Two for joy as white-tailed eagle chicks hatch in Fife

It is the fourth year running that the pair of white-tailed eagles has nested in Forest Enterprise Scotland woodland in Fife, with last year bringing the first arrival of two chicks.

The parents, known as Turquoise 1 and Turquoise Z after their wing tags, were released in 2009 as part of the East Scotland Sea Eagle re-introduction project, which saw 85 birds released on the east coast of Scotland between 2007 and 2012.

Rhian Evans, East Scotland Sea Eagle officer, said: “It’s really great news that there are two chicks again this year! Last year, one of the chicks sadly died of natural causes in the nest so we hope that this year, both will fledge successfully.

“We have over 30 local volunteers involved in protecting and monitoring the nest, which helps keep the birds safe and provides us with a fascinating insight into their lives.”

Last year was an exciting time for white-tailed eagles in Scotland, as the population reached 100 pairs, marking a significant milestone for the reintroduction of the species.

The 100th pair nested on Hoy in Orkney, which also marked a large expansion of their range in Scotland.

To help people try to see white-tailed eagles in Fife, RSPB Scotland, Forest Enterprise Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage will be running guided walks at Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve on Sunday, July 17, Saturday, August 6 and Saturday, August 27.

For more details or to book a place, phone 01738 630783 or email [email protected]

Graeme Findlay, Environment Manager for Forest Enterprise Scotland’s team in the area, said: “The eagles can often be seen hunting along the shoreline at Tentsmuir, especially when they are busy providing food for demanding chicks.

“The guided walks will be a great chance to see these magnificent birds at work, discover more about them and also learn about the re-introduction programme.”

White-tailed eagles, or sea eagles, can live for around 30 years and generally form pair bonds for life.

They were once a common sight across Scotland but were driven to extinction by persecution, with the last British bird shot in Shetland in 1918. Re-introduction into Scotland has taken place in three phases starting in 1975. The east Scotland re-introduction was the third phase. It was a partnership between Forest Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland with funding from Leader (2011-2013) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (2011-2014).

For updates and more information about the East Scotland Sea Eagles visit the RSPB site.