Golden Eagles

[loriusgarrulus]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/amp/47284528

I wonder what the Welsh sheep farmers will think of this around lambing time. 

[chrisjpainter]

I'm a big birder, and I'd love to see eagles in Snowdonia, but I'm really not convinced there's enough natural prey to sustain a genetically diverse population. Sheep farmers have to be able to make a living and with dreadful wool prices and falling interest in lamb, is it really fair to put another potential pressure on them?

[Scully]

The Welsh farmer interviewed this morning didn't seem unduly concerned....time will tell. 

[butchdickason]

I think the Welsh farmer chose his reply very carefully, and the happy chappy who is keen on the introduction saying that the eagles will not take lambs is living in dreamland in my opinion.

 

[Walker570]

They just love lamb and don't need mint sauce and to argue any other way just shows how divorced from reality these people are.  There is very little of the Welsh landscape which does not have sheep on it and golden eages hunt open ground.  RHD has destroyed the rabbit population and by news coming through it is spreading to hares.  At this moment I beieve it would be foolish to start a colony, unfair to both sides. 

[islandgun]

The isle of Harris probably has the most dense population of eagles in the UK,  Ive kept sheep for the last 20yrs and my township has approx 1000 ewes. Ive never seen or heard talk of a golden or sea eagle take a lamb, they feed mostly on carrion, and i suspect greylags [judging by the commotion they make when an eagle flies over them.]  Ravens on the other hand do kill lambs usually by attacking them at birth. pecking out eyes and other soft bits.. Im sure theres evidence to the contrary out there.. but ive never seen it happen

[Piebob]

Interesting to hear your thoughts islandgun.  Seems to contradict much of what I've heard and read e.g. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361000/Golden-eagle-clutches-lamb-Isle-Mull-razor-sharp-talons.html 

Never quite sure how much "over-egging" gets done by either side of the arguement.

[Rim Fire]

14 minutes ago, islandgun said:

The isle of Harris probably has the most dense population of eagles in the UK,  Ive kept sheep for the last 20yrs and my township has approx 1000 ewes. Ive never seen or heard talk of a golden or sea eagle take a lamb, they feed mostly on carrion, and i suspect greylags [judging by the commotion they make when an eagle flies over them.]  Ravens on the other hand do kill lambs usually by attacking them at birth. pecking out eyes and other soft bits.. Im sure theres evidence to the contrary out there.. but ive never seen it happen

There may have been an argument a few years back but with the decline of rabbits and spreading oh the VHD to the Hair population i think lamb would be on the menu 

[islandgun]

We overwinter the ewes on the hill. as most of you know, sheep are constantly looking for ways to commit suicide,  similarly red deer also provide food for the eagles either after their remains are left at a stalk or at calving etc. we gather and bring down the pregnant ewes to the inbye land for lambing, this land is relatively close to the crofts so may put off any eagle, Im sure if the lambs were born on the hill eagles would be quite happy taking them. I expect hill farmers in Wales will also bring down their pregnant ewes,

I have seen a number of eagles taking mixy rabbits  and also watched ravens circle surround a reasonably lively mixy rabbit and peck it till it dropped. I have never seen an eagle take a lamb despite many hours walking around at lambing....whatever your opinion, to be close to a Golden Eagle is an awesome thing

[Cumbrian]

2 hours ago, islandgun said:

We overwinter the ewes on the hill. as most of you know, sheep are constantly looking for ways to commit suicide,  similarly red deer also provide food for the eagles either after their remains are left at a stalk or at calving etc. we gather and bring down the pregnant ewes to the inbye land for lambing, this land is relatively close to the crofts so may put off any eagle, Im sure if the lambs were born on the hill eagles would be quite happy taking them. I expect hill farmers in Wales will also bring down their pregnant ewes,

I have seen a number of eagles taking mixy rabbits  and also watched ravens circle surround a reasonably lively mixy rabbit and peck it till it dropped. I have never seen an eagle take a lamb despite many hours walking around at lambing....whatever your opinion, to be close to a Golden Eagle is an awesome thing

Now there's a man that knows what he is talking about.

I imagine, by the way, that on your island you are spared the curse of badgers - or are you? They will certainly kill lambs if allowed to do so.

[ShootingEgg]

4 hours ago, chrisjpainter said:

I'm a big birder, and I'd love to see eagles in Snowdonia, but I'm really not convinced there's enough natural prey to sustain a genetically diverse population.

Think this is a pretty accurate comment, i doubt there is enough natural prey for them to thrive. Might be wrong but got to agree with the above

[islandgun]

36 minutes ago, Cumbrian said:

Now there's a man that knows what he is talking about.

I imagine, by the way, that on your island you are spared the curse of badgers - or are you? They will certainly kill lambs if allowed to do so.

cheers fella, your right no badgers or foxes, I was employed as a mink trapper but several years, and a few million pounds later, its assumed they are no more, biggest predators we have now are otters and ravens

[Retsdon]

2 hours ago, islandgun said:

Im sure if the lambs were born on the hill eagles would be quite happy taking them.

There's likely a transition from picking up a dead lamb's carcass as carrion to lifting a live one off its feet. 

 

2 hours ago, islandgun said:

 I expect hill farmers in Wales will also bring down their pregnant ewes,

Not sure about North Wales, but in the Borders they just bring the furthest hefts down and leave the rest on the hill. There's not the inbye land to accommodate them all. They also turn the ewes with singles back onto the hill to find their own way home as soon as they've lambed. So I imagine an eagle with a taste for lamb could have a field day. But who knows? People always say foxes will take lambs, but my experience suggests that it's a rarity rather than the rule.

[hambone]

11 minutes ago, Retsdon said:

There's likely a transition from picking up a dead lamb's carcass as carrion to lifting a live one off its feet. 

 

Not sure about North Wales, but in the Borders they just bring the furthest hefts down and leave the rest on the hill. There's not the inbye land to accommodate them all. They also turn the ewes with singles back onto the hill to find their own way home as soon as they've lambed. So I imagine an eagle with a taste for lamb could have a field day. But who knows? People always say foxes will take lambs, but my experience suggests that it's a rarity rather than the rule.

Not just on Brexit I disagree with you then 😂😂

[Retsdon]

28 minutes ago, hambone said:

Not just on Brexit I disagree with you then

I'll stand to be corrected. On what grounds do you disagree? For my own part, I've seen thousands of lambs born and spent God knows how many hours in lambing fields both by day and night. And I've seen a fair few foxes walking among the flock, but I've never seen one look like taking a lamb. And I can imagine why because dropped placentas would be a far easier meal. Also, sheep are not stupid and foxes never seem worry the ewes which would suggest that they're not considered a threat.

The only reason I'm suspicious is that once in a blue moon I've had the odd lamb go missing completely, and the only explanation would seem to be have been that something must have taken it? A fox? In the absence of any other explanation ... it's the simplest one.

But like I say, if anyone has actually seen foxes taking lambs I'll happily concede...

[hambone]

The number of bones/forelegs bits of rib/skulls etc from lambs that are found by fox earths (especially when early cubs  are about) is a good indication. I have never witnessed a fox taking a lamb but have seen a fox (on more than one occasion) pestering an ewe with a fresh lamb. I have no doubt that the majority of ewes protect their young but it seems totally naive  to me to believe that the fox's just waste time harassing ewes for no gain. Also I do not dismiss stillborn lambs in this diet but again that would seem a lot of natural deaths to account for losses.  

 

I have however shot a fox that pegged a chicken in a farmyard while I was having a brew with the farmers wife 😂 believe me that chicken was a big ****** and probably a lot stronger than a new born lamb

Edited February 19, 2019 by hambone

[greenshank1]

Some eagles take lambs , just the same as some foxes , some badgers , some otters and even some pine martens .

They are all top predators but also top opportunists. So some of the lambs are already dead when they are lifted.

But some are very much alive. Some like rogue foxes develop a real taste for it others never touch lambs. 

I am lucky to live in work in Eagle country and see them regularly.   Seeing any Eagle is special . Sea Eagles are interested in mans activities and often come over for a look , where as the Golden Eagle is the spirit of the wild and watching them even for a few seconds is a privilege as they want nothing to do with mans activities. Probably due us persecuting them for the last few hundred years.

 

 

[sabel25]

Fox take lamb  Fact

yes a ewe will defend their lamb/s to  the best they can do

But charlies have been shot up our way still carrying the fresh killed lamb usualy a twin or triplet that the mother cannot defend against

a couple of years back a mate was watching charlie through his thermal pestering a ewe with lambs at foot and remarked on the ewe putting up a good fight defending her offspring

But once he had a clear shot dispatched charlie before he took his dinner

years ago i used to go around with my now departed father following up on a farmers lost lambs for me to find fox holes littered with dismembered fresh lambs limbs

Hasten to say that was the end of that for old charlie once me old man got at them

[sabel25]

Have to admit to never seen an eagle in the wild but would like to do so  being rare birds

On the other hand some clever dimwits thought it a good idea to release goshawks up our way that are not indiguose to this area or country which are taking out indiguose owls and game birds

Which was witnessed at the start of a partridge drive where one just swooped in and took a partridge in front of a beater

now they want to introduce Liinx into the largest man made forests in europe with the idea that it will control the deer population . What the hell is going through the minds of these idiots

You have an over grown killing cat species looking for an easy meal for their brood  Sheep and lambs are an easy meal compared to trying to chase done a fit buck through thick dense forest

I wonder?

[Wiggum]

Don’t they hunt foxes with Golden eagles in Mongolia, and I’m sure I’ve recently viewed a video of eagles taking mountain goat kids off the slopes of the mountain so they’re more than capable of taking a lamb. 

[Robertt]

I would imagine this scheme would have a hefty budget to ensure sucess.

Would a subsidy paid to the farmers for potential losses keep everybody happy?

[davewh100]

2 hours ago, Wiggum said:

Don’t they hunt foxes with Golden eagles in Mongolia, and I’m sure I’ve recently viewed a video of eagles taking mountain goat kids off the slopes of the mountain so they’re more than capable of taking a lamb. 

yeah I've seen the same video taking goat kids

[Mice!]

10 hours ago, sabel25 said:

Have to admit to never seen an eagle in the wild but would like to do so  being rare birds

On the other hand some clever dimwits thought it a good idea to release goshawks up our way that are not indiguose to this area or country which are taking out indiguose owls and game birds

Which was witnessed at the start of a partridge drive where one just swooped in and took a partridge in front of a beater

now they want to introduce Liinx into the largest man made forests in europe with the idea that it will control the deer population . What the hell is going through the minds of these idiots

You have an over grown killing cat species looking for an easy meal for their brood  Sheep and lambs are an easy meal compared to trying to chase done a fit buck through thick dense forest

I wonder?

Dont forget Goshawks were native but persecuted into extinction, then folk brought in more birds and re-released them into the wild, I'd be more than happy seeing one take a partridge.