June, 2007

After spending a week lugging 8 kg of food in buckets up a hill twice a day I’m glad that we only got 15 instead of 20 chicks this year! That combined with the constant aroma of fish that surrounds me I’m glad that I now have an assistant, Andrew Cole who also works for RSPB and other staff have been extremely helpful in doing the odd babysitting stint.

The blood analyses have revealed that we have nine males and six females, giving the Norwegians (who sexed the birds at the nest based on bill and leg measurements and general size) a couple of surprises as two of their ‘girls’ turned out to be boys!

The chicks first day in Scotland was a long one for eagles and Project Team alike. The birds were placed into large plastic pet kennels from their temporary accommodation in Norway before taking their first flight across the North Sea courtesy of the Norwegian Royal Air Force. 

For me, the day began preparing fish for their first feed! The birds’ introduction to Scotland was a hectic one being greeted by the press at RAF Kinloss and for ‘Orion’ in particular – named in honour of plane that the birds were brought over in – who was star of the show. The birds were then driven to their release cages at a secret location in East Scotland.
 
Each chick was examined and weighed by two vets to check that they were healthy and Blood samples were taken to confirm the sex, before being placed in pairs in the cages, matched up by size. It was gone 8 pm by the time everyone left, just leaving me to feed them some fish and lock up for the night. They suddenly seemed very vulnerable on their own in the wood.

Returning early to feed them on Saturday morning was extremely nerve-wracking as the birds had hardly eaten, but by Sunday all of the birds seemed to be getting settled in and were eating lots – they haven’t stopped since!