Campaigner Elizabeth Steele-Collins said the nest at Waitpinga Cliffs was the only one known on the mainland coast between central Victoria and Eyre Peninsula and it had been six years since the pair had bred.

“After sightings of courtship mid last year we were hopeful there would be a fledgling to celebrate late in 2008.”

Last month she had her first sighting of the fledgling, demonstrating it had passed its ‘flight training’ lessons.

Ms Steele-Collins has helped set up the White-bellied Sea-Eagle Protection Campaign to create a sanctuary to protect the nesting territory of the endangered birds.

A Fly Neighbourly Agreement protection area, authorised by Air Services Australia at the request of the Department for Environment and Heritage (DEH), has been set up for the breeding season. Pilots have been requested to fly no lower than 2,000 feet above ground level or at a minimum of one nautical mile from the cliffs during the breeding season.

The protection area encompasses the whole of the cliff line from King Head and West Island to Newland Head and this year the agreement will operate from June 1 to December 31.

“The noticeable reduction in the number of low flying aircraft along the cliff line during the breeding season last year has been encouraging”, Ms Steele-Collins said.

“It is a sad fact that just one aircraft flying too low, at the wrong time, or even one individual on foot intruding into their territory, has the potential to jeopardise the whole breeding season.

“Sea-eagles are known to abandon nests if disturbed during nest repair or building, during incubation or when their young are small.”

The annually produced ‘Birds of the Fleurieu’ calendar and greeting cards help fund the White-bellied Sea-Eagle Protection Campaign. Contact seawings@waitpingacliffs.com for more details.