The Call of Mull

The White-tailed Eagle is about as close as I'll ever get to seeing a real-life dragon.

I am completely fascinated by the White-tailed Eagle. I talk about them often with my family and they're probably a bit tired of hearing about it. The White-tailed Eagle is about as close as I'll ever get to seeing a real-life dragon. These majestic birds have a wingspan that can reach between 1.8 and 2.4 meters, making them the most likely candidate for the largest wingspan in our world. Watching these elegant eagles soar overhead, it's easy to imagine jumping on the back of one and flying off into the mountains.

There has also been a recent new behaviour sighting of the White-tailed Eagle where on Mull, two eagles are caring for their injured adult chick. Due to a severe storm, their nest fell last year taking the two chicks with it. One chick was fine and fledged, the other injured its wing and now has trouble flying. The parents have not bred this year and instead are looking after their injured chick, bringing food and caring for it. A beautiful new behaviour that shows animals, and something as magnificent as an eagle, has emotions and compassion. It’s why I love them.

During my recent trip to the Isle of Mull, I wanted to take a break from the online world and spend all my time observing wildlife. Mull is home to a large population of White-tailed Eagles, with the first pairs arriving from the Isle of Rum in the 1970s. A reintroduction program brought chicks from Norway to Scotland to save the species, which had been persecuted to extinction. Thanks to the hard work of many individuals, the eagles have settled well and are considered an international conservation success.

I saw eagles every day during my time on Mull. My partner and I would excitedly stop the car whenever we spotted a large wingspan in the sky. Sometimes it turned out to be a common buzzard, and other times cheeky hooded crows and ravens. But the unmistakable wing outline of the White-tailed Eagle stood out. Its flying silhouette has even been likened to a "flying barn door" so you always know when one is above you.

One of the most memorable moments was when I watched four White-tailed Eagles high in the sky, calling to each other with their distinct squeaky chirps and guttural pops. The unique cadence of their calls even caused a group of passing cyclists to stop and look up in awe at them. And what's lovely was as the cyclists took to the road again, they passed us and smiled, nodding their heads as if to say "That was amazing to witness together, wasn't it?"

I had only ever seen the eagles while they were sitting on their nests high in the trees in the mountains, or usually at a distance on faraway rocks in the middle of a loch. But regardless of the distance, every sighting of eagles is wonderful. There is a charter boat in Mull that offers opportunities for people to get closer to the eagles, and I've always tried to secure a spot to no avail. So when I received a call just a couple of days before my trip, informing me of a last-minute spot due to a cancellation, I jumped at the chance. Okay, I squealed at the chance.

On the boat, alongside the crew and a few other people, we all shared a deep admiration for the White-tailed Eagle. It didn't take long before I heard someone excitedly exclaim, "We've got one!" and there it was, soaring in the sky closer than I had ever seen before - a White-tailed Eagle eagerly eyeing the easy lunch of a fish from the boat. Despite the small fish offered by the crew, the eagles are self-sufficient and have no trouble catching their meals. Within seconds, the eagle plunged into the water, grabbing the fish in its talons before flying back to its nest to feed its young chick.

A crew member explained that it was a "New Kid on the Rock," referring to a pair of relatively new eagles that frequent the rocks in the loch at low tide. "The male of the pair is phenomenal" they added, and it was the male I had just watched dive. Watching such a large bird dive almost silently into the water to catch a fish and then carry it back to the nest, where its partner and young chick were waiting, was an incredible experience. I was even treated to a few more dives from other eagles who live on the island.

I could talk about the eagles forever, but I think it's time to share the photos and let them tell the story. I hope you will enjoy these magnificent creatures as much as I do.

Take care,
Rebecca