East coast birds release program:

Sea Eagle chick 2007 white tags with black letters.

Juvenile White tailed Sea Eagle and Common Buzzard for comparison. photo by Steve Williams.
 

Adult White tailed Sea Eagle  by kind permission of Iain Erskine 2006

Sea Eagle images by kind permnission of Iain Erskine

Sea Eagle images by kind permnission of Iain Erskine

Good views of White tailed Sea Eagles can be had from many areas on the island, and a circular route from Salen to Loch na Keal round to Loch Scridain and through Glen More, back to Craignure will provide plenty of opportunities to see both Golden Eagles and White tailed Sea Eagles.  Scarisdale Rocks in Loch na Keal is another favorite place, these birds can sit around for hours on the rocks provided they are not disturbed.Scan any and all of the hills for Golden Eagles which can be seen in most areas.

Each year the young birds are tagged on the upper wing only, with a coloured  tag with a white or black letter. Different wing tags are also used on some other birds and these have a single colour with a white base plus a number.
It is more valuable information when reports include tag details.

2009 10th July one chick at Loch Frisa found dead at the bottom of the tree nest. It fledged too early at 10.5 weeks (usually 12 weeks) The other chick fledged successfully.
This years chicks from Loch Ba and Glen Selisdeir have been radio tagged

2008   The Lochdon/Grasspoint birds have failed this year. The birds were disturbed early on in their breeding 
             cycle and this might have something to do with the failiure as the adult birds were kept off the nest for a 
             period  of hours whilst the person disturbing them, (a visiting photographer) took photographs from 
             underneath the nest, of both the adult birds in the  air. 
            All very disappointing  for those who have spent time on eaglewatch this year, the birds have not been wing tagged this year.
 

2007     8 chicks. tags white with black lettering  A. E. (G) L. M. P. two chicks have not been tagged
            two chicks were lost in April at Loch Frisa due to a tradgic freak accident when both chicks (only 
            days old) fell out of the nest which had slipped. 
           White G was found poisened in Angus in May 2008.

2006    10 chicks. tags yellow with black letters:   A, C, E, F, G, H, L, N, O, P,

2005    8 chicks. tags red with white letters:    I, 0, S, V,  X,  Z, 
            (2 birds were not tagged) 

2004     6 chicks. tags  bottle green with white letters: A, H, O, X, Y, Z.
             Green 0 found dead near the nest, August 2004, believed to be natural causes

2003     7 chicks fledged . Pink  with black letters:  H, O, V, X, Z.
             (2 birds were not tagged)

 2002     Blue,           2001     White/solid black triangle,  2000     Yellow,
 1999     Red,            1998     Green,      1997     Blue,       1996   Grey,
 1995     White,         1994    Yellow,      1993     Red         1992     Green,     1991   Blue,
 1990     White,         1989    Yellow.      1988     Orange.

Sea Eagle identification
The development of the white tail is not always a true guide to the age of a bird as many young birds can develop a full white tail long before reaching maturity. A more accurate way is to look at the beak which changes from being very dark in the first year to bright yellow at five 
and six years old.The iris is dark brown in the juvenile bird,changing to bright yellow by the 6th year adult bird.