08 May, 2014
Bird's eye view of Wester Ross sea eagle chicks
Visitors to the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve (NNR) visitor centre in Wester Ross will be treated to fantastic close up views of sea eagle chicks this summer.
Local staff have announced the successful hatching of a chick at the nest on Loch Maree Islands.
It has been regularly used by the pair of eagles for the past 16 years, and last year Scottish Natural Heritage, which manages Britain's oldest NNR, installed a remote camera which sends live footage via radio signals to the visitor centre in nearby Kinlochewe.
Eoghain Maclean, the reserve manager, spotted the fluffy chick poking out above the nest cup, and breathed a sigh of relief:
"We've got to know these birds well over the years they were both Norwegian chicks which were released in the area in the early 1990s as part of the reintroduction programme," he confirmed.
"Weather can have a big impact at nesting time, so it's always a special moment when you actually see the chicks for the first time. It's a logistical challenge to bring the pictures in to the centre, but when you see the quality of the images it's well worth the effort.
"The cameras will allow close views of the adults bringing in food for the chicks, and people will be able to monitor their progress as they grow, and hopefully fledge the nest in late summer. Sea eagles frequently rear two chicks, so we'll be watching the screen eagerly to see if another one appears".
The Beinn Eighe visitor centre, Kinlochewe, is open seven days a week, 10am to 5pm.
For more information visit www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
Contact information
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- SNH Media
- snhmedia@snh.gov.uk
NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency. Responding to the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, we work to protect and restore nature by inspiring everyone to value our natural world. Our goal is a nature-rich, net-zero future for Scotland. For more information, visit our website at www.nature.scot
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