Crafty Eagle, Glen Esk

Wester Cruys - pastel sketch on paper

A circling Goshawk opened the first scene of today's nature play from the hills of Angus and as my sketch became more consuming for me, the curious hawk came to have a look at the mysterious, multi-coloured bundle sitting in the heather but when I eventually realised what was overhead, it was too late. A move for the camera sent the shy hawk into a fast flight over the hill-side and out of sight. I had a feeling that this intrusion into eagle territory would not go unnoticed for long, so promised to keep an eye on the ensuing situation during my struggle through the bright ochre bracken that covered the burn banks. Minutes later, my prediction hatched with the appearance of the local Golden Eagle sniffing at the tail feathers of the vagrant Goshawk. The encounter was no more than that as the eagle weighed up the opposition from the buzzard sized hawk and then, as a consequence, spied me as being more of a threat to its mountain domain.

Sketching today

Glen Esk from Mid Cruys - pastel sketch on paper

Eagles are quite nosey birds at times and they have the inclination to investigate things that enter their space, you may not see them, but at cloud height they certainly can count the hairs on your head. So true to nature our local King of Birds headed straight for me from the wings of our grand, glen stage and offered up a couple of high level fly pasts before bulleting down onto the crags where he landed to have a closer look at the invader; it must know me by now because I am one of the few who ever venture into this secluded place.
Earlier, five straggling, wind struggling Pink-footed Geese skimmed over the ridge and maybe it was their appearance that ushered in the entrance of the eagle who seemingly might have developed a taste for them if the carcass I found last week is anything to go by.

I feel that this lonesome male has lost his usual mate because at a crucial time during that cold start to the year the eyrie was empty and there was no sign of a female even although I had seen the pair mating, but let's wait for next spring to see what happens.

Golden Eagle male, flying into the wind

Although I could not pin-point where he landed at this distance, he was there and effectively snookered into a corner because the southerly wind was strong and I felt that if he rose it would be with the wind sending him over my head again; a game of cat and mouse ensued. The route up the steep ridge that formed a sort of barrier to his exit was examined and a zig-zag terrace that deer used to gain the plateau clearly showed the way. The problem in these situations is that as you clamber over rough ground inevitably attention is drawn away from the quarry, in this case the eagle. I reached a half way point level with the crags and still there was no sign of him, good, I might yet get the chance to take a photo if he flies. 

Hare Cairn - pastel sketch on paper

A long traverse across the slope and away from the crag with my back to the eagle had to be negotiated and this turned out to be the weak link in my pincer movement plan. The wisdom of planning a scheme to out-fox the master of all hunts is just daft and I knew that the minute my back was turned he would be off. Nevertheless, I chanced the long traverse on slippery, down pointing grasses and, like a prisoner who sees the jailer drop his keys, this crafty old eagle had flown the coup and waved good-bye with a second's worth of his black silhouette swooping over the sky-line above me. I chuckled over a defeat befitting that of an encounter between Captain Ahab and Moby Dick, until we meet again then!

Talking of eagles, it is with interest that in America there exists the National Eagle Repository. This is an organisation that stores any found Golden or Bald Eagle body so that the parts and feathers can be distributed to native North American Indians for ritual or cultural reasons, for example the white banded tail feathers of a young eagle are held in the highest esteem for head dresses. Strangely enough, only Scottish clan chiefs have the 'right' to wear a Golden Eagle primary feather in their Glengarry bonnets. 

Sketching today on the plateau

Royal stag on the sniff

The roaring of stags which signifies a commencement to the famed rut is beginning to be heard more frequently now and by homing in on one particular roar, manage to find a herd of Red Deer with a Royal stag at its centre. A stag's roar is a frightening and awe inspiring sound to listen to on the hills as it echoes around the glen and it is one of the things that makes me feel slightly vulnerable. There have been cases of walkers being attacked by stags in the heat of rutting and I certainly did not want to antagonise this Royal stag because he was huge with a massive span to his twelve point antlers. Temptingly the wind was coming to me, so I spirited up enough courage to venture down the slope towards him in a crab crawling fashion.

He was in the middle of things with only a few young satellite stags around the main herd of hinds and yearlings, and as far as I could see had things going his way unless a newcomer dared to appear on the scene. He strode around the central stage occasionally laying back his antlers and pointing his snout to sniff at a grazing, disinterested hind. His curling lips would savour the scent like a wine connoisseur sucking claret from a glass to judge its vintage, then resigns himself to the oestrus wait and instead vents frustration on tussocks of heather with his antlers.

The rut is just beginning

Royal stag roaring

Royal stag roughing up the heather

Red Grouse on young heather, with the old burnt and bleached stems called 'cows' or 'coos'

Clan Chief Ramsay

Notes;

All sketches and photos done on the day.

Please be aware that it is illegal to disturb nesting eagles or other raptors and you may do so inadvertently in your journeys into the highlands. I do not recommend searching for any of the species mentioned in this blog because this may cause undue disturbance to them. With my knowledge of the areas described in this blog I can locate and observe protected species at a respectful distance usually from about 1000 metres for short periods of time only.

Royal - stag with twelve point antlers.

oestrus - reproductive point of ovulation.

For conservation reasons no map is published and no bird was unduly disturbed other than during a normal hill walk. Eagle photos taken with full zoom at over 800 metres distance.

Red Deer stag roaring