into it's natural habitat.

Occassionally we hear the call of the male eagle Fingal as he does a fly past just before a change over on the nest or whilst roosting on a tree near by.

Iona the female eagle often looks up to the sky, with that beautiful large golden eye, keeping a check on Fingal and any one else close to the nest.

This week we have not seen any extra birds brave enough to fly into the nest like last week!

I hope to have some good news for you all next week on our eggs/chicks. Finger crossed for a good weekend.

Visitors from far and wide, come to visit the Eagle Hide!

Easter week came and went bringing with it many visitors to The Eagle Hide. During this time, Fingal and Iona have been keeping their eggs incubated and whilst doing so, have witnessed a number of visitors to their tree! These brave birds have included a Great Spotted Woodpecker which flew in and landed right on the top of the tree, a Hoodie on a fleeting visit and then last Friday, a Siskin even perched right on the edge of the nest. Our eagles were very tolerant and just sat there, appearing to admire the incomer.

The week after Easter we had visit from a lovely family from Conneticut in the USA. Their parents had lived on the Isle of Mull, Mark and Fiona Eden-Bushell, whose daughters were former pupils at Bunessan School.


Our U.S visitors with Mull roots

  One of the daughters was named after the island of Iona and was with Marie, Jason and Calum. The other family members were Lucetta, Angus, Maggie and Grant.

They brought with them good weather on the day of their visit and it was lovely to see young people thoroughly enjoying their roots and heritage. Thank you for visiting us at the Hide and I hope I got all of the names correct!

The following week brought in plenty of rain and wind. I was a little worried about Iona on the nest but she sat right through the hard weather, determined to keeping those eggs protected and warm.
We had yet more great people at the Hide despite the conditions and Stu Darby was very helpful, sending me some lovely photos of the ‘changeover’ during the week of 15th April.



The changeover. Image by Stu Darby

 This was when Fingal flew in and the pair did some very careful manoeuvring around the nest with their talons turned in so as not to damage the eggs. This is always a very delicate operation and just amazing to watch.

During the week of the 22nd April some agricultural students, a group of Scottish Forest Rangers and Laurie Campbell, a Wildlife Photographer, visited us. It was a delight to meet all these wonderful people and to exchange wildlife tips, information, experiences and stories. The agricultural students were particularly complimentary about the Eagle Hide and staff.  



Iona and Fingal at the nest.
Image by agricultural student Claire Holland

 I was privileged again to see another changeover whilst on my own on Thursday and just before the group in the afternoon arrived.

On Friday a young couple, on holiday from Northern Ireland returned for their second visit of their stay and were lucky enough to share their morning with Laurie Campbell. He was there specifically to photograph the Eagles and the people visiting, for an article he had been commissioned to do in relation to Camper vans. What an honour to have him in the Hide.

I got plenty of tips about wildlife photography and he proved to be a very caring, sharing person who was clearly a consummate professional.
His patience and determination were second to none and both John and I left him on site mid afternoon on a cold grey day, sitting tight and prepared to wait for his shot until early evening. The Eagles had changed over with the male hunkered down and as I made my way back to the office, I saw the female flying out over the woods.

What will the week of 29th April bring? If you are coming to the Isle of Mull please come and find us.

Call us on 01680 812556 to avoid disappointment. We look forward to seeing you!

Visitors young and old enjoy spectacular eagle sightings at our wildlife hide

In the first three weeks of the season, glorious weather has helped give visitors spectacular views of the nest and birds, from the viewing area that enables a close encounter with these majestic creatures. 

Positioned amongst the trees, the viewing area allows clear sightings, while providing enough cover to prevent disturbance of the nesting birds. 

Numerous people, varying in age from young children to people in their eighties, have watched the birds. There have already been visits by three honeymoon couples, our local MP, and the Environment Minister who presented a £ 6,261 cheque to Mull and Iona community groups, comprising the money raised from Mull Eagle Watch in 2012.  This brings the total to well over £ 50,000.

Many excellent photographs have been taken and reactions and feedback from all the visitors has been tremendous, with one man in his 60’s, who has been trying unsuccessfully to see an eagle for over 20 years, in tears.  Memorable moments so far have included the interaction of both adult birds on the nest with much rearrangement of nest material and calling. 

The presence in the sky above the nest for a short while of an ‘intruder’ white-tailed eagle juvenile from the east coast of Scotland also lead to much vocalisation, while the arrival at speed of a female sparrowhawk in the viewing area almost lead to agitation of a different kind.  Other highlights included close views of a treecreeper’s antics delicately picking insects from adjacent tree trunks above visitors heads and regular visits of a friendly robin, which kept everyone entertained.

All is looking well for an excellent season and we hope to post a range of images taken at the hide this year over the course of the next few months.

Mull Eagle Hide now open for 2013



Our first visitors of 2013 ready to enjoy their trip to the
eagle hide at Glen Seilisdeir 


The wait is finally over and the Eagle Hide on Mull is now open for the 2013 season.

The first visitors arrived on Monday 25th March and were joined by John Clare, the RSPB Ranger and Cheryl Callow, the Seasonal Ranger for the island.

The weather has been kind to Mull over the last year and although it has been cold we have not had the weather that has hit the Isle of Arran and Ireland.

Bookings to visit the hide are a must and you can reserve your place by calling 01680 812556. The trips will  run daily from Easter weekend to October and last approximately 2 hours, subject to availability.

Costs are Adults £6 (including RSPB members), under 16’s £3. Trips to permanent Mull residents are free.

Both Fingal  and Iona the resident White Tailed Sea Eagles are ready and waiting to greet you at the nest.

We look forward to welcoming you to Mull.

A great year for our white tailed eagles at Mull Eagle Watch



After a fantastic season the Eagle viewing hide at Glen Seilisdeir is now closed. Iona and Fingal successfully fledged two chicks, and the family can still be seen in the area.
However, there are still plenty of opportunities to view White Tailed Eagles around the island. The eagles don’t migrate and can be seen hunting for fish and seabirds over the lochs and sea, as well as looking for rabbits or hares inland. During the autumn the young birds tend to congregate together, sitting in trees or on the ground near to the coastline, whilst the adult birds will stay in and around their home territory.

Mull is not known as “Eagle Island” for nothing, and hosts one of the highest density populations of Golden Eagles in Europe, although these shy birds are more difficult to see as they keep well away from people.

If you are struggling to tell the difference between the two species, the adult White Tailed Eagle (the fourth largest eagle in the world) has a wingspan of 2.4 metres, stands about a metre high and weighs in at 7 kilos. It is a light brown colour with a paler head. When flying its broad wings are held in a flat profile and the adult’s white tail is short and wedge-shaped, leading to it being referred to as a “flying barn door”. The juvenile eagles are a dark, chocolate brown colour all over and don’t have the white tail initially, with those feathers moulting in over the next four or five years until it is ready to breed.

By comparison the Golden Eagle has a wingspan of around 2 metres and is a golden brown all over. It holds its wings in a shallow V-shape when flying, and is often seen flying high over the hills “hugging” the ridges whilst it searches for prey. Its tail is rectangular in shape and longer than the Sea Eagles. Juvenile Golden Eagles have white patches under its wings and a white rump at the top of its tail. They feed mostly on mammals and birds but are much more difficult to see than the White Tailed Eagles which are often seen perched in trees or on rocks.

If you see a large brown and cream raptor hanging in the sky (as if hovering) it will not be an eagle. Buzzards and Hen Harriers do this, but the eagles’ body weight is too high for their wings to support hovering.

The eagle hide will remain closed during the winter months whilst this year’s youngsters gradually moving away from their parents and, come December, the adult birds will start looking for nest sites or maybe adding to existing ones. Come February their courtship rituals will begin and by March they will be ready to start nesting. The birds are heavily protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and at this time they are very sensitive to disturbance.

Watch this space for information on where and when the 2013 hide will be opening or visit our web pages.

An empty nest, and all's well at Glen Seilisdeir



Adult Sea Eagle being mobbed by a Hooded Crow
(Photo: Sue Dewar)

 Firstly, my apologies for the gap between postings. The last couple of weeks has been hectic to say the least and I’ve barely been in the office.

The good news is that our second chick finally left the nest just over three weeks after his sister. To begin with the female chick kept returning to the nest as the adult birds were still feeding her brother there, and if the adults weren’t around she continued to bully him and snatch his food.

Thankfully, Iona was usually on hand to see
fair play, and eventually her daughter discovered that she could fly just as well as her parents and began to concentrate on following them and learning to hunt for herself. She has given us some great displays but the highlight was one day when both adults and the female flew together over the forest and up towards Ben More, getting higher and higher until the three of them were just dots in the sky. A cheeky Buzzard mobbed the young female relentlessly but she was having none of it and managed to shake him off.

Once the young male was allowed to eat his food in peace he really started to fill out, his tail and flight feathers grew down properly and he began wing-flapping exercises to strengthen his muscles ready for his first flight. Sadly we weren’t around when he finally took off, but the following morning we could hear him calling from somewhere in the forest and after a few days he proved that he too could fly when he appeared back on the nest. The adult birds occasionally bring food in and leave it there (and it doesn't take long for the chicks to find it), but most of the time they are trying to encourage both fledglings to follow them and learn how to hunt for themselves.

After the wonderful weather we have had on Mull this summer, yesterday we had torrential rain and strong winds and when I went to the hide I was relieved that the chicks had fledged as they would have been wet and miserable sitting up there exposed to the elements.

With the Scottish children back to school now I can now tell you that Bunessan Primary School (whose turn it was to name our chicks) decided to call the young birds after their school colours. So our young male is Gorm (pronounced Gorum) which is Gaelic for Blue, and the female is Buidhe (pronounced Bweeya), Gaelic for Yellow. Both chicks will stay in the area with Iona and Fingal for several weeks yet, perfecting their hunting and flying skills before eventually exploring the rest of the island and beyond. For a while they may enjoy the company of other young Sea Eagles fledged on Mull this year; in the autumn we often see groups of them perched together like a Sea Eagle youth club! Then they will begin their four-year journey of discovery, each year their tail feathers becoming whiter, their beaks turning yellow and their body and head feathers becoming paler, until at five years old they will look just like their parents. At that stage they will be searching for a mate and a territory of their own - who knows where they will end up?


This is our last week at Glen Seilisdeir - the hide closes on Friday 31st August as essential logging operations begin in the forest on Monday. It has all gone far too quickly, but it has been a real privilege to watch Iona and Fingal incubate their precious eggs through to hatching, and to watch Buidhe and Gorm grow from wobbly four-inch high, fluffy white chicks to full-grown magnificent Sea Eagles. Over the next few days I will gather together all the images that I (and others) have taken at the hide and post them on my final blog for this year.

Drama at the nest

The Sea Eagle chicks are now seven weeks old and still growing rapidly. They are much more active on the nest now, pulling apart their own food when the adults are away although Iona still tries to feed them, tearing off tiny pieces of food as if they were still very small. Their diet has been very varied this week with fish, seabirds, pieces of a dead seal etc. and yesterday Fingal excelled himself by bringing in a mink. The chicks made short work of it but had to share it with their mother who is obviously very partial to mink.

We have yet to find out the sexes of the two chicks but, if I had to make a guess I would say that we have a male and a female as one chick is much bigger than the other and with only two days between hatching there would not usually be such a large size difference. The larger bird has already started standing on the edge of the nest and exercising its wings although it will be three to five weeks or more before it is ready to fledge. It's always a frightening time for those of us watching the nest when the chicks are wing-flapping as they stand right at the edge of the nest and it's a long way down if they slip.


Visitors at the viewing hide.  Photo Sue Dewar

Yesterday afternoon there was plenty of drama with the local Buzzard coming rather too close to the nest for comfort again. We can just hear the Buzzard chicks calling for food in the background, so the temptation for the adult to steal a piece of food from the eagle nest must have brought the adult Buzzard in.

It was not a good plan, though, as both adult eagles were at the nest and Fingal flew up, flipped over backwards with his talons in the air, and tried to grab the Buzzard. Although he didn't manage to catch it, the Buzzard got the message and took off with Fingal in hot pursuit. Our chicks are now much the same size as the Buzzard so we weren't worried that they were at risk, but the parent birds were outraged at the audacity of the smaller raptor trying to take the food that they had caught for their own chicks. It was an exciting time for our visitors and ourselves, but after half an hour everything had settled down and the nest returned to being a peaceful family roost.

Next week I am on annual leave so I can only imagine how much the chicks will have grown by the time I come back.





Peace reigns at Glen Seilisdeir

All is well at our Sea Eagle nest, and Iona and Fingal are the proud parents of two healthy chicks. They are almost two weeks old and are growing rapidly. At three days old we were already seeing wobbly, fluffy white heads bobbing about in the nest - now there are the first signs of grey showing through the white. The heads have stopped wobbling and are now expertly aiming for mum's beak - provided it is full of food!

To begin with Iona did all the brooding of her new family, with Fingal in charge of catching their food, but now both adults take turns. So far the chicks have been fed mainly on fish and seabirds such as Fulmars. To begin with the parent birds tore off tiny pieces of food to offer to their chicks, their enormous beaks bigger by far than the chicks' heads. With each day the morsels of food are getting larger and the chicks are getting greedier - it really isn't surprising that by eight to nine weeks they will be fully grown, and in ten weeks' time they will be ready to leave the nest.

As you can see by the photograph (taken for us by islander Alan Jack) the nest is very exposed, of necessity because with a wingspan of 2.4 metres the adults have to be able to spread their wings before launching themselves from the tree. You can just see Iona's pale head as she broods her charges on the nest.

To give you an idea of size the nest is about two metres across and just over half a metre deep, with a nest cup where the chicks lie and a built up surround so they are safe from falling. Over the last weekend the weather on Mull was atrocious and we were very concerned for the chicks' safety. Strong cold wind and heavy rain can be lethal for young birds and it was with some concern that we arrived on Monday to see if the nest was still intact with its precious contents. Thank goodness it was and as the weather warmed and the sun came out we were very relieved to see that all was well.

Last Friday we were visited by an assessor from the Green Tourism Business Scheme, and we are now awaiting our grading. All our power is provided from solar panels, and we strive to be eco-friendly in all that we do, so we hope that the assessor was impressed with what he saw.

The hide has been really busy, and everyone loves the new format. As the chicks grow we will see more and more activity at the nest, so if you are heading to Mull this summer do come to see us.

First white-tailed eagle chick hatches at Mull hide



Mull's White Tailed Eagles

The first white-tailed eagle chick of the year at the Mull Eagle Watch hide has been spotted by rangers.

It’s hopeful that a second egg is in the nest and that the proud parents, Iona & Fingal, will have another chick to look after in couple of days.

For the past 38 days, the adult birds have taken turns in incubating the eggs, sitting very low on the nest.

First indications that something had changed was on Tuesday this week when the female was sitting higher up on the nest. She was also fidgeting and fussing with the eggs so it was clear that a new arrival was coming.

Sue Dewar, White-Tailed Eagle Ranger with Mull & Iona Ranger Service said:

“We are thrilled to bits at the news and we are keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well with the remaining egg.

“It was on Wednesday afternoon that we first witnessed Iona, the female adult, bending her head down and gently feeding the chick.

“Tiny morsels of food were torn off by her huge beak and were delicately fed to her new chick. Iona was also very careful to keep her talons well out of the way so as not to put the chick in any danger.

”The new arrival is great news for the birds but also for Mull as so many people come to witness these massive and magnificent birds.”

Fingal, the male, was not seen during the afternoon the new chick arrived and was most likely to be off hunting to feed his new family.

If the female takes a break from her new duties the male adult will take over until she returns. If there is a second egg it could hatch in the next couple of days, as eagles lay eggs two or three days apart, but sit from the time the first egg is laid.

Dave Sexton, RSPB Scotland’s Mull Officer added:

“Whilst breaking out of the egg is one of the toughest parts of an eagle’s life, the next 10 days is also critical as they must be brooded by an adult at all times to avoid hypothermia. So Mull Eagle Watch and the CCTV will still be running 24/7 to ensure Fingal & Iona and their new family are not disturbed in any way”

Mull Eagle Watch is run by a partnership consisting of Forestry Commission Scotland, Mull & Iona Community Trust, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Strathclyde Police.

Part of the income from trips to the hide is put into a fund which is available to the islanders for local community projects. A recent survey reported that the white-tailed eagles alone bring in £5m annually to Mull’s economy, which is hugely important to the island.

All over the island, Mull Eagle Watch’s dedicated team of volunteers have been watching the eagles’ nests to ensure that no-one gets too close as the birds will leave the nest if they are disturbed by anyone – deliberately or inadvertently.

Because the Mull Eagle Watch are constantly on the lookout for egg thieves, nests are watched for 24 hours a day and this year CCTV is also being used with other high-tech equipment to back up our volunteers.

Once the chicks are hatched there are still problems from the very occasional photographer who wants to get closer than is comfortable for the birds, and two such people were prosecuted last year for ignoring instructions not to go too close. Fortunately on that occasion the chick survived, but only because volunteers and police reacted quickly.

The hide at Glen Seilisdeir is open Monday to Friday from April to the end of September, running two trips a day. White-tailed eagle rangers will tell the story of the eagles’ extinction and subsequent reintroduction, and then escort visitors to an outdoor viewing hide just 300m from the nest. Booking is essential on 01680 812556.