Where Eagles dare

Graham Holliday goes bird-watching on the isles of Mull and Skye

The islands of Mull and Skye are two of Europe's best destinations for wildlife watchers. Acombination of wild, rugged mountains, windswept moors and high, inhospitable coastal cliffs make these two islands popular with deer, eagles, otters and a wide variety of bird, plant and sealife.

At this time of the year the islands are prime destinations for those in search of white tailed sea eagles. In recent years visitors to the islands have benefited from closed circuit television coverage direct from specific nests. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds operates a sea eagle viewing hide between early April and mid-July and transmits live pictures to the internet.

Beginning in early June, 2006 The Aros Centre on Skye will turn on a camera focussed on one eagle's nest, but it's no easy task planning this in advance.

“The birds tend to move around each year,” explains Dr Alison MacLennan, RSPB Scotland's Conservation Officer Skye & Lochalsh, “partly because their nests are sometimes lost in winter storms, but the result of this is we can never be sure where they will be each year in order for us to establish a camera on the active site in advance.” The centre is home to a sea eagle exhibition and receives around 9,000 visitors between March and the end of October. During drizzly days, or when there is no action at the nest the centre plays recorded footage of sea eagles. The Aros Centre also has cameras at other sites around the island.

In previous years this ha...

To read the rest of this article you can do any of the following.

• By : Graham Holiday
• In : Wildlife
• Issue : 27
• Page : 22
• Words : 514