Sea Eagle: One of the birds of prey being released last year. Pic: Ken Jack
Six sea eagles are set to be released as part of a project to reintroduce the birds to the east coast of Scotland.
RSPB Scotland confirmed on Tuesday that depending on the weather the six young birds would be released within the next few days at a secret location in Fife. The latest stage in the project will take the total number of sea eagles released on the east coast in the last six years to 85.
Each bird has been fitted with a radio and wing tags so both project staff and the public can follow their future progress. It is hoped that the birds will begin to produce young on Scotland's east coast in the coming years.
The project involves the RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland, with additional financial support from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Fife and Rural Tayside LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.
As well as helping return the UK's largest birds of prey, the project has also strengthened links between Scotland and Norway, where the sea eagle population is strong.
Since 2007 project staff have worked closely with Norwegian colleagues visiting nesting sites and selecting suitable chicks to use for the East Scotland reintroduction.
Once a regular sight in Scotland's skies, the sea eagle was driven to extinction in the Victorian era. It only returned to the UK following a successful reintroduction to the West of Scotland, on the Island of Rum in 1975.
Although the majority of the Scottish population remains on the west of the country, the species is now regularly spotted in Eastern and Central Scotland too.
