Happy New Year from the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project

Firstly, may we wish you a very Happy New Year and all the very best for 2019 and welcome you to the first Blog post of 2019!

The three young Eagles from the 2018 release continue to thrive in their new surroundings.

Edward (C09) has moved slightly and has found an even bigger rabbit warren where he has been hunting for the last few weeks. Eagle Officer John Wright caught up with him just before the New Year and reported back describing his latest hunting strategy.

“He (C09) quarters the hillside for around 15 minutes, stooping on the rabbits when he sees an opportunity, then when the rabbits seek refuge under-ground, he gains height and drifts off for half an hour or so, returning when the rabbits have resumed their feeding and repeating the process”.

John managed to get some flight shots of Edward with a Raven in attendance, which shows his darker plumage and comparatively small size in relation to the two females. John also sketched Edward peering down a rabbit hole into which his intended quarry had narrowly escaped while another rabbit fed just behind him.

While Beaky (C11) is still remaining relatively close to the initial release site, Emily (121) seems content to the South where she is hunting and roosting in regular spots and being seen regularly by John and a local raptor worker. More updates coming soon.......