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Golden Eagle Cornwall (formerly Raptor ID UK) (1 Viewer)

We had a juvenile Goldie in Mid Wales a few weeks back.Could be the same bird as you know they can travel vast distances.That bird was also on passage and not an escapee.
 
"due to the inexperience of the finder it will stay that way"...............
I agree with Jane - the picture is a Golden Eagle, and assuming no foul play, then level of experience wont change this.......a full report should be made to the County Recorder so that the record can be given the full consideration it clearly deserves.
There have been various Eagle sp. reports again recently, and some may well be escapes, but there is no obvious sign of captivity on these pics, and I for one am surprised that its not caused more interest down in Cornwall.
 
It's the full report to the county recorder that worries me. I can guarantee there's no foul play as i saw the pictures on the LCD on the back of the camera 1 hour after they were taken and before she had gone home. She was still in the field when i saw them. She has been birding for around 12 months and i feel that this may be a hinderance for a full report. I hope not and i will speak to the county recorder tomorow to provide all the assistance possible in getting the unthinkable achieved - having it accepted.

What sort of information would we be looking at supplying as i have never been in this position either??
 
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I can't speak for Cornwall specifically, but records like this would stand on the evidence and have NOTHING to do with the experience of the observer in the county I live in. The only time experience comes into it is when there is a poor description of an easily misidentified bird without photos. Then someone with experience of knowing why it isn't the confusable species might come into play.

I'll change the title and bring it to the attention of DC!
 
Many thanks Jane. You speak a lot of sense. I'm going to speak to our county recorder later and find out what the finder needs to do now to submit the record for acceptance. Luckily there was a second person present which may possibly help.
 
I was the person with Angie at the time and had a continual view through my bins for the whole of the encounter. The whole episode lasted quite a few minutes. We hoped the Buzzards harassment of the Eagle would bring it into *our airspace* for a closer photograph. Unfortunately this did not happen.
 
birdboybowley said:
Don't think there's ever been an accepted Goldie in southern England.
Click to expand...

Actually there is - and it's on the Cornish list

This is from Penhallurick, The Birds of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Headland, 1978. p102

"1810. A young bird was shot by Mr Rain at Tredake, Lanteglos -by-Fowey, at about mid-November...A full description of its plumage given by Dugdale in his Tour of Cornwall (The New British Traveller 1819 ) was carefully examined for the present writer by Mr Eric Gorton against specimens in the comprehensive collection at Bolton Museum. Mr Gorton concluded (letter, 22. viii. 1973) that there was little doubt that it had been correctly identified. This is clearly the undated species accepted by Couch (1838) and is the only authenticated specimen from Cornwall."

Here is a quote from Dugdale on the 1810 bird

" When this mighty arial adventurer descended on the sheep's carcass, the magpies and crows, which were feeding thereon, forsook their prey in haste, with shrill chatter and dreadful cries, and sought shelter in the nearest trees and thickets."

Darrell
 
Many thanks to all of you for your information, help and advice.
So far i have established that only one establishment in Cornwall keeps Goldies and they havent lost theirs. It's not the Sussex bird gone walkabout because we know through birdboybowley that this bird still has anklets. We know through Mike from Ebbw Vale that one drifted through Wales earlier so is this the bird. Guess we'll never know.

Having spoken to the county recorder tonight the record has now been submitted to the county for acceptance. Thanks Darrell for explaining what to do. If the record is accepted then only Angie the finder and her partner will have Goldie on their Cornwall lists.

Once again many thanks for all your help. It's been a great two days getting the information together etc. I dont know who will aquire the most fame - Angie for finding it and photographing it or me for going home for 45 minutes to eat and dipping on it bearing in mind i'm the reserve warden!!!
 
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There are just over 100 Goldies in captivity in the UK, most of us know the others who have them (bar a few grey imports and those that are not flown - as I dont count those as falconry birds)

When one goes walkabout every effort is made to try and recover the errant bird, after all they do cost the same as a small saloon car - but the main reason being we do not really want such a large predator being out there where they do not occur naturally.

Personally I never fly any of our birds, let alone the eagles without telemetry (Radio tracking) this is a great aid should we need to track down a bird (I have only needed it once this last season and that was not for an eagle)

We have a responsibility to ensure that no non native species or hybrids escape in to the wild.

Regards

Mike
 
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birdboybowley said:
Don't think there's ever been an accepted Goldie in southern England. We've got one in Sussex that's been kicking around for a couple of years (still got anklets on) that goes missing for long periods of time so who knows where it goes!!
Click to expand...


If Gloucestershire is considered 'south' then there was one and the only one on 9th July 1989 in the Forest of Dean (Gloucestershire Bird Report 1989:32)
 
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