Golden eagle chick hatches in Donegal
If you're a bird nerd like me you will be excited to know that a golden eagle chick has hatched in Donegal. It's the first time a chick has been born since eagles were made extinct in the area nearly 100 years ago. The chick is now five weeks old, and was born in the Glenveagh National Park. The adult birds were first re-introduced to the park back in 2001 as part of a project managed by the Golden Eagle Trust Ltd and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Previous eggs laid in 2005 and 2006 failed to hatch, but this year two chicks hatched. Sadly one died, which is normal for this species.
There is now a nervous wait of around seven to eight weeks to see if the surviving bird will continue to flourish, and if it does it's predicted to fledge some time in July. It's truly a wonderful occasion and pays testament to the fact that despite all of the creatures that man is continuing to wipe out with global warming, hunting and destruction of habitats, there is always a glimmer of hope that we can turn the situation around if we act fast.
Related: Golden Eagle spotting in Ardnamurchan | More wildlife drama with Springwatch 2007
