Chris Monk
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http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=975612007
Majestic sea eagle to soar again after absence of 200 years :t:
FRANK URQUHART ( [email protected])
SCOTLAND'S largest and rarest bird of prey, the spectacular sea eagle, is set to soar over the east of the country for the first time in nearly two centuries.
Shortly after noon today, a Norwegian air force cargo plane will touch down at RAF Kinloss in Moray with a cargo of 15 sea eagle chicks, the first phase of an ambitious plan to reintroduce the raptor to the east of Scotland.
The birds are destined for ten purpose-built aviaries containing replica nests at a secret location on land owned by the Forestry Commission Scotland.
For the next two months, they will be closely guarded and monitored by RSPB Scotland until they have fully fledged and are ready to take to the skies.
The East Scotland Sea Eagle Project, funded by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage, will run for five years at a cost of £250,000. It is the latest phase in an initiative to reintroduce the sea eagle, or white-tailed eagle as it is also known, to Scotland.
The reintroduction scheme started on Rum in 1975 when 82 birds from Norway were released over ten years, followed by further releases in Wester Ross.
Although the sea eagle is on the "Red List" of UK birds giving conservation concern, there are now 33 breeding pairs on Mull and Skye, and last year a record 29 chicks were fledged.
But this is the first time that any sea eagles will have been released either on the eastern side of the country or close to large centres of population.
James Reynolds, of RSPB Scotland, said: "If left to their own devices, the now stable west coast populations might take decades before they begin to reoccupy their former haunts in the eastern lowlands. For this reason, the east coast project will continue over a further four years, with up to 20 chicks a year being brought from Norway and released, so that a self-sustaining population will become established."
Claire Smith, East Scotland sea eagle officer for RSPB Scotland, said: "These birds are a gift from the people of Norway to the people of Scotland. Sea eagles became extinct in the East of Scotland less than 200 years ago due to human persecution and it's wonderful that they are coming back to where they belong."
HOW CHICKS WILL GET OFF TO A FLYING START
THE 15 chicks, aged from four to eight weeks, have been collected by members of the Norwegian Ornithological Society over the past two weeks and today they will be loaded on to a Norwegian Orion aircraft for their 90-minute flight to Kinloss.
They will stay in special aviaries for two months before they are released. Each aviary contains a replica nest of a sea eagle, made up of branches, twigs and moss, to mimic the bird's natural environment in which it would normally be raised.
The release site will give the young sea eagles a wide view over the landscape from their aviaries, imprinting it on them before they are freed.
Once the birds are released, a food dump will be established close to the aviaries to supplement their feeding while they learn to hunt and scavenge for carrion, seabirds, fish and waterfowl.
For the first time in a reintroduction scheme in Scotland, each chick will be fitted with wing tags and radio backpacks so they can be tracked for up to five years. B
Last updated: 21-Jun-07 00:49 BST
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Majestic sea eagle to soar again after absence of 200 years :t:
FRANK URQUHART ( [email protected])
SCOTLAND'S largest and rarest bird of prey, the spectacular sea eagle, is set to soar over the east of the country for the first time in nearly two centuries.
Shortly after noon today, a Norwegian air force cargo plane will touch down at RAF Kinloss in Moray with a cargo of 15 sea eagle chicks, the first phase of an ambitious plan to reintroduce the raptor to the east of Scotland.
The birds are destined for ten purpose-built aviaries containing replica nests at a secret location on land owned by the Forestry Commission Scotland.
For the next two months, they will be closely guarded and monitored by RSPB Scotland until they have fully fledged and are ready to take to the skies.
The East Scotland Sea Eagle Project, funded by the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage, will run for five years at a cost of £250,000. It is the latest phase in an initiative to reintroduce the sea eagle, or white-tailed eagle as it is also known, to Scotland.
The reintroduction scheme started on Rum in 1975 when 82 birds from Norway were released over ten years, followed by further releases in Wester Ross.
Although the sea eagle is on the "Red List" of UK birds giving conservation concern, there are now 33 breeding pairs on Mull and Skye, and last year a record 29 chicks were fledged.
But this is the first time that any sea eagles will have been released either on the eastern side of the country or close to large centres of population.
James Reynolds, of RSPB Scotland, said: "If left to their own devices, the now stable west coast populations might take decades before they begin to reoccupy their former haunts in the eastern lowlands. For this reason, the east coast project will continue over a further four years, with up to 20 chicks a year being brought from Norway and released, so that a self-sustaining population will become established."
Claire Smith, East Scotland sea eagle officer for RSPB Scotland, said: "These birds are a gift from the people of Norway to the people of Scotland. Sea eagles became extinct in the East of Scotland less than 200 years ago due to human persecution and it's wonderful that they are coming back to where they belong."
HOW CHICKS WILL GET OFF TO A FLYING START
THE 15 chicks, aged from four to eight weeks, have been collected by members of the Norwegian Ornithological Society over the past two weeks and today they will be loaded on to a Norwegian Orion aircraft for their 90-minute flight to Kinloss.
They will stay in special aviaries for two months before they are released. Each aviary contains a replica nest of a sea eagle, made up of branches, twigs and moss, to mimic the bird's natural environment in which it would normally be raised.
The release site will give the young sea eagles a wide view over the landscape from their aviaries, imprinting it on them before they are freed.
Once the birds are released, a food dump will be established close to the aviaries to supplement their feeding while they learn to hunt and scavenge for carrion, seabirds, fish and waterfowl.
For the first time in a reintroduction scheme in Scotland, each chick will be fitted with wing tags and radio backpacks so they can be tracked for up to five years. B
Last updated: 21-Jun-07 00:49 BST
Comments Add your comment
