As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Friday 7 February 2014

Wildlife expert rejects calls to control sea eagles

By David Miller
BBC Scotland environment correspondent

One of Britain's leading wildlife experts has rejected calls for the number of white-tailed eagles in Scotland to be controlled.

Prof Des Thompson, principal adviser on Biodiversity at Scottish Natural Heritage, has told BBC Scotland there is no reason why the white-tailed eagle population should not reach "several hundred breeding pairs".

The calls for control measures have come from farmers and crofters, amid an increasingly-heated dispute about the impact the birds are having on sheep.

The birds, which are also known as sea eagles, were reintroduced to Scotland from Norway after centuries of persecution here.

The return of the white-tailed eagle to Scotland's skies is seen by conservationists as a success story.

But sheep farmers say they have deep concerns about the increasing numbers of the birds. There are about 80 breeding pairs on the west coast of Scotland and sea eagles have now begun breeding on the east coast.

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