'Miracle' sea eagle spotted in sky over Isle of Mull
It continued to be fed by its parents but took to the skies weeks after its uninjured sibling, which dispersed in the autumn.
During this period the bird was nicknamed 'Kinky' by a local skipper due to the visible kink in its wing as a result of the injury.
In an unprecedented observation a year later, Kinky was spotted the following breeding season at a new nest site continuing to be fed by his parents.
Kinky was spotted flying over Mull this summer (Image: Blair Ketteringham) It was described by RSPB Ambassador Dave Sexton as a 'miracle chick' and highlighted a caring side to the species not often seen.
Despite the good news of Kinky's survival, there were fears he would not be able to live independently because his wobbly flight may affect his ability to hunt.
He was last seen in autumn of 2024, still with his parents, before disappearing from the area.
On July 1, an immature White-tailed Eagle was spotted by Blair Ketteringham, a crew member of the Mull Charters vessel Lady Jayne, circling over the island of Forsa in Loch na Keal in Mull.
Ketteringham quickly noticed that the bird had a distinctive kink in its wing and snapped some pictures, which he immediately sent to Sexton with the message: 'He lives!'
'It was 2pm when the WhatsApp message and photo came through,' said Mr Sexton.
'I was just having a cup of tea and nearly spilled the lot when I looked at it. Frankly I was in disbelief as I seriously doubted if Kinky could survive last winter without his parents to support him.
'Clearly they had to move on with their lives and are finally breeding again this year but of Kinky there'd been no sign despite our appeal.'
He added: 'He was soaring high over Eorsa like any other eagle would and eventually came down to land where he interacted briefly with a different adult sea eagle.
'It's testament to his strength of character and incredible survival skills that he seems to have overcome his major injury – with a lot of help from mum and dad.'
A seagull comes to check out the eagle (Image: Blair Ketteringham) Mr Sexton said that for most eagles, a broken wing would be a death sentence as they're unable to hunt and feed.
He added: 'But Kinky is a shining example of what perseverance can achieve.
'What the future holds for him now aged 2 years old is impossible to predict.
'But I wouldn't mind betting he goes from strength to strength as he approaches adulthood in three years' time.
'He's one of Mother Nature's survivors. What a bird.'
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the White-tailed Eagles' reintroduction to Scotland.
The species went extinct in the country in 1918 when the last native wild bird shot in Shetland.
A reintroduction project by NatureScot using chicks donated from Norway has seen them successfully re-establish a self-sustaining population, with an estimated 200 pairs now in the UK.
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