Latest news with #ForestryandLandScotland
Daily Record
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Record
Osprey chicks born from 'very rare' love triangle in Scots forest die after just three days
The ospreys' nest was being filmed on a live-stream camera which the public could watch. Four osprey chicks born as a result of a "very rare" love triangle between three adult birds have sadly died after their unusual situation failed to work out. The trio of adults - one male and two females - all shared a nest in the Tweed Valley, in the Scottish Borders. Their arrangement unfolded on a live-stream camera set up by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) as part of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project. However just three days after the chicks had hatched, all four succumbed to starvation on Tuesday, June 3, after the adults struggled to share looking after them. A post on the project's Facebook page, which had provided regular updates from the nest, announced the sad news on Tuesday night. The male, known as Newboy, mated with both females, a form of polygamy known as polygyny, and they laid four eggs between them in April, which hatched on consecutive days in May. The live camera feed showed them initially getting along ahead of the eggs hatching, apart from occasional tension over fish deliveries. However, Newboy later abandoned the nest before the chicks arrived, leaving both females - one named Mrs O, the other F2 - taking it in turns to leave the nest for periods to source food and then swapping over sitting on the eggs. After they all hatched by Saturday, May 31, Mrs O and F2 were forced to adapt again to bring enough food to feed themselves and their young while nurturing them in the absence of Newboy. It was hoped the "intelligent and capable" birds would be able to manage, despite it going against their instincts to wait at the nest for a male to provide food. However, Mrs O quickly went into her instinctive role to nurture and protect her young by staying with them, leaving F2 to go against her natural instinct, and take on the role of hunter and provider usually taken on by a male. Sadly, she struggled to adapt, and barely brought any fish back to the nest. On one of the few occasions she did, it was all eaten by a ravenous Mrs O. On Tuesday morning, three of the chicks had died from starvation. When F2 finally brought another fish back to the nest at 5.30pm, the remaining one had also sadly passed away after begging to be fed. The post on Facebook from Tweed Valley Osprey Project added: "This has been very upsetting and sad to watch this family drama turn to tragedy and brings home just how vulnerable and fragile the whole breeding cycle can be for ospreys. "For their very brief lives they touched many hearts of people who dearly wanted them to survive. " Nature is raw and can be seen as cruel at times but it is part of the natural cycle of life. We hope that Mrs O can go and feed and get herself fully back into condition now that she is released from the bond to nurture her babies. "F2 will also need to do the same to a lesser extent. We do not know if they will return and both claim territory again next season. "Hopefully, Mrs O will return and a new male will come, that will provide for her and F2 will move on to territory of her own."
STV News
3 days ago
- General
- STV News
UK's oldest White-tailed Eagle dies in Scotland aged 32
The UK's oldest wild White-tailed Eagle has died aged 32 on the Isle of Mull. The female eagle, a female named Frisa, hatched on the Scottish island in 1992 where she spent three decades raising chicks. She was the daughter of a female named Blondie, who successfully raised the first White-tailed Eagle chick to fledge in Scotland following the reintroduction of the species in 1975. Frisa paired up with her long-time mate Skye in 1997, with the pair raising their first chick on Mull the following the year. They would go on to raise 25 chicks in their 28 years of partnership, nesting on land managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. Frisa's death was announced on the latest episode of Springwatch on June 2. RSPB Ambassador Dave Sexton, who spent 21 of his 36-year RSPB career working with White-tailed Eagles on Mull, said Frisa had been 'a very special bird who had touched the hearts of millions who saw her both on TV and in the wild'. He added: 'As Frisa got on in years, I dreaded the day I would visit her territory and find her gone. 'Sadly, that day has come and I feel like I've lost a friend. 'But what a wonderful life she had with her mate Skye. Together they raised 25 chicks, many of which are now breeding far and wide across Scotland. 'She was a true icon for White-tailed Eagles and she'll always hold a special place in my heart.' Frisa has not been seen since last year, leading experts to believe that she has died of either natural causes or following an altercation with another eagle. Skye has been spotted with another younger female eagle on Mull, which further suggests that Frisa has passed away as White-tailed Eagles mate for life. It means that Skye, who hatched in 1994, is now the oldest wild White-tailed Eagle in the UK at 31-years-old. The species became extinct in the UK in 1918, when the last known native wild bird was shot in Shetland. However, a reintroduction project by NatureScot on the Isle of Rum, which began in 1975 using chicks donated from Norway, has seen White-tailed Eagles re-establish a self-sustaining population in Scotland. There are now estimated to be up to 200 pairs in the UK. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
More than 14,000 hectares of peatland restored across Scotland
More than 14,000 hectares of degraded peatlands have been restored across Scotland in the past year, which the Scottish Government says exceeds its targets set out in its last Programme for Government. Peatlands are areas of wetland that support habitats and species that are important for biodiversity, while also protecting the wider ecosystem by improving water quality and reducing the severity of flooding. Covering nearly two million hectares, Scotland is home to two-thirds of the UK's peatlands, but nearly three-quarters of the country's peatlands are currently degraded. READ MORE: Scottish minister hits back at Defence Secretary 'student union politics' jibe The Scottish Government has pledged £250 million to support the restoration of 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030, with an interim target of 110,000 hectares by 2026. A total of 90,000 hectares have been restored since 1990, with 14,860 of those completed throughout the 2024-25 financial year. Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie (below) hailed the benefits of restoring Scotland's peatland as he said: 'As we celebrate World Peatlands Day, I am very pleased to report Scotland's Peatland ACTION partnership has put 14,860 hectares of degraded peatlands on the road to recovery last year. This is a new record in one year. 'Restoring peatland benefits our environment by reducing emissions, reducing risks of flooding and wildfires and improving water quality. It also invests in people and skills, creating green jobs in rural communities. 'This means we have exceeded our 2024 Programme for Government commitment and represents a 42% increase over the 10,360 hectares restored during 2023-24. I thank all of our partners for their sustained efforts and tenacity in delivering another milestone figure.' Nick Halfhide, NatureScot interim chief executive, said restoring peatland is essential in addressing the climate emergency while helping to boost Scotland's biodiversity and water quality. He said: 'As key partners in the Scottish Government's Peatland ACTION Partnership, NatureScot has successfully facilitated 65% of the restoration work completed in 2024-25. This significant achievement contributes substantially towards the overall target of 250,000 hectares of degraded peatland being put on the road to recovery by 2030. 'Restoring Scotland's degraded peatlands is essential to addressing both the climate and nature emergencies – it makes a vitally important contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing broader benefits for biodiversity and water quality.' Forestry and Land Scotland helped to deliver 1744ha of peatland restoration work across Scotland in the last year, surpassing its yearly target of 1500ha. Its CEO Kevin Quinlan said: 'Forestry and Land Scotland is proud to be supporting the Scottish Government's commitment to restoring 250,000 hectares of peatlands by 2030 as a key delivery partner in the Peatland ACTION Partnership. 'Every site we restore adds to the scale of the contribution we make in efforts to transform and restore one of Scotland's largest degraded ecosystems to create a far healthier landscape.'
The National
22-05-2025
- Science
- The National
Three birds share a nest in osprey ‘love triangle'
The trio of birds – one male and two female – are sharing a nest together in the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders. The male has mated with both females, a form of polygamy known as polygyny, and they have laid four eggs between them. They are said to be getting along with each other all right so far apart from tension over fish deliveries from the male which both females, one named Mrs O, want to grab. The male osprey returning to the nest with fish (FLS/PA) Viewers can watch the domestic saga playing out on a livestream camera set up by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) as part of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project. Diane Bennett, Tweed Valley osprey project co-ordinator, said: 'So far things are looking good. The females seem amicable and tolerant with both having mated with the male bird and laying four eggs between them. 'The only tension witnessed so far has been on the arrival of a fish delivery from the male as the two females both make a grab it. 'Mrs O usually wins the fish and flies off to feed but has been seen to return with a portion remaining and letting the other female have it. 'This nest behaviour with all the birds in the same nest is very rare and as far as we know it is the first time this has ever been on a livestream camera with most other research involving such a set-up previously conducted though distant observation. 'Getting to watch this saga close up as the season unfolds is exciting both for the drama but also for the important research insights it will allow.' Mrs O has nested at the site before and has been joined by a new female and young male this year. FLS said the identity and background of the new arrivals is not clear. Although they both have British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) rings which provide information on survival and movements they do not have the coloured, alphanumeric Darvic rings that enable researchers to identify individual birds. While Mrs O is also only fitted with a BTO ring she can be identified from her head markings as she has been returning to the site for several years. The eggs are expected to hatch in the coming weeks. The Tweed Valley Osprey Project was set up in 1998 to help to establish a breeding population of ospreys in the Scottish Borders. The livestream can be viewed at
Glasgow Times
22-05-2025
- Science
- Glasgow Times
Three birds share a nest in osprey ‘love triangle'
The trio of birds – one male and two female – are sharing a nest together in the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders. The male has mated with both females, a form of polygamy known as polygyny, and they have laid four eggs between them. They are said to be getting along with each other all right so far apart from tension over fish deliveries from the male which both females, one named Mrs O, want to grab. The male osprey returning to the nest with fish (FLS/PA) Viewers can watch the domestic saga playing out on a livestream camera set up by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) as part of the Tweed Valley Osprey Project. Diane Bennett, Tweed Valley osprey project co-ordinator, said: 'So far things are looking good. The females seem amicable and tolerant with both having mated with the male bird and laying four eggs between them. 'The only tension witnessed so far has been on the arrival of a fish delivery from the male as the two females both make a grab it. 'Mrs O usually wins the fish and flies off to feed but has been seen to return with a portion remaining and letting the other female have it. 'This nest behaviour with all the birds in the same nest is very rare and as far as we know it is the first time this has ever been on a livestream camera with most other research involving such a set-up previously conducted though distant observation. 'Getting to watch this saga close up as the season unfolds is exciting both for the drama but also for the important research insights it will allow.' Mrs O has nested at the site before and has been joined by a new female and young male this year. FLS said the identity and background of the new arrivals is not clear. Although they both have British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) rings which provide information on survival and movements they do not have the coloured, alphanumeric Darvic rings that enable researchers to identify individual birds. While Mrs O is also only fitted with a BTO ring she can be identified from her head markings as she has been returning to the site for several years. The eggs are expected to hatch in the coming weeks. The Tweed Valley Osprey Project was set up in 1998 to help to establish a breeding population of ospreys in the Scottish Borders. The livestream can be viewed at
