In this section

Golden Eagles in Ireland 2008

Breeding Season 2008

53 Golden eagles released in Donegal

Sightings - monitoring is difficult
Up to and including 2008, 53 Golden Eagles have been released in Glenveagh National Park. Overall we have not been able to release as many birds as we initially planned. Due to the widespread dispersal of the released birds in recent years, we are unable to estimate how many birds are still alive. We recognise that the lack of detailed data regarding the survival and movements of the immature and sub adult eagles is one of the primary problems facing this release programme. In Scotland, with their much greater level of eagle monitoring, both professional and voluntary, a similar paucity of sub adult data is a problem and monitoring is largely based on the monitoring of breeding pair at fixed locations.

There has been a considerable increase in the amount of Golden Eagle dispersal in recent years, with up to 6 occupied home ranges now in Donegal. For example, in the spring and summer of 2008 confirmed Golden Eagle sightings with varying degrees of wing tag details, showed that 1`st year birds from 2007, had visited Counties Down, Antrim, Derry, Fermanagh, Tyrone (5 of the 6 Counties in Northern Ireland) and Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Clare. So these young birds are now wandering around the majority of the North and West Coast Counties in Ireland.

For example, Blue Yellow 5 was last seen in Glenveagh Veagh National Park on 24 January 2008, and was next seen in the Slieve Aughtie Mountains, County Clare on the 2 May. The Wild bred Chick from 2007 was last identified in Glenveagh on 26 December 2007 and appeared to have dispersed shortly afterward.

There were also records of White tagged (5 birds released in 2006) Golden Eagles from Lough Swilley, Donegal, Glenveagh National Park and Achill Island Mayo during the spring also. In addition to these white tagged sightings there was the territorial White 1 in Territory D06

Release Programme

Eagle chick in flight in Ireland. Copyright Golden Eagle Trust.

In 2008, 5 chicks were imported from Scotland. Unfortunately it was a difficult year and a chick from the Uists died shortly after arriving from Scotland, though it was noticed to be unsteady even whilst in Scotland. The post mortem, showed it had a number of underlying ailments in several organs suggesting some form of colisepticema, which appeared to have developed shortly after hatching. Similar mortality during the late chick stage has been noted in recent years in the Uists and may deserve some detailed analysis.

In addition, another bird from the Western Isles was collected from Skye and despite our best efforts was not released as it never developed any flying ability. Though the bird was considerably smaller that its male sibling in the nest, it was decided to collect this female as the 3 other birds collected prior to this were male and females were needed. Unfortunately, in hindsight this was the wrong decision. Veterinary analysis identified a low level of calcium in this chick, which may have been one of the causes for inability to fly. Previous blood sampling from other released birds showed that calcium levels were normal and chopped up rabbits, including bones, are provided for the chicks during the captive phase. But again the levels of calcium and general physiological status of this top level predator may be an under-recorded factor and reflect a paucity of small prey species abundance in some locations.

Site: D01 - Breeding Pair.

1 egg laid 2008. Two eggs laid in 2007 but did not hatch.
Male: Yellow 2 Spots. Brought from: Glen Affric, Invernesshire 2001.

Female: Blue O. From: Broght from Lude Estate, Tayside 2002.

This pair bred again in 2008, but again for the fourth year in a row this territory failed to produce a chick or even hatch an egg. The birds were on site throughout the late winter and early spring. They laid an egg and their incubation seemed consistent. However yet again the egg failed to hatch. Unfortunately, after the due hatch date had passed and we went in to retrieve the egg for analysis, it had gone, probably taken by nearby pair of Ravens. So we can not say if the egg was fertile or failed during incubation. The fact that only one egg was laid would indicate some constraint on the condition of the female. Some experts say that the egg volume to adult female body mass is so small in this species, that the condition of the female prior to egg laying in not as important in this species. However, falconers often talk of the importance of calcium in egg production. We are aware that this territory has an apparently low level of live prey and the availability of local carrion, especially sheep, may limit the amount of small bones and calcium consumed

Site: D02 Single Male.

Male roosting on site. Single Male on site in 2007.
Male: Yellow 3 Spots
Brought from Glenfinnan, Lochaber 2001.
Single male seen on site across the season. Was seen occasionally in the company of other eagles in late December and early February 07/08, but failed to form a pair.

In its seventh year, it still retained some white on it's under tail and under wing.

Site: D03

Unoccupied in 2008. Last used in 2006, vacant in 2007.

Site: D04

Male roosting on site. Male on site in 2007.
Male: Green O
Brought from Skye in 2004

Noted on site repeatedly from early spring - always seen on its own throughout the season.

Site: DO5

Pair present added some material to 2007 nest. Fledged 1 Chick in 2007.

Male: Blue 3
Brought from Skye in 2002

Female: Yellow Diagonal Bar
Brought from Assyant in Sutherland in 2001

The pair was again on site during the pre breeding season but failed to breed this year. The early part of the 2008 spring contained very good weather and it is disappointing that this pair did not breed at all in 2008. The pair had been roosting a short distant from the 2007 nest, throughout the autumn and winter of 2007. The male was seen in the vicinity of the 2007 nest a few times in 2008, but only a few bits of heather and a few clumps of Mollina (grass) were added to the old nest.

It was difficult trying to locate the female during February and March 2008. It began to dawn on us over the Easter weekend (22-24/3/08) that this pair was not going to breed. They were seen flying together, just prior to dusk, on two separate evenings at a time when one of the adults should have been incubating. A lot of effort was invested trying to follow these birds thereafter to ensure they did not nest later in the season or elsewhere. So it was disappointing, but we hope to see more chicks in future years and learn to expect lower productivity from these birds. The late Dr Jeff Watson, put it very neatly, "Spring in Scotland's eagle country is a season full of extravagant expectation and unreasonable optimism"

Site: D06

Pair on site, new nest fully built, lined but not cupped. Pair on site in 2007.

Male: Orange 1
Brought from Uists in 2005
Female: White 7
Brought from the Great Glen, Loch Ness, in 2006

This pair had been on site the previous season wandering over a wide home range, while this season female had only passed her second year. In early February this pair (2nd yr female and 3rd year male) were seen soaring together, over a wide area, with the female repeatedly dropping and snatching the same sprig of heather.

By early April they had built a big eyrie, of sticks and heather - one of the bigger nests in Donegal. Nearby there were plenty of moulted feathers and splashes and prey remains from Fulmars and rabbits. They have been seen hunting rabbits near the coast during the last two years. The nearest farmer, who had expressed concerns regarding the arrival of the eagles in spring 2007, said his 2008 lambing season has been excellent. He normally expected to loose or put down 6-8 lambs due to damage from Hooded Crows, but in 2008 the Crows caused no damage and the farmer put their almost complete absence from his lambing fields down to the nearby eagles.

Site: D07

Pair on site during the season. This male was often seen in this area in 2007.
Male: Orange 2
Brought from Badenoch in 2005

Female: Unknown
This pair was seen together on 5-6 occasions wandering over some very suitable upland habitat in Donegal. Hopefully this young male (3 year old) will stay on site and attempt to breed in the coming years.

Minimum known 1^st Year Survival		No Released
Total	65%	46
2001-2003	72%	25
2004-2006	57%	21

The minimum known 1^st year survival rates for females (61%) and males (68%) is quite similar.

Golden Eagle Breeding in Donegal
Year	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
Occupied Territories	1	3	5	5	6
Breeding Pairs	0	1	2	2	1
Successful Pairs	0	0	0	1	0

Discussion

The Golden Eagle restoration programme will take time to bring to a successful conclusion. We always knew it would be challenging and but have clearly underestimated the timeframe involved in releasing an adequate number of donor stock. Unlike the Red Kite and White-tailed eagle projects, we have found it difficult to source sufficient birds in Scotland. Unlike the other respective donor populations, Scottish Golden eagles are facing several constraints of their own. These specialist predators do not have as broad a habitat niche or diet as the other two species and require good quality upland habitat, providing undisturbed nest sites, live prey during the breeding season and winter carrion. The Irish upland habitat will hopefully improve with slightly lower grazing regimes, but a variety of reasons and national policies have also resulted in far lower winter carrion availability than at the outset of the project.

Poisoning
Despite the very welcome change to the poisoning legislation in 2008, made by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, John Gormley T.D., banning the use of meat baits under the Wildlife Acts, a significant loophole remains within independent Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food legislation allowing foxes to be poisoned with meat bait. As our recent dispersal data shows, young Golden Eagles need to be lucky to traverse hundreds of properties from Donegal to Clare and back, over several years, and not encounter one legitimate, but lethal and indiscriminate, poison meat bait left out to kill foxes. We are very concerned about this threat to Irish Golden Eagles and continue to press for a complete ban on poisoned meat baits in Ireland.

The status of the Irish Golden Eagle population, as a top specialist predator, will reflect the condition of Irish uplands in general (especially in the productivity of breeding pairs) and the level of threat posed by both poisoning and shooting (especially the survival rates of dispersing young birds and the distribution of pairs). Irish Upland habitats are clearly under strain from a variety of land management practices and clearly reflected by the broader concern over other flagship upland species such as Irish Hare and Red Grouse. We are determined to establish a small viable Golden Eagle population in Donegal in the short term, in the hope that broader national initiatives will lead to improving habitats and lowering threats in the Irish Mountains, which Irish Eagles will respond to in due course.

Created by Wild Dog Design & Bright Interactive