In Eagle Country
- In Eagle Country by Kate and Ken Crane (privately published, 2023).
- 215 pages; 16 plates with colour photos, b/w illustrations.
- ISBN: 9781399947527. Pbk. Available for £15 plus p&p from the authors.
This neat, self-published little paperback, complete with photographs and excellent drawings by Kate Crane, is a remarkable compilation of observations for someone like me, who admires Golden Eagles above all else but rarely sees one, let alone gets near enough to them to study in detail. To be up close and personal with this majestic bird of prey and make so many notes, with their own interpretations of what is going on and why, is an altogether different situation, which most of us in Britain could hardly imagine.
With funding secured and encouragement offered by eagle luminaries such as Jeff Watson and Roy Dennis, Kate and Ken Crane have been watching eagles closely on the Isle of Skye since 1979. The results make up this book, written in a very readable, personal style. Sometimes I wondered 'how did you really know that is what the eagle was thinking or doing?' but who am I to question people with so many years of intimate observations, compared with my own handful of exciting encounters from a mile or more away!
There is a good deal of information on Golden and White-tailed Eagle co-existence and competition, eagles and wind farms (a horrible thought) and even eagles killing other eagles. All in all, there's plenty to enjoy, plenty to digest and plenty to learn in this new release.
