North Uist eagle chick fitted with satellite-tracking device
Hi-tech equipment
will give experts new knowledge
THE CHICK at the centre of the UK’s only Golden
Eagle Watch has flown the nest, and is carrying some unusual baggage.
The antics of the baby eagle and its parents have
been watched over the past few weeks by more than 500 people on North
Uist at a
special viewing site organised by the RSPB, complete with high-powered
telescopes.
As part of a project to find out more about the
movements of juvenile golden eagles, the chick has been fitted with a
satellite-tracking device in the form of a tiny backpack with four
straps
fitting around the animal.
The battery-powered device has a 6in aerial
protruding from the top. The stitching will deteriorate over five years
and the
tag will finally drop off.
The chick has already reached its adult size and
will only grow muscles and feather from now on, so it will not outgrow
the
backpack.
North Uist RSPB officer Jamie Boyle said the chick
appeared completely unconcerned by its new accessory, and its parents
showed no
curiosity about it at all.
Mr Boyle said: “Very little is known about the
movements of juvenile golden eagles after they fledge and for around
the
following five years until they become adult.
“So far, this chick has hardly moved from the nest
area since fledging and we expect it might hang about there for the
next three
or four months until it gets chased out by its parents in time for the
next
breeding season.
“Unsuccessful attempts have been made to tag golden
eagles before, but the technology has now improved so much and is
getting
smaller all the time, so soon we will be able to find out the secrets
of many
different birds.”
Nine golden eagle chicks across Scotland have been
satellite-tagged this year, in the Western Isles, Wester Ross, the
north-east,
Argyll and Perthshire.
Banchory-based Natural Research is the company
behind the project, working since 2004 on tracking golden eagle
juveniles to
see where they go and what habitats are important for them in those
years, to
sustain a healthy population.
The cost of fitting a satellite tag and tracking a
golden eagle for up to five years is about £7,000.
Project researcher Ewan Weston said: “Information
on the North Uist chick will be transmitted every 48 hours to the
satellite for
a six-hour period.
“We will be able to see where it is to within 360
yards, and will learn a lot about the decisions the bird makes for its
survival
until adulthood.
“It has to look for food and safety by seeking out
unoccupied territory, and it also has to look for its own territory.”
The project findings will be submitted to
part-funder SNH and the British Trust for Ornithology, among others.
Published: 21/07/2009
Bird’s eye view of North Uist golden eagle eyrie is massive
hit
Telescope trained
on nest shows chick and parents’ activities
The North Uist
eagle chick
Scotland’s only golden eagle watch is proving a
massive hit on North Uist.
Since RSPB arrangements were put in place three
weeks ago to allow the public to view a golden eagle eyrie in the
north-west of
the island, more than 300 people, including 100 children, have turned
up to
view the progress of the chick in the nest.
RSPB telescopes are stationed in a disused small
quarry, and trained on the eyrie on a hillside a mile away.
The parent eagles’ comings and goings from the nest
are clearly visible, along with the activities of the downy white
chick.
The chick is now six weeks old and was successfully
ringed this week by RSPB staff.
Local RSPB officer Jamie Boyle said he was
delighted at the success of the viewings.
He said: “It’s the one event here which really
brings in locals, as well as visitors.
“It’s good for people to see that their natural
heritage belongs to them, not just to experts.”
Alan Fawcett, 64, from Sheffield, has been watching
the nest from his camper van since the chick hatched and will continue
to watch
it until it fledges in about eight weeks.
He said: “I’ve been coming to North Uist
bird-watching for the past 12 years. It’s the satisfaction of seeing
wildlife
as it should be. Where I come from everything’s been persecuted.”
The eyrie is one of two in the area, used over the
past 19 years by possibly the same pair of eagles.
Mr Boyle said DNA-testing from feathers had shown
that the golden eagles in the Western Isles are different from those on
the
mainland.
He said: “It seems likely that golden eagles on the
Uists were almost extinct 100 years ago, and that the nine breeding
pairs we
have here now are possibly all from one pair that managed to survive.”
Viewings are available on Thursday evenings, with a
specially-extended session available on Thursday, from 2pm to 9pm.
Meanwhile, the staff at the RSPB reserve at
Forsinard Flows in Sutherland are anxiously awaiting the arrival of
five new
hen harrier chicks.
CCTV was installed earlier this week so that
visitors could watch the impending hatching, and for the next few weeks
the
chicks and their parents will be screened live in the centre.
The RSPB warden in charge of the visitor centre,
Katy Malone, 32, of Forsinard said: “At the moment all we know is the
female is
sitting on five eggs, and they are due to hatch any day now. We are
waiting
expectantly to find how the story will unfold.
“Visitors coming in to the centre have been
entranced by the images from the nest.
“The harrier cameras were first used on the reserve
in 1997 but the ageing equipment was replaced last year.
“It’s exciting to have reliable images coming in
again from such an iconic bird.”
The project was made possible thanks to funding
from Scottish Natural Heritage, allowing the purchase of a radio link,
new
camera and large monitor screens.
They also renewed all the displays in the visitor
centre.
Published: 13/06/2009 – Press and Journal
Snowy
owls
set up home in isles
The
Outer
Hebrides has had its biggest influx of snowy owls for more than
30 years, according to experts.
The RSPB said that up to six of
the birds, more normally found in the Arctic and Scandinavia, spent
last summer in the Western Isles.
Officials believe the owls are
living on rabbits as an alternative to the lemmings they would usually
eat.
A spokesman said that it would
be "fantastic" if a pair began breeding in the Outer Hebrides.
Brief period
At almost 2ft in height and
with a wingspan of over five feet, the snowy is one of the largest owl
species in Europe.
The species has recently been
made famous in JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, in which Harry's pet
snowy owl Hedgwig delivered his post.
Up until 1975, snowy owls did
breed for a number of years near Fetlar on the Shetland Islands.
But so far, nobody has seen two
owls together in the Hebrides.
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Two owls were recorded within
10 kilometres of each other for a brief period on North Uist last year.
Jamie Boyle, RSPB Scotland's
reserves officer on the Uists, said: "This fantastic species adds to
Uist's already incredible wildlife spectacle and makes the islands an
area that all bird watchers must come to.
"Almost all the owls seem to
prefer setting up home on the isolated 'machair' areas that are rich in
rabbits, their main food item in the absence of lemmings, although some
have favoured small islands on tidal strands."
Birds
seen
from Uists 2001
Most of the birds were seen within a few miles of Struan
Cottage. We didn't bird watch very intensively and enjoyed what came
our way.
The whole area of Vallay Strand was wonderful for birds and we also
greatly
enjoyed 2 visits to Balranald. We were just too late for Terns and for
hearing
Corncrake and somehow we managed to miss out on a North Uist Golden
Eagle, as
well as one or two commoner species. The highlight was the massed
waders just
down from the Arctic, many still in
breeding plumage. For example a high tide gathering on a small section of the strand at Malacleit held 70 Bar-tailed Godwit, 30 Knot, 60+ Ringed plover, 21 Grey Plover, 1 Golden Plover, 1 Sanderling, 30 Dunlin, 8 Redshank, 2 Greenshank. I've rarely seen anything as lovely as the 2 Greenshank all flighty, nervous and highly-strung dashing amongst the plodding Godwits. But throughout the holiday we had memorable views of many other species showing wonderfully in the Hebridean light and landscape, (we were blessed with superb weather).
Species List (64)
Red-throated Diver close views of a pair on roadside loch viewed from passing place at 760748(OS)
Little Grebe
Fulmar
Manx Shearwater many off Ard Runair (Balranald)
Gannet so common, but we could watch them all day!
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Eider
Red-breasted Merganser
Shelduck on last night a flock of 24 made a sunset landing on the strand in front of the cottage
Greylag goose numbers increasing during the week
Mute Swan 200 + at Loch Portain were spectacular
Whooper Swan just 1 at Griminis - had it summered here?
Buzzard
Hen Harrier superb view of ringtail with prey on moor at 740748(OS)
Peregrine one at Balranald
Merlin several sightings... best a really close view hunting pipits on Solas golf course
Kestrel
Quail a surprise! calling in cornfield at Balranald
Coot
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Ringed Plover
Grey Plover mostly adults in stunning breed plumage - a "passage" - 6,42,21,2 on successive days
Golden Plover up to 150 on Solas golf course
Snipe
Curlew
Bar-tailed Godwit some in breeding plumage: numbers noticeably increasing during our week
Redshank
Greenshank always 2-3 in front of the cottage, feeding in the channels
Knot some in breeding plumage
Dunlin amazingly tame! walked on the strand with them at my feet!
Sanderling small numbers, just beginning to arrive
Great Skua one flying across the strand near beginning of our week
Arctic Skua once only (weather was too settled most of week for much skua passage)
Grt Black-backed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Herring Gull
Common Gull
Black-headed Gull
Kittiwake
Guillemot
Rock Dove lovely to see these really "pure" Rock Doves
Collared Dove group near cottage
Short-eared Owl several sightings near cottage
Skylark
Swallow a group just once near Hosta (presumably passing through)
Raven
Hooded crow not very common?? (though was so on Harris)
Wren
Blackbird
Wheatear
Stonechat
Meadow Pipit
Rock Pipit
Pied Wagtail
Starling
Greenfinch a surprise! Young being fed at Malacleit
Twite lots of family parties
Corn Bunting what a delight to hear and see them! No longer with us back home.
House Sparrow
2001 Malcolm and Lesley Lindsay - Galashiels