Golden Eagle in Inishowen?

A talk on where and how to spot a golden eagle in Inishowen will take place this Saturday, March 26, in Fort Dunree. Guest speaker will be Joe Gatins, the man who was in charge of Glenveagh National Park during the golden eagle reintroduction programme there. The event is being staged in association with the Golden Eagle Reintroduction Project which is managed by the Golden Eagle Trust Limited in partnership with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The programme seeks to re-establish a viable self-sustaining breeding population of golden eagles in the North West after an absence of almost 100 years. A spokesperson for the Golden Eagle Reintroduction Project said: “Over the last nine years over 50 eagle chicks have been released into the wilds of Donegal. Many of these birds have been sighted in the North West. A further success occurred when three chicks were hatched in Donegal over a number of years. “If you are in the hills searching for golden eagles in the North West, keep looking along every visible skyline, if you are lucky you may very occasionally spot an eagle above the ridge or breaking the skyline. It can be difficult to see an adult eagle against the upland vegetation so look for its silhouette against the sky. “When scanning the ridge also check prominent perching spots, points were an eagle is likely to get maximum uplift, from the wind below, as it opens it large six foot wingspan. Listen out for hooded crows and ravens, their anxious calls often denote they have spotted a nearby eagle. Perched or flying eagles are often only seen after their yelping call has drawn ones attention.” The spokesperson continued: “The benefits of this project can be shown with the large number of visitors who flock to Glenveagh National Park to see these raptors in their natural surroundings. Regretfully this project has come under pressure in recent years with a number of the birds having been poisoned in the wild.” To learn more about the project come along to Saldanha Suite at Fort Dunree on Saturday, admission is free and everyone is welcome.