W.T.Eagle ( N W Norfolk ) reintroduction proposal (1 Viewer)

[Mark Batten]

Would they compete with the remnants of our Montagu's Harriers? Wondering if there any MH in N Norfolk now?

Are you referring to the Norfolk Monty's which vanish despite having satellite tags?

 

[Jos Stratford]

Yes, WTEs in Poland and N Germany have been locally breeding in the last decades less than 1 km from each other, and in very small patches of forests. So there is evidence.

WTE is the most tolerant to human presence among the eagles. They nest in farmland with lakes, rivers or fish ponds and winter in city rivers and coasts. Waterbodies, even in cities and major recreation places, do contain fish, mallards and coots, and there are usually some undisturbed roosting spots like hard-to-get islands, piers or fenced areas of shoreline. Pretty amazing for a bird which 80 years ago was very rare and still is the logo of nature reserve system in Germany. Its sibling species, the bald eagle, nests in city parks in Canada, so this may follow, too.

Exactly, one of the easiest places to see them in winter in Lithuania is basically in the centre of the second largest city in the country

 

[pbjosh]

Its sibling species, the bald eagle, nests in city parks in Canada, so this may follow, too.

The recovery of Bald Eagle has been awesome to watch over my lifetime. It used to be an extreme rarity in the general region I grew up. I remember first seeing one around '95, and that individual wintered in the area many years in a row and became a bit of a bird celebrity. Now there are at least 3 pairs breeding in the county and suspicion of others. I don't remember exact dates but they had not bred in Mexico for something like 70 or 90 years and are now breeding at least in Baja California again, and it wouldn't surprise me if they weren't breeding in other locations as well. I don't know of any city park nests in California or in Mexico but at least in northern California they're now common enough it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Sangahyando]

Pretty amazing for a bird which 80 years ago was very rare and still is the logo of nature reserve system in Germany.

Well, actually the logo shows a Bald Eagle, for some reason

But other than that, you're right, it's now one of the easiest raptors to see in Northern Germany. With that in mind, I'm wondering why they need help getting established in Norfolk. I'd assume there should be the occasional vagrant already?

 

[Farnboro John]

Well, actually the logo shows a Bald Eagle, for some reason

But other than that, you're right, it's now one of the easiest raptors to see in Northern Germany. With that in mind, I'm wondering why they need help getting established in Norfolk. I'd assume there should be the occasional vagrant already?

Yes, I've seen two or three WTE in Norfolk over the years, but essentially first winters turn up, stay the winter and return to the Continent. They don't stay even through their first summer.

John

 

[etudiant]

Yes, I've seen two or three WTE in Norfolk over the years, but essentially first winters turn up, stay the winter and return to the Continent. They don't stay even through their first summer.

John

They are natives of the EEC, so feel unwelcome.

 

[CharleyBird]

Are you referring to the Norfolk Monty's which vanish despite having satellite tags?

I guess so. It's over ten years since I made a special trip to see them on a memorable day of birding. I motored to RSPB Blacktoft first to see Marsh Harriers, then to Norfolk where I parked up and spent an hour watching a female Montagu's hunt over a field west of the road, and then the pair playing together as silhouettes over the hill to the east.
Extremely disappointing to hear they've gone.

 

[jimb]

When you say "spent the winter in Norfolk before moving on" I notice you don't say "spent the winter in Norfolk before coming back". So where did it go and what does that say about putting WTE in the South of England?

John

 

[jimb]

John, the location was not mentioned as the bird was on the move each day so it would have been pointless. For the record he returned to the Isle of Wight on Monday after over a year away.
This supports exactly what was expected with these young birds, they also have brilliant navigational skills.
Jim

 

[Farnboro John]

John, the location was not mentioned as the bird was on the move each day so it would have been pointless. For the record he returned to the Isle of Wight on Monday after over a year away.
This supports exactly what was expected with these young birds, they also have brilliant navigational skills.
Jim

I remember a wintering WTE in Hampshire that was originally discovered near the coast and then refound near Basingstoke: and of course the old record from Brill saw the bird refound daily in different locations from its regular roost, so I completely fail to accept what you say about the bird's movements. Relocation of mobile WTE by birders is pretty much routine. Keep it quiet if you want, but that's not how to generate favourable reactions from the public and it won't stop the bad guys from noticing it on their land, so it seems foolish to me.

As a regular passenger on my brother's light aircraft bimbles I am fully aware that you don't need brilliant navigation skills to find the Isle of Wight next to a small island like Great Britain. Just a fine day. It is interesting that it has returned though.

John

 

[PYRTLE]

A recent tour by one of the IOW tagged reintroduction birds shows it stayed well away from the proposed coastal site, I genuinely wonder why as I believed it would be able to scavenge and hunt more successfully on ducks, geese and seashore casualties closer to the strand line. Importantly it survived being in Norfolk airspace..... and I dont mean fast and low flying fighter jets.

Info via S. Gantlett's Twitter account / Roy Dennis.

 

[PYRTLE]

The wandering IOW youngsters seem to be naturally enjoying Norfolk. Two birds flying together photographed today in Winterton......first time ever in Norfolk I believe - (doesn't count 3 birds shot on the same day, but different locations in the 1870s).

 

[tonyfenn]

How many in Norfolk today in total?

 

[PYRTLE]

The much publicised scheme at Ken Hill Estate has been surprisingly shelved, certainly for this year. Rumours suggest that opposition by local land owners, some with shooting interests, are behind this decision.

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[Steve Lister]

I read somewhere that some of the more prominent Norfolk birders have lodged objections based on the potential effects on the county's breeding birds eg tern colonies.

 

[Farnboro John]

I read somewhere that some of the more prominent Norfolk birders have lodged objections based on the potential effects on the county's breeding birds eg tern colonies.

I'd be interested to know what the BTO's take on the issue is (and the RSPB's for that matter)?

John

 

[z-ben]

I'd be interested to know where they intend sourcing birds for this re-introduction, if it goes ahead. Given that they have a licence to release up to 12 each year for five years on the Isle of Wight, and yet they've only released six in each of the two years of that project so far, it seems as though there might not be that many 'spare' young birds around from Scottish sources to 'supply' the current re-introduction scheme. Can the Scottish population afford to 'lose' so many birds each year for these schemes?

I seem to recall that the original English Nature proposal was scuppered when the recession hit and most of their funding was cut.

I read somewhere that some of the birds to be released were to be donated by Poland.

 

[PYRTLE]

I was most surprised to read this news today. A similar scheme was lauded about 15 years ago by the then Natural England and similar opposition raised then , particularly livestock farmers - I cannot see what has changed much since then apart from a noticed increase in disturbance to shoreline breeders by human activity........paragliders and straying low flying light aircraft, inconsiderate dog walkers and the general footfall of humans probably create far more damaging occurrences to terns, gulls and plovers than an occasional sail past by a raptor looking for fish, wildfowl and carrion. Oh yes, and babies, piglets, lambs, small dogs......cats!

For this project to be delayed or scrapped this far down the line, by just a few birders objections seems fanciful, and why the project promoters haven't given reasons as to why adds to the mystery behind the cancellation. I doubt it is Royal disapproval given the family's younger members change of attitude to shooting. As FJ has written, perhaps some response by those bodies should be forthcoming.