Page 39 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #05

IN FOCUS

Skipper Martin Keivers has been running boat Dave Sexton. “They successfully fledged over
trips to see white-tailed eagles on the Scottish 80 chicks in 2017, despite ongoing persecution
island of Mull for 10 years. “Since I moved to risks in some areas. White-tailed eagles are Danny Green/rspb-images.com
the island 20 years ago there are more eagles doing well but they still have a long way to go.”
than there used to be,” he says. There’s talk of reintroduction projects for
Sea eagles, as they’re also known, became England and Wales that could involve eaglets
extinct in 1918 in the UK after centuries of donated from Scotland’s population. In Ireland,
habitat loss and direct persecution. After two 10 pairs are breeding, and Irish and Scottish birds
small-scale reintroduction attempts, Scottish are mixing in Scotland. “These aren’t ordinary
Natural Heritage started the main translocation birds,” says Martin. “My heart always beats faster
project on the island of Rum in 1975, which was when one approaches.” In coming years, perhaps
followed by phases in Wester Ross in 1993 and more of us will feel that excitement as the UK’s
Fife in 2007. largest bird of prey dives and wheels overhead.
“In Scotland, the population is now self- O Jo Price is production editor of BBC Wildlife. See
sustaining at 118 pairs,” says RSPB Mull o cer rspb.org.uk/mulleagles for more eagle information.