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IOW White Tailed Eagles (1 Viewer)

Kits

Kits

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White-tailed eagles reintroduced on the Isle of Wight have been seen flying over gardens across England during the coronavirus lockdown.

Trackers worn by the eagles have shown they are exploring widely, making flights of more than 100 miles (160km).

One, known as G274, made a four-day 265 mile (427km) trip along south-west England before returning to the island.

Another - G393 - has flown to the Peak District via Suffolk after spending the winter in Oxfordshire.

The birds are four of six eagles released on the Isle of Wight in August as part of a five-year introduction programme by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation.



Full article here
 
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One named 'Culver' from the first release did a much publicised trip from the Island to Essex then back. A few days later it returned to the mainland never to be seen or heard of again. The project asked the public to look for it, informed us that the Police had been informed and yet never told us where it was last reported (the satellite tag should have given that info) and have never mentioned it again. All seems rather suspicious and a bit of a cover up (my suspicion is that it disappeared over a 'name' estate). I know someone who queried it with the project and never got an answer, which adds more suspicion.
Why inform the Police if there was nothing suspicious about its disappearance?, and why ask us to look for it without telling us a rough area where it was last seen?.

One of the other first release birds died on the Island, initially the project said an autopsy was inconclusive, yet a friend on the island told me an FE worker mentioned to her that it had been found dead after flying into power cables.

If the project wants our support and goodwill, they need to be more open about all aspects of the birds and not just report when they fly around a bit.
 
WalterRayle said:
One named 'Culver' from the first release did a much publicised trip from the Island to Essex then back. A few days later it returned to the mainland never to be seen or heard of again. The project asked the public to look for it, informed us that the Police had been informed and yet never told us where it was last reported (the satellite tag should have given that info) and have never mentioned it again. All seems rather suspicious and a bit of a cover up (my suspicion is that it disappeared over a 'name' estate). I know someone who queried it with the project and never got an answer, which adds more suspicion.
Why inform the Police if there was nothing suspicious about its disappearance?, and why ask us to look for it without telling us a rough area where it was last seen?.

One of the other first release birds died on the Island, initially the project said an autopsy was inconclusive, yet a friend on the island told me an FE worker mentioned to her that it had been found dead after flying into power cables.

If the project wants our support and goodwill, they need to be more open about all aspects of the birds and not just report when they fly around a bit.
Click to expand...
A new update which has some more ‘meat’ to it : https://www.roydennis.org/2021/03/10/spring-explorations/
 
WalterRayle said:
One named 'Culver' from the first release did a much publicised trip from the Island to Essex then back. A few days later it returned to the mainland never to be seen or heard of again. The project asked the public to look for it, informed us that the Police had been informed and yet never told us where it was last reported (the satellite tag should have given that info) and have never mentioned it again. All seems rather suspicious and a bit of a cover up (my suspicion is that it disappeared over a 'name' estate). I know someone who queried it with the project and never got an answer, which adds more suspicion.
Why inform the Police if there was nothing suspicious about its disappearance?, and why ask us to look for it without telling us a rough area where it was last seen?.

One of the other first release birds died on the Island, initially the project said an autopsy was inconclusive, yet a friend on the island told me an FE worker mentioned to her that it had been found dead after flying into power cables.

If the project wants our support and goodwill, they need to be more open about all aspects of the birds and not just report when they fly around a bit.
Click to expand...
And this is one of the reasons further reintroductions elsewhere in England are problematic imo. That, power lines and half the coast rapidly filling up with offshore windfarm installations.
 
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Richard Prior said:
Just thought people might be interested...
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... as I most certainly was - thanks for providing the link! The details on foraging behaviour/prey were particularly fascinating - a combination of satellite tracking tech with good old fashioned observation. Given that there were no adults around for the young released birds to observe/imitate, the quite wide range of prey was interesting and, hopefully, an encouraging sign. Presumably most of the survivors will use coastal habitat, but I wonder how many will establish territories inland, as is pretty commonplace on the Continent.

I don't have enough knowledge to comment on whether the funds and effort that went into this project could have been better used elsewhere, but now that it's in progress, here's hoping that human endeavour, what appears to be good habitat, and the adaptability of the species will overcome the odds...
 
One of the Juvenile Sea Eagles released here on the Isle of Wight, taken a few days ago. I am privileged to be able to watch them everyday in my local nature reserve and occasionally catch a photograph as they overfly.
A Sea Eagle.jpg
 
Kits said:
www.bbc.co.uk

Isle of Wight sea eagles: 12 more birds of prey released

The 12 young white-tailed eagles are the latest to be released as part of an on-going project.
www.bbc.co.uk
Click to expand...
The obvious error in the article suggested the species had not been recorded in England since 1780. As we are aware there have been annual visits from European birds for many years prior to the English reintroduction. I believe there have also been releases this year in North Norfolk.
 
An Isle of Wight bird was spotted at Barr Loch today, part of RSPB Lochwinnoch in Renfrewshire. Apparently it's been spending the winter in the Highlands.
 
Kits said:
(I've just realised [doh!] that the title of this thread suffered auto-correction. It should be IOW not Low!)
Click to expand...
Every time I see this thread I open it up wondering what it's about, having forgotten already!!


Mind you, with much of the weather of late they're not going to be flying that high.
 
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