Mull: Eagle Paradise Wild

The rugged, timeless beauty of the Isle of Mull.

This is the setting for a soaring wildlife success story

about our most magnificent bird of prey...

..the white-tailed sea eagle.

More than a third of all British sea eagles

live on this one island.

So just what is it that makes Mull an eagle paradise?

My name is Gordon Buchanan.

As a wildlife cameraman, I've travelled the world

filming some incredible animals.

But Mull is my home.

This is where I grew up and learned to love watching wildlife.

Lying off the west coast of Scotland, Mull is part of the Inner Hebrides.

The twisting and turning coastline stretches for an amazing 300 miles.

And all along the coast

we'll find sea eagles.

These fantastic birds are thriving in Mull,

and I'm so pleased to see just how well they're doing here today.

Because when I was a boy, there were no sea eagles here at all.

By the 19th century, eagles had become public enemy number one.

Blamed for lost livestock, these beautiful birds

were shot and poisoned,

with ruthless efficiency.

The last, lonely bird was shot dead in 1918.

They had become officially extinct in Britain.

The sea eagle's miraculous return

is one of the great British conservation stories,

and it begins, not on Mull, but the neighbouring island of Rum.

In the late '60s, a group of daring scientists chose Rum,

an island nature reserve, for a revolutionary plan.

They would bring young eagles from Norway and release them here,

hoping that they might be the pioneers of a new population,

a chance to bring the phoenix back from the flames.

This was truly groundbreaking conservation.

But the plan would take patience and dedication.

Over three decades, 140 birds were released.

And happily for the scientists, they settled quickly into their new home.

These noble lords of the sky aren't above a little common theft.

But they're more than capable of catching their own dinner.

And that's when you can enjoy them at their spectacular best.

The birds were doing well, spreading out to other islands.

But there were no eagle babies.

The whole project would fail miserably,

if the eagles couldn't raise a new generation.

Finally, in 1985, the great day came.

And it was here on Mull

that the first precious bundle of feathers came into the world -

the first sea eagle raised in Scotland for 70 years.

But why choose Mull?

What is it about this place that's helped them do so well here?

Well, for starters, there's loads of ideal places

for them to build a nest, high up where the chicks are safe.

But the parents must provide the chicks with food as well as lodging,

and Mull has an abundant, if rather unexpected,

source of prey for the sea eagles...

Rabbits.

The eagles aren't fussy feeders, and rabbits, along with the odd hare,

are a favourite here on Mull.

CHICKS CHEEP

They'll even take the occasional lamb,

a fact that local farmers have learnt to live with.

All in all, there's plenty of food here,

which gives the adults a great chance of raising chicks.

But what makes Mull really special

is the way the local people have taken them to heart.

Each Spring, Mull's Eagle Watch swings into operation,

and the whole island works together to keep an eye on THEIR eagles.

It's such a great scheme,

with so many different individuals and organisations working together.

With all this help from the community,

sea eagles are now doing so well,

they've become a major tourist attraction,

and no-one more than Mull's very own eagle A-list...

..Skye and Frisa.

Skye's the female.

She's on the right, with Frisa the male sat next to her.

They've been together for ten years now.

I've got to know them like old friends.

And millions tuned in to watch the pair

when the BBC Springwatch team visited Mull in 2005.

I think they make an exceptional couple.

They seem such caring and attentive parents,

and successful ones

despite the sometimes harsh conditions

that Mull can throw at them.

In nine years, they've managed to raise an incredible 16 chicks.

Undoubtedly, Mull's most prolific pair of sea eagles.

EAGLES SQUAWK

With plenty of food, places to nest and the friendly locals,

the future's bright for these magnificent birds.

Over time, they'll continue to spread beyond Mull and the Hebrides,

and I hope that wherever they go,

they'll find the acceptance and the success that they've found here.

For me, Mull will always be paradise.

It's great to know the eagles love it here just as much as I do.

Subtitles by Heather Middleton Red Bee Media Ltd

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