Loyal has spent the month living in an area of 112 km² centred on Ben Armine Lodge in south-east Sutherland.
September 11th – October 5th
Usual ranging in the Borders to October 5th
October 6, 2015
Wandering in NW Sutherland
October 6, 2015
Canisp was on Cape Wrath side until 14th September and then flew down to the east of the big forests north of Lairg. Then back up to Kinlochbervie and on the last date 4th October was at Sabhal Beag in the Reay Forest. She was ranging in an area of 740 km².
September 13th – October 5th
Wandering in Sutherland and Ross-shire
October 6, 2015
Globe flew south nearly to Ben Wyvis in Easter Ross and then turned back north into usual haunts; she was south of Dundonnell on 1st October and back on Assynt by 5th October. She was wandering in an area of 1200 km².
September 11th – October 5th
Moving around the Monadhliath mountains
October 6, 2015
Brodie was in the upper Dulnan catchment until 11th September; then moved to Coignafearn and did a loop back to the western Monadhliaths, on towards the Great Glen and so to the Corrieyarrick, before returning to the upper Dulnan on 21st September. Remaining there to 5th October.
September 11th to October 5th
Hope
September 15, 2015
Hope is a young female eaglet we satellite tagged at its nest on the Hope & Loyal estates of Wildland Ltd Estates in North Sutherland in June 2014. On 29th June I went to the nest site with Thomas MacDonell (Director of Conservation of Wildland Ltd) and Paul Butterworth and colleagues, who had already ringed the chicks. We tagged this eagle with sat tag 89255 and on this date she weighed 5 kg. The parents had been feeding fulmars to the two eaglets. Her sibling is Loyal, the larger of the two young.
Satellite tag had detached
September 2, 2015
In mid August, Suilven’s transmitter suddenly started to give GPS signals from a small cliff near Loch Borralan, Ledmore. On 31st August I went and checked. It was just a small cliff, ideal for roosting overnight or perching, but not nesting. I think I could see why the transmitter had burst into life, because the area below the cliff was thick bracken with recent signs of red deer trampling it down. I believe this disturbed the transmitter and allowed the solar panel to pick up sunlight. Despite an intensive search I could not find the tiny transmitter but a recent downpour may have covered it up again. There were no signs of a dead eagle so I am certain the transmitter came off Suilven last spring after 5 years of study – this is what transmitters are meant to do when they reach the end of useful data gathering. It would appear that Suilven was trying to find a place to breed in his natal area. We wish him good fortune and he has taught us a lot about golden eagle immature behaviour in NW Sutherland.
Hope removed satellite tag
August 28, 2015
On 21st June, Hope’s satellite tag stopped moving south of Cranstackie. I emailed Derek Spencer, who is carrying out his PhD on golden eagles in NW Sutherland, and he went to Coire na Cuile to see what had happened. He found the satellite tag lying on the ground and sent it back to me. Very many thanks, Derek. An examination showed that she had underdone the cotton stitching and detached the tag. I’m pleased that she was not dead and now continues her life without us tracking her. Good luck.
No change
August 28, 2015
Brodie remained all month in the upper Dulnan Valley ranging in an area of 17 km². This is exactly where there was a windfarm application which has recently been rejected by the Scottish government.
August 1st to 25th
A lot of ranging in Sutherland
August 28, 2015
At the start of the month, Loyal was ranging quite a big area around Ben Armine Lodge and then flew west to the north side of Ben Mor Assynt. On 7th August she made a big flight north to Whiten Head by 9 AM then back to the Reay Forest at 2 PM, by 3 PM was between Altnaharra and Kinloch, then to the Sandwood Bay area and back – day’s flight of 58 miles.
August 3rd – 25th
