Sea eagle in Dumfriesshire

Sea eagle at Threave. Photo credit Keith Kirk.

February 2009. One of Scotland's foremost wetland sites, the National Trust for Scotland's Threave Estate in Dumfriesshire welcomed an unusual visitor last week - a juvenile sea eagle.

The west coast estate sees its fair share of feathered visitors through the winter months, but this is thought to be the first sighting of the rare bird of prey in the area. It was spotted by local farmer, Jim Ramsey, who quickly contacted Trust Senior Ranger, Karl Munday to confirm the identification. Karl said:

"At one point the bird flew straight over the top of us, at not more than 30ft, giving amazingly close views. We could hear the wind with each downward beat of its huge wings - an absolutely unforgettable experience."

Flown from East Coast of Scotland
Enquiries by Trust conservation staff confirmed that the bird is from the East Coast Sea Eagle Project, a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland. Through the five-year project, 20 chicks are brought to Scotland each year from Norway.

The young female had also been spotted in Stirlingshire and Cumbria before making its journey to Dumfries and Galloway.