New eagle chicks on estates

Gamekeepers and estates in the south of Scotland are preparing to welcome more golden eagles as a fresh batch of chicks are introduced to support the region’s struggling population. This month, six new chicks will be added to the project, bringing the total number of eagles in the Southern Uplands to around 39. While shooting and land management interests welcomed the programme, it was bitterly opposed by many a small group of raptor workers and antishooting activists, who claimed the birds would be illegally killed.

However, the project has become an outstanding example of cooperation between the shooting and raptor conservation communities, with estates in the Highlands providing chicks and those in the Southern Uplands supporting releases, monitoring and, at times, even feeding the eagles.

Mark Ewart of the Southern Uplands Moorland Group said: “We are working very closely with the project team and are delighted to see more eagles in the skies over our managed moors. Our keepers are regularly reporting sightings and we look forward to working with the project long into the future.”

Shoot-hut maintenance. Make sure your shoot hut is ready for the winter. Unblock gutters, fix slipped slates (if you are competent and equipped), check that windows and doors close properly and that locks and seals are working. Lag pipes and outside taps well ahead of the first frosts and if you have a heating system, give it a good run to check it will fire up when needed.

Dog-in. Most birds will now be strong enough to be carefully dogged-in. The careful use of dogs to bring birds back towards their pens and to steer them away from boundaries is a time-consuming but important task, especially if you have neighbours who enjoy the odd shoot day at your expense. Done well, dogging-in can be a great opportunity to introduce young dogs to birds well ahead of the season.

Introducing new eagle chicks will help to safeguard the population