I was lucky enough to be on the Scilly Isles when the Short-toed Eagle was found in Octber 1999. at the time I decided to let everyone else go chase after it as I thought I might do better staying where I was in the hope of it coming my way, which it did.
I have seen many of these birds abroad but I was so impressed with this bird that I wrote a story in diary format that contained nearly 6,000 words. It was written in both fact and fiction. The fact is what I was witnessing and the fiction was of me potraying the same scenes through the eagles eyes. I actually gave the eagle a name "Hedden"
Part of that story is when the eagle was mobbed and I have copied and pasted what I had written about it. It is only a very small part of the whole story of the few days the Eagle was there.
This first part is through my eyes as I witnessed it.
"4:15pm
I was still on my own and thought I had made the wrong decision in staying here for the bird. The pager bleeped. The bird had turned and was now flying towards me. I held my breath, watching for any tell tale movements over the far ridge, and willing the bird to head north. As I watched a flock of gulls, together with a couple of Ravens, took flight from St Martins.
4:20pm
Masses of gulls, together with two Ravens, were mobbing another bird.
“Could it be,” I thought.
I scanned the birds with my scope, setting the zoom lens onto 60x mag. The density of the birds making it impossible to pick out clearly, the bird they were attacking. One bird eventually dropped away from the swirling mass. The other birds were forcing it down and I managed to line up my scope onto it. It appeared to be heading towards some rocks. The Ravens and gulls were not letting up on their attacks but the bird managed to land on a small rock and in the brief respite, that followed its landing, I managed a good look at him. It was the Eagle. I had found him. What a feeling, what a bird. As I started to phone the pager company, to announce the Eagle’s whereabouts, the gulls resumed their attacks on it.
This part is through Heddens eyes.
4:25pm
Hedden felt insecure. He wasn’t safe here. The Ravens renewed their vicious attacks on him spurring on further, frenzied, attacks by the gulls. Realising that he had to flee this island, for his safety, he took flight and the first Raven came at him. Hedden turned and flashed out his talons, narrowly missing the Raven. It screeched, with alarm, but still turned to hit home another attack. The second Raven came from another angle. The gulls held back, as if just spectators to a great battle. Hedden was fighting for his life, turning first one way then the other, always with his talons leading the way. The Ravens were backing off now, keeping their distance, as too were the gulls. He was a threat to them and was fighting back. Space was created between the Eagle and the Ravens and gulls as respect for this new bird gathered pace amongst his attackers.
Hedden rose quickly skywards causing panic and confusion amongst the following birds.
There is obviously more but that is another part of the story.
John