Eagles need their space

I spent the weekend before last based in the picturesque Co Tipperary village of Garrykennedy on a family pike-fishing trip. The weather was glorious and the fishing was excellent but I had less luck with the birdwatching, writes Dick Warner

As the boat left the harbour and headed out on Lough Derg our guide said: “keep your eyes open for the eagles, We got great views of them yesterday.” I did keep my eyes open but all I saw were swans, ducks and gulls. Then when we got in a stranger on the shore said to me: “Did you see the eagle? It flew over the carpark half an hour ago”. However, all I could see in the carpark was a lot of cars and two jackdaws.

The birds in question were, of course, white-tailed sea eagles. I have seen them once before, in Arctic Scandinavia, but never in Ireland. They are a truly magnificent sight because they are, in terms of wingspan at least, the largest eagles in the world. They became extinct in Ireland just over a century ago — or, to be more accurate, they didn’t ‘become extinct’, they were exterminated by farmers and gamekeepers who mistakenly believed they threatened livestock and game.

Over the past decade there has been an attempt to reintroduce them using stock from Norway. The project, under the direction of Alan Mee, has used the latest scientific methodology and scrupulous attention to detail but has run into snags. Many eagles have died, some of natural causes but most of them as a result of poisoning, shooting or human disturbance at nest sites. Despite all this, the reintroduction may be succeeding, though it’s still too early to be sure.

In 2016 eight pairs of eagles nested in four counties and five of these nesting attempts were successful. The pair that were causing excitement on Lough Derg are based on a lake island near Mountshannon on the Clare shore of the lake. They have been named Caimin and Saoirse and a special observation and information site has been set up, with free telescopes, which has become a major visitor attraction. They have bred successfully over the past three years and reared a chick called Cealtra in 2015. Unfortunately, their 2016 nesting attempt ended in failure. It’s believed that the reason for this is that unlicensed amateur photographers, anxious to get close shots of the nest, disturbed the parents birds while they were incubating and the eggs chilled.

This sort of disturbance is not just regrettable it’s also illegal. It seems a sad paradox that these magnificent birds which have suffered so much from ignorant persecution in the past are now suffering because they have become so popular.

Everyone I spoke to around Lough Derg seemed to love the eagles and regard them as a great addition to the lake.