This is a blog that features the movements of eagles reared in Scotland and fitted with satellite-received transmitters. This effort to better understand eagle dispersal is being undertaken by Natural Research and its partners: the Highland Foundation for Wildlife, the RSPB, SNH and the Scottish Raptor Study Groups. Eagles have been tracked since fledging and data from them will form part of a Natural Research funded PhD by Ewan Weston at Aberdeen University.

IF YOU CLICK ON THE MAPS THEY WILL OPEN IN ANOTHER WINDOW AND WILL BE MUCH CLEARER.

Monday 18 February 2013

57109: 01 - 13 February 2013


57109 started the period about 2 km north of the A9 and north of Calvine.  It spent the period wondering over areas where it has spent much of its time over the past months (see past posts).  By 13 February it was located only about 170 meters away from where it started the period.

119986: 6 - 14 February 2013

So, just as we no longer get transmissions from 32867 (See last post), another boldly ventures outside of its natal territory. 119986 is a female chick from a brood of two (above), tagged near Ballater in late June 2012. Both chicks were in excellent condition at around 4.5kg and 4.4kg. The slightly larger chick was tagged, although there wasn't really much difference between them. Since then 119986 has been roaming around within the natal territory but in January made the move to independence and has been exploring parts of Angus and Deeside.The map below shows its more recent movements, which are now some way away from its natal territory.  On 6 February this bird was located east of the Spittal of Glenshee, and by 14 February it had moved west and was located just north of Blair Atholl, not far from the location of 57109 (see post above)



Wednesday 6 February 2013

57109: 17 January - 4 Feb 2013

57109 continued to move around the upland areas est of the A9 and west of Braemar.  On 30 January it was on the western slopes of Ben Macdui.

32867: 11 - 20 January 2013

32867 has a battery powered transmitter that uploads GPS data every 10 days.  The last upload was on 20 January, 17 days ago, and at that time data sent by the transmitter indicated the battery was drained.  So, it seems unlikely that we will get any more transmissions from this bird.  32867 was fitted with its tag when it was a nestling on 4 July 2010, and so has given us about 30 months of movement data.  For that whole period 32867 stayed almost entirely within about 20 km of its natal site, and these last days of transmissions were not different.  The last location on 20 January 2013 was on the coast east of Tarbert.