All things White-tailed Eagle (3 Viewers)

[John Cantelo]

Actually, on purely ecological grounds, I think it is an absurdity to think that Sea Eagle wasn't a regular breeding bird in lowland Britain at some point in the last one or two thousand years. It's hard to understand how they could be a breeding bird in north western coastal habitats up to a hundred or so years ago and not exploited habitats to the south east in the absence of prolonged and systemaric persecution. My only caveats in the current discussion are what I regard as the sloppy use of the term 'historical' (and related terms) and the casual assumption the the presence of remains can be taken as proof of breeding,

 

[Cartman]

Going to Loch Frisa on Mull next week, has anyone been to the hide before, how close is it to the nest? Hope to get some photos, went on a boat trip off Mull yesterday and saw a Sea Eagke in a tree but it was about a mile away.

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Going to Loch Frisa on Mull next week, has anyone been to the hide before, how close is it to the nest? Hope to get some photos, went on a boat trip off Mull yesterday and saw a Sea Eagke in a tree but it was about a mile away.

It depends which nest the birds have chosen to use this year - and it is a moveable hide which goes where the nest is!! That sounds as if it's a tent, and it certainly isn't!!

You'll certainly get much closer to it than a mile, I think. You drive to a designated place on the forest track then follow the warden in convoy further into the forest. It's a great experience. We only saw the eagles on the opposite fell side after Debbie had found them for us, but I've seen photos of them perched in a tree at much closer quarters.

We will go again this year if the season of visits is extended into September as it was last year. As the warden wrote: "why stop the visits - the eagles aren't going anywhere!" They don't fly off to foreign climes at the drop of a hat like the fickle ospreys do!! :-O

Sandra

 

[Cartman]

Thanks Sandra, we have another week here so hoping the weather improves

 

[Boom]

At the risk of upsetting some people- not that close in my experience-but you do stand a good chance of some good flight shots there.

There are some other spots that can proove just as productive such as at Loch Na Keal and Grass Point-if you`re on Mull just ask around for specific directions-majority of people are more than helpful

yep weather is the only downside to an amazing place. (and the Midge?)

cheers

 

[Cartman]

At the risk of upsetting some people- not that close in my experience-but you do stand a good chance of some good flight shots there.

There are some other spots that can proove just as productive such as at Loch Na Keal and Grass Point-if you`re on Mull just ask around for specific directions-majority of people are more than helpful

yep weather is the only downside to an amazing place. (and the Midge?)

cheers

Back on Mull today and again visited Grasspoint, again didn't see an eagle. Am I the ubluckiest tourist ever. I walked along the road for bit in both directions from where the cctv is and saw nowt. Coming back tomorrow to go to the hide, was fully booked today

 

[Sandra (Taylor)]

Back on Mull today and again visited Grasspoint, again didn't see an eagle. Am I the ubluckiest tourist ever. I walked along the road for bit in both directions from where the cctv is and saw nowt. Coming back tomorrow to go to the hide, was fully booked today

Take it from me - tomorrow will be your lucky day! You'll be posting on here again telling us what a super day you had

:t:

 

[Cartman]

Went back one more time and didn't see a WTE but did see my first ever Goldie! What an awesome sight of an awesome bird. And no it wasn't a Buzzard, we have seen dozens of those. It stayed in my view for five minutes wirhout flapping it's wings!

 

[Cartman]

Just back from the hide on Loch Frisa, really enjoyed it. Debby did the talk and she was great, really interesting. Managed to see the male sitting in a tree but he flew off shortly after we arrived as the local farmer decided to cut his grass with the loudest tracter in the world. Well worth a fiver though.

 

[Amarillo]

I would not have been surprised if a few juv\sub adult sea eagles did summer in East Anglia in the past , across Europe they were probably far more common a thousand years ago , but the vital question is did it breed there ?

I think all this will soon be irrelevant anyway.

Sea eagles have colonised Holland from populations in Germany. As that population builds up, they will surely wander across to East Anglia and colonise naturally. Then those opposing sea eagles in East Anglia for whatever reason won't have a leg to stand on.

 

[Wigwam]

Just an update on how the re-introduction is going in Ireland, from the Irish Times 05/08/2010. I reckon its going to be a success:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0805/1224276235561.html

***Further nine Norwegian sea eagle chicks take to the skies of Killarney

A CONTROVERSIAL project to reintroduce eagles to Killarney National Park is continuing, despite the illegal poisoning of some of the birds. Nine white-tailed sea eaglets were yesterday released in the park and a further 13 will be let go next week from hillside cages overlooking the world-famous lakes of Killarney. So far, 64 white-tailed eagles have been released in Killarney, 14 of which have died including seven from poisoning.

This year, 11 protected birds of prey, including three kites, three white-tailed eagles, a golden eagle, three buzzards and a peregrine falcon, have been confirmed poisoned in the Republic.The three white-tailed eagles were poisoned in a four-week period in the Beaufort area, near Killarney.

Dr Allan Mee, of the Golden Eagle Trust and director of the Killarney project, said it was likely all three had fed on the same poisoned sheep carcass. However, he is still hopeful, he said, that the project will be successful. There has been strong farmer opposition to the project, amid fears eagles would kill lambs and that stricter regulations would be imposed on farming practices. Farmers are liable to have their EU payments reduced if they are found to have killed protected wild birds such as eagles and red kites.

Dr Mee said there was also a huge amount of support for the project and felt what happened in Beaufort was most likely a single incident. Following a recent meeting with the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Teagasc and other interests, he hoped the situation would improve. “We must turn things around before next year’s lambing season.” Farm organisations have strongly rebutted suggestions the eagles were deliberately poisoned. Farmer representatives say the poisonings were accidental, with the birds consuming substances which are normally put out for foxes, crows and other predators of lambs.

Gardaí and the Department of Agriculture are investigating the poisonings and nobody has been prosecuted.

The latest 22 birds – 16 males and six females – have again been donated by the Norwegian wildlife authorities. Three of the birds have satellite tags which enable their movements to be tracked.

Some of the previously released birds have been traced to parts of Co Antrim, Lough Neagh and the Orkney Islands, in Scotland.****

 

[Irish Kite]

Just an update on how the re-introduction is going in Ireland, from the Irish Times 05/08/2010. I reckon its going to be a success:

I'd be a little more pessimistic given the failure to prosecute anyone for the eagle deaths and the fact that our useless government still hasn't reformed the national laws on the use/misuse of poison baits to bring them up to the European norm!!:-C

 

[nirofo]

Dr Allan Mee, of the Golden Eagle Trust and director of the Killarney project, said it was likely all three had fed on the same poisoned sheep carcass. However, he is still hopeful, he said, that the project will be successful. There has been strong farmer opposition to the project, amid fears eagles would kill lambs and that stricter regulations would be imposed on farming practices. Farmers are liable to have their EU payments reduced if they are found to have killed protected wild birds such as eagles and red kites.

Dr Mee said there was also a huge amount of support for the project and felt what happened in Beaufort was most likely a single incident. Following a recent meeting with the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, Teagasc and other interests, he hoped the situation would improve. “We must turn things around before next year’s lambing season.” Farm organisations have strongly rebutted suggestions the eagles were deliberately poisoned. Farmer representatives say the poisonings were accidental, with the birds consuming substances which are normally put out for foxes, crows and other predators of lambs.

What does this guy Dr Allan Mee get off on, is he a sadist or is he determined to see his project go through at any cost regardless? So he think's it's probably a single incident does he, 3 White Tailed Eagles poisoned already and many more poisonings of Raptors in the area, and they are only the ones that are known about, but he is "hopeful" that the project will be successfull !!! Local farmers are totally against the reintroduction, but he hopes to turn things around before next years lambing season, doesn't he know anything about sheep farming and shepherds. This guy should be seriously investigated before he wastes any more of our money, resources, time and effort, not to mention the innocent young White Tailed Eagles destined to go to their deaths because he is "HOPEFUL".

 

[Irish Kite]

What does this guy Dr Allan Mee get off on, is he a sadist or is he determined to see his project go through at any cost regardless? So he think's it's probably a single incident does he, 3 White Tailed Eagles poisoned already and many more poisonings of Raptors in the area, and they are only the ones that are known about, but he is "hopeful" that the project will be successfull !!! Local farmers are totally against the reintroduction, but he hopes to turn things around before next years lambing season, doesn't he know anything about sheep farming and shepherds. This guy should be seriously investigated before he wastes any more of our money, resources, time and effort, not to mention the innocent young White Tailed Eagles destined to go to their deaths because he is "HOPEFUL".

I tend to agree - Kerry sheep farmers are known for their ignorance on such issues which was obvious given their public protests at the local airport when the first eagles arrived from Norway in 2006. Despite the fact that in the 4 years of the project no eagle has harmed any livestock these gombeen types continue to throw poison carcasses around the local lakes and mountainsides knowing full well(despite a campaign highlighting how foxes can be controlled by shooting, trapping and proper stock housing) that the birds will feed on this carrion and die a horrible death. This re-introduction should have been done in secret in other more enlightened parts of the country such as the upper Shannon Lakelands which also has alot less sheep farming.

 

[Wigwam]

nirofo- Its not as bad as all that

From what I have read about the project it seems to me that local farmers are not dead set against it. And are in fact happy that the eagles are there.
I think more awareness of the eagles and new legislation to ban the use of poison will ultimately lead to the success of the project.

I have seen them down in Kerry and its a pretty awesome sight. Its great that Dr. Mee is trying this and is positive about it. It would be a shame if he just didn't bother as you suggest.
Theres great support for them in the local community I found.

Remember only 7 out of the 64 eagles have been poisoned and 3 from one carcass according to the above article and with more work hopefully the poisonings will be eliminated.

 

[nirofo]

nirofo- Its not as bad as all that

From what I have read about the project it seems to me that local farmers are not dead set against it. And are in fact happy that the eagles are there.
I think more awareness of the eagles and new legislation to ban the use of poison will ultimately lead to the success of the project.

I have seen them down in Kerry and its a pretty awesome sight. Its great that Dr. Mee is trying this and is positive about it. It would be a shame if he just didn't bother as you suggest.
Theres great support for them in the local community I found.

Remember only 7 out of the 64 eagles have been poisoned and 3 from one carcass according to the above article and with more work hopefully the poisonings will be eliminated.

Reading about a project from the comfort of your armchair doesn't really tell you the full story, you need to look at the history of the problems faced during the reintroduction of the White Tailed Eagles in Scotland and it's ongoing saga to get what the real picture is likely to be like. Golden Eagles and most other Raptors in Scotland face similar poisonings and persecution at an ever increasing rate at the hands of Shepherds, gamekeepers and land/estate owners, and yet the majority of people are in favour of the birds.

Banning the use of poison substances in Scotland has not made any difference to the number of poisoning incidents there, why would it be different in Ireland, the law says it is illegal to kill any bird listed on the first schedule, and yet the killing continues. It's not the people who are happy to have the Eagles and other Raptors you have to convince, it's the people who are dead against them.

We keep coming back to the term, "hopefully", I'm hopeful the poisonings and persecutions will cease altogether, but I'm not very hopeful this is likely to happen.

nirofo.

 

[Wigwam]

There is a big difference between Ireland and Scotland and that is we don't have shooting estates here. This is why it will be successful in my opinion.

Also the birds of prey are not, in general, deliberately killed here, unlike in Scotland.

 

[nirofo]

There is a big difference between Ireland and Scotland and that is we don't have shooting estates here. This is why it will be successful in my opinion.

Also the birds of prey are not, in general, deliberately killed here, unlike in Scotland.

The problems the White Tailed and Golden Eagles face in Scotland is in general from the sheep rearing fraternity, much the same as the problem they will face in Ireland. You may not have shooting estates as such, but there is still plenty of game rearing and shooting of birds such as Pheasants and Partridge, wherever you have these game birds you will have persecution of Raptors. You also have many people putting out poisoned baits supposedly for Foxes and rats, unfortunately many of our birds of prey are partial to carrion and will unknowingly feed on poisoned baits with the obvious results, most of the poison substances put out are illegal and can only be obtained either illegally or for other uses.

nirofo.

 

[Wigwam]

The problems the White Tailed and Golden Eagles face in Scotland is in general from the sheep rearing fraternity, much the same as the problem they will face in Ireland. You may not have shooting estates as such, but there is still plenty of game rearing and shooting of birds such as Pheasants and Partridge, wherever you have these game birds you will have persecution of Raptors. You also have many people putting out poisoned baits supposedly for Foxes and rats, unfortunately many of our birds of prey are partial to carrion and will unknowingly feed on poisoned baits with the obvious results, most of the poison substances put out are illegal and can only be obtained either illegally or for other uses.

nirofo.

Well actually nirofo I don't believe the biggest problem facing eagles in Scotland are sheep farmers. It is the shooting estates that are killing all your birds of prey, from what I have read on the subject.

In Ireland, Pheasant and Partridge hunting is mainly confined to the east of of the country which is not eagle habitat. Yes, you are right, poison laid out for foxes is a problem for eagles in Ireland, but it is the only problem. That problem is being tackled by the project leaders.

So in fairness, do not assume your problems with the killing of birds of prey in Scotland are the same problems we have here in Ireland. Ours are much less severe.

Regards

 

[nirofo]

Well actually nirofo I don't believe the biggest problem facing eagles in Scotland are sheep farmers. It is the shooting estates that are killing all your birds of prey, from what I have read on the subject.

In Ireland, Pheasant and Partridge hunting is mainly confined to the east of of the country which is not eagle habitat. Yes, you are right, poison laid out for foxes is a problem for eagles in Ireland, but it is the only problem. That problem is being tackled by the project leaders.

So in fairness, do not assume your problems with the killing of birds of prey in Scotland are the same problems we have here in Ireland. Ours are much less severe.

Regards

You obviously know very little about what happens to Eagles in predominantly sheep country!

Yes the estates are responsible for the larger part of the general Raptor persecution in Scotland and Eagles are a part of this, but Hen Harriers, Peregrines, Goshawks, Buzzards and Red Kites make up the vast majority of the birds targeted.

I fail to see what effect the project leaders will have in tackling the poisonings which are obviously rife.

So in fairness, do not assume your problems with the killing of birds of prey in Scotland are the same problems we have here in Ireland. Ours are much less severe.

So far, 64 white-tailed eagles have been released in Killarney, 14 of which have died including seven from poisoning
This year, 11 protected birds of prey, including three kites, three white-tailed eagles, a golden eagle, three buzzards and a peregrine falcon, have been confirmed poisoned in the Republic.The three white-tailed eagles were poisoned in a four-week period in the Beaufort area, near Killarney.

Your words.

These are not just isolated incidents that can be easily dismissed, there is a concerted effort by certain persons who are determined to get rid of the Raptors, I fail to see how the project leaders will manage to stop that. If they do I say good for them, and please ask them to pass on the information as to how they achieved this to the Scottish Raptor workers.

nirofo.