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Plans to return sea eagles to Isle of Wight (1 Viewer)

Piglets when reared outdoor.

There are many examples and footage of wild golden eagles taking lambs, hunting Chamois and even one of a child being lifted off the ground in Canada. Others show a white tailed eagle returning to it's nest with a lamb ( video by Gordon Buchannan on Isle of Mull ).
I cite these purely as examples of the capabilities of this immensely powerful family of birds.

Personally I would have loved to see White tailed Eagles soaring over the North Norfolk coastline and I recall a juvenile hanging around not too far away from Sandringham c.15 years ago during winter.

R.D. has done wonders for bird of prey study and reintroduction. Why haven't they looked at reintroducing W.T. Eagle along the North East Coast of Scotland? Closer to Scandanavia and plenty of habitatl for feeding and nesting whilst not too densely populated.

Hi Pat. Wasn't the Canadian video a hoax? I know Tomkies wrote that of the (very) few lambs taken, many were already dead and not killed by the Eagles. He did acknowledge there were some examples of live lambs being taken though.

Rich

Rich
 
Hi Pat. Wasn't the Canadian video a hoax? I know Tomkies wrote that of the (very) few lambs taken, many were already dead and not killed by the Eagles. He did acknowledge there were some examples of live lambs being taken though.

Rich

Rich
Good Morning Rich,
I wasn't aware of this being a hoax but hopefully it was. Some strange folk out there.

Pat
 
...so this is a crazy waste of resources.

Isn't it private money? Doesn't seem 'crazy waste' to me that they decided to spend money on a conservation/environmental issue, perhaps you could think better use, but that is far from making it crazy.

I also see other beneficial spin offs - flagship species frequently raise public profile of conservation far above the benefit to the exact species.
 
I'e had a look at the map and I suppose the idea was to have them use the various small estuaries in the area as feeding grounds (are there any colonies of cormorants or other seabirds around? That would definitely be a selling point). The forests and other "wild" areas on the island itself look a bit small for a nest site though, particularly if as John said, there is lots of activity around the island. Perhaps the New Forest would do, although there don't seem to be any larger bodies of water in the immediate vicinity.


Concerning whataboutism:





I heard from a trusted source that in all the other planned projects they heard the response: why don't you try, for example, White-tailed Eagles in the Isle of Wight? ;)
Even if it's private money, there's plenty of other potential raptor projects (concerning more directly endangered species) they could spend it on.
 
Isn't it private money? Doesn't seem 'crazy waste' to me that they decided to spend money on a conservation/environmental issue, perhaps you could think better use, but that is far from making it crazy.

I also see other beneficial spin offs - flagship species frequently raise public profile of conservation far above the benefit to the exact species.

I fully accept the spin-off point, though presenting the eagles to the public would be as difficult on the IOW as on Mull - long distances, high chance of seeing not much and low capacity for throughput...

As for better use of Roy Dennis's charitable funds, we have this problem about Hen Harriers, and pockets where even Red Kites get shot and poisoned.....

John
 
'As for better use of Roy Dennis's charitable funds, we have this problem about Hen Harriers, and pockets where even Red Kites get shot and poisoned.....'

Are these the Red Kites that were (re-)introduced? wasn't that along the same lines as the proposal for re-introducing these Eagles, was that a waste of money as you have mentioned in an earlier message in this thread?
 
'As for better use of Roy Dennis's charitable funds, we have this problem about Hen Harriers, and pockets where even Red Kites get shot and poisoned.....'

Are these the Red Kites that were (re-)introduced? wasn't that along the same lines as the proposal for re-introducing these Eagles, was that a waste of money as you have mentioned in an earlier message in this thread?

No, and you will note that for kites its a localised problem: the overall project has been a rip-roaring success, as the ones that float past my central Farnborough windows attest. Which is why the pockets of 19th century practice need further attention. You don't need me to expand on the Hen Harrier's plight, but that is where raptor conservation funds need to be focused for the foreseeable future.

John
 
There's a White-tailed Eagle in the New Forest at the moment, has been around for two or three days in the Milkham area if anyone's interested. No idea why it's not been reported on any of the news outlets.
 
There's a White-tailed Eagle in the New Forest at the moment, has been around for two or three days in the Milkham area if anyone's interested. No idea why it's not been reported on any of the news outlets.
Good of you to post the news. I guess the rare bird operators have not been informed. Hope you've managed to see the bird.
P
 
It seems as though it's been seen again today (16th) in the same Milkham/Roe Inclosure area of the New Forest. By all accounts it's been there for ten days and aside from the FC supplying carcasses for it, they've also been keeping the news quiet or to selected people only.
It might be an idea to park in one of the A31 lay-bys and scanning northwards for it, rather than approaching the Inclosures it's frequenting (but knowing most twitchers I'm sure someone will go wandering in the woods to see it), but given that it sounds like it's being fed well, it might not be flighty.

Good Luck anyone who goes for it.
 
Had to smile at you definition of high population densities.

Hong Kong's densities are eye-watering by comparison - over 7,000 per km 2, but White-bellied Sea Eagle (like White-tailed a Haliaeetus), Bonelli's Eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle all breeed here, albeit in small numbers.

Eagles also winter in the Deep Bay wetlands that lie in the shadow of high rise buildings from Shenzhen across the river. Eastern Imperial, Greater Spotted and Crested Serpent Eagles all performed well for me on my patch on Saturday.

Cheers
Mike
 
Hi Mike,

Had to smile at you definition of high population densities.

Hehe, thanks for the perspective! :)

But I guess your local eagles probably hang out at the fringes of the densely populated area, don't they? At least, that's what the eagles here in Hamburg do (which has a nominal population density of 2400 per km^2, but includes a lot of rural area and even a couple of North Sea islands in its state boundaries).

Regards,

Henning
 
Had to smile at you definition of high population densities.

Hong Kong's densities are eye-watering by comparison - over 7,000 per km 2, but White-bellied Sea Eagle (like White-tailed a Haliaeetus), Bonelli's Eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle all breeed here, albeit in small numbers.

Hehe, thanks for the perspective! :)

But I guess your local eagles probably hang out at the fringes of the densely populated area, don't they? At least, that's what the eagles here in Hamburg do (which has a nominal population density of 2400 per km^2, but includes a lot of rural area and even a couple of North Sea islands in its state boundaries).


It's not the density of population per se that matters, but the density of gamekeepers - and that's far higher in rural Briain than almost anywhere else in the world :C

Fat chance of success when they won't even let Buzzards live there :-C :storm:

https://twitter.com/RaptorPersScot/status/1069933269469331456
 
The young bird in Hampshire was probably only there for a few days because of the friendly ranger putting out a carcass on the open heath. Let's hope it avoids anyone having a pot shot, whatever their motive.
 
The young bird in Hampshire was probably only there for a few days because of the friendly ranger putting out a carcass on the open heath. Let's hope it avoids anyone having a pot shot, whatever their motive.
So long as it stays on Forestry Commission land, it's safe. The moment it moves onto a pheasant estate, it's toast. So keeping it well fed at its current location will help keep it alive.
 
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