UK first as camera hidden in a stick reveals the lives of nesting Scottish sea eagles

A hidden camera near an eagle’s nest is giving bird-lovers an intimate climpse into the lives of Scotland’s largest bird of prey in what is said to be a UK first.

White-tailed eagles Shona and Finn, also known as sea eagles, are incubating two eggs at the nest in the Cairngorms.

A camera has been installed in a stick close to the nest and the birds’ activities are being beamed live to the Loch Garten Nature Centre at RSPB Scotland’s nature reserve at Abernethy.

Jess Tomes, Abernethy site manager, said: “This is an enormously exciting addition to the visitor offer at the Loch Garten Nature Centre.

Sea eagle Shona brooding on her eggs while mate Finn watches. Pic: Jess Tomes

“The images we’re getting live from the nest are phenomenal and our visitors will get a very rare and extremely privileged peek at the domestic life of a breeding, white-tailed eagle pair.

“Already we’re noticing little personality traits in them – the male is very attentive to his mate and to tidying the nest – it’s fascinating to watch.

“We’re delighted and very relieved that they haven’t been fazed by the camera at all and are now incubating two eggs, which we estimate could hatch around the second week in April.”

https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/scottish-sea-eagles-flying-nest-found-new-english-colony-1416530

With an eight-foot wingspan, sea eagles are the UK's largest bird of prey. Pic: Ben Andrew

Experts from Wildlife Windows installed the camera under special licence from NatureScot, using methods successfully trialled in other countries including Estonia and Latvia.

The exact location of the nest is not being revealed to the public to avoid the risk of the birds being disturbed.

Jason Fathers, of Wildlife Windows, said: “As far as we are aware, this is the first camera of this quality on a white-tailed eagle nest in the UK.

“This has been one of the most challenging camera installations we have completed, due to the sensitivity of the species and remote location.

“We are very keen to see the story unfold while getting a close-up insight into white-tailed eagle life.”

White-tailed eagles have an 8ft wingspan and were driven to extinction in Scotland in 1918 before birds from Scandinavia were re-introduced to the Isle of Rum in 1975.

Subsequent re-introductions in other parts of the country, as well as the birds’ natural dispersal means there are now populations spread as far as Fife, Orkney and the northwest Highlands.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription at https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions