For the second year in a row, our pair of white-tailed eagles in Fife have hatched twins! This will be the pair’s fourth breeding attempt, having started breeding for the first time in 2013. The adults (2009 released “Turquoise 1” and “Z” after their wing tags) fledged single chicks in 2013 and 2014, and last year for the first time they hatched twins. Sadly, the second chick died in the nest of natural causes at around 4 week old. Hopes are high this year for the pair’s second set of twins who are thought to have hatched around the 5th of May. Our dedicated team of over 30 vigilant volunteers are monitoring the nest every day to record the birds behaviour and to deter any disturbance to the nest.
This exciting news was shared by the Courier earlier this week (see article here).
Elsewhere across East Scotland we are eagerly awaiting news of hatching from Scotland’s 100th pair on Hoy, Orkney, while our pair in Speyside have also hatched twins. Unfortunately our pair in Angus failed at an early stage during incubation. In Perthshire, 2009 female "Turquoise H" hasn’t attempted to breed again since her long term partner, "Turquoise X", left the territory and started spending time in Argyll. This is very unusual behaviour for a monogamous species, but she has found a companion in a younger wild fledged male from the west coast. He even accompanied "Turquoise H" to her regular haunt at Loch Leven during the winter!
We are keeping our fingers crossed that both Fife twins fledge this year!
To help people try to see white-tailed eagles in Fife, RSPB Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage will be running guided walks at Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve on Sunday 17 July, Saturday 6 August and Saturday 27 August. For more details or to book a place, phone 01738 630783 or email perth.admin@rspb.org.uk
Below is a photograph taken by project volunteer Richard Tough of the adult male from Fife – Turquoise Z