About bait: Since there has been some debate about this, I want to clarify my position.

During the winter months, I usually put out wild animals that have been killed by traffic. It is better to remove these animals from the roads, as this helps prevent scavengers such as eagles from feeding on the carcasses and then being hit by traffic themselves. I also use strictly veterinary-inspected fat, something for which I have a licence.

There are several reasons why I do this. As more and more of our forests are replaced by plantations, conditions become increasingly difficult for biodiversity, and many species struggle to survive, particularly during winter. The populations of predators such as lynx, wolves and wolverines are also kept to a minimum through different forms of hunting. This means there is less food available for eagles, as they would naturally feed on the remains of animals killed by these predators.

I provide some supplementary food, and as a bonus, this creates opportunities to photograph the animals. Their behaviour around the carrion is completely natural. They are all scavengers, so the food does not differ from what they would normally eat. Golden eagles, for example, will eat almost anything they come across in order to survive the winter, from mice to roe deer and domestic animals.

Unfortunately, eagles sometimes develop a habit of seeking out railways because there are often animals there that have been killed by trains, providing an easy source of food. It is quite common for eagles to then be hit by trains while sitting on the tracks and feeding. We have a railway only 10 km from our land, and it is not impossible that the carrion I provide has saved eagles in the surrounding area from such a fate. There have been several occasions when other eagles have been hit and killed by trains.

Another reason is to prevent eagles, as far as possible, from feeding on offal left behind from hunting, which is very common in our area. This can contain fragments of lead ammunition, which are toxic and can kill an eagle.

My photography business has also contributed to our ability to save some old natural forest from deforestation, something that has become increasingly important over the years.