• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Golden Eagle takes lamb (1 Viewer)

Sorry just threw that in there as that is what the thread is about! Although one on one, disregarding the presence of adult sheep, a lamb on its own would present an easier prey than an adult fox.

Sorry to sidetrack this discussion, it's not really relevant to the cases we're talking about here.
 
I believe my version of the picture makes my feelings clear on this.
 

Attachments

  • demon eagle.jpg
    demon eagle.jpg
    80.4 KB · Views: 289
Last edited:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XafAdkZIYKA
Click to expand...

That video is shocking, though mainly for the menacing soundtrack and slow mo replay. The gong clash is especially gratuitous, and starts me thinking that GE could be the daylight form of some kind of demon and are partially responsible for the dissapearence of some children.

The picture is real I think, but as relevant as the videos music is tasteful. both leave me wondering why the Wicked Witch of the West bothered making winged monkeys at all. Not when she could just have smashed a gong a few times and attracted such hell bent creatures of mindless destruction.

Of course GE can and do take lambs but so what. If you work within nature you have to accept its realities. Not a sentiment shared by all though im afraid.:t:
 
Last edited:
Shadow-watcher said:
I believe my version of the picture makes my feelings clear on this.
Click to expand...

Giant Eagles saved us from King Kong ... ?
The Eagles wiped out the Neanthedrals ... ?
There's some monkey business afoot ... ?
The alleged 'birdwatcher' used his own (very hairy) daughter to try and prove how evil Golden Eagles are. He'd only just bought the camera and didn't know which button to use to reduce the 'red-eye' portrait mode ... ?


(Apologies for the irrational, slightly off-topic post ... ;) )
 
Yes, think I will send something to British Birds. Another chap on the workshop got better photos and said he would put something together - I was driving and waited to get them onto it. Will put something together and send it off.
 
fact or fiction

Capercaillie71 said:
Nothing new in this story, but unfortunately it will just get the anti-eagle lobby all stirred up again.

(White Tailed) Eagle predation on lambs has been investigated thoroughly on Mull and in Wester Ross, at the taxpayers' expense due to concerns of farmers. Both studies indicated that Eagles occasionally take live lambs but concluded that the levels of mortality were not significant compared to other losses.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47060/0014566.pdf

http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/commissioned_reports/370finalreport.pdf

Here is the main conclusion of the Mull study:

"We calculated from the numbers of eagles present, the numbers of lambs they
consumed, and the proportion that were killed as opposed to scavenged, that the
WTE population on Mull killed between 33 and 37 lambs each year. This takes
no account of the viability of these lambs. The calculation assumes that the WTEs
for which we had data were typical of all those on Mull. Compared with overall
lamb losses of thousands, relatively few were killed by WTEs. The predation of
lambs by WTEs on Mull could not have been damaging to sheep farming on a
broad scale but this does not preclude damage on a small spatial scale."
Click to expand...

I have beenstudying the raptors of mull for nearly fifty years, i was one of the first people to find the first pair of white tailes nesting, the year before they actualy laid eggs i have only ever known one incident of a golden eagle atacking and killing a living lamb, unlike the sea eagles who reguarlly kill live lambs, and on more than once killed an adult sheep, the particular case was taken to court and was proved proven, on top of all this the white tailed eagles have todate killed five goden eagles, one female sea eagle killed a female golden eagle, then paired up with the male eagle they have had eggs but fortunatly never hatched, the when some years ago the R.S.P.B. stopped paying the farmers for lost lambs, the exuse by Richard Evans from the R.S.P.B. was they are no longer killing lambs, the farmer drove to the beeding sight, and found the remains of 29 lambs taken by one pair in one area and it was only half way through the breeding season, he took all the bodies to the wardens house, (and said what do you call these then) at that time there were only two pairs breeding on Mull, but now there is at least 14 pairs, I beleive the way the white tails were reared on rhumm, is the main reason why these birds dont act like the wild breed in norway, as they have been inprinted by man, so have no fear, once again not the birds fault but mans, the autorities have kept a lot of things quite, but evidence will i beleive come out one day.
 
eagle golden said:
I have beenstudying the raptors of mull for nearly fifty years, i was one of the first people to find the first pair of white tailes nesting, the year before they actualy laid eggs i have only ever known one incident of a golden eagle atacking and killing a living lamb, unlike the sea eagles who reguarlly kill live lambs, and on more than once killed an adult sheep, the particular case was taken to court and was proved proven, on top of all this the white tailed eagles have todate killed five goden eagles, one female sea eagle killed a female golden eagle, then paired up with the male eagle they have had eggs but fortunatly never hatched, the when some years ago the R.S.P.B. stopped paying the farmers for lost lambs, the exuse by Richard Evans from the R.S.P.B. was they are no longer killing lambs, the farmer drove to the beeding sight, and found the remains of 29 lambs taken by one pair in one area and it was only half way through the breeding season, he took all the bodies to the wardens house, (and said what do you call these then) at that time there were only two pairs breeding on Mull, but now there is at least 14 pairs, I beleive the way the white tails were reared on rhumm, is the main reason why these birds dont act like the wild breed in norway, as they have been inprinted by man, so have no fear, once again not the birds fault but mans, the autorities have kept a lot of things quite, but evidence will i beleive come out one day.
Click to expand...

sea eagles killing golden eagles? sea eagle golden eagle hybrids? 29 lambs? have you told any of the authorities? if they heard about this im sure there would be second thoughts about reintroducing them.
 
Farmers and grants

eagle golden said:
I have beenstudying the raptors of mull for nearly fifty years, i was one of the first people to find the first pair of white tailes nesting, the year before they actualy laid eggs i have only ever known one incident of a golden eagle atacking and killing a living lamb, unlike the sea eagles who reguarlly kill live lambs, and on more than once killed an adult sheep, the particular case was taken to court and was proved proven, on top of all this the white tailed eagles have todate killed five goden eagles, one female sea eagle killed a female golden eagle, then paired up with the male eagle they have had eggs but fortunatly never hatched, the when some years ago the R.S.P.B. stopped paying the farmers for lost lambs, the exuse by Richard Evans from the R.S.P.B. was they are no longer killing lambs, the farmer drove to the beeding sight, and found the remains of 29 lambs taken by one pair in one area and it was only half way through the breeding season, he took all the bodies to the wardens house, (and said what do you call these then) at that time there were only two pairs breeding on Mull, but now there is at least 14 pairs, I beleive the way the white tails were reared on rhumm, is the main reason why these birds dont act like the wild breed in norway, as they have been inprinted by man, so have no fear, once again not the birds fault but mans, the autorities have kept a lot of things quite, but evidence will i beleive come out one day.
Click to expand...

The above is merely speculation and is not supported by any published studies - plus sheep remains at nest sites do not prove that eagles are taking live sheep or lambs since carrion of all types is a big part of their diet. Indeed this reminds me of the initial stage of the eagle projects over here when even before the birds arrived in 06, there were plays for compensation schemes by certain hardcore elements in the farming lobby - yet after 5 years of having eagles in the middle of intensive sheep country, not one incident of lamb predation has been reported to the authorities!!
 
Last edited:
eagle golden said:
I have beenstudying the raptors of mull for nearly fifty years, i was one of the first people to find the first pair of white tailes nesting, the year before they actualy laid eggs i have only ever known one incident of a golden eagle atacking and killing a living lamb, unlike the sea eagles who reguarlly kill live lambs, and on more than once killed an adult sheep, the particular case was taken to court and was proved proven, on top of all this the white tailed eagles have todate killed five goden eagles, one female sea eagle killed a female golden eagle.....
Click to expand...

I am dubious of a great deal of this info. Im not saying its untrue, mearly that it sounds like the kind of well told stories I often hear from crusty farmers. Neither am I accusing you of being a crusty farmer, but rather that your comment contains some of the most controversial information I've ever heard regarding WTE.

Things can get scrutinized on here (as I recently discovered) so you have to be prepared to back up your claims. What Im really asking is how much of this info is first hand rather than local rumour?
 
Hi first the case was taken against the authorities, a vet gave evidence to prove that the ewe was indeed killed by a sea eagle, second yes the authorities were told, and know about all this, ihave the letters to prove it, no i am not a crusty farmer, i am a well traveled person who over nearly fifty years, and walked all the hils of mull, and yes i have talked to the farmers on mull, all this evidence was put before the committees, natural england and the like, when they were going to realese the white tailed in norfolk, and i hope that my evidence helped to get this stopped, as for no published studies,i am working on that at the moment in the form of my book, i know its hard to believe, but i can assure you every thing is true, and the authorities know it. all of this is first hand
 
Last edited:
eagle golden said:
Hi first the case was taken against the authorities, a vet gave evidence to prove that the ewe was indeed killed by a sea eagle, second yes the authorities were told, and know about all this, ihave the letters to prove it, no i am not a crusty farmer....
Click to expand...

No I understand its fine. Not everything gets published. There nothing wrong with crusty farmers, I find them treasure troves of fascinating if somewhat tall stories. Good luck with your book.
 
eagle golden said:
Hi first the case was taken against the authorities, a vet gave evidence to prove that the ewe was indeed killed by a sea eagle, second yes the authorities were told, and know about all this, ihave the letters to prove it, no i am not a crusty farmer, i am a well traveled person who over nearly fifty years, and walked all the hils of mull, and yes i have talked to the farmers on mull, all this evidence was put before the committees, natural england and the like, when they were going to realese the white tailed in norfolk, and i hope that my evidence helped to get this stopped, as for no published studies,i am working on that at the moment in the form of my book, i know its hard to believe, but i can assure you every thing is true, and the authorities know it. all of this is first hand
Click to expand...

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................
 
Warning! This thread is more than 13 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

P
Golden Eagle Pair Almeria Spain 27th May 2022
Replies
5
Views
1K
Parryman1
P
wolfbirder
GRAN CANARIA - 2- 6th February 2024
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
Mike Crawley
Mike Crawley
wolfbirder
Morocco Marvels and Meanderings 21 - 28 March 2023
2 3
Replies
41
Views
5K
wolfbirder
wolfbirder
Troubador
Zeiss SFL 10x40: A Field Review
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
18K
Dyrlege
D
Troubador
Review: Opticron Verano BGA VHD 8x32
Replies
13
Views
7K
ZDHart
Z

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top