Almost a white-tailed eagle ...but..

[larachmor]

Almost a white-tailed eagle .... but... not quite!
Just back from a week-long trip to the West Coast, with my prime objective being to photograph a white-tailed eagle on a carcass. This wasn’t my first attempt, but my closest so far. Day 1 consisted of getting my hide set up and hoiking up the carcass (a roe deer). An early start on day 2 to get the carcass in place. I chose a small grassy area on the shore of the loch, thinking the carcass would show up better. Within an hour or two a couple of crows had found it, but on taking a couple of test shots I got a bit of a reaction from one bird to the shutter release, so I decided to move the carcass a bit further away, but could only place it on the stony beach, not as nice photographically, but no choice. The crows returned and started to peck at the eyes and mouth of the deer. One stood on the back to start pecking furiously in an attempt to open the carcass, but had to abandon its attempt and took to making a few 10p-sized puncture holes in the fleshy inner thighs. They continued to feed regularly – until day 5!!! Late in the afternoon on day 5, light was beginning to go, and I was contemplating packing up for the long walk back to the cottage when the regular squawking of the crows changed to something a bit more serious. I got my nose out of my book just in time to see an eagle (which I think was the female) gliding stealth-like past the hide, 10 feet above the water, and just about 15-20 yards away. The crows followed, mobbing her. She gave out a couple of calls of irritation, but continued on. I was sort of relieved that she did, otherwise she’d have penned me into the hide giving me a long walk home in the dark. After a disappointing few days, her appearance gave me a lift. I guessed that she was heading to the head of this her home valley to roost overnight. So – a very early start the following morning – a torch-light walk for most of the way until I got into the hide just as dawn was breaking. This was to be my last day, and I’d taken a knife to cut open the carcass to ensure maximum attention from the crows. 7.40 am and I was settling in for my first brew. 8.20 am and the sound of mobbing crows told me that she was on the move. I risked a look through a “keyhole” in the rear door of the hide – to see her heading straight towards me. The crows followed her as she settled on a large dead tree just 20 yards behind me. She struggled at first with the crows, but soon settled on her perch. Though she was fairly close, my keyhole view was broken by the bare branches of the trees, but her white tail and yellow feet virtually glowed in the early light. She only stayed for two minutes, but returned about an hour later, staying this time for around 10 minutes on the same tree. I felt sure it was just a matter of time, but off she went again. She then came back for her third appearance, and this time she stayed perch for an hour and forty minutes. During this period, the crows had been feeding vigorously, and they were put off when a buzzard came in for two feeds. But, much to my disappointment she didn’t come down, which I could only put down to the fact that she had been feeding elsewhere. And so it was. All that was left was to pack up my hide and all my gear for the long walk back. Before I left I walked over to her tree. Having stayed there for so long I thought there might be a chance that she may have left a pellet. She hadn’t, but I did find a freshly-moulted chest feather, which is all I have – apart from the buzzard’s photo. Enough encouragement however to have another go next year. C’est la vie.

[pammosley]

It must have been a lovely experience to be so close Larachmor, if a little frustrating. Thanks foe sharing your experience with us

Beautiful buzzard photo by the way.

[PMG]

Cracking buzzard shot! Loved reading this account and my eyes are watering in sharing your frustration ........ I know it so well. Good on yer for trying - maybe a bigger carcase would prove a bigger lure?! But then there's carrying it

We stopped two years ago for a run over roe buck not far from Carrbridge - and we were cagey cos we didn't want folk thinking we were deer poaching by picking it up - so we kept waiting for the road to clear of passing cars, plus it was on the side where there was no-where to stop AND it was frozen solid! I did eventually pull up beside it and Ian did cram it thro the side door into the campervan but its legs were still sticking out the door and traffic was coming up the road ............. Eventually with its frozen legs uppermost showing thro the back window we got the door shut and off we went! We put it out but no hide or photography cos it was all private land and we didn't know anyone to ask if we could so we had to be content with just looking at it in passing. Crows and buzzard soon found it and got on with it.

[larachmor]

Originally Posted by PMG

We stopped two years ago for a run over roe buck not far from Carrbridge - and we were cagey cos we didn't want folk thinking we were deer poaching by picking it up - so we kept waiting for the road to clear of passing cars, plus it was on the side where there was no-where to stop AND it was frozen solid! I did eventually pull up beside it and Ian did cram it thro the side door into the campervan but its legs were still sticking out the door and traffic was coming up the road.

Hi Pam, The mental image set me chuckling, though I don't think anybody would think it unusual - but I am pretty careful if I'm stopping for a hare, in case the neighbours think things are that bad!! I believe there's a guy locally who lives on roadkill and has a constantly simmering pot on the go ....

[RobS]

You deserved better!

Good story though and nice picture of the Buzzard and the Hoodie!

Rob S

[Deb London]

Yes, lovely shots anyway.

I hope you took some comfort in getting good views of the eagle to remember it by.

[FUDGEY]

Your commitment deserved so much more mate I sympathise with you. I had planned doing exactly the same for a Golden Eagle, but when doing research I found it was almost a waste of time as they are so wary. I got told that if I was doing it it was best to put a permanent hide up so they get used to it. This wasnt an option though. Still a nice pic of a Buzzard as a consolation mate.

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

Your commitment deserved so much more mate I sympathise with you.

I couldn't agree more - dedication like that deserves to be rewarded! But it is a lovely buzzard shot as consolation.

Dave P.

[FUDGEY]

Heres my Buzzard from weekend, taken from my garden.

[larachmor]

Thanks everybody for the (sympathetic) replies. Nice shot of your buzzard too Fudgey, and, as you say, eagles are not the easiest subjects to get close to. However I did manage to get a shot of a golden eagle a few years back (pre-digital) with a hare carcass – I’ll try and dig out the slide and scan it in. I returned a couple of years later, with a pristine lamb that I had found dead on the hills. This was on a week’s holiday on Skye. The weather had been foul, and on the last day I just bit the bullet and thought I’d have to give it a try. It was a bit of a climb up to around 1800 feet, to a little hollow at the top of a gulley – just 10 yards from a cliff-top path. I planted the lamb on the opposite side and I settled in wrapped up in a camo-net. The weather was still pretty rough – sunshine, showers and windy. Every so often, a squally shower would pass through and obscure the lamb, around 40 yards away on the other side of the gulley. One such shower came through, obscured the lamb again, just for a minute or two, and when it cleared – the lamb had gone!! I can laugh about it now, but the air was blue on the day! And another failed attempt – just two years ago: It was an earlier attempt for the WTE. Whilst in the hide I heard some distant shouts for help from a nearby mountain. I scanned with my bins to see a group of teenagers (on their Duke of Edinburgh or similar) waving frantically with what appeared to be a casualty. I called 999, and a short time later I was joined by a local bobby who told me that the Royal Navy were on their way from Prestwick. With radio communication he was able to guide them in and they winched an injured girl aboard (with a nasty ankle injury). They then set about recovering the whole party and bringing them to where I was on the opposite side of the loch to enable them to make their way back home a little easier along the lochside track. As for my quiet lochside hidey-hole – I might as well have been at Heathrow!! Must be due some luck next time!


(I later had an e-mail request from the teenagers' school asking for photos for a Powerpoint presentation they had been asked to prepare)