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Haweswater - Riggindale RSPB Golden Eagle monitoring site (1 Viewer)

HelenB

Opus Editor and Expat from Cumbria
Opus Editor
In June of 2000, we visited Haweswater and Riggindale, hoping to see the Golden Eagles, as we had missed them the last time in 1998, and this year we were successful.

Instructions on how to get there are below.

The eagles were very active, although the RSPB Warden at the monitoring site told us that they had unfortunately not bred successfully that season. In fact in the last 8 years, only one chick has been successfully fledged and that was in 1996. This is possibly due to the age of the eagles, as the male is now 29 years old and the female, 24. Also disturbance from walkers on the fells above and a poor food supply have been blamed. Golden Eagles first bred at this site in 1969 and since then 16 young have been produced, all being ringed (banded) at the age of 6 weeks. In 1976 the original male eagle died and was naturally replaced, probably from Scotland, and in 1981 the female also died and was replaced in the same way.

[NOTE: since writing this, I believe that another one of the eagles has recently died and been naturally replaced, but I don't have any details]

The monitoring site has several scopes trained on the 4 eyries that the eagles use. We watched them re-arranging sticks on the nest and were told that they were exhibiting "frustrated nesting syndrome", typical of birds which have had a failed breeding season. We also watched them soaring above the head of Riggindale valley.

Other birds seen on our hike to and from the RSPB site, were: 1 Grey and several Pied (White) Wagtails, and a Common Sandpiper on the edge of the lake. Two Great Cormorants diving in the lake - there is a nesting colony on an island at this end of Haweswater. Also, 32 Canada Geese, 100 Greylag Geese, Goosander, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls and Grey Heron. The following woodland/garden species were seen: Song Thrush, Redstart, Robins, Chaffinches, Wren, Treecreeper, Chiffchaff, Coal Tits, Barn Swallows, Northern Wheatear, Meadow Pipit, Wood Pigeon, Rooks, Jackdaws, and Carrion Crows.

The RSPB Warden told us where to look out for Peregrine Falcons on our drive back down the length of Haweswater. On passing the Haweswater Hotel we saw House Martins, and a flyover of a Common Buzzard. We stopped to check out the Peregrines and were very lucky when 3 juveniles and one adult flew over calling. They alighted on a ledge on the rocky outcrop above the road, giving us a great view through the scope that some other birders had. This was the first time that we had had such great close-up looks at Peregrines and it really ended the day on a very positive note.

Directions:
Haweswater is the most easterly of the lakes, situated west of Shap (on the A6) via minor roads through Rosgill, or south of Penrith, via B roads through the villages of Askham and Bampton. Riggindale is located at the southern end of Haweswater, so you need to drive the length of the reservoir and park in the small carpark at the end of the road. This does get full with fellwalkers, specially on nice days, so go early. The path to the RSPB site is signposted and is not a difficult walk - I think its less than 2 miles, but I don't have access to an OS map over here in the States!
 
A good report Helen, an area I will have to check out next year. It's a while since I went walking up that way.
 
I've never really believed this stuff about the birds being 'too old' to be fertile. Does anyone have any hard scientific evidence of a menopause in birds?

Far more likely are (1) the weather - Golden Eagles in high rainfall areas like this often suffer breeding failure due to heavy, cold rain or wet snow early in the nesting period, and/or (2) lack of adequate food supplies, due to overgrazing by sheep and modern agricultural hygeine standards (shepherds are not allowed to leave any dead sheep out for eagles, they have to be removed and buried). Disturbance may well also be a very important factor.

Of the three, nothing can be done about the weather, and it would be very difficult to do anything about the disturbance (there's a public right of way along the crest of the ridge above where they nest) (and before anyone complains, this info is all in the public domain!). But it should not be beyond the wit of man to supply extra food with a feeding station similar to the one at Gigrin Farm for the Red Kites, and/or reduce the number of sheep so there's better grazing for hares and rabbits (the main natural food for eagles).

Michael
 
Helen
This brings back memories! The day after I finished my 'A' levels in 1979 we jumped in the car and drove all night from Suffolk to Cumbria. A friend of mine was the RSPB warden at Haweswater at the time. We had a great weeks birdwatching and walking. I'll never forget the sight of my first Golden Eagle. After many false alarms involving Buzzard & Ravens this huge shadow appeared!

At that time the wardens were sleeping in an old hut belonging to the water authority. Truly basic!

Other birds I recall seing were Merlin, Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Wood Warbler & Pied Flycatcher. Red squirrels were seen playing outside the hut window.
 
Have to confess, the first (and only) time I've been to see them, I did the opposite of the usual tourist trick and mistook the Eagle for a Buzzard . . . . :egghead:

Anyone wanting to go, the observation post is at the arrow; pink dotted lines are public footpaths (rights of way), parking is at the end of the yellow road. No access to land off the footpaths.
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/streetma...511500&zoom=4&isp=200&ism=1000&arrow=y?151,50

Michael
 
Brings back memories.

We had reached High Street along Riggindale Crag when the cloud came down and we couldn't see more than 20 ft. I had to navigate off the top with map and compass. Just as we started to descend the cloud above us lifted and there was one of the eagles- 50 feet away - I don't know who was more surprised. Magic moment.
 
Thanks for the link to the map, Michael. I am also surprised they don't put carrion out for the eagles. Perhaps the RSPB have their reasons?

Robin - I had a closer encounter than you, one day in 1970. I grew up in Penrith and in 1969 it was exciting to hear that Golden Eagles were nesting in our neck of the woods. In the Easter holidays of 1970 I was actually finishing off my undergraduate geological field mapping on the northern shores of Haweswater, near the dam, when I had a face to face encounter with one of the eagles. I walked around the edge of a craggy outcrop in a field, geological hammer in hand, ready to identify this volcanic rock and found this huge raptor feeding off a dead sheep. I was probably only 20 feet away - a really close encounter! Of course we were both so surprised and it flew off immediately. Wish I'd started a life list then - what a great bird to have had as number 1.
 
HelenB said:
I am also surprised they don't put carrion out for the eagles. Perhaps the RSPB have their reasons?

Almost certainly those agricultural hygeine regulations. The area is open grazing for sheep, unlike Gigrin, where the stuff is put out in an ungrazed field (as far as I know!!). Guess the regs are there for a good reason too, dead sheep among live sheep would be the ideal way to start a new outbreak of F&M or similar. They'd have to fence off an area and keep livestock out of it, which could be difficult (I don't think the RSPB own the land there).

HelenB said:
Wish I'd started a life list then - what a great bird to have had as number 1.

Well, you remember it, and identified it correctly - why not include it? You don't have to exclude it because it was before a certain date! :bounce:

Michael
 
Nice one Helen, no wonder you have continued through life enjoying your birding trips. I don't think anybody in the UK could top an experience like that.
 
During a visit to the Osprey viewing station ai Bassenthwaite last month ( which incidentaly provided superb views of adult male and juvenile Ospreys, as well as a peregrine, and three Buzzards, all in flight simultaneously) I was informed that the old male Eagle disappeared in 2002, his place was taken by what they think is a very young male almost immediately. The viewing station is also a great place to watch Goosander groups fishing. They have three Swarovskis and one slightly dodgy Leica, and some very helpfull volunteers. My thanks to them, for many enjoyable and informative visits.
Stevet
 
Michael & Bob,
I think I will edit my lifelist when I get back to the States. I have it on a software program called Birder's Diary, by Thayer Birding Software, so it is quite easy to do. Am approaching 500 world birds - will be interesting to see what my milestones are. Only got one lifer so far this trip to the UK - a Short-eared Owl.
 
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