It’s a year ago today that Tayside Police retrieved Alma’s body from Milden Estate in Glen Esk, Angus. Despite intensive investigation no one has yet be charged with the illegal poisoning of the two year old female golden eagle that we had been tracking. I telephoned the Tayside Wildlife Crime Officer this morning but he had no news of any breakthrough, but the police are always hoping that someone may pass on crucial information which could help identify the culprit. If Alma had not been illegally killed she would now be three years old and the tracking would have been getting more and more interesting as by now she would have been starting to take an interest in male eagles as well as vacant nest sites. With luck, she could have started breeding at four years old. It’s tragic she was killed.
In the field it was another good day as I checked the east Moray ospreys in bright sunshine. It was great to find that Beatrice has three well grown young in her nest. I got a chance to look carefully at her mate and I’m satisfied he was the same unringed male that was there in 2009. I also checked the two chicks in another nest, which we ringed a week ago and fitted a Talisman Energy satellite transmitter to the male. They were both lying in the nest in the sun this afternoon, while the female kept guard in the tall larch next door.
