Sea Eagles, what are your Views on the Article?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environmen.../21/sea-eagles

What do you think?

I am a supporter of the birds.

I don't know, it's so difficult to know who's telling the truth in these cases as each party will always insist their opinion is right.

I love big birds of prey, but perhaps it would be better to do more studies on the birds in Scotland first to be sure of their impact on farmers, before introducing them to England?

Check out my previous threads on Sea Eagles as the East Coast bird reintroduction takes place just behind my house.

Will do.

Which side of the fence do you sit on, just out of interest?

My instinct would be a big fat yes, but then I don't have livestock and a livelihood to protect!

I do not know how true this is as I have not had time yet to look into it but I read elsewhere, (photography magazine), that when the SEs were reintroduced a farmer got a massive payout when he claimed that he had lost money due to lambs being taken and this may have 'encouraged' a trend.......

Unfortunately I haven't time to read the whole article just now, but will do when I get in later from feeding lambs.

It is a difficult subject for me to really make my mind on. I am a keen naturalist and love British wildlife and birds of prey. However, I would hate to see the Sea Eagles persecuted in England, as I am sure they would be. You just don't have the amount of space and emptiness down there that these great birds need to flourish.

However, being married to a shepherd (and so have an insiders view so to speak), I also have some sympathy with the Highland hill farmers, as it is exceptionally hard land to farm and to make any sort of profit from, so every lamb taken will matter to a degree. I don't think that there is any doubt that Sea Eagles (like Golden Eagles) do take lambs, but the figures would really need to be investigated in a larger study before I could come to a conclusion about that part of the article.

Have you read any Mike Tomkies books Werewolf? I am sure you would enjoy them.

Hi Moobli

No, I have not, but I will certainly look into them xxx Thanks xxx

Could you post up some links Phil, for the minority of us poor souls who don't have broadband, thanks.

He is a naturalist who spent many years living in the wilds of the Highlands of Scotland, both on a derelict croft on Eilean Shona and also in a cottage up Loch Shiel on Ardnamurchan. He writes about his life and the studies he makes of the wild creatures around him, most interestingly (for me) the red deer herds, golden eagle, Scottish wildcats as well as foxes, badgers, otters etc.

Many of his books are now out of print but can be found in secondhand bookshops as well as ebay etc, but some have recently been reprinted and can be bought from his publisher (Whittles Publishing).

Definitely worth a look if you are interested in the Scottish Highlands and the creatures that live there.

This is, of course, possible. However, surely the farmers concerned would have to prove their loss and also how the lambs were taken?