Is the Golden Eagle still at Haweswater/Rigginsdale? (1 Viewer)

[emma_bird]

I'm going up to North Lancashire/Cumbira over the Easter break. Can anyone offer any advice on seeing the Golden Eagle at Haweswater - never been there before and don't want to get lost! :brains:

 

[Farnboro John]

I'm going up to North Lancashire/Cumbira over the Easter break. Can anyone offer any advice on seeing the Golden Eagle at Haweswater - never been there before and don't want to get lost! :brains:

I'll assume you can find the car park, cos all you need for that is a road atlas and to follow the road up the valley to the end. Note that lots of fell walkers and ordinary grockles also go up there so it gets full and then cars park back along the road, so get there early!

The track to Riggindale goes from the car park around the head of the lake and then back down the other side, till it ascends over a shoulder of hill and then up the bottom of Riggindale to the watchpoint, which has a hut manned by RSPB, scopes on stnads and a wall beyond which you don't go.

You are not likely to get lost and there are usually plenty of other people doing the same as you.

Good hunting!

John

 

[Bill@dwp]

Hi Emma

John's directions are spot on but i would advise reading all the posts in this thread as quite a few have directions and instructions that will enhance what john has given you already, particularly if you havent been before..
Hope you have a good day.
Bill

 

[emma_bird]

Hi all

Thanks for your advice... :t: I'll let you know how I get on!

Thanks
Emma

 

[blackstoat]

Golden Eagle Haweswater

I'm going up to North Lancashire/Cumbira over the Easter break. Can anyone offer any advice on seeing the Golden Eagle at Haweswater - never been there before and don't want to get lost! :brains:

:bounce:
Just got back from Haweswater, Golden Eagles was showing brilliantly, especially at about 11am when it was circling about 100 ft above our heads. Watched it have a toussle with a raven. Then later from RSPB watchpoint saw it displaying quite high amongst the clouds but according to RSPB guide still no female. - Good Day out. :hi:

 

[Gill Osborne]

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! I've just gotten back from Cumbria and drove back this morning via Pooley Bridge. We almost decided to take a detour to Haweswater but as we had a car full of stuff I decided not to :storm: Oh dear.....huge mistake!!!! Dipped again *sigh* :gn:

Oh well......I'm sure I'll see him soon enough *perhaps pop back over in a week or two's time*

Glad to hear that he's still around tho :t: and well done to those who hAVE been fortunate to see him - must be an incredible sight :clap:

 

[tired_boy]

How far is the viewing point from the car park?

 

[PhilW]

How far is the viewing point from the car park?

Mark Payne got excellent views today. Bird displaying.

Its a good 20-30 minute yomp from car park. 30-40 if you take it leisurely. Not to strenuous but not to be attempted in high heels as I witnessed last year.

 

[tired_boy]

Does any particular time of day give the best chance of a sighting?

 

[Drumming Sniper]

:bounce:
Just got back from Haweswater, Golden Eagles was showing brilliantly, especially at about 11am when it was circling about 100 ft above our heads. Watched it have a toussle with a raven. Then later from RSPB watchpoint saw it displaying quite high amongst the clouds but according to RSPB guide still no female. - Good Day out. :hi:

Fantastic news! This is the first positive report of the bird for quite a while. I'm heading up there in a couple of weeks and now feel suitably encouraged. Here's hoping the Bassenthwaite Ospreys are doing their thing too.

 

[tired_boy]

We are thinking of going tomorrow (sunday) morning on our way up to Keswick. Has anyone got any tips for us? We would probably arrive about 10AM. Any advice would be much appreciated. What about other bird species up there at Haweswater, what might we see and where?

Thanks

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Ring Ouzel may be back - look up to the tops on your left as you approach the viewpoint.

 

[PhilW]

RSPB watchpoint manned from 11.00. if the bird is perched up the wardens know exactly where to look and it'll save a lot of wasted time going when they're there. No Ouzels there y'day Rob but Mark & I got two Cheshire ones today.

 

[bird_of_prey_lover]

AMAZING . a buzzard came into the eagles valley and as you can imagine it wasn't happy the then startid a ' push and shove' in the air the eagle doing a verticle dive stright at the buzzard then they startid 2 clame up in to the skay and soared for about 2 minns and then went back to the perch as it ad bin sitting on al day (11 -4 )
bar the little confrontation after all a wonderful day out

 

[hutch]

Originally Posted by bitterntwistedDo you mean Kirkby Lonsdale and not Kirkby Stephen? They're about 30 miles apart, but I don't know how far a feral macaw would range. Seems there is an established local macaw flock at Kirkby Stephen, as related by a local cycling club here: http://www.garstangcyclingclub.net/recent_rides.htm Semi-wild parrots seem to abound there: http://www.highmoor.co.uk/gallery/p...phen 28Feb05/ And it seems they also got a mention on BF in the past: http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=40658

try this from news tonight about macaws
http://www.bbc.co.uk/looknorthnecumbria/latest_stories/index.shtml

sheds a little light on a lot of the parrot sighting

 

[hutch]

we are going sat hows about a mini meet ........

 

[Drumming Sniper]

Having visited Haweswater on Wednesday and Thursday I can confirm that the eagle is still in residence. He wasn't doing too much on Wednesday but on Thursday he performed incredibly well. I've posted a fuller account on "Your Birding Day".

 

[Himalaya]

i visited haweswater in 2005 and had a really good chat with one of the wardens. i did ask him about introdcing another female but he said it was not under threat nationally or internationally so there would be no re-introduction projects.

about the male bird there he said it rarely ever strayed out of the small valley and fed on carrion mostly.

 

[Martin Thomas]

i visited haweswater in 2005 and had a really good chat with one of the wardens. i did ask him about introdcing another female but he said it was not under threat nationally or internationally so there would be no re-introduction projects.

about the male bird there he said it rarely ever strayed out of the small valley and fed on carrion mostly.

A further problem with a reintroduction is that if a licence were granted it would be for a chick to be taken from (say) Scotland (as with the Irish Golden Eagle project) and assuming it were to bond with the existing male, it would take at least five years before it becme mature enough to breed (see how much effort has gone into the first succesful hatching in 100 years In Ireland at www.goldeneagle.ie).

All this is on top of suitability of habitat, available prey, protection from persecution and egg collectors etc etc. In short, without a huge political and financial effort it is most unlikely to happen in Cumbria (despite the fact that it could bring in £ millions in eco-tourism).

Our best hope is that a dispersing female from Dumfries and Galloway finds her way south and makes a happy chappy of our solitary male.