White-tailed Eagle "Star" visits the project area - anticipating a coming of the wilderness?

The Golden Eagle Trust are best known for their work to bring back species previously lost through extinction in Ireland. While the Golden Eagle is one of those species, the other and arguably that seeing most signs of success, is the White-tailed Eagle or "Sea" Eagle. 

1st year White-tailed Eagle (not Star!)

With 2016 a record year for the initiative - 8 pairs attempting to breed, 5 successful with 6 chicks fledging - the species looks to gain a more solid footing than ever before.

A number of the birds are satellite tagged and one bird "Star" has arrived in the WWP project area. Star, a male bird has held territory in Connemara in previous years and sadly had a rough time that year, losing his mate to poisoning.

Recent satellite tracking information below from Star shows his arrival in the area on 27th October 

Lough Ree nearby could provide a good source of food such as fish and waterbirds with large open tracts of currently cutaway bog providing additional opportunities for foraging. In autumn and winter their diet focuses on carrion. 

Star wintered in the midlands in 2015/16 also and is perhaps now revisiting past haunts and seeing a landscape now that could in future be restored to conditions able to support many more White-tailed Eagles and other wetland species, which in turn will attract visitors to come and see them in a stunning wetland landscape.