Sea eagles swoop back in after 200 years
● Two healthy fledgelings have taken off from nest in Aberdeenshire
S ea eagles have successfully raised chicks in Deeside for the first time in around 200 years.
Two youngsters born this spring at a nest on the Mar Estate in Aberdeenshire have now taken to the skies, becoming the first to do so since the species vanished from the region in the 19th century.
Although sea eagles have been in the area for several years, this is their first successful breeding attempt.
The sea eagle, or white-tailed eagle, is the largest bird of prey in the UK. Its 8ft wingspan has earned it the nickname ‘flying barn door’.
The birds were a common sight across Scotland during the 19 th century, until persecution drove them to extinction across the UK.
The last survivor was shot in 1918, but it’s thought that the birds have not bred in this
part of the Cairngorms since the early 1800s.
Now, as a result of a reintroduction scheme that began in the 1970s, the species is starting to repopulate the country once again.
Victoria and Albert’ s parents makeup one of five territorial pairs in the Cairngorms National Park this year, three of which have fledged young.
The species was first reintroduced to Scotland on the west
coast in 1975, using birds from Norway. Further releases in West er Ross and then Fife have seen the national population gradually expand to around 130 pairs.
The Mar Estate pair is made
up of a male released in Fife in 2011 and a female believed to have come from the west coast.
Mark Nicolson, a proprie - tor of Mar Estate, said “We are delighted to have successful breeding of sea eagles on the estate. S ea eagles have been present for several years, mainly providing spectacular aerial battles with our longresident golden eagles.
“Our hopes that they might settle and breed have been realised, and we look forward to their return next year.”
Grant Moir, chief executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said “Raptor conservation is a key element of the work of the East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership (ECMP).
“Around 50 pairs of moorland raptors – golden eagles, peregrines, hen harriers and merlins– breed in the ECMP area. We are keen to see more raptors in the area so this news is very welcome.”
Shaila R ao, National Trust for Scotland ecologist at neighbouring Mar Lodge Estate, said: “I have been lucky enough to watch these birds nesting all through the season. It is fantastic to have sea eagles back in the area as part of the raptor assemblage and hopefully they will return in the coming years.”