Mull Eagles (1 Viewer)

[JONNYTUG]

Hello, I will be off to The Isle of Mull again next month to try and photography the eagle's there.This will be the fifth year I've been, I have managed to get some good shot of the White Tailed Eagles over the years but never a very good one of the Golden Eagles.

I have been told that there is a nest on the south side of the Island (Loch Buie area) where you can walk along the cliffs to a cragg where Golden Eagles have nested on a sea cliff.

This is ment to give very good views of the birds.

Has anybody every been there to this area and seen this site.

I dont expect locations of nests to been given out online but if some one can point me in the right direction to walk would be a great help.

Jonny

 

[Ian Bell]

Hello, I will be off to The Isle of Mull again next month to try and photography the eagle's there.This will be the fifth year I've been, I have managed to get some good shot of the White Tailed Eagles over the years but never a very good one of the Golden Eagles.

I have been told that there is a nest on the south side of the Island (Loch Buie area) where you can walk along the cliffs to a cragg where Golden Eagles have nested on a sea cliff.

This is ment to give very good views of the birds.

Has anybody every been there to this area and seen this site.

I dont expect locations of nests to been given out online but if some one can point me in the right direction to walk would be a great help.

Jonny

Please remember it is AGAINST THE LAW,to photograph Schedule 1 species anywhere near the nest ? Your location of a nest is also out of order.Although it is not a map reference,it could easily be picked up on by egg collectors,that come on this forum.Please think twice before asking/giving information on rare breeding birds ? There are still plenty bad people out there.

 

[JTweedie]

Hello, I will be off to The Isle of Mull again next month to try and photography the eagle's there.This will be the fifth year I've been, I have managed to get some good shot of the White Tailed Eagles over the years but never a very good one of the Golden Eagles.

Jonny

It might be worth joining one of the wildlife tours on the island. They often have good local knowledge and will know best places to look. I once saw Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers, Peregrines and White-tailed Eagles in one day on one of their tours. The tour was organised by Discover the World, but you can book direct with the local companies.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Please remember it is AGAINST THE LAW,to photograph Schedule 1 species anywhere near the nest ? Your location of a nest is also out of order.Although it is not a map reference,it could easily be picked up on by egg collectors,that come on this forum.Please think twice before asking/giving information on rare breeding birds ? There are still plenty bad people out there.

Completely agree.

 

[mcapper]

Hi Jonny

Just came back from Mull recently. Excellent place, great views of Eagles.

But I wouldn't expect any info on nest sites to be passed via the forum. Nothing personal, but any post would be on public display for ever more and there are still real threats to these birds. Ok, the egg collectors etc all have details of nest sites (in fact they published their own guide to White Tailed Eagle sites some years back even setting out where police/RSPB etc might be hiding to catch them) but we can't be seen to be providing any help whatsoever.

I sympathise with the desire to photo these birds and the need for info. It is a sad world where we have to say no, but that is the current reality.

I used David Woodhouse - a local guide - for a day. He was excellent and we got 11 White Tailed Eagles, 8 Golden Eagles and 5 Otter. If you wanted to focus on photography, he would happily accomodate that. website is http://www.torrbuan.com

So whilst no specifics, hopefully this may help

Matthew

 

[JONNYTUG]

Please remember it is AGAINST THE LAW,to photograph Schedule 1 species anywhere near the nest ? Your location of a nest is also out of order.Although it is not a map reference,it could easily be picked up on by egg collectors,that come on this forum.Please think twice before asking/giving information on rare breeding birds ? There are still plenty bad people out there.

I agree with every thing you say, this tip was given to me by a guy who looks after the Red Kites at a certain location. I would never just go trekking over hills. But he did say people stand on the public footpath here to watch and the birds are a good distance away with a 250 foot drop into the sea for anyone who thought of doing anything but just watching them.
Understand we have to be careful.

 

[Dave Adshead]

Hi,
I'm sorry for hi-jacking this thread, however as a bird photographer I'm interested in birds and the law, you have to be.
A couple of years ago, I spoke with an RSPB warden, who used to work at Loch Garten, where the Ospreys are nesting. Schedule 1 bird.
I asked him, "if I'm in the official RSPB hide watching the birds at their nest, would I be committing an offence?"
His reply, "No"
I said, "If I point my camera through the hide window and take a photograph, would I be committing an offence?'
His reply, "Yes"
I thought how ridicules.

I feel there is lot of misinformation being passed around, regarding birds and photographers.
i.e. "it is an offence to photograph a bird at or near its nest".

So, I've found the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the words photographer, photography and photographs are not mentioned in the act.

What the act says "...if any person intentionally-
(a) disturbs any wild bird included in Schedule 1 while it is building a nest or is in, on or near a nest containing eggs or young ; or
(b) disturbs dependent young of such a bird,
he shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a special penalty."

So you see its any person Not just a photographer, and I believe that this any person should be emphasised.

I'm sorry if you feel I'm being pedantic, but in law the exacting wording is important.

If anybody wants a copy of the Wildlife and Countryside act, follow this link www.jncc.gov.uk/PDF/waca1981_part1.pdf

Best wishes
Dave

 

[mcapper]

In my opinion, Dave is absolutely correct. You can photograph schedule 1 species as long as you don't disturb them. If you digiscoped a distant peregrine nest and the birds didn't know you were there, that to me, wouldn't break the law.

The trouble is that to get really good nest photos you have to be very close. This runs the risk of disturbance and would therefore need a licence - and the licence has to specifically cover photography.

The thing to remember is that if for some reason you did take photos and ended up (even inadvertantly) disturbing the birds, you would have broken the law and would, if caught, be prosecuted.

In such cases it is always better to either have a licence or not take the risk.

Matthew

 

[mike coleman]

This may appear a rather flippant response, but Mull is teeming with folk watching eagle nests, and I'm sure they would stop photographers/walkers/birders/eggers/daydreamers getting too close with varying degrees of force and tact, so for the unwitting approach of a nest area a quick ushering away is more than likely, giving no views of the nest site anyway. My advice would be go with David Woodhouse and/or just drive around and photograph the eagles in flight............

 

[Dave Adshead]

In my opinion, Dave is absolutely correct. You can photograph schedule 1 species as long as you don't disturb them. If you digiscoped a distant peregrine nest and the birds didn't know you were there, that to me, wouldn't break the law.

The trouble is that to get really good nest photos you have to be very close. This runs the risk of disturbance and would therefore need a licence - and the licence has to specifically cover photography.

The thing to remember is that if for some reason you did take photos and ended up (even inadvertantly) disturbing the birds, you would have broken the law and would, if caught, be prosecuted.

In such cases it is always better to either have a licence or not take the risk.

Matthew

Hi Matthew,

I agree with you, after all why disturb the very creatures we all admire and enjoy. As you say,the act does offer licences for a number of purposes, one being photography.

 

[Collster]

To go near any schedule1 nest site you need a license, to photograph you need a different license. To get hold of these licenses you usually have to be doing surveys or studys for the one. To get the other you usually have to prove that you can take photos of birds at the nest site without disturbing them. Whilst i agree that digi scoping from a distance is ok, as long as the birds are showing no interest in you. Any visits nearer to nests of breeding schedule 1 birds cannot be justified. Just remember that most of these species nest once a year so leave them in peace to do so

 

[kas]

Hi,
I'm sorry for hi-jacking this thread, however as a bird photographer I'm interested in birds and the law, you have to be.
A couple of years ago, I spoke with an RSPB warden, who used to work at Loch Garten, where the Ospreys are nesting. Schedule 1 bird.
I asked him, "if I'm in the official RSPB hide watching the birds at their nest, would I be committing an offence?"
His reply, "No"
I said, "If I point my camera through the hide window and take a photograph, would I be committing an offence?'
His reply, "Yes"
I thought how ridicules.

Last time I visited Loch Garten, people were taking pictures of the birds with their digital cameras through the hides telescopes. The wardens there certainly didnt seem in the slightest bit bothered either.