An exciting season for white-tailed eagle fans
In a first, two white-tailed eagle chicks took flight under the watch of delighted wildlife enthusiasts on the Isle of Mull.
This breeding season, an adult pair of eagles became the first to nest and rear two chicks within view of our nature hide at Fishnish.
The hide provides cover for wildlife enthusiasts and has done so for the past ten years. Here, visitors have spotted otters, herons, egrets and shorebirds, as well as whales and dolphins. This summer there was even an incredible sighting of two bull orca and a fin whale.
The adult eagles built their nest in a large Sitka spruce tree within the commercial Garmony forestry plantation close to the Fishnish CalMac ferry terminal and a busy fish farm.
Our Environment Advisor Callum Strong said the successful breeding of the young eagles highlighted the valuable role commercial forestry can play in supporting wildlife conservation.
Our forests provide important habitats for many vulnerable species including the white-tailed eagle. Our work and operations involve careful planning around these majestic birds. We protect known nest sites during the breeding season and no planting, felling, road-building or other disruptions can take place near a nest.
Last year, routine pre-harvesting checks discovered a breeding pair of white-tailed eagles in a forest in Caithness. Plans to fell the area ahead of peatland restoration work were quickly changed so that the pair - also nesting in a stand of Sitka spruce - could be left undisturbed.
We work closely with partners on Mull, including RSPB Scotland, Mull and Iona Community Trust Ranger Service and Police Scotland, to give these birds the space and environment they need to thrive.
RSPB’s Mull Officer Dave Sexton said that after 21 years in his role, it thrilled him to watch this pair raise two chicks and see how well they coped with all the activity around them.
“It was with a mixture of excitement and disbelief when Forestry and Land Scotland rangers and I found this pair of sea eagles nesting within sight of the brilliant wildlife hide at Fishnish. It was like a dream come true.
“The CalMac ferry crews, the workers at the fish farm, the Forestry and Land Scotland team and our visitors are all keeping an eye on them, and a Mull Eagle Watch Police Scotland sign helps warn people not to get too close.
“By all working together, these magnificent birds have had their most successful breeding season ever.”
The female, aged 18, was wing tagged as ‘Yellow 1’ in 2006 in Wester Ross and the male, aged 16, was colour ringed A9/69 in 2008 from a nearby nest, also on our land, just across the water on Morvern.
About white-tailed eagles
Did you know that white-tailed eagles are the largest bird of prey in the UK? The female’s wingspan is an impressive 2.5m (8ft) across, making them the fourth largest eagle in the world.
Persecution led to their extinction in 1918. They were reintroduced from Norway in three phases starting on Rum in 1975. There are now 23 pairs nesting on Mull and an estimated 150 pairs across Scotland.
These eagles have some of the strictest legal protection of any species in the UK. Both they and their nests are protected at all times throughout the year.
We work hard with the RSPB and others to safeguard nests around active forestry operations to help support the future of this special bird.