Reintroduced eagle settles in Oxfordshire

22/01/2020

Forestry England has revealed that one of the six White-tailed Eagles released on the Isle of Wight last summer has taken up residence in Oxfordshire.

The eagle, known as G3-93, has been favouring an area close to the M40 in the county for some four months, having flown there last autumn from the release site on the south-coast isle.

Here, G3-93 has been happily co-existing with the local Red Kites, following them around and feeding on carrion, including a Roe Deer carcass. It may seem surprising that a bird with a 2.4-metre wingspan hasn't been seen more regularly but, like with most other eagles, it spends most of its time perched out of sight in trees.

Steve Egerton-Read, a project officer for the reintroduction programme led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said the bird is safe from human persecution: "Oxfordshire is full of game shoots but there's no ill-will towards it and the landowners are very pleased to have another exciting bird to add to their list.

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Public bodies admit sea eagles in Scotland are killing healthy sheep

June 19, 2019


Sea eagles reintroduced to Scotland are preying on healthy lambs, it has been formally acknowledged for the first time.

Crofters have long believed that the birds of prey will kill and eat very young sheep, but public bodies behind the reintroduction of sea eagles have finally admitted that it is the case.

The white-tailed eagle is the largest bird of prey in the UK and the fourth largest eagle in the world.

Its wingspan can be almost 2.5 meters in length, standing at a height of almost a meter and were reintroduced in Scotland using birds from Norway, in 1975 and 1985 – with further releases this century.

Breeding in Scotland has now been so successful that there are an estimated 130 pairs of White-tailed Eagles spread across the west Highland coast and islands.

But warnings have been issued that should the number of sea eagles increase, the livelihoods of crofters will be affected – impacting the most eco-friendly form of farming.

Scottish Natural Heritage has finally admitted the eagles are swooping on lambs – an acknowledgement described as “long overdue” by the Scottish Crofting Federation.

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Police search after tagged sea eagle disappears

By David MillerBBC Scotland environment correspondent

North Police have searched an estate after the disappearance of the first white-tailed sea eagle to be raised in the east of Scotland in almost 200 years.

The male bird, which was raised in a nest in Fife last year, was fitted with a satellite tag before it could fly.

Police have made searches of Aberdeenshire's North Glenbuchat Estate where the eagle was last tracked to.

The owners of the North Glenbuchat estate are yet to respond to inquiries from BBC Scotland.

Police officers have spent the day searching property on the estate.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "We are concerned for the welfare of a white tailed eagle and enquiries are ongoing to locate the bird.

"Around April 10, 2014, we became aware that the bird was missing from the Glenbuchat area of Strathdon as there were no further recordings from its transmitter.

"There is concern for the welfare of this very rare bird.

"As a result searches have been carried out in the area on both land and within premises."

In recent years, several satellite tagged golden eagles have also disappeared in the Strathdon area.

In 2011, the body of one of the birds was recovered at Glenbuchat. Tests showed it had been poisoned.

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White-tailed sea eagles breed on Scotland’s east coast for the first time for 200 years

East Coast eagles make history - Reintroduction project celebrates flight of first wild chick 

September 2013. For the first time in almost two centuries white-tailed sea eagles have bred in the east of mainland Scotland. Conservationists confirmed that a pair released in 2009 as part of a successful reintroduction project, have raised one chick in a Forestry Commission Scotland wood in Fife.

85 eagles reintroduced

Between 2007-2012, RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland, with additional financial support from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Fife and Rural Tayside LEADER Programme 2007-2013, reintroduced a total of 85 eagles to Scotland's east coast. Their progress and whereabouts continue to be regularly monitored by project staff and volunteers.

Having found a safe and secure home, the adult pair successfully reared a healthy male chick which was fitted with a leg ring and white wing tags with black numbering, earlier this summer by trained and licensed ringing experts.

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Paul Wheelhouse said: "This is fantastic news - it is the first chick in almost two hundred years to be hatched on the mainland of the east coast, which was the ultimate aim of the reintroduction project. I hope it will be the first of many of this magnificent species which will eventually spread their territories right across Scotland. I'd like to thank all partners who have played their part in making this exciting and special event happen."

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White-Tailed Eagle chicks hatch in Ireland for first time 110 years

May 2013. White-tailed Eagles have successfully hatched chicks in Ireland for the first time in more than 110 years.

County Clare & Kerry

In the last week a pair was confirmed to have hatched chicks at a nest near Mountshannon, Co Clare. This pair also created history in 2012 when they nested for the first time. A second pair, in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry, successfully hatched chicks in the past few days having laid eggs in late March.

These are the first chicks of the high profile reintroduction programme which began in 2007 with the release of young Norwegian eagles in Killarney National Park as part of the White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme developed and funded by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in partnership with Golden Eagle Trust.

Introduced from Norway

Nesting began in late March with pairs laying eggs in nests in Clare and Killarney. The Mountshannon breeding pair, a five year old male and four year old female, was collected on the island of Frøya off the west coast of Norway. This pair laid eggs in 2012 but failed to hatch chicks. However by January 2013 had already built a new nest. The Killarney breeding pair, a six year old female and five year old male, was collected on islands in Flatanger and Hitra, Norway, in 2007 and 2008. The Killarney female spent part of the winter in early 2009 in the Scottish Highlands before returning to Kerry. All birds were released in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry, as part of the White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme. Several pairs have now established themselves in counties Kerry, Cork, Clare and Galway at coastal and inland lake sites.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan T.D. said "This is a momentous occasion in that we are now witnessing the first white-tailed eagles born in the wild in Ireland in over 100 years."

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Eagle-eyed visitors at Loch Leven

VISITORS to RSPB Loch Leven have spotted a white-tailed sea eagle flying over the water.

This is the first sighting of these raptors at the location for a year but experts believe it will not be the last.

"Sea eagles are highly nomadic in their first five years of life and move around depending on the distribution of prey available to them," said Rhian Evans, sea eagle officer for the East of Scotland.

"We've been told by those who saw the sea eagle at Loch Leven that it had a turquoise coloured tag on it - this is really useful data for us to collect at the RSPB as it helps us track where these birds go and how well they're doing.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities to see these birds at Loch Leven over the next few months."

Colin Shaw, information officer at Loch Leven, described the sighting as "thrilling" and his colleague explained it started the winter season.

"The arrival of sea eagles signals to us the start of the cold winter months," said Debbie Hardie, from RSPB Loch Leven.

Read on:  

http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/roundup/articles/2012/11/08/439330-eagleeyed-visitors-at-loch-leven/

HOPES SOAR OF RETURNING RARE SEA EAGLE TO CUMBRIAN SKIES

Photo: Wikipedia

HOPES of returning the white-tailed sea eagle to Cumbrian skies have been strengthened after 90 per cent of people questioned said they would back a reintroduction programme.

The support was pledged during the first stage of important research into whether the giant birds of prey should be brought back to the Solway Coast.

Campaigners argue such a move would bring a multi-million pound tourist boost.

A feasibility study is now being carried out by the Centre for Wildlife Conservation at the University of Cumbria. It has just completed the first important stage – a speculative consultation to gauge opinion among the general public.

Mic Mayhew, a masters student at the university, carried out the research and discovered that almost 90 per cent of people interviewed were in favour of the reintroduction project.

He said: “We are encouraged and excited that such a broad range of people, from farmers and fisherman to city workers in Carlisle, have shown their support for the project.”

The survey focused on urban and rural locations in north Cumbria within the proposed area along the Solway coast, stretching from Carlisle in the east to Maryport in the west.

Mr Mayhew said that although only a small proportion of people objected, it was important that their concerns regarding the impact of sea eagles on farming interests and wildlife are taken into account.

The next stage of the feasibility study will look at the issues in more detail. Starting in the autumn, it will see wider consultation with local organisations who have an interest in the project.

Mr Mayhew added: “By consulting with business, farming and conservation groups, we hope to address the concerns raised by the general public. We look forward to working together to find ways of making the project work without affecting the livelihoods of farmers and landowners, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Continued: http://www.in-cumbria.com/hopes-soar-of-returning-rare-sea-eagle-to-cumbrian-skies-1.991078?referrerPath=news-archive/mediawatch

Bird information:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/w/whitetailedeagle/index.aspx

http://www.white-tailed-sea-eagle.co.uk/