We record the diet of our released eagles by collecting regurgitated pellets from roosts and from watching them hunting and were able to add a surprising new species to this list last week, when two RSPB members (Debbie and John Lindop) spent an hour watching one of our 2009 males (tag Z) catching frogs near Aboyne!
One of our 2008 males returned from Ardnamurchan last week and has been spending time near Loch of the Lowes, whilst the 2009 birds are really spreading their wings now that there are more thermals aiding their soaring (they seem unaffected by the volcanic ash...!) and we have had birds up at Forsinard in Sutherland and flying with red kites and buzzards near Comrie. Our 2009 male tag V (nicknamed Vince) has also still been hanging arond Tentsmuir point.
Whilst things are warming up a wee bit on the East, the west coast is still being hit by hard weather and it seems this may well be affecting the eagles as Dave Sexton has seen with the Loch Frisa birds on Mull:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/blogs/mulleagles/default.aspx
We can only watch and wait to see how things are going for our donor population in Norway whose eggs should start hatching next month.
Loch of Kinnordy reserve that gets regular visits by our birds now has its own blog, you can keep up to date with birds and activites on the reserve at:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/groups/lochofkinnordy/blog/default.aspx
It was really great to meet so many sea eagle fans at the RSPB Members' Weekend in York last weekend and hear so many stories about people seeing their first sea eagle - some of which were our recent wanderer down south!
So much for killing lambs and taking children seems they are really big softies after frogs.