In July 2007, we fitted a GPS radio transmitter on a golden eagle chick at Glenfeshie Estate in the Cairngorms National Park as part of a conservation project to try to examine the cultural behaviour of eagles and to research the home-range use of the Cairngorms and surrounding mountains by a young eagle bred in the area.

It was a young female and she was named Alma by Glenfeshie Estate.

Using high quality GPS data collected at hourly intervals we have followed her for nearly two years and learnt huge amounts about her first years of life. This was the first time a high quality GPS radio was used successfully to track an eagle in Scotland and our website showing the daily travels of Alma has been enthusiastically received. If Alma and her radio survive for three years where will she settle down to breed - it is very exciting to move into the third year of her life.

30 August 2009

There has been no update to this page because Alma's illegal poisoning is still the subject of an active police investigation by Tayside Police. Depending on the course of events I will update the tracking and other data gathered prior to the crime, when advised that I can do so without prejudicing the case.

13 July 2009

DISASTROUS NEWS ABOUT ALMA - Poisoned after two years of life.

Early this morning, Tayside Police with government staff and wildlife experts carried out an intensive search of grouse moors, houses and vehicles on Milden Estate, near Brechin. This estate is in Glen Esk, Angus and has been visited by Alma on a regular basis since early April. Much of the information about Alma's last days and the circumstances of her death are confidential while the ongoing police investigation is under way.

Tayside Police issued a statement today. Superintendent Ewen West, of Tayside police, said: ''The golden eagle was part of a project being undertaken by Scottish Natural Heritage. The bird was being continuously tracked and when her movements came to an abrupt stop at the beginning of July suspicions were raised that she had died. Sadly, she had been illegally poisoned."

Roseanna Cunningham, the Scottish environment minister, said: "I am truly appalled that yet another golden eagle has been illegally killed in Scotland - the second this summer. Illegal poisoning is simply inexcusable and while the perpetrators are certainly beneath contempt they are in no way above the law.

"Poisoning of course poses serious animal welfare risks, but these offences also damage Scotland's tourism industry our economy and can even tarnish the reputations of those working in our countryside within the law.

"The fact this eagle was tagged and the Scottish public were actively engaged in its progress, only makes this case all the more galling. The loss of this magnificent animal is a real blow to Scotland, particularly as we are renowned world-wide for our incredible wildlife."

Dr Ian Jardine, chief executive of Scottish Natural Hertiage, said: "We are working with police and other partners in the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) to try and wipe out poisoning of wildlife.

"It would appear that a determined minority are continuing to spoil people's enjoyment of these magnificent golden eagles."

MORE NEWS TO FOLLOW

As the investigation proceeds we will give more information on Alma when appropriate, with photographs.

Alma the Eagle had given so many people, in Scotland and beyond, an amazing insight into the lives of golden eagles in Scotland. We followed her from those first forays with her parents in Glenfeshie to her exploration of Scotland; she lived mainly around the Cairngorms, but made some long flights - the furthest to Loch Maree in April 2007. She lived for two years and we were all looking forward to her becoming an adult and choosing a mate and a nest. Her data was building real information on the cultural behaviour of eagles. Her dreadful loss saddens us and robs us of an important scientific project, and robs her of her life.

Further information on the BBC News website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8176728.stm

and the Guardian website http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/30/conservation-scotland

02 July 2009

Today is the second anniversary of the date we ringed Alma at her eyrie in Glenfeshie and fitted the satellite transmitter, which has revealed so much amazing knowledge about the life of a young golden eagle in Scotland. She is still in the same area.

26 June 2009

Alma's range is still in the Glen Dye and Glen Esk area, and now is narrowed down to hills between the Water of Aven to the Hill of Cammie and the Hill of Fingray.

05 June 2009

Alma is still in the same area and must by now have tought about starting her summer moult - last summer she moulted in the Ladder Hills and Glenfiddich.

25 May 2009

Alma still in same area, on 20th and 25th May she was well down on the north side of Glen Esk - in fact on 25th May she was on the north side of Craigancash hill at an altitude of only 400m metres (1200 feet). In her travels she has visited lower ground on various occasions.

18 May 2009

Alma remains in the same area between Glen Dye and Glen Esk.

09 May 2009

Alma remains in the eastern mountains living between Glen Dye and Glen Esk; it looks as though she is settling for the summer.

25 April 2009

Alma has settled down for a few weeks on the extreme eastern edge of Golden Eagle range in Aberdeenshire - moving between Glen Dye and Glen Tennet in Angus, mainly centerd around Mount Battock - it's presumably an area where she is not threatened by adult eagles. Alma's ranging between Glen Dye and Mount Battock 21st - 23rd April

12 April 2009

Alma has remained in the Glen Dye to Glen Esk area.

07 April 2009

Alma was 45 miles away from her natal eyrie on the Glenfeshie Estate, when we were there trying to find Tom.

Alma's movements in the far east of the mountains and moors on 7th April.

05 April 2009

Alma spent most of her time in the Glentanar area in south Deeside, ranging into Glen Muick and south to Loch Muick, and east to Hill of Cat between 3rd and 5th April.

26 March 2009

On 24th, Alma flew north from Bridge of Gairn area to Glenlivet for a quick visit at midday, an hour later she was back in Ladder Hills and then south to the Gairn.

18 March 2009

Alma flew south from the Ladder Hills to Ballochbuie Forest, Balmoral on 16th March, where she roosted in the old pines. She was there until midday on 17th, and at 1pm was a little west flying at 40km/h over Craig Leek. At 2pm and 3pm she was perched on the top of Ben Avon (it was the first beautiful spring day), she had moved north down the slopes by 4pm and at 5 pm was flying east at 38km/h at 1068 metres over the River Avon, then she flew south to roost overnight in the Quoich water area.

On 18th March, she was there until 10am, an hour later she was flying SSW at 34km/h above Allanquoich, west of Braemar. At 3pm and 4pm she was perched on the east top of An Sgarscoch on the Perthshire march (we do not yet have GPS fixes for 12am to 2pm - I wonder if she went to her old haunts in Glenfeshie?). At 5pm she had moved back east to be on Carn Bhac in the very NE of Perthshire. The map below shows this very interesting flight.

15 March 2009

On 14th Alma remained near Mount Battack 7am and 8am, and then the next signal was at midday on 15th when Alma was north of Bridge of Gairn, she continued north and at 2pm was back in old haunts in Strathdon, and from 3pm to 5pm was around Carn Mor on the summits of the Ladder Hills. Then she flew SW over the Lecht and roosted the night on Carn Ealasaid.

14 March 2009

On 11th March, Alma spent the whole day in Glen Clova, between Ben Tirran and White Hill. At 10am on 12th she was flying over the glen above Wheen at 63km/h, and flew west to the head of the glen. She was perched on Craig Mellon at 11am and midday, and the flew across Glen Doll to perch on the north slopes of the Driesh. At 2pm she was flying a little to the west and then flew east across the glen to perch again on White Hill. She then moved even further down the glen, before turning north to be flying fast over the Muckle Cairn at 5pm and at 6pm she flew across Carlochy, Glen Esk and later roosted overnight along the Ladder Burn below Mount Keen.

13th March: Alma worked the local area there until midday and then flew further east into new territory - at 2pm she was flying east at 20km/h over Tampie, to the south of Hill of Cat, and spent the next few hours in the glens north of Glen Tennet house, and at 6pm had moved further east and was in upper Glen Tennet, below Mount Battack.

13 March 2009

Alma's travels 11th-13th March - Glen Clova to Glen Tennet

06 March 2009

Alma roosted overnight at Clachan Yell in Glen Tanar and by 11am had flown south to Loch Lee in Glen Esk, she was south of the west end of the loch and an hour later was above Craig Dullet at the east end. She then flew straight back north ( was she chased by resident adult eagles?) for at 1pm she was over Pannaninch Hill, just SE of Ballater and an hour later was perched at the north slope; during the afternoon she slowly moved to roost back in the main glen of Glen Tanar.

Alma's trip from Glen Tanar to Loch Lee and back 6th March 2009

05 March 2009

Today, Alma is back in the southern part of Glen Tanar estate after visiting various parts of Deeside. In the last few days she has been in Glen Clova and then futher east along the Aberdeenshire/Angus border.

01 March 2009

Alma's movements between 26th February and 1st March

25 February 2009

Alma spent most of her time on Glen Tanar estate, and was still there at midday on 24th February. But at midday on 25th, she was flying along the north side of Glen Clova. She passed east over Lochs Brandy and Wharrel to perch on Ben Tirran at pm. She spent the nest three hours perched or flying on the eastern flanks of this mountain. This is a new area for her.

Alma's move into Glen Clova, Angus on 25th February

16 February 2009

Alma has remained in Glen Tanar area through the snowy period, and at midday today was in the main glen.

06 February 2009

At midday on 5th, Alma had moved back south to Deeside and was just a few hundred years from the Deeside A93 road, half mile south of Inver. At 6pm (dusk) she was 13.5 miles to east settling down to roost on the NW slopes of Clachan Yell in the Forest of Glen Tanar, where she has been before. She was still in the same place at 7am on 6th February.

03 February 2009

Alma came back north to her favourite haunts in the Ladder Hills - some bad weather at times with snow so signals sporadic, but with the sun getting higher high quality GPS signals have started to come through. At 1pm and 2pm on 28th January Alma was on The Socach and an hour later was on the south slopes of Carn Mor, while at 8pm last evening she was roosting on Sron Aonghais, Strathdon. Alma's positions on the south side of the Ladder Hills on 28th January and 2nd February

23 January 2009

Today, Alma was between Mount Keen and Glen Muick, south Deeside

21 January 2009

Alma roosted overnight on the mountain behind Mar Lodge in Deeside and then set off south of the River Dee to Lochnagar, overflew the top end of Glen Esk and continued to the east in to the moorlands towards Loch Lee. Alma's travels on 21st January from Mar Lodge to south-east of Loch Muick, via Lochnagar

14 January 2009

Beautiful clear calm day I walked in and found Alma's roosting site on Moss Hill; last night she had roosted in a different location slightly to the east, but during the morning the air was cold and still, and I saw no sign of her. Called in at Lost Art Gallery on way past and they have seen her over the forest and over a field within the forest which has a big population of rabbits.

06 January 2009

Yesterday, 5th, at dawn Alma was roosting at one her old favourite sites from last winter at Moss Hill in Donside; a couple clear sunny days so the signal was accurate to 150 metres; very cold in the glens with down to -10C; more like an 'old' winter.