Golden eagle eating lamb

[Ukwildlifeo]

This story and photo hit the news today. Takeaway meal: golden eagle snatches lamb from hillside - Telegraph

Is it me or is there something 'off' about the photo?

[Wild-Woman]

I suppose the poor old GE's will be farming enemy number one now. Why on earth publish it if he doesn't want the eagle's position known?

[shenk1]

I think the wording of the story sets its own agenda

That must be the worlds smallest lamb or those eagles are getting bigger

[RobinP]

Who's to say the lamb wasn't already dead when the eagle took it?

What is 'off' is the so-called 'birdwatcher' selling the photo to the press and providing all the ammunition the anti-eagle lobby need to start a witchhunt.

Grrr....

[Dogghound]

The birder who took this photo should take a long look at themselves. The bad publicity that this will create for golden eagles is (in my opinion) not worth the money he got from flogging it to the paper. Why do they conclude that the lamb wasnt already dead? they assume its killed it.

Cross post with Robin

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

....Is it me or is there something 'off' about the photo?

I agree Neil - it just doesn't look right does it?

And what's this in the report about "...There are only 30 breeding pairs north of the Border..." - last I heard there were an estimated 440 breeding pairs of Golden Eagles in Scotland

Jeff
(Schedule 1 Licence holder for Kingfishers, Barn Owls and Avocets)

[Ukwildlifeo]

I too fear there will now be a spate of shooting and poisoned carcasses left lying round...

As for the photo the white fringe around the bird - lens aberation or something else? And the not wanting to be named and not naming the location, but they can track down local farmer the lamb belonged to just adds to suspicous nature of all this.

[Kayleigh]

How can he call himself a "birdwatcher" if this pic is genuine then he is no friend of the birds..
I agree the lamb was possibly dead still born or died soon after and any prey animal would have taken it.

But anything for a story..
Why do people buy or read this twad I will never know..

[diggleken]

Someone referred to the paper in another thread as the Torygraph I think.
That was a strange story too - is there some hidden agenda going on here?
All the quotes in the article are tending to be biased against eagles I notice, farmers particularly - I wonder what really happened and who set this up......................................
Cheers
Ken

[darrenm]

this could well lead to yet more raptor persecution