Displaying items by tag: WhiteTailed Eagles

12th March 2014

Ireland's Sea Eagles In Photos From Birth To Death

#MarineWildlife - RTÉ News has posted some of Nigel Beers-Smith's wonderful photographs documenting Ireland's first native white-tailed eagles for over 100 years, one of which was found dead recently in shocking circumstances.

As The Irish Times reports, the male white-tailed or sea eagle was last seen on the eastern shore of Lough Derg in January before it was found dead from gunshot wounds in a remote part of Co Tipperary following a tip-off from the public.

The eagle was one of two reared by the nesting pair spotted on Bushy Island in Lough Derg nearly two years ago - marking the first time in over a century that white-tailed eagles had fledged in Ireland.

Minister for Arts, Hertiage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan said he was "shocked" by the crime, which is a "significant blow" to the sea eagle reintroduction programme started in 2007.

“It is absolutely incomprehensible that someone would shoot one of these magnificent birds but even more shocking is that one of the first two Irish-bred eagles has been shot only seven months after leaving the nest," added reintroduction project manager Dr Allan Mee.

The project has already suffered from poisoning incidents, such as last year's discovery of two dead white-tailed eagles in Kerry and West Cork - both the result of consuming suspected tainted carrion.

The Irish Times has much more on the store HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

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Scottish Series Background

Although the format of the Scottish Series varies little from year to year, it is interesting to see some of the changes which the event has seen over the years:

CYCA handicap class added to IOR (1976)

IOR level rating classes to reflect the popular sizes and World Championships being held in the UK

Separate one design class for Sonatas (1980 to date)

Campbeltown dropped with offshore races direct to Tarbert (1982)

Unique light displacement CYCA class - the forerunner of today's sportboats (1982)

Computer results system introduced in 1982 and now recognised as the best in the UK

Separate one design class for Sigma 33 (1987 to date)

Separate one design classes in certain years for Impalas, Sigma 38, Melges 24 and Cork 1720

Inner triangle to shorten courses for smaller classes (1986)

Points loading for offshore race reduced from 2 to 1.5 to 1

First racing in Scotland under Channel Handicap (1988)

Second racecourse for smaller classes (1989)

Discard introduced

Windward leeward races - two per day (1993)

Sportboat classes with no overnight races (1994)

Marquee on quayside for main social events (1995-2008)

Restricted Sail Class (1998)

Third racecourse for sportboats with up to three races per day (1998)

Day feeder races (2002)

Overnight and day feeder races discontinued (2005)

Stand-alone Tarbert Inbound and Outbound passage races introduced (2005/6)

With all these changes, some things have stayed the same:

Huge support from Ireland every year since 1975

A magnificent effort ashore and afloat from the volunteer helpers of the Clyde Cruising Club, Royal Scottish Motor Yacht Club and Tarbert Loch Fyne Yacht Club

Results and communications service at the forefront of technology

The best competition and the best social scene in the country

An overall Series winner, the roll call including many of the top sailors in Scotland and beyond.