The white-tailed eagles in Västernorrland, and especially in the Sundsvall area, have in recent years had difficulty producing young, probably due to the high environmental impact in the area.
Based on this, this year's breeding results compiled by the County Administrative Board's regional environmental monitoring are gratifying.
Extra eye-catching
Ten successful nests and 15 chicks are a good result and what is particularly striking is that sea eagles have nested for the first time in Ånge municipality.
The two sea eagles in Ånge managed to produce two young and the breeding is unique.
- We have never stated it before and it is not mentioned historically, says Peter Nilsson at the county administrative board in Västernorrland.
The first nest in Timrå
Also in Timrå municipality, sea eagles have nested for the first time in modern times and there is also a nest a bit up along Ljungan in Sundsvall municipality.
The fact that sea eagles move inland is a natural development considering that the population is increasing and the territory along the coast is being occupied, Peter Nilsson states.
- They seek inland, even in Jämtland around Storsjön there are nests, he says.
Unclear environmental impact
The question is to what extent the eagles that establish themselves inland are affected by the environmental toxins that have been devastating for the eagles in the Sundsvall area?
- We do not know yet.
The environmental toxins such as PCBs and DDT that we have found along the coast in the county have been linked to old environmental sins.
The sea eagles inland will be a reference to the eagles by the sea and it will be interesting to follow the development in the future, says Peter Nilsson.