The Eagle Conservation Alliance is a global partnership of experts working to conserve Eagles and is the first international organisation focused exclusively on Eagle conservation. Currently 32 of 74 recognised eagle species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The ECA recently formed during the International Workshop on Eagle Management and Conservationheld in Oropesa, Spain. The second annual meeting of the ECA will be held from September 4-7 in Africam Safari, Puebla, Mexico and full details will be available soon on www.eagleconservationalliance.org - please note this site is still under construction.

The efforts of all the team involved in the Irish Golden Eagle Reintroduction Scheme have been rewarded with the announcement that a Golden Eagle chick has hatched in Glenvaugh National Park, Donegal. Golden Eagles became extinct in Ireland in 1912. The nest hatched two chicks but as is often the case, one chick died after five days. The team now have to wait anxiously for another 7/8 weeks until the chick is big enough to fly. Members of Scottish Raptor Study Groups have been involved in this project from the outset and the female of the successful pair was collected in Assynt, Sutherland in 2001. The male is from the Isle of Skye and was collected as a chick in 2002. Lorcan O Toole and his team are to be congratulated in their efforts. For further information see http://goldeneagle.ie/EaglePressRelease2007.pdf.

Four members of Southern California Roller Pigeon clubs are being prosecuted for killing what is thought to be thousands of Cooper's Hawks (shown), Red-tailed Hawks and Peregrine Falcons. This followed a nationwide investigation into the illegal killings of hawks and falcons, and it is thought the four, who appeared in a Los Angeles court this week, have been responsible for the killing of up to 2000 raptors a year for several years. Most of the suspects used large wooden traps bated with pigeons to capture hawks in their back yards - once trapped they were shot or beaten with sticks prior to the carcases being disposed of. One of the accused sprayed the birds with a poisonous mixture of bleach and ammonia. The pigeons are known as 'Birminham Rollers' and are bred with a genetic defect which causes them to flip and tumble towards the ground as they fly. For further information see www.yahoogroups.com. and search under raptor conservation.

The annual newsletter has just been released confirming that 2006 was the most successful breeding season to date in terms of the number of successful pairs and the total number of young fledged - 21 pairs successfully reared broods resulting in 29 fledged young. The newsletter provides information from public viewing at Loch Frisa, Mull, and also from the Aros Centre in Skye, where 8500 visitors toured the exhibition. The report also includes some details on the future recolonisation plans for East Scotland, Ireland and England. Many will be aware that the Loch Frisa birds have failed this year. However it appears that there are currently 42 territories with 35 pairs breeding so numbers continue to increase.

Many will be aware of the decision by the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) to close the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) sites at Winfrith, Monks Wood, Banchory and Oxford. Many raptor workers and others have concerns about the closure of these facilities and with it the loss of vital areas of research and the break-up of important scientific teams. You may wish to consider supporting an online petition opposed to the closure - http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/cehclosure/

Scottish Bird News No.83 of March 2007 has an interesting article by David Jardine which traces the history of Honey Buzzards in Scotland and provides details on the satellite tracking programme co-ordinated by Roy Dennis of the Highland Wildlife Foundation. Honey Buzzards arrive back in Scotland at the end of May and as David suggests, they are an "arser's" bird, and those who are prepared to make long watches in suitable habitat will be rewarded. Hugh Insley's photograph shows Roy and David with a radio tagged Honey Buzzard. It is suspected the species is underecorded in Scotland.