White tailed Sea Eagles

cuddlycavies

Was impressed how easy they were to find in kerry this week. Along the Kerry way from caherdaniel to Cahirciveen I encountered seven altogether. Even photographed with iphone. got very close to them they're pretty curious as to what you're doing alone on a mountainside. Some were grappling with each other which is a good sign that they're about to breed. amazing to see them where they should be.

Birdnuts

This kind of weather which gives rise to strong thermals is ideal for spotting soaring raptors:cool:

olly_mac

I was lucky to see these beautiful birds in Norway, a good few years ago. I must head to Kerry soon. I may have caught a glimpse of one near Wicklow Head, about two years ago but it was never confirmed.

Mickeroo

Wouldn't mind seeing those pics!

Be sure to report the sightings on http://www.goldeneagle.ie/

cuddlycavies

yep, its on there with the photo and irishbirding.com also. taken with iphone into an a glaring blue sky so not great. But suffice to say at one point I could make out on of the eagles beak and face he was so low. In fACT JUST CHECKED THE SITE. Another guy spotted two at Derrynane a couple of days later and got some better shots. I picked 1 up again outside Waterville near the Nage summit. At one stage you could have watched them whilst having a pint at the Scarriff Inn. i spoke to the guy living next the pub, he says he sees them often.

cameramonkey

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=388777784530897

re-release of errant Sea Eagle "Eddie" after a few months in rehab recovering from a broken wing in Killarney Nat Park.

OpenYourEyes

A bit of an old thread, but probably the most appropriate place for this: One of the WTSE chicks that fledged from Mountshannon last year was recently found dead in Tipperary - shot with a shotgun, and a long drawn out death apparently.

http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/PressReleases/2014/March2014PressReleases/htmltext,17686,en.html

One of the first two White-tailed Eagles to fledge successfully from a nest in Co. Clare in 2013 has been found dead in Tipperary. The young male eagle was reared by a pair of White-tailed Eagles at a nest on Lough Derg, near Mountshannon, Co. Clare and successfully flew from the nest in July 2013 along with its sibling. After a few months of care by its parents both young eagles began to disperse more widely and become independent of their parents. The last confirmed sighting was of one of the two juveniles near Dromineer, Co. Tipperary, on the east shore of Lough Derg in January.

whyulittle

Saw it rumoured on the GET page yesterday alright, was hoping that's all it was.

https://twitter.com/JimmyDeenihanTD/status/441243064326033408

Capercaille

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

A bit of an old thread, but probably the most appropriate place for this: One of the WTSE chicks that fledged from Mountshannon last year was recently found dead in Tipperary - shot with a shotgun, and a long drawn out death apparently.

http://www.ahg.gov.ie/en/PressReleases/2014/March2014PressReleases/htmltext,17686,en.html

:eek:
Gutted.......................
One of the first Golden eagle chicks hatched in Ireland (Conall)was killed, now one of the first Sea Eagle chicks hatched in Ireland is brutally shot. Some kip of a Country.

cruizer101

Saw this over on broadsheet, came to see was anything here. absolute disgrace but sadly I doubt there is any hope of finding the sick individual who did this.

ThunderCat

I dont get upset or angry easily but that has depressed me. Truly shocking. I feel sorry for all those who work so hard to re-introduce these fabulous animals back into the wilds of our countryside. What they must feel about such news is a kin to a family berevement im sure.

OpenYourEyes

The people of Mountshannon appear to have built up a great appreciation for their local pair and the chicks that fledged last year, so I'm sure they'll be fairly shocked and angry too.

You'd think with all the publicity surrounding the WTSE's at Lough Derg that the people around the lake would be familiar with them and realise that they aren't a threat to lambs or anything else. That being said, it just takes one scumbag to cause a lot of damage and cruelty unfortunately.

cuddlycavies

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

The people of Mountshannon appear to have built up a great appreciation for their local pair and the chicks that fledged last year, so I'm sure they'll be fairly shocked and angry too.

You'd think with all the publicity surrounding the WTSE's at Lough Derg that the people around the lake would be familiar with them and realise that they aren't a threat to lambs or anything else. That being said, it just takes one scumbag to cause a lot of damage and cruelty unfortunately.

Yes thats' key here. Gave so much joy to so many but destroyed by one idiot!

Woodville56

Really saddened by the news of the loss of the Mountshannon WTE . Just another example of the stupid and ignorant mindset of those out there who consider any raptor as fair game ! The sooner perpetrators of such mindless persecution are found and prosecuted the better - although I wouldn't be holding my breath for an outcome anytime soon.

Mickeroo

Really is sickening news.

bobwilliams

olly_mac wrote: »

I was lucky to see these beautiful birds in Norway, a good few years ago. I must head to Kerry soon. I may have caught a glimpse of one near Wicklow Head, about two years ago but it was never confirmed.

good chance you saw one,i saw one in Kilcoole over a year ago

recedite

I was down in Mountshannon for a few days last summer when the two chicks were still in the nest. There was a great buzz about the place and new people were constantly arriving at the harbour to have a look through the telescopes.
And now one callous scumbag ruins it. I hope the Gardai take this investigation seriously, and don't just wait for the phone to ring. They will have the name and address of every shotgun owner in the area. Even though the bird was shot a few weeks ago, we can still work out roughly where it was shot.

The last reported sighting of the two healthy fledglings together was at Dromineer in January, which is just 15 Km from the nest, directly across the lake on the eastern shore. The corpse was apparently found only about 20 Km north of Dromineer; they are saying on the lakeshore in "Ballinderry" townland which puts it in the vicinity of Kilgarvan Harbour/Quay here.

The whole range is a small enough stretch of lakeshore. And most likely the bird hardly moved at all after it was shot. The lakeshore land around Dromineer to Kilgarvan is mostly either farmland or with monstrous holiday houses having private access roads and private jetties. You need permission from the owner to shoot on private land. To get a shotgun license you need to specify what land you have permission to shoot on. If there is a gun club in the area, the club will generally know who is shooting in the area, whether the shooters are in the club or not.

Zoo4m8

Capercaille wrote: »

:eek:
Gutted.......................
One of the first Golden eagle chicks hatched in Ireland (Conall)was killed, now one of the first Sea Eagle chicks hatched in Ireland is brutally shot. Some kip of a Country.

Nothing wrong the country, it's some of the inhabitants that are the problem....

fryup

just heard it on the news, sickened

not even a year old and this happens

Capercaille

Zoo4m8 wrote: »

Nothing wrong the country, it's some of the inhabitants that are the problem....

Half the Golden Eagles released are dead. Numerous Sea Eagles poisoned/shot. Barely anything been done in the Country to protect endangered species like Red Grouse, Corncrake, Curlew etc.

Raised bogs SAC's are being cut to death by turfcutters, while Gardaí sit idly by. The Minister rewards the turfcutters for their criminal damage by de-designating a raft of NHA, opening them up for turfcutting.

In Countries like Spain they have spent 40 million euros on Spanish lynx conservation in the last few years. In Ireland less than 250,000 spent by government per year on Corncrake conservation.

Place is a kip.

Birdnuts

recedite wrote: »

And now one callous scumbag ruins it. I hope the Gardai take this investigation seriously, and don't just wait for the phone to ring. They will have the name and address of every shotgun owner in the area. Even though the bird was shot a few weeks ago, we can still work out roughly where it was shot.



The whole range is a small enough stretch of lakeshore. And most likely the bird hardly moved at all after it was shot. The lakeshore land around Dromineer to Kilgarvan is mostly either farmland or with monstrous holiday houses having private access roads and private jetties. You need permission from the owner to shoot on private land. To get a shotgun license you need to specify what land you have permission to shoot on. If there is a gun club in the area, the club will generally know who is shooting in the area, whether the shooters are in the club or not.

This is where investigations need to concentrate - one would also have to be fearfull too for the second bird if they were still hanging out together:( I'm absolutely stunned be this and didn't see it coming since the parent birds and other individuals have found this area to their liking, successfully bred and appeared safe and sound for the last few years. I'm glad to see that the NARGC have come out with a strong statement condemning this killing. As a hunter and gun owner myself I'm disgusted that a handful of wildlife criminals in this country have by their actions dragged the good name of the vast majority of gun licence owners through the mud. It is in the interests of the local gun clubs to now co-operate with this inquiry as until the culprit is found there is likely to be delays and possible refusals of new licences and renewals.

Chisler2

Mickeroo wrote: »

Really is sickening news.

The violent method through which this beautiful young bird was destroyed was beyond belief.

As there is now just one young WTE in Ireland - and the parent couple - the rate of the reintroduction is seriously impacted. http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/one-of-only-two-irish-bred-white-tailed-eagles-shot-and-killed-1.1713647

fryup

is there any point in continuing with these projects??

OpenYourEyes

fryup wrote: »

is there any point in continuing with these projects??

Of course there is! We'll never change attitudes if we don't fight through this. Giving up now is a bigger waste than continuing on.

Also for all intents and purposes the Red Kite reintroductions have been successful, though not without incident.

Kess73

fryup wrote: »

is there any point in continuing with these projects??

The projects are worthwhile.



The only thing that should not continuing is the looking the other way type behaviour that seems to be going on when it comes to catching and sentencing people for this kind of thing.

dodderangler

This day and age I'm not shocked or surprised by it.
Individual won't be caught and will continue to do so in years to come with more fledglings.
I've said it before and say it again IMO it's one culprit.
Enough said!

Benny_Cake

It's such a cruel and senseless act. There is something about reintroducing a species which really captures the imagination - it caught my attention anyway and I'm no birdwatcher. Very sad to think of any creature suffering what seems to have been a slow and painful death at the hands of a person who probably gave it no more than a seconds thought.

Until someone is prosecuted and receives a severe penalty these killings are likely to continue. A message needs to go out.

Half-cocked

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Until someone is prosecuted and receives a severe penalty these killings are likely to continue. A message needs to go out.

Don't hold your breath. Very hard to bring a successful prosecution. Unless there are witnesses whose testimony is rock solid, or the culprit confesses, he'll get away with it. And even if there is a successful prosecution, our judiciary have a bad record when it comes to serious sentencing for wildlife crimes.:mad:

Alun

Are there any records of successful prosecutions in any of the other recent shooting / poisoning cases?

cuddlycavies

I think there's a good chance that this case will be pursued and a culprit found. Chances are he's boasted about it. If the economics of the argument are brought into play, it will strike with someone to do the right thing and name him. Mountshannon did well on these birds.

Kess73

My own opinion is that a reward should be offered for information that leads to a successful conviction.

Obliq

Kess73 wrote: »

My own opinion is that a reward should be offered for information that leads to a successful conviction.

I second that. :mad:

fryup

fryup wrote: »

is there any point in continuing with these projects??

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Of course there is! We'll never change attitudes if we don't fight through this. Giving up now is a bigger waste than continuing on.

Also for all intents and purposes the Red Kite reintroductions have been successful, though not without incident.

thats all very well, but what about the suffering that these species have to endure.. poisoning, being shot and dieing slowly and agonisingly...is it fair to put them through this?? knowing that there is a significant chance that this could happen

cuddlycavies

Yes! we must persevere! There are serious mindset and attitude problems about wildlife in Ireland. Last week, too many seals on Blasket, Constant war on badgers by dairy farmers,''Open war on Hen Harriers'' and this constant bad news on the reintroduction programmes. We can address the whole problem only when we have dramatic instances like this one. It could focus minds on true benefits of eco tourism. You have to remember that to many people this is just a bird like a crow or a sparrow. Sad but that's how it is.

OpenYourEyes

fryup wrote: »

thats all very well, but what about the suffering that these species have to endure.. poisoning, being shot and dieing slowly and agonisingly...is it fair to put them through this?? knowing that there is a significant chance that this could happen

That was something that had to be considered before the releases - needless to say this level of persecution was never anticipated.

We can't round them all up and catch them and release them in some other country now though.

Obliq

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

That was something that had to be considered before the releases - needless to say this level of persecution was never anticipated.

We can't round them all up and catch them and release them in some other country now though.

Besides which, that would be giving in to the idea that people can't be educated about wildlife diversity and these kind of reintroduction projects. Ok, so there'll always be the few head cases who think they're above the law - and unfortunately, they often are. The more outrage about this, the better, because it increases the chances of someone informing on the (insert bannable word of choice) person who did this and increases people's education about the negligible impact to livestock/livelyhood of the WTSE's as this incident gets hashed out here and on other forums.

Anyone with relevant info contact Nenagh Garda Station on 067-50450 - please publicise this wherever you can.

Woodville56

cuddlycavies wrote: »

Chances are he's boasted about it. If the economics of the argument are brought into play, it will strike with someone to do the right thing and name him. Mountshannon did well on these birds.

Given that an outline of this bird's recent area /territory is fairly well established, I'd reckon that local knowledge will be key in tracking down the culprit. Agree with poster that he's probably mouthed off about it to his mates. At the end of the day, locals in the area should have a fair idea of the person or persons responsible for this. Likewise , gun clubs would be knowledgeable of rogue shooters in their midst. Question is , will anyone step forward with information ? Despite the outcry I wouldn't be too hopeful !

OpenYourEyes

Woodville56 wrote: »

Given that an outline of this bird's recent area /territory is fairly well established, I'd reckon that local knowledge will be key in tracking down the culprit. Agree with poster that he's probably mouthed off about it to his mates. At the end of the day, locals in the area should have a fair idea of the person or persons responsible for this. Likewise , gun clubs would be knowledgeable of rogue shooters in their midst. Question is , will anyone step forward with information ? Despite the outcry I wouldn't be too hopeful !

Local knowledge will definitely be key. They can get an idea of the type of gun and ammo used from the pellets they found, and they obviously have a list of everyone with a firearm in that area too. So that should be one of the first ports of call. Between that and door-to-door enquiries they'll have to come across someone who knows something and is willing to say it. I'm sure there's plenty of farmers in the area who have realised at this stage that the WTSE's are not a problem and won't be happy with some idiot shooting it.

Chisler2

Kess73 wrote: »

The projects are worthwhile.



The only thing that should not continuing is the looking the other way type behaviour that seems to be going on when it comes to catching and sentencing people for this kind of thing.

Vandals who poison and shoot protected species are breaking the law, but that law must be made more visible and effective.

Survival of vulnerable species would be more likely if public education and awareness of these issues were raised by clear, full reportage and information such as the Irish Times' article on the WTE killing, and by education. If the "general public"...........especially the young....... get behind monitoring and protecting of wildlife the small but very potent group of destroyers could be deprived of their "fun".

cuddlycavies

Given how difficult it is to get a photo of one of these birds, it's highly likely(with 50 pellets in his body)that to get so close as to hit one with a shotgun, this was not a chance encounter. The bird might even have been baited. Hopefully this will make it easier to find those responsible.

Witcher

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Local knowledge will definitely be key. They can get an idea of the type of gun and ammo used from the pellets they found, and they obviously have a list of everyone with a firearm in that area too. So that should be one of the first ports of call. Between that and door-to-door enquiries they'll have to come across someone who knows something and is willing to say it. I'm sure there's plenty of farmers in the area who have realised at this stage that the WTSE's are not a problem and won't be happy with some idiot shooting it.

Waste of time contacting firearms owners, they'll never trace the culprit that way. Shotgun pellets can't be traced back to a specific firearm.

OpenYourEyes

Blay wrote: »

Waste of time contacting firearms owners, they'll never trace the culprit that way. Shotgun pellets can't be traced back to a specific firearm.

I didn't say they could be.

I said that from the x-ray and pellets you can get a rough idea of the type of gun used. With that rough idea you can consult your list of people in the area with firearms licenses, check the guns they have, and you have a narrowed down list of possible suspects.

Using the available evidence to get a narrowed down list of suspects is hardly a waste of time! And like I said above, some other shotgun users in the area might know something, so it's worthwhile talking to everyone, even if the local Garda or NPWS ranger thinks its unlikely that person did it.

Witcher

No need for a rough idea of the firearm used, it was clearly a shotgun.

There are probably a hundred shotguns in that area alone nevermind the fact that it could be someone from further afield. So you'll narrow it down to shotgun owners in that area...assuming they're from that area of course...and then what? Question them all about their whereabouts every day for the last few weeks?

They will never find who did this.

OpenYourEyes

Blay wrote: »

No need for a rough idea of the firearm used, it was clearly a shotgun.

There are probably a hundred shotguns in that area alone nevermind the fact that it could be someone from further afield. So you'll narrow it down to shotgun owners in that area...assuming they're from that area of course...and then what? Question them all about their whereabouts every day for the last few weeks?

They will never find who did this.

Yeah we know it was a shotgun, thanks for your insight :rolleyes: Needless to say you narrow it down to shotguns, and then try and narrow it from there - there are different types of ammo used etc. Like I said, it's not going to lead you straight to the criminal who did it, but it's somewhere to start!

There probably isn't 100 shotguns in the area, or not 100 shotgun owners anyway. Still better than starting from nowhere though. Do you think they should investigate all of the people in Counties Tipperary and Clare, starting in alphabetical order?

And yes it's a fairly safe assumption it was done by someone in the area. It's a high profile crime, not something that'd be done for the craic. And it was done around lambing season. In all likelihood it was done by someone convinced they had something to gain from doing it - i.e. more than likely someone who owns sheep.

And yes, you narrow down your list of shotgun owners as much as you can to people using or likely to be using similar ammo, to people with sheep, to people near where the bird was found and expand outwards as necessary. If you talk to enough people you're likely to at least get a few more pieces of the puzzle.

Basically you deal with it the same way you'd deal with any other investigation! It's not going to be easy - we're all painfully aware of that fact, but your defeatist attitude would help nobody but the person who killed the Eagle.

I'm glad you're not in charge of the investigation anyway!

Witcher

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Yeah we know it was a shotgun, thanks for your insight :rolleyes: Needless to say you narrow it down to shotguns, and then try and narrow it from there - there are different types of ammo used etc. Like I said, it's not going to lead you straight to the criminal who did it, but it's somewhere to start!

There probably isn't 100 shotguns in the area, or not 100 shotgun owners anyway. Still better than starting from nowhere though. Do you think they should investigate all of the people in Counties Tipperary and Clare, starting in alphabetical order?

And yes it's a fairly safe assumption it was done by someone in the area. It's a high profile crime, not something that'd be done for the craic. And it was done around lambing season. In all likelihood it was done by someone convinced they had something to gain from doing it - i.e. more than likely someone who owns sheep.

And yes, you narrow down your list of shotgun owners as much as you can to people using or likely to be using similar ammo, to people with sheep, to people near where the bird was found and expand outwards as necessary. If you talk to enough people you're likely to at least get a few more pieces of the puzzle.

Basically you deal with it the same way you'd deal with any other investigation! It's not going to be easy - we're all painfully aware of that fact, but your defeatist attitude would help nobody but the person who killed the Eagle.

I'm glad you're not in charge of the investigation anyway!

Knowing what shot size was used isn't going to narrow it down for you. Judging by the size of the bird it was probably something like no. 4/5 shot, assuming that firearms owners in that area are all hunters..they will all have that ammo. It's one of the most common out there, I'm a clay shooter..I don't hunt and even I have a box of each.

A high profile crime? Come on now..less of the hyperbole, I know it's sad but steady on. I know you think the bird was targeted for assassination..it probably was in fairness but to completely rule out the chance that it was someone from outside the area that just shot it because it flew over is a bit foolish. There are lads out there that would shoot anything that moves. I know of a lad that was out walking in a field with a gun and fired a shot at a harris hawk that was being used by a guy to hunt in another field nearby. Ask any farmer if they've had people tresspass on their land with firearms, chances are they have..probably several times.

It's not a defeatist attitude..it's being realistic. You're seriously overestimating the amount of time that will be donated to this investigation. It is a tragedy but believing that the Gardai will go around questioning firearms owners about what ammo they have, crossmatching that with sheep owners and work in an expanding pattern you're deluding yourself. They do have more pressing matters to attend to as sad as this situation is.

As I said..being realistic.unless someone walks into the local Garda station and admits 'I shot an eagle a few weeks ago'..they won't be found. That's not being defeatist..it's weighing up the amount of time that can be given to this, plus the amount of evidence which is out there.. which right now amounts to roughly 50 lead pellets.

OpenYourEyes

Blay wrote: »

Knowing what shot size was used isn't going to narrow it down for you. Judging by the size of the bird it was probably something like no. 4/5 shot, assuming that firearms owners in that area are all hunters..they will all have that ammo. It's one of the most common out there, I'm a clay shooter..I don't hunt and even I have a box of both.

Right - it was probably that shot, and lots of hunters probably have it - no harm in looking into that to be sure! If you don't look into these things you obviously won't find anything!

Blay wrote: »

A high profile crime? Come on now..less of the hyperbole. I know you think the bird was targeted for assassination..it probbaly was in fairness but to completely rule out the chance that it was someone from outside the area that just shot it because it flew over is a bit foolish. There are lads out there that would shoot anything that moves. Ask any farmer if they've had people tresspass on their land with firearms, chances are they have..probably several times.

The page views and comments on various websites running the WTSE story are way higher than most articles about Ireland, the Garda 'scandal', Ukraine etc etc. And the amount of comments on those articles far eclipse any other story ran yesterday or this week. It was on the television news on all channels, on front pages of newspapers, and all over the internet. i.e. High profile, not hyperbole.

I never used the word assasination, it's not a word I use for wildlife crime. Stop making stupid assumptions.

Also, I never said we should rule out anything. But in an investigation, to start off with, you have to go on the balance of probability. That's obvious to most people, again I'm glad you have nothing to do with this investigation. I've followed the wildlife conflict aspect of the WTSE reintroduction very closely - it is highly likely that it was a person with sheep based on all the evidence to date.

Blay wrote: »

It's not a defeatist attitude..it's being realistic. You're seriously overestimating the amount of time that will be donated to this investigation. It is a tragedy but believing that the Gardai will go around questioning firearms owners about what ammo they have, crossmatching that with sheep owners and work in an expanding pattern you're deluding yourself. They do have more pressing matters to attend to as sad as this situation is.

As I said..ebing realistic.unless someone walks into the local Garda station and admits 'I shot an eagle a few weeks ago'..they won't be found. That's not being defeatist..it's weighing up the amount of time that can be given to this, plus the amount of evidence which is out there.. which right now amounts to roughly 50 lead pellets.

It is a defeatist attitude - there are plenty of lines of enquiry that could be followed up, but you're willing to dismiss them all immediately. Also the DAHG, GET, NPWS, NARGC and pretty much everyone around Mountshannon, as well as a lot of people across the country will all be hoping the person is caught. That means there's a lot more political backing for this investigation than there has been for others in the past. That makes a big difference! There have been plenty of WTSE's killed in Ireland - and it may shock you to know that in several cases the person who did it is known. Having local politicians, local seargants and supers and the Minister pushing for a prosecution will make a big difference in this case.

And yes I do believe that Gardai will do that - do you know how? Because I was talking to a Garda this morning and it was his suggestion that the firearms lists should be gone through and interviews carried out. He's a Garda that has 15+ years of working in a rural Garda station, dealing with farmers, hunters and rural people, and has processed more firearms certs over the years than you'd believe.

The "more pressing matters" excuse is rubbish of the highest order. The job of the Gardai is to investigate crimes. This was a crime, and a crime involving a gun no less. They aren't going to drop all murder investigations and send in back-up to look after the Eagles, but they can and will investigate this. It's called multitasking.

And yeah the only evidence at the moment is c.50 pellets - BUT THERE'LL BE MORE IF THEY CARRY OUT INQUIRIES - THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER INVESTIGATION!!


Defeatist: There's no point, they'll never find the person who did it.
Realistic: It'll be difficult to find the person who did it, but there are plenty of lines of enquiry worth following up.

Witcher

I won't say anymore on the matter. Good luck to that Garda and his doomed investigation.

Obliq

Totally with you there Openyoureyes - rural community Gardaí usually have a far bigger picture about what's going on than people imagine. I'm full sure that there's plenty of people in all the Lough Derg communities who are as enthusiastic as everyone in Mountshannon about the eagles. I've no doubt in my mind that the speculation in the parish where the poor creature died is something worth listening to and somebody will hit on the truth. I know in the small town I live in, we wouldn't be long narrowing it down to a few.

There's no such thing as a doomed investigation when people stay outraged, and everyone around me here is boiling mad about this.

Chisler2

OpenYourEyes - you may be correct that this was done by a sheep-farmer. The WTE do carry off lambs. A recent investigation on WTE and sheep on the Island of Mull, Scotland, supports the idea that an 'educated, informed public' are the necessary basis for protection of vulnerable species and maintaining biodiversity. "Yes - WTE's take a (very small....33 to 37 out of thousands) number of lambs each year".

BUT it makes no sense for a sheep-farmer to go after a WTE rather than address lamb nutrition, parasites and diseases.

1.3. There was good evidence that WTEs killed some live lambs to judge from heavy localised bruising associated with talon punctures in the skin of fresh lambs from nests. However most carcasses show evidence of scavenging. There was circumstantial evidence that many of the lambs killed were not viable because, compared with live lambs they were small for their age and similar to lambs lying dead on the hill from other causes. The larger lambs that were killed could have been viable but also could have been predisposed to predation by disease (predominantly tick borne disease).

1.4. Counts of ewes and lambs at three spatial scales showed no pattern of high lamb losses associated with the close proximity of WTE pairs. This was either because the lambs killed by eagles would have otherwise died of other causes, or because the number of lambs killed was small and swamped by the large overall mortality.

1.5. Not all WTEs killed lambs and the birds that killed most, killed more in 1999 than in 2000 or in 2002. For six of the eight eagle pairs monitored intensively, at least one lamb carcass showed evidence of having been killed. Thus killing was not entirely confined to one pair – the population might opportunistically kill lambs. If so, it suggests that the predation of lambs by eagles was largely determined by the predisposition of those lambs killed rather than the propensity of particular eagles.

There is no support for the idea that WTE are an economic threat to the sheep-farmer.........or to anyone else!

OpenYourEyes

I quoted that report somewhere else today alright! There's been no horror stories in Ireland since their reintroduction either so I'm sure most farmers have copped onto the fact that WTSE are not a threat. This was the work of one bad-minded and ignorant individual who probably happens to have sheep, we shouldn't think of him as representative of all sheep farmers.


Here's a link to that report, and a similar report, that show WTSE pose no real threat to sheep or lambs, and that there are plenty of other problems much higher on the list for the average sheep farmer.

Link to report of WTSE and Sheep on Mull (Scotland)
Link to report of WTSE and Sheep on the West Coast of Scotland

Woodville56

I fully support the efforts of the statutory authorities to find and prosecute the perpetrator(s) of this offence and perhaps local investigations by the Garda and NPWS staff etc will "narrow the field down" and point in the direction of an individual or individuals who are responsible for this criminal act.
However, securing the proof which will lead to a conviction is the issue and unless someone comes forward with concrete evidence, it's unlikely that any prosecution could be successful. Hopefully someone "in the know" with a conscience or a sense of civic responsibility, will step forward with evidence. At any rate, it's wholly appropriate and necessary that the authorities would intensively investigate this crime - if enough cages are rattled, never know what might pop out !!
Additionally, raising the profile of this incident through local investigation along with the widespread media coverage it's received will help improve the public awareness of wildlife crime and perhaps motivate our legislators and their agents to actively implement measures to safeguard our protected flora and fauna. In my own view, and as posted by me elsewhere in another context, the will to implement the various directives on protection of habitat and wildlife seems way down the list of priorities for central government and some local authorities / state agencies .