Chicks mark 10th anniversary of sea eagles project

SEA eagle hatchlings have been filmed at their nest in a Fife woodland as the species continues to grow in number.

Footage shows their mother tenderly feeding one of the twin chicks, the latest to be born since the species was brought back to Scotland’s east coast.

Almost a century after the huge birds of prey were wiped out in the UK, the pair’s birth has marked the 10th anniversary of a programme to reintroduce sea eagles. The raptors, also known as white-tailed eagles and often dubbed “flying barn doors” because of their 8ft wing span, were once a common sight in Scotland but the last one was shot in 1917.

In the clip, mother Turquoise 1 can be seen bringing food to her not-so-little hatchling before father Turquoise Z swoops in to check on his young brood. The parents were among 85 birds from Norway released in the area between 2007 and 2012.

The species’ number is growing once more and they can often be seen at Tentsmuir Forest, in north-east Fife.

This is the fifth year running that chicks have hatched in the programme run by RSPB Scotland, Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Graeme Findlay, environment manager with the FES team in Tay, said: “We are delighted that in this, the 10th anniversary of the project launch, our star pair of white-tailed eagles have once again hatched chicks in Fife.

“The birds kept us waiting, laying later than usual, but for everyone involved in the project we are delighted that they have successfully hatched twins.”

Paul Cuthill’s car windscreen was smashed in King Street, Broughty Ferry.