WTS Eagle nest

cuddlycavies

http://www.irelandswildlife.com/2012/04/white-tailed-eagles-nesting-in-ireland-again/

what great news. Would have rathered Slea Head or something but there you go

philstar

they travelled from kerry to clare, wonder why?

whyulittle

They've travelled as far away as Scotland, and come back.

I doubt they have much respect for county boundaries.

LostCovey

They have dispersed widely, and that was fully expected.

Given there have been so many released (no idea how many - 70 or 80+?) there is no way that many would find territories in Kerry.

trebor28

great news.

and quiet close to me, must take a trip up there and see i can i get a shot of them fishing.

must be good eating in lough derg.

Cork boy 55

Do they kill other birds?

whyulittle

Carrion (dead animals)
Ungulate remains: sheep, deer
Pinnipeds: dead seals on coast
Fish: spent/dead salmon, other fish washed up on shore
Also fish stolen/left over from Otters, gulls
Live prey
Seabirds: Fulmar, diving duck
Fish: Saithe, Pollack, Lumpsucker
Mammals: rabbit, hare, rarely lamb (see below)

http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=24

Kess73

Fantastic news. I fish Lough Derg on a regular basis, and nearly always do so from the boat, so I am hoping at some point I will see one or both of those magnificent birds.

cuddlycavies

One made a name for himself afew years ago by plucking gannets from the cliff face at Skellig. He was poisoned near Glencar and died.

cuddlycavies

Kess73 wrote: »

Fantastic news. I fish Lough Derg on a regular basis, and nearly always do so from the boat, so I am hoping at some point I will see one or both of those magnificent birds.

Look out for a grey crow commotion. Thats a good sign they're nearby. Saw seven in all last month in Kerry. It was fantastic to see them in our country.
548105_3716165865528_1317150690_33661902_1183691062_n.jpg

whyulittle

Even on the RTE footage you can see some gulls or something mobbing them.

Traonach

http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/News/NestingWhitetailedEagles/tabid/1252/Default.aspx

LostCovey

Went to see them this morning.

Absolutely fantastic sight, going to be some draw for the next couple of months.

Given the location, these birds have clearly done a course in marketing and tourism.

c28omzk7ihsxv0

There is one around Sligo. In the past 16 months my dad has seen him 4-5 times and myself once or twice. My dad saw him looking for fish in the lakes around Mullaghmore.

There is also a golden eagle or two who fly in the area.

Traonach

LostCovey wrote: »

Went to see them this morning.

Absolutely fantastic sight, going to be some draw for the next couple of months.

Given the location, these birds have clearly done a course in marketing and tourism.

Good stuff:) Were they easily visible from the pier?

LostCovey

Traonach wrote: »

Good stuff:) Were they easily visible from the pier?

Nice distance from the pier, close enough to see well with biniculars/telescope, but far enough not to be bothered by us.

Not really much to see of the bird on the nest - all you could see was the incubating bird's tail sticking out over the side of the nest, but easy to see when one bird took over incubation from the other. Worth waiting around for, esp if you haven't seen them before. Lot of people coming & going, I can only imagine how many would be there on a fine weekend.

trebor28

Made the trip up to mountshannon today. Was there for about 3.5 hours. Crowds coming and going all day. Great spot for viewing as someone said, though are quite a bit out.
I only had the bins with me and could see lots once there moved around.
Anna from GET was there and is there most days. She has a scope on the go and is answering any questions and monitoring what is going on.

I got to see a changeover and the male attempting to fly away then get harrassed by crows, fend them off and return to his roost again.
All going well it will be great viewing when the eggs hatch and they are bringing back food to the young'uns.

Anna said they are due to hatch around the 18th and won't fledge til end of July so should be long enough for everyone to get a good glimps.

magicbastarder

this is an event ripe for a live feed webcam; would be good publicity for the programme.
anyone know if this has happened.

wouldn't need to be set up right in the nest either.

Traonach

I was there as well. A great day, everybody got a chance to see the Sea Eagles. Here's a photo of the Bird wing-tagged Y. I wonder is it the male of female? Does anybody know their names

trebor28

at what time was that taken?

the male was on the nest til 1pm then they swapped over.
they were still as they were when i left at about 3.30

whyulittle

I think only a few of them were given names, possibly just the sat. tagged ones.

Sean's whereabouts haven't been posted since February, but I don't think he's part of the pair - I'm pretty sure I've seen him being mentioned alongside the two in Mountshannon.

Traonach

trebor28 wrote: »

at what time was that taken?

the male was on the nest til 1pm then they swapped over.
they were still as they were when i left at about 3.30

I took the photos from 2:30 till around 4:00. Y was in the bare tree around 30m to the right of the nest the whole time I was there.

LostCovey

magicbastarder wrote: »

this is an event ripe for a live feed webcam;

I agree but maybe not so simple on an island to set up a few hundred metres from shore (independent power, wireless/microwave data feeds etc).

I am sure they will be ultra cautious around first-time breeders.

LC

philstar

magicbastarder wrote: »

this is an event ripe for a live feed webcam; would be good publicity for the programme.
anyone know if this has happened.

wouldn't need to be set up right in the nest either.

LostCovey wrote: »

I agree but maybe not so simple on an island to set up a few hundred metres from shore (independent power, wireless/microwave data feeds etc).

I am sure they will be ultra cautious around first-time breeders.

don't think they should..too risky

Kess73

A good spot to watch them from (when one takes to the air to patrol or hunt) is across the lake at the Lookout. You are a couple of hundred feet above the lake and have a clear line of sight if you have good binocs.

whyulittle

Seems the female has been christened.

Lots of keen (and budding) eaglewatchers visited Mountshannon over the Bank Holiday weekend. At least 300 people on Monday alone, shows the attraction the birds have been with families coming from Wicklow and beyond. Most will have never seen an eagle before so the positive impact of this for how us irish feel about nature cant be underestimated. Well done Mountshannon and thanks to the pupils of Mountshannon and Whitegate Nat Schools. So far we have a name for the female from Whitegate NS: Saor, meaning freedom:-)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-Eagle-Trust/144404808950774?ref=ts&v=wall

trebor28

Kess73 wrote: »

A good spot to watch them from (when one takes to the air to patrol or hunt) is across the lake at the Lookout. You are a couple of hundred feet above the lake and have a clear line of sight if you have good binocs.

considering that its about 1km from mountshannon to the island how far is it from the lookout?

Traonach

whyulittle wrote: »

Seems the female has been christened.



https://www.facebook.com/pages/Golden-Eagle-Trust/144404808950774?ref=ts&v=wall

Saor is a brillant name for the female.:)

Kess73

trebor28 wrote: »

considering that its about 1km from mountshannon to the island how far is it from the lookout?

When one takes to the air to patrol or to hunt, they often swing towards the lookout, and because of the height the Lookout is at, they can come within a couple of hundred metres of it but almost level in height with it. Also that particular stretch strikes me as being a good spot to watch them from as it is a prey heavy stretch (ducks, cormorants, moorhen, rabbit, fish etc ) both on the water and on the nearby shore/fields. I fish Lough Derg on a regular basis from a boat so will be hoping to get a nice view of them either from the boat, or if not out fishing I will be using the highground of the lookout to try and get a better idea of their patrol patterns.

LostCovey

Kess73 wrote: »

When one takes to the air to patrol or to hunt, they often swing towards the lookout, and because of the height the Lookout is at, they can come within a couple of hundred metres of it but almost level in height with it. Also that particular stretch strikes me as being a good spot to watch them from as it is a prey heavy stretch (ducks, cormorants, moorhen, rabbit, fish etc ) both on the water and on the nearby shore/fields. I fish Lough Derg on a regular basis from a boat so will be hoping to get a nice view of them either from the boat, or if not out fishing I will be using the highground of the lookout to try and get a better idea of their patrol patterns.

Where is the Lookout?

Kess73

It is on the Portroe road as you drive from Ballina.




It is a bit down the lake from Mountshannon and is on the opposite side of the lake, but when the birds are airborne they tend to patrol that area and can be easily viewed when they do.

You can travel further along the road and get to Garrykennedy (a spot called Parker's point would be a good viewing area) to try and see them in the air, and you can go further up and stop at a place called Ryan's point which is between Garrykennedy and Dromineer.

Hope the map is of some help to you.

If you just want to get a glimpse of the birds, then the Mountshannon side is your best bet, but if you want to try and gamble on seeing them on patrol or hunting, then the other side of the lake is better. IMHO of course.

swifts need our help!

I really hope bad boys leave the birds alone. I take it there is 24 hour security on the nest side of the Lough

Mark

whyulittle

They sure are big birds!

Video here on Youtube.

trebor28

:mad:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/minister-condemns-poisoning-of-eagles-551727.html

OpenYourEyes

trebor28 wrote: »

:mad:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/minister-condemns-poisoning-of-eagles-551727.html

Jesus thats a lot of bad news in one little article!

Birdnuts

trebor28 wrote: »

:mad:

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/minister-condemns-poisoning-of-eagles-551727.html[/QUOTE]

Highlights the fact that in some parts of this country illegal practices from the dark ages are still widespread. These individuals have utter contempt for basic wildlife, animal welfare laws etc. as well as the reputation of Irish farming etc.:mad: I will try to get more info on these cases over the course of the next few days. There is no doubt that this is a serious set-back for the projects and will require serious action by the NPWS, Dept of Ag etc. to target parts of the country where these problems appear to still be entrenched.

Traonach

Sea Eagle shot, Sea eagles poisoned and the nest at Mountshannon has failed. It don't get much worse than that:(:mad:
When I saw that there was an update on the thread I thought it would have been the news that the chick had hatched. You can accept the nest attempt failing, but the murder of the two Sea eagles is terrible. What a backward country we live in. It makes me ashamed of being Irish.

trebor28

them eggs were due to hatch any day now too.

fryup

sickened to the stomach with the news today

LostCovey

Traonach wrote: »

Sea Eagle shot, Sea eagles poisoned and the nest at Mountshannon has failed. It don't get much worse than that:(:mad:
When I saw that there was an update on the thread I thought it would have been the news that the chick had hatched. You can accept the nest attempt failing, but the murder of the two Sea eagles is terrible. What a backward country we live in. It makes me ashamed of being Irish.

Criminal, reckless and cruel, but not murder.

I agree with the rest.

Obviously our race isn't fit to live alongside large raptors.

Cretins.

Kess73

Traonach wrote: »

Sea Eagle shot, Sea eagles poisoned and the nest at Mountshannon has failed. It don't get much worse than that:(:mad:
When I saw that there was an update on the thread I thought it would have been the news that the chick had hatched. You can accept the nest attempt failing, but the murder of the two Sea eagles is terrible. What a backward country we live in. It makes me ashamed of being Irish.

While no country is perfect in terms of how nature is respected/treated, I must admit I have long thought what you just said about Ireland and a good chunk of the Irish people.

cuddlycavies

True but drop the murder charge. It's emotive nonse and weakens the logic.

emo72

the nesting pair was always gonna be a long shot? it was far from guaranteed that they would successfully raise chicks because they were too young? correct?

as for the shootings and poisoning, well words fail me. should be a prison sentence for the culprits.

Birdnuts

emo72 wrote: »

the nesting pair was always gonna be a long shot? it was far from guaranteed that they would successfully raise chicks because they were too young? correct?

.

Correct.

swifts need our help!

disgusting:mad::mad:

whyulittle

Young WT Eagles abandon nest at hatching time
18th May

A breeding attempt by a pair of White-tailed Eagles, near Mountshannon, Lough Derg, has unfortunately failed at the point of hatching. The birds started to lose interest in the nest site on Tuesday (16/5/12) evening and did not attend the nest at all on Wednesday (17/5/12). A nest visit yesterday by Golden Eagle Trust and National Parks and Wildlife Service staff confirmed that only egg shell fragments and the remains of a tiny White-tailed Eagle chick staff were left inside the nest cup.

The pair of White-tailed Eagles is still in the nest site vicinity. The breeding female was only three years of age, whereas they normally begin to breed as four year olds. Therefore it is not surprising that she would not be successful in her first breeding attempt, especially before she reached maturity. Whilst the natural breeding failure is disappointing, it nonetheless clearly demonstrates that the Irish landscapes can support these magnificent birds.

Full story at goldeneagle.ie.

dodderangler

Kess73 wrote: »

It is on the Portroe road as you drive from Ballina.




It is a bit down the lake from Mountshannon and is on the opposite side of the lake, but when the birds are airborne they tend to patrol that area and can be easily viewed when they do.

You can travel further along the road and get to Garrykennedy (a spot called Parker's point would be a good viewing area) to try and see them in the air, and you can go further up and stop at a place called Ryan's point which is between Garrykennedy and Dromineer.

Hope the map is of some help to you.

If you just want to get a glimpse of the birds, then the Mountshannon side is your best bet, but if you want to try and gamble on seeing them on patrol or hunting, then the other side of the lake is better. IMHO of course.

Their gettin shot poisoned etc and ya's all want to help stop it here's a hint
Don't tell the whole world were the nest is you have no idea what type of people are on this site
That's like catching a few salmon and then postin where they were caught (lambs to the slaughter)
SO use the head and don't be postin where they are pm someone that's a bird watcher the location if you trust them but not in full view of everyone

dodderangler

Kess73 wrote: »

It is on the Portroe road as you drive from Ballina.




It is a bit down the lake from Mountshannon and is on the opposite side of the lake, but when the birds are airborne they tend to patrol that area and can be easily viewed when they do.

You can travel further along the road and get to Garrykennedy (a spot called Parker's point would be a good viewing area) to try and see them in the air, and you can go further up and stop at a place called Ryan's point which is between Garrykennedy and Dromineer.

Hope the map is of some help to you.

If you just want to get a glimpse of the birds, then the Mountshannon side is your best bet, but if you want to try and gamble on seeing them on patrol or hunting, then the other side of the lake is better. IMHO of course.

Their gettin shot poisoned etc and ya's all want to help stop it here's a hint
Don't tell the whole world were the nest is you have no idea what type of people are on this site
That's like catching a few salmon and then postin where they were caught (lambs to the slaughter)
SO use the head and don't be postin where they are pm someone that's a bird watcher the location if you trust them but not in full view of everyone

trebor28

it was announced on the news the exact location on the nest, and also the GET website who released the birds in the first place!

dodderangler

trebor28 wrote: »

it was announced on the news the exact location on the nest, and also the GET website who released the birds in the first place!

Why would they be so stupid

trebor28

dodderangler wrote: »

Why would they be so stupid

it wasnt stupid, more of a pre-emptive strike.

all the locals in the area knew it was out there and word was spreading, so they obviously wanted to control what was being said and so released and press statement.

similar things have been done in the past.

with so many eyes on the place you would have wanted to be some fool to attempt anything.