The video shows a white-tailed eagle chick hatching at RSPB Scotland Abernethy nature reserve. The parents are called Shona and Finn. They’ve been nesting in the Cairngorms Connect partnership. RSPB Scotland is part of this partnership. The eggs were first seen in the nest on March 3.
Both parents have shared in incubating their offspring. The first egg hatched at 7:43 PM on 8 April 2022 as I understand the report.
I also understand that there is a live stream feed from the camera attached to the tree overlooking the nest, which, I must say, is very impressive. I am not a birdwatcher or twitcher so don’t know much about birds’ nests but this looks very cosy and I guess that it has to be because there’s been some pretty hostile whether in that part of the world recently.
The camera is hidden in a stick 3 m from the nest to make sure that it does not intrude and that the birds don’t see it as some sort of alien object.
The visitor experience manager of RSPB Scotland said that the public has been excited about the birth. He’s pleased that the public can see the “true character and personalities of these birds [which] are on full display for the public to experience and it is a wonder to watch it all unfold.”
He also said that: “Now to see that they’ve had their first chick is incredible. We feel so privileged to have been able to witness such a special moment.”
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White-tailed eagles are also known as sea eagles. They are the UK’s largest bird of prey with a wingspan of 2.5 m. Sadly, by 1918 they had been driven to extinction in Scotland. They were reintroduced with Scandinavian eagles to the Isle of Rum in 1975.
Other reintroductions were carried out and they are now present in Fife, Orkney and the North West Highlands. The oldest white-tailed eagle is 28 years old and is called Skye.
Once the chick has hatched, they normally remain in the nest for about 12 weeks to be fed by their parents. During the first few days of their life, they are unable to regulate their body temperature. The first two weeks are critical. They are dependent upon their parents to shelter them.
The nest location has not been disclosed in order to protect them.
