Lesser spotted eagle nest inventories is a significant precondition for precise and reasonable Lesser spotted eagle conservation. Therefore one of the project "Conservation arrangements for Lesser spotted eagle in Latvia" activities is nest inventories - each year experts search for new nests in all Latvia. It is planned to find 500 new nests during the project. In the first fieldwork season the experts of Latvian Ornithological society have found more than 100 new Lesser spotted eagle nests.
When searching for nests, the experts also evaluate their condition to assess if stabilisation of nests is necessary. Nest stabilisation and building of artificial platforms is a well recognised method that has been sucessfully used to protect white tailed eagles in Latvia.
Andris Dekants, coordinator of nest inventories:
Experts visited around 160 nests, but not all were identified as lesser spotted eagle nests as they were not inhibited. Therefore this year officialy we can mark 100 new Lesser spotted eagle nests on the map of Latvia. The unclear ones we will visit again next summer to make sure which birds are their inhabitants.
Unfortunately we have also found five cases where the nest tree has been cut or is marked for cutting. I think it was not done on purpose as it is really hard to notice the nest even for experts.
The nest inventories will continue next year when Lesser spotted eagles return to Latvia, but during winter when the trees have falled experts will work on nest stabilisation.
