Wednesday July 1, 2009, 8:29 am
:) Thanks Cher!

White tailed eagle chicks flown in from Norway

June 2009. Up to 20 white tailed eagle chicks arrived in Scotland as the next phase of the reintroduction programme for Britain's largest and most spectacular bird of prey got underway.

The chicks are the third batch of the five year East Scotland Sea Eagles (ESSE) reintroduction project and they were taken to ten purpose-built aviaries at a secret location on Forestry Commission Scotland land in Fife. They will be held and fed here for almost two months until they have developed all their flight feathers and are strong enough to fledge.

Eastern Scotland Sea eagles
ESSE is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry Commission Scotland to reintroduce the birds, affectionately known as 'flying barn doors' due to their massive eight foot wing span, to Eastern Scotland. They disappeared from the UK in Victorian times due to historic human persecution.

Following successful reintroductions to the west of Scotland since the 1970s, the hope now is to restore the birds across the full extent of their former range in Scotland, and help the population to thrive.

On of the 2007 chicks leaving the release pen. RSPB images/Andy Hay

On of the 2007 chicks leaving the release pen. RSPB images/Andy Hay
Mixing with the West Coast Sea eagles
Claire Smith, RSPB Scotland sea eagle project officer, said: "With two previous batches of chicks now well established in the east of Scotland, this project is helping to ensure that these spectacular birds become an increasingly common sight all over the country. Over time, they will begin to link up with the established population in the west, helping boost the number of breeding pairs in the wild. We are already seeing the two populations of birds mixing with increasing visits from young west coast birds to the east over the past few months.

"We have had hundreds of reported sightings and good wishes from people who are thrilled when they see these enormous birds soaring in the sky, back where they belong after being eradicated by man. It is thanks to the generosity of the people of Norway, who are donating all the chicks for this project, that this has been made possible."

More than 200 Sea eagles in Scotland
Professor Colin Galbraith, director of policy and advice at SNH, said: "After great success in the west, this delivery of another 20 eagle chicks for the east coast brings us another step closer to establishing these remarkable birds from coast to coast. Sea eagles are certainly doing well overall - our 2008 survey found that we have 44 breeding pairs and over 200 sea eagles, with ranges stretching across many areas of Scotland. Importantly, we will continue to work with landowners and managers in the release area to ensure that the birds settle in well to their new environment."

Moira Baptie, Environment Manager for Forestry Commission Scotland, said: "The project so far has been a great success and we are pleased to be been part of such a major effort to re-establish these magnificent birds in Scotland."
East coast sea eagles

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15 birds were released in both 2007, which was the first year of the ESSE project. of these 11 survived - 7 males and 4 females. Two were electrocuted on power cables, one disappeared in the Angus Glens and one died of unknown causes. 15 birds were released in 2008. Of these 13 remain.
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Since being released the birds have been behaving exactly as it would be expected of immature sea eagles to - exploring Scotland and growing in confidence. Often roosting in small groups, they have spent their time investigating the coasts, straths, glens and firths of Scotland. They have been eating carrion, rabbits, geese, gulls, herons and fish.
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Most recent confirmed locations are RSPB Loch of Strathbeg, Fife, the Tay Estuary, Midlothian, Angus and West Perthshire.
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It greatly helps the project if the public report sightings of sea eagles in the east by emailing eastscotlandseaeagles@rspb.org.uk


scotland's white tailed sea eagles

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There are now more than 200 sea eagles in Scotland, including approximately 44 breeding pairs. However, the range of the breeding population is still largely confined to the west coast of Scotland.
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ESSE is the third phase of the Scottish sea eagle re-introduction which began on Rum (owned by the Nature Conservancy Council, now Scottish Natural Heritage) in 1975.
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Over the next ten years to 1985, a total of 82 eaglets (39 males and 43 females) were imported, under special licence, from nests in northern Norway where the sea eagle population was still expanding.
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The first wild bred chicks since extinction were born on Mull in 1985. The second phase saw a further 58 birds released in Wester Ross between 1993 and 1998.