The news was finally official yesterday that RSPB has been awarded £235,000 to fund sea eagle work across Scotland for the next three years. Many thanks to everyone who pledged support for our bid and our partenrs who helped us right such an exicitng bid.
Entitled SEEVIEWS, the See Eagle Education, Viewing, Interpretation and Engagement within Scotland project will primarily focus on engaging and educating the public about one of the country’s most iconic species.
Through field teaching, volunteer monitoring, CCTV cameras and public exhibitions in sea eagle strongholds like Mull, Wester Ross, Skye and Eastern Scotland, the scheme will allow more people to see and better understand these rare birds of prey, thus improving the species’ chances of long-term survival. In turn these activities will give local people and tourists the chance to get involved in sea eagle conservation.
Public access and education will form the focus of the project but in East Scotland this will allow us to go ahead with a sixth year of releases, bringing the total number of birds released as close as possible to 100. Population modelling, past experience and monitoring of survival rates has shown that this is crucial in order to establish a healthy population. The money also means we are looking ahead to breeding and how we can start showing you the first sea eagles breeding in eastern scotland for over 200 years as well as funds to get you involved in helping to protect the first nests. There are also proposals for a sea eagle sculpture in Dundee working with Duncan of Jordantsone Art College and local schools.
This year's chicks are unaware of their windfall, but did enjoy the heavy downpour on Saturday sitting out in the rain to rid themselves of any feather fluff and parasites. About half the young birds are flapping now and beguinning to make adult calls, although a bit of more chick like squealing still comes from some hungry mouths at feeding time!