Bald Eagle in the North west??? (1 Viewer)

Local BBC News reported on evening bulletin and breakfast bulletin about numerous sightings of a bald eagle in the Rochdale area. No pictures and I can't find any reference to the story on the BBC web pages. No bird reports of a bald eagle anywhere (not surprisingly).

Some folk were interviewed and they showed some sensationalist pictures of a bald eagle carrying off a beach ball that a young child was playing with, but this was from USA. I can only guess that this was to imply that these birds would easily carry off a child.

A guy from a local animal sanctuary reckoned it was either a buzzard or goshawk that had been seen.

This seems a strange story for them to report given that it is not supported by any corrabrative sightings from a recognised source.

I know a bald eagle recently escaped from captivity down south and that got reported until it was recaptured. So maybe they want there own bald eagle story.

Anyone know anymore?

Just checked Birdguides Bill - no reports for any eagle in Lancashire in the last year.

Even an escaped bird would have warranted a mention on that site, so it sounds iffy to me.

The silly season has come early methinks....

dunno

let's wait and see

there was a Lesser Spotted Eagle about in Norfolk Suffolk a couple of weeks back that didn't make the pagers every time it was seen...and there are loads of birders there

Tim

My bet is that its an escaped bird of prey like a harris hawk or something like that

The bald eagles from the yorkshire falconry center used to go a wandering quite a lot, do not know if Chris has still got them?? could be one of them.

me