Staff at one of the country's most famous estates have been delighted by the news that a healthy sea eagle chick has hatched there for the first time.
The encouraging news comes after the breeding pair of sea eagles – also known as white-tailed eagles – were observed on Balmoral over the last few years.
The estate's management team spoke of how the pair of adult birds, which carry satellite tags allowing the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Balmoral Ranger Service to follow their weekly movements, had a previous failed attempt at nesting in 2017.
However, this year's breeding season has seen them rear a healthy male chick.
Alongside three golden eagle chicks born on the estate, all four have now been ringed as part of long-term monitoring on Balmoral.
A member of the East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership (ECMP), the estate has now seen breeding success for golden eagles, hen harriers, red kite, osprey, peregrine and merlin, as well as short-eared owls, in 2021, across the various landholdings.
Richard Gledson, Estate Manager at Balmoral Estate said: “All at Balmoral Estate are delighted that sea eagles have nested successfully for the first time.
"A previous nesting attempt in 2017 on the same site sadly failed and we have had our fingers crossed since then.
"The birds have been with us for a couple of years, and we have been working closely with the North East Scotland Raptor Study Group who ringed the chick last week and with the RSPB who have been sending data from their satellite tags.”
Glenavon Estate – which is home to three pairs of golden eagles, including one of the highest nesting sites in Scotland – has had a golden eagle chick satellite tagged for the first time in recent years.
Satellite tags are used by biological researchers on a variety of species including eagles and harriers, and provide valuable insight into their movement and survival.
Golden eagle chicks have also been tagged on the Glenlivet Estate and Mar Lodge Estate.
Last year, Mar Estate witnessed the first successful breeding attempt of sea eagles in Deeside for 200 years, but the relatively inexperienced pair failed this season at the hatching stage, with poor weather likely a contributing factor, however hopes are high for success with continued breeding efforts next season and beyond.
Dr Ewan Weston of the North East Scotland Raptor Study Group, who has carried out much of the satellite tagging on ECMP estates, added: “This year’s raptor tagging on ECMP estates builds on a positive collaboration with the estates over recent years.
"Despite a very wet, snowy May, the general picture in the area is that raptors, particularly golden eagles, red kites and hen harriers have done well.”
Xander McDade, Convenor at the Cairngorms National Park Authority, said the park's team were delighted to hear that the raptor breeding success in the east of the National Park looks good for 2021.
He added: "However, we know that we can still do more for the birds and are committed to finding ways of improving the conservation status of moorland raptors, along with other red and amber moorland bird species.
"This includes working closely with the five estates that make up the ECMP on a range of conservation measures.”
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