"This isn't what I imagined when they said there were a couple of birds wanting to pick me up..."

SOCIAL NETWORK Twitter erupted with feathery fury after our editor suggested in last week's opinion column that it might only be a matter of time before a sea eagle tired of its lamb-based diet and grabbed a human child instead.

The Raider can report that, while eagle fans have made no actual assaults on Mr Fletcher's person in the week since, there has been no shortage of rather amusing Tweets directed at our @scottishfarmer tag.

"The editor is an ill-informed, uneducated buffoon. Sea Eagles a threat to children? Please."

"Sir, get your facts right. The Sea Eagle is NOT an alien. It is a native. They don't eat children. You're being stupid."

"White Tailed Eagles...I've heard they can carry off two cows at once and a tractor. Maybe more if they're not too tired."

"There has been a report of a White Tailed Sea Eagle brandishing a shotgun and threatening an old lady."

"I took my child to Mull last year and we saw 2 White-tailed Sea Eagles. Should I expect a visit from social services?"; and finally: "Does your editor seriously believe that there is a risk to babies from Sea Eagles? Does he believe in fairies too?"

Amongst the flying feathers and swearing, there were also one or two suggestions that Mr Fletcher himself could be used to test sea eagles' appetite for human flesh, were he willing to be staked out on a suitable hillside in sight of the hungry birds.

Whether eagles can stomach meat of that vintage remains to be seen, although we can attest that it has been thoroughly marinated...