A farmer conquered the heartbreaking moment when a newborn lamb was taken away by a zea adel.
Duncan Maclean, 40, was checking his sheep this morning when he saw three sea crews – two clamping lambs in their claws.
Maclean has already lost about six lambs to Eagles this season – but this was the first time he witnessed that they were taken away.
The part -time farmer in Uist, outer Hebriden, said: 'It is very frustrating and daunting to see.
“We knew it had happened because we notice the missing lambs, but it actually saw that it made me angry,” he added.
Each lamb sells for £ 80 to £ 100, so losing two a day is a considerable loss, according to De Boer.
Maclean said: “We are not a big patch because we only have 200 ewes to lamb and 10 cows, so losing a lot of lambs has a big impact on us.”
The Sea Eagles, or white -tailed eagles, have always become difficult for national Scottish farmers in recent years, he said.
Boer Duncan Maclean, 40, was checking his sheep this morning when he saw Sea Eagles wearing newborn lambs
The Eagles terrorize the outer Hebrides and Mr. Maclean has already lost about six lambs to Eagles this season
The most recent set of Adelaars was moved from Norway in 2007 and Mr. Maclean noticed the impact of their reintroduction.
Maclean said: 'It used to be no problem at all. I remember that I started to see one or two about five years ago, but there was still no big problem.
'Nowadays you see several in the air at any time.
'I was in the field with my son this morning to help an eui giving birth and there was one that floated right above us as if it was waiting for his chance to strike.
“It feels like the Eagles have just been too successful in their reintroduction!”
Maclean has also observed a cruel – but effective – hunting method used by the Eagles.
The Eagles seem to focus on ewes who have twins and dive down to grab the firstborn while the sheep give the second.
Duncan said: 'We had ewes who scanned with double lambs and when we have checked them after birth, there is only one lamb.
Mr. Maclean said that the Eagles were 'no problem at all', but nowadays you will see several in the air nowadays'
The Eagles seem to focus on ewes who have twins and dive down to grab the firstborn while the sheep are the second bars
'We always check in the nearby area for a dead lamb, but have not found one, which we can only assume that it was taken by an eagle.
'It's hard to manage because we can try to move the sheep to another field or set up hearers, such as Scarecrows, but the Eagles are not much intimidated.
'They have become a real problem for the farmer in the area.
“I know we are not the only people who have to do with this.”
