Tag: white-tailed eagle

Public views wanted on plans to release White-tailed eagles in Cumbria, Wales, Severn Estuary & Exmoor

Various separate projects are gaining traction to release White-tailed Eagles (WTE) in Cumbria, Wales, Severn Estuary, and Exmoor National Park in a strategic attempt to bolster and connect the current populations in Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland and southern England.

EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, responsible for the successful reintroduction of WTEs to southern England, is now considering small-scale releases in other areas to help restore the former population. The Foundation’s first proposed location is Exmoor National Park in Somerset/Devon.

This area was identified as an important location for WTEs as tracking data from the reintroduced eagles on the Isle of Wight show it’s somewhat of an eagle hotspot, with at least seven individuals making regular visits.

Satellite tracking data up to Jan 2024 of WTEs released in southern England. Copyright Tim Mackrill / Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation

The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England is partnering with the Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) with a view to releasing up to 20 WTEs over a three year period.

A press release from ENPA says, “Over the last few years we have been doing a lot of liaison with local landowners and shoots regarding white-tailed eagles already visiting Exmoor“.

I’ll bet they have! Exmoor is heaving with pheasant and partridge shoots, including several run by, shall we say, ‘interesting’ sporting agents. An earlier plan to release Hen Harriers on Exmoor was met with resistance by local shoots because they feared it would ‘lead to increased scrutiny of legal activities‘(!) (see here).

The ENPA is currently running a ‘public perception survey’ to find out people’s views on the proposed release of WTEs. The online survey is open to everyone, but especially those who live and work within Exmoor NP and those who visit. If you’d like to participate, the survey is here.

WALES and the SEVERN ESTUARY

A different project is planning to release White-tailed eagles back into Wales and to the Severn Estuary after several years of careful research and consultation.

White-tailed Eagles were formerly distributed across Wales but haven’t bred there for over 150 years since being wiped out by persecution (see here and here).

The Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW) Project has been undertaking research for quite a few years (e.g. here) and is now working in partnership with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Gwent Wildlife Trust and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust on actively planning for a WTE reintroduction in southeast Wales and the wider Severn Estuary.

The ERW Project has also launched a public opinion survey to find out people’s views on the release of WTEs. Again, the survey is open to everyone but especially those who live and/or work in the region and the wider Bristol Channel area. If you’d like to participate, the survey is here.

CUMBRIA

The Cumbrian White-tailed Eagle Project is exploring the possibility of bringing WTEs back to the southern part of Cumbria. This is a consortium of organisations, including the University of Cumbria, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Lifescape Project, RSPB, the Wildland Research Institute and the Lake District National Park Authority.

The last recorded WTE breeding attempt was near Haweswater in 1787.

Research has already been undertaken to assess prey availability, habitat suitability and a population viability assessment has been completed.

The team is now undertaking a social feasibility study and has launched a questionnaire to evaluate the public’s attitudes and views on a potential WTE release. The questionnaire is aimed at individuals living in Cumbria and the surrounding areas. If you’d like to participate, the questionnaire is here.

UPDATE 6th January 2025: Predictable backlash from NFU to proposed releases of White-tailed Eagles (here)

UPDATE 23 October 2025: Should White-tailed Eagles be reintroduced to Cumbria? Another questionnaire seeks your views (here)

Inadequate response by Scottish Minister Jim Fairlie to parliamentary question on use & abuse of rodenticides

Last month conservation campaign group Wild Justice published a detailed report on the impact of the mis-use and abuse of second generation rodenticides (SGARs) on red kites and buzzards in England and the failure of the Government’s Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme, which had been set up in 2016 to reduce the amount of rodenticides in wildlife (see here for press release and a copy of the Wild Justice report, ‘Collateral Damage‘).

Brodifacoum bait station illegally set on the edge of a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Photo by Ruth Tingay
Brodifacoum. Photo by Ruth Tingay

On the back of the publication of Wild Justice’s report, Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess lodged the following parliamentary question on 19th November 2024:

Question reference S6W-31459

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest report, Collateral Damage, by the UK campaign group, Wild Justice, which states that the Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme in England “is a failed scheme”, and other reports that have indicated increased exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides in common buzzards in Scotland, whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the rodenticide scheme in Scotland.

The question was answered by Agricultural Minister Jim Fairlie on 3rd December 2024:

The Scottish Government continues to contribute to UK-wide monitoring of rodenticide use and exposure in wildlife. There is evidence that many users of rodenticides are complying with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use’s (CRRU) Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme (RSS), and that in Scotland rodenticide use in agriculture has substantially declined since the introduction of the scheme. But, despite this, recent environmental data for Scotland indicate that it has not yet achieved the aim of significantly reducing wildlife exposure.

Both the UK Government Oversight Group, which includes Scottish Government representation, and CRRU have acknowledged that rodenticide residues in UK wildlife have not declined as hoped. The RSS is being updated firstly to ban the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) bromadiolone and difenacoum for open area use from the end of this year. This means no SGARs will be available for open area use; this is also intended to reduce accidental or deliberate misuse of other products in open areas. Secondly, training requirements for the farming sector are also being brought in line with other sectors from end 2025 to ensure a consistent level of professional training across all sectors and reduce the risk of poor practice.

Whilst it’s true that legal authorisation is being rescinded for the use of the SGARs Bromadiolone and Difenacoum in open areas (see press release on this from June 2023, here), it is very clear from the Wild Justice report that the total increase of SGAR exposure in red kites and buzzards in England is being driven by a dramatic increase in the use/mis-use of Brodifacoum, not by Bromadiolone or Difenacoum.

Fig 3 from Wild Justice’s Collateral Damage report (p8) showing the percentage of buzzards and red kites analysed by the WIIS that contained different concentrations of Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone and Difenacoum.

Brodifacoum is the dominant SGAR being found in birds of prey and is more toxic than Bromadiolone and Difenacoum. It used to be restricted to internal use only, until the Government decided to relax that regulation and permit its use ‘in and around buildings’ – a regulation that is obviously being breached routinely given the high levels of exposure in birds of prey (e.g. here).

From January 2025, Bromadiolone and Difenacoum will also be permitted for use ‘in and around buildings’, but there are no proposed tighter rules on the use of Brodifacoum.

Minister Fairlie suggests that a restriction against any use in open areas of any SGAR is intended to reduce accidental or deliberate mis-use of other products in open areas and that new training requirements for all users (not just professional pest controllers) will ‘reduce the risk of poor practice’.

I suppose he’s thinking that this standardisation will remove any supposed ‘confusion’ between the use of different products. However, given that Brodifacoum is already supposedly restricted to use only ‘in and around buildings’, yet has been used with increasing frequency by gamekeepers for targeting birds of prey, Wild Justice argues that the new legal restrictions are unlikely to improve things significantly.

The Wild Justice report suggests that a better option is to return Brodifacoum to its pre-April 2016 approval status, so that it can be used in strict ‘internal areas’ within buildings, and to limit its use to professional pest control companies.

For those who might have missed it, Wild Justice’s Collateral Damage report can be read/downloaded here:

collateral_damage_wild_justice-report-nov2024Download

Translocation of white-tailed eagles to Cumbria – public consultation opens & ill-informed hysteria begins

A proposal to translocate white-tailed eagles to Cumbria that has been in development for a number of years (see here) has reached the public consultation stage.

The Cumbrian White-tailed Eagle Project is being overseen by a steering group comprising the University of Cumbria, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, The Lifescape Project, RSPB, the Wildland Institute, the Lake District National Park Authority alongside local estate owners and managers.

According to the steering group, research has indicated that Cumbria has sufficient suitable habitat to support a population of white-tailed eagles and the county is considered an important strategic location to encourage links between other populations in Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland and the south of England.

The group is now engaging with the public to listen to views on bringing back this species to Cumbria and has begun a series of drop-in sessions, meetings and workshops (details here).

Unsurprisingly, this news has triggered the usual idiotic fear-mongering hysteria about white-tailed eagles based on ignorance and a persistent Victorian attitude to raptors, led, of course, by The Telegraph:

This is just lazy journalism. Had The Telegraph bothered to undertake any research at all, it would know that a series of scientific studies have shown that white-tailed eagles are generalist predators with a broad diet, and the most recent study from Scotland (here) shows that lambs are not an important food source for this species but marine prey is. This finding is also supported by a recent dietary study from the WTE Isle of Wight Reintroduction Project (here), which also concluded “there have been no cases of livestock predation since the project began“.

The hysteria was continued by this tweet from Mark Robinson, a farmer in North Yorkshire whose Twitter bio says he’s also the Reform Party spokesperson for the Thirsk and Malton Constituency (having failed to get elected in June). According to Farmer Robinson, the eagles will be ‘snatching up babies’ -:

It sounds like Farmer Robinson has been reading the discredited guff of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, who has previously written to the Scottish Government about concerns that white-tailed eagles might eat children (here).

UPDATE 23 October 2025: Should White-tailed Eagles be reintroduced to Cumbria? Another questionnaire seeks your views (here)

White-tailed eagles: First breeding pair confirmed in Northern Ireland in over 150 years

Press release from Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group:

White-tailed eagles: First breeding pair confirmed in Northern Ireland in over 150 years

White-tailed Eagles have bred in Northern Ireland for the first time in more than 150 years in Co. Fermanagh.

News of the discovery was welcomed by the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG) and RSPB.

White-tailed Eagles, a native component of Irish wildlife, were reintroduced to Ireland by the Golden Eagle Trust (GET) and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) between 2007 and 2011, with the aim of establishing a viable population following extinction from Ireland in the late 19th century.

White-tailed eagle photo by Dr Marc Ruddock

From 2007 to 2011, 100 eagle chicks were brought from Norway and were released in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry. Phase 2 of the reintroduction, by NPWS, continued in 2020 with more young individuals released at a number of sites across Ireland to bolster the population. Released birds were wing-tagged, with tag colours relating to their year of birth and codes to identify individuals, and many were fitted with satellite tags to provide accurate details of their locations.

The pair that have bred in Northern Ireland are only four years old and were released on the shores of Lough Derg, Co Tipperary in 2020, having been brought from Norway in phase 2 of the Irish reintroduction programme. It is an incredible achievement that this pair of first-time breeders, have successfully fledged one chick. The success of this pioneering couple confirms that the wetlands, woodlands and farmlands of Co. Fermanagh provide ideal habitats for this species.

The White-tailed Eagle, or ‘sea eagle’, is the UK’s largest bird of prey, standing at almost 1 meter tall, with a huge wingspan of up to 2.4 metres and a distinctive white tail, as their name suggests.  The wings are very broad, and the birds are often described as a ‘flying barn door’.

Young White-tailed Eagles often roam widely in their first few years of life, before finding a breeding territory and a mate.  They are found near open water, either coastal or fresh. They can live to over 20 years of age, and usually begin breeding at 5 years old. They depend on the availability of large, mature trees in undisturbed areas in which to build their nests and good quality foraging and fishing habitats.

Dr Eimear Rooney from NIRSG said “The confirmation of this eagle species breeding in Northern Ireland corrects a multi-generational absence, symbolising the restoration of a once extinct species and highlighting the importance of wetlands, woodlands and farmland habitats on which many of our raptors depend”.

“From reviewing satellite data provided by NPWS we had an idea that the birds were nesting, but with young eagles nothing is guaranteed. I can’t describe the adrenalin rush the moment I saw the chick earlier this year and confirmed that the birds were not only nesting but had successfully reared a chick” she said.

The well camouflaged WTE chick on the nest. Photo: NIRSG

Dean Jones, Investigations Officer from RSPB NI said: “The return of breeding White-tailed eagles to Northern Ireland is a true testament to the power of conservation and really showcases the awe-inspiring resilience and adaptability of our natural world.  The poisoning of the two White-tailed eagles in Glenwherry in May 2023 was devastating, however, to have this pair breeding successfully, under the protection of a caring local farmer, really illustrates how humans and birds of prey can exist in harmony.”

Dr Marc Ruddock, from the NIRSG said “We had been anticipating this for a few years and the reintroduction programmes, has resulted in real conservation successes across the Island of Ireland. It’s a great result for the dedication and hard work of many individuals for many years and testament to the resilience of nature and wildlife in its capacity for restoration and renewal if given the space and habitats to thrive.”

Gregory Woulahan, Operations Director from RSPB NI praised the efforts of the local farmer whose actions to keep the site private and minimise disturbance no doubt created the conditions for these young birds to rear their first chick.  It is hoped this chick will reach adulthood and return to breed in 4-6 years boosting the population of these birds alongside creating tourism opportunities for the rural economy and the implementation of further efforts to boost and restore spaces for nature.

ENDS

Retirement for RSPB’s Dave Sexton, the man who put Eagle Island (Mull) on the tourism map

Dave Sexton, the RSPB’s Mull Officer, is retiring after spending over two decades leading the local community’s efforts to protect the island’s famous White-tailed and Golden eagles and, through his extensive media work, helping to establish Mull as one of the best wildlife tourism destinations in Scotland.

Dave’s contribution has been immense and has been recognised with multiple awards for his work. He’s written a few words to mark the occasion:

All good things…

It’s hard to know where the years have gone but, much like the white-tailed eagles which have shaped my career, they’ve certainly flown by! I came to Mull as the RSPB Mull Officer in 2003 on a short-term, one year contract. It was a bit of a gamble walking away from a permanent Head of Department managerial job in Edinburgh but the call of the wild was getting increasingly louder. And, remarkably, 21 years later, I’m still here! Just. But all good things must come to an end…or at least they must change. That’s life. Change isn’t always easy but it’s inevitable. So, whilst this isn’t exactly ‘goodbye’ it is a kind of ‘farewell’…for now at least. I’m not leaving Mull, but I think the current way of describing things is that, after 16 August 2024 and two decades of field seasons here, I’ll be ‘stepping back’ from this role. The post of RSPB Mull Officer will conclude, and I’m honoured to have followed in the giant footsteps of those who went before me – the much-missed Mike Madders and Richard Evans.

Dave Sexton with his dog Cally. Photo by Olivia Sexton

If my 21 years on Mull have flown by, my overall 36 years with the RSPB have positively flashed by in the blink of an eye. My first day at Scottish Headquarters in Edinburgh in 1988 was as an Assistant Reserves Manager looking after reserves and staff from the Mull of Galloway in the south, to Fetlar in Shetland and Balranald in the Western Isles! That’s some geographic spread and it gave me the chance to see and travel the length and breadth of Scotland. But there was always one place which kept drawing me back. The Isle of Mull. I’d first set eyes on Mull in 1978 on a school geography and biology field trip. For a kid from south London to see mountains, glens and lochs…and then a golden eagle was simply awe inspiring. A spell had been cast. Then two years later I was back on holiday and saw my first white-tailed eagle flapping low across Loch Spelve and the second spell was cast. It was a sighting which was to transform my life in ways I could never imagine. From protecting the first nest in 1984, to guarding the first chick in 1985, to the present day where I’ve been fortunate to monitor Mull’s 23 pairs of sea eagles, this bird has given me a long career in a place I love. You can’t ask for much more than that. It’s also meant my wonderful supportive family – Caroline, Bethan and Olivia – have had a home and childhoods filled with memories of a safe, carefree island life running on sandy beaches, trekking through forests, climbing mountains and being part of this special place. That’s why I’ll go on being a voice for white-tailed eagles long beyond this change because, well, I kind of owe them and Mull, pretty much everything.

This job would not have been possible without the people, organisations and agencies who work on or own parts of this amazing island. For some, I know, living and working alongside the eagles is challenging and a distinctly mixed blessing and I’ve always appreciated and understood that. We’ve often had to agree to differ over the years, but I also hope I’ve helped in some small way, whether with farming, forestry, or other interests (even including the new helipad!), by finding practical and pragmatic ways through any problems encountered. For others, the eagles are a significant and important part of their lives too and I couldn’t have done this job without the many additional eyes and ears of residents and visitors alike.

There’ll be more to say about future work in the months ahead but one other change earlier this year made me stop and reflect. Our gorgeous, best and beautiful girl Cally had been my constant companion in the field on countless eagle forays for 11 years. Suddenly she was gone from our lives, and something had changed forever. It was time to take stock and realise that, indeed, all good things… We miss her so much and shared so many adventures that now my days with the eagles feel somehow emptier.

For now, as I said, it’s not exactly goodbye but a farewell and a deep, heartfelt thank you to everyone, both inside and outside the RSPB, who has been a part of this incredible journey and made it all possible. And to the eagles, to whom I owe so much, fly free and may you soar to even greater heights!

Dave Sexton

July 2024

Raptor persecution crimes ongoing in Yorkshire Dales National Park -new report

The Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey ‘Partnership’ has published its latest evidence report documenting the status of raptors and details of confirmed illegal persecution incidents between 2022-2023.

I wrote about the establishment of this so-called ‘partnership’ in 2022 (see here) and again in June 2023 when the RSPB walked out, citing familiar problems with the involvement of the Moorland Association (see here).

Photo by Ruth Tingay

The latest report suffers from the same issues as previous reports, being data-poor for most species (making it impossible to evaluate the status of many breeding raptors) and in this report there seems to be some misleading detail about the apparent ‘success’ of breeding hen harriers in the area, which I’m pretty sure includes data from brood meddled nests where the chicks were removed from the wild, reared in captivity and then released elsewhere, so not quite the natural success that readers are being led to believe.

The report does however include details of the many confirmed and suspected ongoing incidents of hen harrier persecution in this area, which led to the police executing a search warrant on an unnamed grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park around the same time this report was published (see here).

It was also interesting to read about the disappearance of a young satellite-tagged white-tagged eagle (originally from the Isle of Wight reintroduction problem) in March 2022 – I don’t think I’d read about that before.

The latest report can be read/downloaded here:

ydnp-and-nidderdale-nl-bird-of-prey-evidence-report-2022-and-2023Download

To summarise, birds of prey are still being found killed and many are still ‘disappearing’ in this grouse moor-dominated National Park and it’s not clear to me what this so-called ‘partnership’ has achieved.

As David Butterworth, Chief Executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said in December 2023 (here) when he was responding to the RSPB’s 2022 BirdCrime Report:

“We are currently preparing a new evidence report on bird of prey populations in the National Park on behalf of the Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey Partnership. We hope this report will be published in the coming weeks. Sadly all of this will count for little whilst the persecution of Birds of Prey continues“.

Young white-tailed eagle found shot dead in Co. Roscommon

A young female white-tailed eagle has been found shot dead near Cranberry Lough in County Roscommon, Ireland.

She was part of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) long-running reintroduction project and had been released at Lough Derg two years ago.

The corpse of the shot white-tailed eagle. Photo: NPWS

As part of the reintroduction project, the young eagles are fitted with satellite tags to monitor their movements. Information from this eagle’s tag suggest she was killed sometime between Monday evening and Tuesday morning on 11th/12th March 2024.

She’d been present in the area for the last few weeks, having previously travelled around the north and west of Ireland once she’d dispersed from Lough Derg almost a year ago.

Director General of the NPWS, Niall Ó Donnchú, said forensic examinations were being conducted which he hoped would provide more information about the weapon used to kill the eagle.

“I deplore this wanton act of violence against this beautiful and endangered bird. We’re asking for the public’s help in bringing the perpetrator of this heinous act of destruction to justice.”

Meanwhile, just over the border in Northern Ireland, the investigation is ongoing into the illegal poisoning of two white-tailed eagles, found dead last year on the only moor that’s managed for driven grouse shooting in NI (here).

Job opportunity: Events Assistant, Birds of Poole Harbour (Dorset)

The charity Birds of Poole Harbour (the fabulous team behind the Osprey Reintroduction Project, amongst many other things) is advertising for an Events Assistant to help them deliver a number of exciting public engagement projects this year.

This includes helping out on their brilliantly popular ‘bird cruise boats’ around the harbour, providing the public with an opportunity to see ospreys, white-tailed eagles, marsh harriers, peregrines and much, much more!

Looking for raptors (& other species!) on the Birds of Poole Harbour Bird Boat. Photo: Ruth Tingay

Here are the details of this fantastic job opportunity:

BIRDS OF POOLE HARBOUR EVENTS ASSISTANT

Birds of Poole Harbour is a Dorset-based charity with a local community focus, committed to conserving and interpreting the important birdlife in the Poole Harbour area. We deliver a range of exciting events and projects, and are looking for an enthusiastic Events Assistant to support our team in delivering our public engagement offer through the Spring and Summer of 2024.

Position: Events Assistant

Hours: 32 hours per week, 15th April – 15th September 2024. Due to the nature of our events, regular weekend and occasional early morning/evening working hours are required.

Salary: £8053.76 (FTE: £23,795.20 per annum)

Location: Poole and Wareham-based, with travel to events around Poole Harbour

Annual Leave: 9.5 days, inclusive of bank holidays

Essential Criteria:

  • Friendly and warm interpersonal style
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a busy team
  • Proactive and self-motivated attitude
  • Excellent bird identification skills

Desirable Skills and Experience:

  • Experience of working with volunteers
  • Experience of delivering events
  • Knowledge of local birding sites and conservation projects, including the Poole Harbour Osprey Reintroduction Project
  • Full driving licence and access to a vehicle

What you’ll be working on:

You’ll be helping our team to deliver an ambitious events schedule through the spring and summer, including our Carey Osprey Tours led in partnership with Careys Secret Garden, as well as our guided walks and cruises. This role will be well-suited to an aspiring and enthusiastic ornithologist with excellent communication skills and a good knowledge of British birds.

Full training will be provided and more detail on our project work and events can be found here: www.birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk. Please note that this position will be offered subject to the successful return of the nesting pair of Osprey to Careys Secret Garden, and that we will be unable to fulfil the role if they do not return.

If you would like to apply, please email our Operations Manager Laura at laura@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk with a CV (2 pages maximum) and a PDF with answers to the following questions:

  • What attracted you to apply for this position? (200 words max)
  • Why do you believe you are well-suited for the role of Events Assistant at Birds of Poole Harbour? (500 words max)

Interviews commencing W/B 4th March with the option for online interviews available. Please note that the interview will involve a UK bird species identification test.

Closing date: 9am on 26th February 2024

If you have any questions or queries about the role or application process, please contact our Charity Manager Liv via liv@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk. Birds of Poole Harbour are an equal opportunities employer and are happy to provide additional information or accommodations within our hiring practices to support applicants.

ENDS

Lambs not a major food source for breeding white-tailed eagles in Scotland (new study)

Press release from RSPB Scotland (12 December 2023):

Lambs not a major food source for breeding white-tailed eagles in Scotland

New study finds proportion of nests with evidence of lamb as prey declines over 20-year period

A new study assessing the diet of breeding White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) – also known as Sea Eagles – in Scotland between 1998 and 2017 has found that marine prey of seabirds and fish is the most important food source for them, whilst the occurrence of lamb in their food has decreased as more pairs have established.

Photo: Amanda Fergusson

Analysis of food remains shows an incredibly diverse diet during the breeding season; 11,375 different food items were recorded in 293 samples from nest sites in 92 White-tailed Eagle territories across Scotland and 121 species were recorded with 70 species of bird, 17 species of mammals and at least 30 species of fish.

Food remains collected by the study. Photo by Robin Reid
Food remains collected by the study. Photo by David Carrs
Food remains collected by the study. Photo by David Carrs

The study, published as a peer reviewed paper “The breeding season diet of White-tailed Eagles in Scotland” in the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club journal Scottish Birds, began in 1998 when there were only 18 pairs of White-tailed Eagles in Scotland, mostly in the Inner Hebrides. By 2017 there were at least 122 pairs across the country, and 58 nests were sampled in that year.

The analysis showed that in that time the proportion of lamb remains in nests have decreased; at the start of the study period between 1998 and 2002, 15 nests were sampled and lambs accounted for more than 30% of items in five of those nests. However, as the White-tailed Eagle population expanded, pairs establishing in new territories tended to feed on fewer lambs, so by the end of the study in 2017 lambs accounted for 30% or more of items at five of 58 nests sampled.

White-tailed Eagles are major scavengers, with inexperienced birds from the first round of releases in the 1970s and 1980s attracted to areas where dead sheep or lambs were readily available. A previous study found that lambs tended to be scavenged when already dead and as carrion. That study also indicated that on occasion live lambs were killed, however that these lambs taken were often smaller than average so more vulnerable to predation.

Despite many hours of field observations in other monitoring of White-tailed Eagles the scale of live lamb predation has proved very hard to quantify. Following the original settlement pattern on the islands of Mull and Skye in particular subsequent generations began breeding in areas where natural live prey was more readily available, with a shift in diet as a result. In its conclusion the paper states that “the previously widespread view that lambs are an important food for White-tailed Eagles has been superseded; the prevailing evidence now is that marine items (seabirds and fishes) are the most important breeding season food in Scotland.”

The most common species found in nests is now Fulmar – 30% of items per nest – with lamb now only accounting for 6% on average. As this study was based on prey remains, fish, young birds and smaller items are likely to be under-represented in it as these remains are more easily digested or decomposed. The result is that this study will have over-estimated the importance of large mammals and birds in the diet.

The study also recorded differences in diet based on the geographical location of the nests, supporting previous studies that show White-tailed Eagles are generalist foragers – taking a wide range of prey types – and able to adapt their diet to what is readily available locally. At coastal territories seabirds and fish made up most of the food remains. At nests in territories further in inland foods such as wetland birds and rabbits dominated. The study authors note that as White-tailed Eagles continue to recolonise historic territories away from the coast species such as Mountain Hare and freshwater fish are likely to become important food sources.

The paper is an important contribution to the growing body of knowledge about the diet of these birds with robust field data and analysis vital in feeding into policy and management, such as the Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS) promoted by NatureScot to support farmers and crofters in areas where White-tailed Eagles are present. The SEMS is due to be reviewed and updated in 2024.

The paper authors highlight that as the study method focused on nests where breeding was successful, future studies using tracking devices on eagles to monitor foraging behaviour and identify feeding perches will be needed to help identify food remains of juvenile or immature birds, and adult birds outside the breeding season.

Robin Reid, one of the paper authors said: “This publication has been made possible through collaboration between many researchers and fieldworkers and with support from several organisations. As a result, the findings are based on large and robust dataset with prey remains collected from the majority of White-tailed Eagle territories occupied in Scotland during the study period. It has been fascinating to see how the diet varies between individual territories and across regions. The wide range of prey items recorded demonstrates that the White-tailed Eagle is an opportunistic and adaptable predator and scavenger, consistent with findings from studies elsewhere across the species range in Europe.”

Eilidh McNab, Development Officer for the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club who published the paper said: “The SOC is delighted to support the publication of important research in Scottish ornithology through our quarterly journal, Scottish Birds. It is fantastic to see the return of such charismatic and iconic species as White-tailed Eagles to Scottish skies, and it is heartening that the population is expanding into areas where they have not been seen in over a century. This paper offers a fascinating insight into the diet of our largest bird of prey, and greatly adds to the knowledge base of their feeding behaviours in Scotland.”

Duncan Orr-Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management at RSPB Scotland and member of the National Sea Eagle Stakeholder Group said; “This study will be invaluable for an evidence-based approach when drawing up the next Sea Eagle Management Scheme and targeting of available resources to geographical areas where support is most needed. We also hope that the results of this study will provide some reassurance to famers and crofters in connection with their concerns about livestock predation and when noting the largely natural diet of most breeding White-tailed Eagles in Scotland.”

ENDS

The paper’s full citation is as follows:

Reid, R., Grant, J.R., Broad, R.A., Carrs, D.N. and Marquiss, M. (2023). The breeding season diet of White-tailed eagles in Scotland. Scottish Birds 43(4): 305-318.

Unfortunately this paper is not ‘open access’ so I’m not allowed to publish it here. If you’d like to read it you’ll either have to become a member of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club or contact one of the authors directly for a PDF.

Grouse moor licensing Bill: Stage 1 debate scheduled for Thurs 30 November 2023

The Scottish Parliament’s Stage 1 debate of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill will take place in the Chamber this Thursday, 30 November 2023, from 2.30pm.

This debate provides all MSPs with the opportunity to discuss the general principles of the Bill and vote to either throw it out or allow it to proceed to Stage 2, which is when the finer details would be debated and amended.

The Stage 1 debate follows the publication last week of the Stage 1 scrutiny report written by the Rural Affairs & Islands Committee which has been taking evidence for the last six months.

Lobbying of MSPs continues apace, from both conservationists and from the grouse-shooting industry. I read the other day a quote from BASC Scotland Director Peter Clark, who wrote that BASC was urging MSPs, “…to work with us to make the enormous yet vital changes to the Bill to avert the decimation of the rural economy, biodiversity and conservation“.

Quite how a licensing scheme designed to regulate a supposedly lawful industry will ‘decimate the rural economy, biodiversity and conservation’ is anyone’s guess. It’s almost as if Peter thinks the industry is so reliant on criminality that it can’t possibly function under a licensing framework and will thus collapse.

This level of hysterical fearmongering is nothing new. Here’s an excerpt from a blog I wrote three years ago when a similar outcry was heard from the grouse-shooting sector in response to the announcement that the Scottish Government intended to introduce a grouse shooting licence scheme:

This hysterical scaremongering about so-called threats to the rural economy from the introduction of a grouse moor licensing scheme is nothing new from this lot (e.g. see here, here, here and here for previous histrionics).

Nor is it the first time we’ve heard the claim that any sort of enforced regulation will ‘threaten’ or ‘damage’ the rural economy.

When the Land Reform Bill was being debated [in 2003] the Scottish Landowners Federation (which later re-branded to call itself the Scottish Rural Property & Business Association (SRPBA) and then re-branded again to its current name of Scottish Land & Estates) warned that the legislation would do irreversible damage to rural economies and they threatened to block the legislation at the European Court of Human Rights (see here).

Scottish Land & Estates also bleated about further land reform measures [in 2015] when the Scottish Government proposed removing the two-decades-old exemption from business rates enjoyed by shooting estates. SLE claimed that, “We believe that there would be a negative impact on rural jobs, tourism and land management” (see here).

And then there was more bleating when the Scottish Government brought in vicarious liability to tackle the continued illegal persecution of birds of prey. David Johnstone, the then Chair of Scottish Land & Estates claimed this would introduce another layer of bureaucracy “When the Government should be doing what it can to help landowners and the rural economy” (see here).

Has the rural economy fallen flat on its arse as a result of these measures? Not according to the grouse shooting industry, which is still declaring itself indispensable to the Scottish economy (a claim strongly contested by others, e.g. see here).

As has been said before on this blog, the grouse shooting industry should be thanking its lucky stars that a licensing scheme is all it’s getting. The case for a ban on driven grouse shooting has been made many times over.

There are those of us who don’t believe for one second that a licensing scheme will be effectively enforced, although we’ll do our bloody level best to ensure it is enforced when breaches have been detected and are fully evidenced. And if/when the licensing scheme is shown to be failing, there’s only one place left to go.

It seems to me that the grouse shooting industry should be welcoming a licensing scheme, which should protect those who are complying with the law and remove those who are not. Gosh, a world where there are consequences for criminality. Imagine that! Is that really what this backlash is all about?

Meanwhile, lobbyists from the conservation sector will this week be reminding MSPs that even in the midst of all this political scrutiny and threat, there are still some in the grouse-shooting industry that simply refuse to stop killing birds of prey, as evidenced in last week’s RSPB Birdcrime report where we learned that as recently as July this year yet another satellite-tagged golden eagle ‘vanished’ in suspicious circumstances on a grouse moor in the Monadhliaths and as recently as September this year yet another satellite-tagged hen harrier ‘vanished’ on a grouse moor in the Angus Glens.

These are in addition to the suspicious disappearances of a further 35 satellite-tagged birds of prey on Scotland’s grouse moors between 2017-2022, including including 8 golden eagles, 21 hen harriers and 5 white-tailed eagles (here).

The time for pretending that this is all ‘historical’ and no longer an issue is well and truly over and I hope that the Scottish Parliament finally makes a stand on Thursday.

Proceedings in the main Chamber can be watched live on Scottish Parliament TV from 2.30pm on Thursday, here.