White-tailed Eagles in the South West

It is now five years since we began the White-tailed Eagle Project on the Isle of Wight in partnership with Forestry England. In that time we have released a total of 37 young eagles and the project reached a major milestone last year when a pair of translocated birds, G405 and G471, reared a chick for the first time. Two further chicks fledged from the same site this year and three other territorial pairs are now established in southern England, including on the Isle of Wight and at Poole Harbour in Dorset. We have been extremely encouraged at how well the birds have fitted into the English landscape. Our extensive study on the diet of the reintroduced eagles has shown that fish becomes increasingly important as the birds mature, with grey mullet and other seasonally abundant species becoming favoured prey. 

G818 with a mullet in Christchurch Harbour (photo by Peter Twamley)

Our existing licences allow us to translocate birds to the Isle of Wight for another two years. Following the initial successes, it is our view that additional small-scale releases in other areas would be extremely beneficial to the restoration of the English White-tailed Eagle population. The first proposed location is Exmoor National Park, which has been visited by seven different young eagles since 2019. You can read more about the first five years of the White-tailed Eagle project and our plans for the future here

Press release issued by Exmoor National Park

Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) is launching a white-tailed eagle public perception survey and engagement events, to share how it’s partnering with the ‘White Tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme’ in England led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation RDWF and Forestry England, to support conservation of the species.  

From 2019 onwards the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England have been working to restore white-tailed eagles to southern England, through a reintroduction project based on the Isle of Wight, which is licensed by Natural England and NatureScot. A total of 37 eagles have been released to date and in 2023 a pair bred successfully for the first time. The same pair reared a further two chicks this year, and three other territorial pairs of eagles are now established on the South Coast. It is hoped that this project will lead to the establishment of 6-8 pairs of white-tailed eagles within 60km of the Isle of Wight.   To support the existing population of these incredible birds the project aims to carry out a small number of additional releases of white-tailed eagles and is working with ENPA to achieve this in the Exmoor National Park. The hope is that these birds will boost the emerging population of white-tailed eagles along the south coast of England. 

The area has been identified as a key location after the presence here of several of the white-tailed eagles released by the project. Satellite tracking shows precise locations of the birds and, over the past few years, Exmoor has become a white-tailed eagles hotspot, with seven different birds visiting. Many people have also been lucky enough to see the birds and logged their sightings.

White-tailed eagles formerly bred on the coast of Exmoor and the extensive areas of coastal woodland and abundant marine fish species, such as grey mullet, provide exceptional breeding habitat. Extensive research on the diet of the Isle of Wight birds has shown that they favour fish as they mature and begin breeding. 

Zoe Smith of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, and originally from the local area, said: “We have used the satellite tracking data, which provides extremely detailed information on the movements of all the birds we have released on the Isle of Wight, to identify the best areas to support the establishing population through a series of small-scale releases. This has shown that Exmoor is one of the key sites. We think that releasing a small cohort of up to 20 birds over three years would help reinforce the English population by aiding the geographical expansion, and we would like to know what local people think of this idea. 

Eagles from the Isle of Wight have been frequent visitors to Exmoor over the past five years and we know that many people have enjoyed seeing them. We can see from how people have reacted to the eagles over recent years, that once they get to know the behaviour of the birds it dispels any concerns surrounding this species. There’s a common fear for example that white-tailed eagles could predate livestock, but there’s been no record of this since the Isle of Wight project began. As their other common name ‘sea eagle’ suggests, they prefer to hunt fish but will also eat birds (including gulls and corvids), small mammals and dead animals (carrion). For young birds, carrion makes up a large proportion of their diet but, by their third year, white-tailed eagles will gravitate towards wetland sites, home to their preferred diet of fish.” 

Ali Hawkins Senior Ecologist for ENPA said:  

“White-tailed eagles are an important flagship species in coastal ecosystems and used to be found right across the UK but are now one of our rarest species and listed as a species of Conservation Concern.  Working with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation over the last few years we have been doing a lot of liaison with local landowners and shoots regarding white-tailed eagles already visiting Exmoor.   With its remote wooded coastline, deep incised valleys and abundance of food it’s easy to see why the eagles are choosing to spend time here and people have greatly enjoyed seeing them. 

We’d really like to hear what people think about white-tailed eagles in our public perception survey (need link) and invite everyone to come to our events and to talk with the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England who are experts on these birds, and our Exmoor National Park conservation staff and rangers.

We think that reinforcing the population of these spectacular birds would greatly support our work to make Exmoor richer in wildlife and return an important species to our National Park.  Moreover, evidence from projects in Scotland and the South of England shows that eagle tourism is extremely popular and could be of great benefit to the Exmoor economy, especially in winter.” 

Steve Egerton-Read from Forestry England said: “White-tailed eagles are a truly iconic species. The positive reaction that people have had to them since the reintroduction project began in 2019 has been incredible. It demonstrates how returning lost species like this can reconnect people with nature and help support its recovery. We’d encourage anyone interested in finding out more about the project to come along to one of these events and take part in the survey”.  

The Exmoor public perception survey can be found here. 

Exmoor National Park are holding white-tailed eagle information events and family activities at National Park Centres in:  

Dunster – Friday 22 November, 5-8pm 

Dunster Steep, TA24 6SE
What 3 Words: powering.ringside.obstinate

Lynmouth – Saturday 23 November, 11am-2pm 

Lynmouth Pavilion, The Esplanade, EX35 6EQ
What 3 Words: since.tells.repelled

Click here for more information on the white-tailed eagle reintroduction in southern England and plans for the South West.

  

Two white-tailed eagles fledged successfully in England  

Two white-tailed eagle chicks have fledged from a nest in England, only the second time these iconic birds have bred here for over 240 years. The chicks were reared by a pair of white-tailed eagles released by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation’s project to return this lost species to England.

The chicks, both males, are the offspring of two white-tailed eagles released by the project in 2020. The parent birds – female G405 and male G471 – were the same pairing that last year successfully raised a single male chick (G625), the first white-tailed eagle to be born in southern England since 1780.

The two chicks – G636 and G637 – are fitted with satellite tags so that the project team can track their progress. Over the last year they have used satellite data to follow last year’s chick (G625) as he has explored widely across the UK travelling as far as the north of Scotland. 

White-tailed eagles typically reach breeding maturity at around four or five years old. From the birds released by the project, four pairs have now formed and established territories in southern England. It is hoped that these other pairs will breed in future years. 

Roy Dennis OBE, Founder of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said:

“Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal. So, to see this second year of breeding success is really encouraging. It is still early days, but this is a very significant milestone.

“We are always so heartened to see the support of so many people towards these magnificent birds and the positive reactions those lucky enough to have seen one have. This success demonstrates our ability to restore nature, including very large iconic species; nature recovery requires even greater effort from us all.”

The two chicks just visible in the nest, soon after hatching (Forestry England)

Steve Egerton-Read, White-Tailed Eagle Project Officer for Forestry England, said:

“We have spent the last few months closely watching this pair of eagles, hoping that they would successfully breed again this year. Things looked promising throughout the spring, but you never know if they will ultimately be successful. When we first saw two chicks appear in the nest it was tremendously exciting! For both to make it to fledging demonstrates the abundance of food in this landscape and the suitability of southern England for these birds.

“Restoring lost species like white-tailed eagles is a critical element in nature recovery and a key part of Forestry England’s work within the nation’s forests. We hope this project can help inspire the restoration of our natural heritage. We will continue to work to re-establish these birds as a breeding species across the region, with the aim that future generations will be able to enjoy seeing them as a regular sight in the skies above where they live.”

White-tailed eagles are Britain’s largest birds of prey with a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres and were once widespread across England. Human persecution caused their extinction, with the last pair breeding in southern England in 1780. In 2019, Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began reintroducing these iconic birds to the English landscape.

To date, 37 young white-tailed eagles have been released by the reintroduction project This includes eight birds released this summer from the team’s base on the Isle of Wight. Currently, 22 of these birds have survived. An additional three young white-tailed eagles have now been bred in the wild by the released birds.

The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles is conducted under licence from Natural England, the Government’s wildlife licensing authority. Birds for release are collected from wild nests in Scotland under licence from NatureScot before being transported to England with valuable support from Civil Air Support. The birds are subsequently reared and released on the Isle of Wight, all birds released by the project are fitted with satellite tags.  

The location of this year’s nest, on private land with no public access, is not being disclosed for the welfare of the birds and to prevent any disturbance to them or the landowner either this year or if the birds return to breed at the same location.

The two juveniles after fledging (Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation)

White-tailed Eagle diet

One of the questions we are frequently asked about the White-tailed Eagle project, which we run in partnership with Forestry England, is what do the birds eat?

The White-tailed Eagle is a generalist predator, typically favouring the most seasonally abundant prey. Various diet studies across Europe have shown that fish is favoured when it is available, but that a variety of birds and smaller mammals are also taken according to their availability. Most of these diet studies are based on prey remains collected from occupied nests at the end of the breeding season, including this excellent recent one in Scotland, but this methodology typically underestimates how much fish is caught, and does not provide evidence of how prey was acquired. 

We have been keen to monitor the diet of the eagles released on the Isle of Wight from the outset, and with the first pair not breeding until 2023, we have based our work on field observations. This not only provides evidence of what the birds are eating, but also how prey is acquired. The fact that every bird in the population is satellite tracked is extremely helpful in this regard, because it enables us to identify the areas favoured by the birds – including the individual trees and perches they use – and then to base our field studies at these sites. Nevertheless, it requires a huge amount of time and patience. White-tailed Eagles favour the sit-and-wait strategy and often perch for hours at a time between hunting attempts  

Our research, involving more than 5000 hours of observation, has been led by Steve Egerton-Read, the White-tailed Eagle project officer from Forestry England, who is based on the Isle of Wight. We have now amassed more than 600 observations, 83% of which are in Isle of Wight, Hampshire, New Forest and West Sussex in southern England, where the first territorial pairs have become established. 

We are in the process of writing this work up in a scientific paper, but in the meantime, our key findings to date are summarised below. It is also important to emphasise that there have been no cases of livestock predation since the project began.

What they eat 

As expected, the eagles have a broad diet, which is illustrated in the pie chart below. Birds constitute 36%, with Canada Goose the most frequently recorded species; fish make up 25%, with both marine and freshwater species readily caught; and mammals, primarily rabbits and brown hares, account for 24%. Cuttlefish, a marine mollusc, which are abundant in the seagrass beds of the South Coast during spring and early summer when they enter the warm water to spawn, have become another key item. Cuttlefish are typically found low in the water, out of reach of White-tailed-Eagles. However, after spawning, these individuals die at the surface and then become available to foraging eagles. As a result, molluscs account for 5% of diet.

Diet composition of White-tailed Eagles released on the Isle of Wight to date
G274 with a cuttlefish (photo by Ainsley Bennett)

How they acquire food

Overall, the eagles prefer live caught prey, and items attained through direct predation account for 45% of the observations in our study. Carrion constitutes 21%, while piracy from other predatory birds make up 9%. If the observer did not see how an eagle attained its food, it is listed as unknown.   

Feeding strategy of White-tailed Eagles released on the Isle of Wight

Changes with age

Our work has shown that White-tailed Eagle diet changes with age, which, in light of a paucity of other studies on juvenile/sub-adult birds, is a noteworthy finding. Carrion is very important for young birds in their first and second years, and they also favour mammals – particularly rabbits, when they are young. However, as they become older, they tend to gravitate towards wetland sites, where fish becomes the preferred prey item, as illustrated in the graphs below. Fish are either live caught or pirated from other piscivorous birds. Last year, when the first pair of White-tailed Eagles bred successfully, more than 50% of the prey items brought to the nest by the adults birds, G405 and G471, were fish.

Diet compassion by age class (1CY = first calendar year, and so on)
Feeding strategy by age class (1CY = first calendar year, and so on)
G818 with a mullet at Christchurch Harbour in Dorset (photo by Peter Twamley)
G625, the first English wild-fledged chick for 240 years, with a pike (photo by Trevor Goodfellow)

Explorations of a young English eagle

During the first five years of the White-tailed Eagle project, which we run in partnership with Forestry England, we have been able to monitor the movements of the translocated eagles in great detail thanks to the Ornitela satellite tags deployed on each bird prior to release. The young eagles have proved to be highly nomadic in their early years, with a number of birds travelling to northern Scotland, and two others crossing the English Channel to continental Europe. All have later returned to the Isle of Wight and the South Coast, particularly as they approach breeding age.

Last year the project reached a significant milestone, with the first chick, G625, fledging from a wild nest. We satellite tagged the young male before he left the nest, and this allows us to follow his movements in near real time. It has been fascinating – and encouraging – that his behaviour has been very similar to the translocated birds.

After leaving his parent’s territory on 6th January, G625 dispersed to Wiltshire before moving north-east to East Anglia in late January. He spent the next two months in Norfolk and Suffolk, favouring the Brecks near Lakenheath and also an area to the north-east of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, where he was seen in the company of a colour-ringed Dutch White-tailed Eagle WN88. G625 was also observed catching fish at Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Mickle Mere Nature Reserve on a number of occasions. During February the young male also spent time in North Norfolk, visiting Holkham NNR and also frequenting an area near Flitcham. 

G625 with a pike at Mickle Mere (photo by Trevor Goodfellow)
G625 (left) and Dutch White-tailed Eagle WN88 in Suffolk (photo by Su Cross)

G625 left East Anglia on 26th March and flew north to the Lammermuir Hills in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, travelling 660km over the course of five days. Interestingly G625’s father G471 had spent the spring of his second calendar year in East Anglia, before flying north to the Southern Uplands where he remained for much of the summer. G625’s visit was more short-lived; he remained in the Lammermuirs until 11th April before heading south again, making a 667km return flight to the Brecks, again in five days, arriving in his favoured area near Lakenheath on 15th April (see map). 

G625’s return flight to the Lammermuirs (yellow = flight north, white = flight south)

This time G625 did not linger in East Anglia for long and instead returned to his natal nest on 17th April, before visiting the Isle of Wight on 18th April and again on 22nd– 23rd April. His return to the South Coast was a brief one though because on 29th April he flew 299km back to North Norfolk from the Knepp estate in West Sussex. 

Next day G625 continued north, heading across the Wash and then onwards through Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, before arriving in the North York Moors after a day’s flight of 234km.  

G625 lingered in the North York Moors for four days before continuing further north, passing through Teeside on 5th May and then reaching the Southern Uplands near Langholm the next day. On 7th he returned to the Lammermuirs, but only spent two further days there before he was on the move again. G625 crossed the Firth of Forth just before midday on 10th, and then continued north to the Scottish Highlands. That night he roosted in a plantation south of Dufftown in the north east of the Cairngorms having flown 280km.    

On 11th May G625 explored Moray, flying north towards Fochabers, before returning south into the mountains again. The young male has remained in the Cairngorms since, favouring an area in the south-east of the national park, ranging between Glen Cova and Glen Lethnot in the Angus Glens.  

It will be fascinating to see how long G625 remains in northern Scotland. It is possible he will linger north of the border for the rest of the summer, as several of the translocated birds have done. In fact, G641, a male from the Isle of Lewis that we translocated to the Isle of Wight last summer, has also been in the Cairngorms since 7th May, having departed the Isle of Wight on 18th April. The two males met each other just after midday on 11th April and then roosted together that night on the Moray-Aberdeenshire border in the eastern Cairngorms, south of Bracklach. Next day G625 moved further south to the Angus Glens, while G641 has been favouring the mountains between Cabrach and Cock Bridge since. We will continue to monitor their satellite tracking data closely. The tags provide very high resolution data for both birds – a GPS location every 5 minutes – and we will report further interesting movements.

Movements of G625 (yellow) and G641 (white) in the northern Scotland during May
G625’s movements in 2024

Very many thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Foundation and the White-tailed Eagle project in the past few months. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate to our work, then you can do so via the link below.

French flight

Since the start of the White-tailed Eagle project, which we run in partnership with Forestry England, satellite tracking has shown how nomadic the young eagles can be prior to settling on a breeding territory. For example, one of the birds now established at Poole Harbour, male G463, spent two successive summers in continental Europe, before returning to the South Coast and pairing up with female G466. Up until a few weeks ago G463 was the only one of the Isle of Wight eagles to cross the English Channel, but at the end of last month G818, a female that was released in 2021, having been translocated from the Isle of Lewis, followed suit, spending just over a fortnight wandering extensively in northern France, as Tim Mackrill explains.

The bird’s flight was also featured on BBC News at Six, and you can watch the film by pressing play below.

Flight to France

Although so far unpaired, G818 has been favouring the Avon valley on the Dorset-Hampshire border in recent months and has been regularly seen catching grey mullet in Christchurch Harbour. On the morning of 22nd March she left a favoured area and then flew south across the Isle of Wight, before spending the afternoon at RSPB Brading Marshes. It is not uncommon for the young eagles to visit the Island, but they are usually seen off by the resident pair, G274 and G324, quite quickly and so it was no surprise when G818 crossed the Solent at 9:00 next morning. Once over the mainland G818 tracked east along the South Coast, passing over Brighton at 10:00, Eastbourne half an hour later, and Hastings just before 11:00.

At 12:13 she was over the sea at St Margarets Bay, just to the east of Dover, and while circling at 665 metres, would have been able to see the French coast at Calais.  She flew 35 km (21 miles) across the English Channel in 30 minutes, with her altitude dropping from a high of 804 metres off the English coast to 255 metres as she made landfall west of Calais.

Once she reached France she headed south through des caps et Marais d’Opale Regional Natural Park and eventually roosted to the east of the market town of Desvres having flown 301 km (187 miles) since leaving Brading Marshes that morning.

G818 flew 301 km to northern France on 23rd March

French Explorations

G818 continued south at first light next morning, before crossing into Normandy at 12:55. She continued to track the Normandy coast for the next three days, passing Rouen at lunchtime on 25th, and Caen the next day.  Eventually she then reached the wetlands of Parc des Marais du Cotentin in the Cherbourg Peninsular during the afternoon of 28th, having flown a total of 454 km (282 miles) in four days. 

On the morning of 30th March G818 flew north towards the northern tip of the Cherbourg peninsular. However, she turned around as she approached Cherbourg and then headed south along the west coast. She roosted that night near Mont Saint-Michel in the south-west of Normandy having flown 189 km (117 miles). 

G818 moved a few kilomteres south into Brittany on 31st March and spent the day at the wetlands of Réserve Naturelle Régionale du Marais de Sougéal. She was still there next morning and was photographed hunting wildfowl by Maude Bachet. 

G818 was observed hunting wildfowl at du Marais de Sougéal (photo by Maude Bachet)
G818 at du Marais de Sougéal (photo by Maude Bachet)

Heading for home? 

G818 left the wetlands at 10:45 on 1st April, initially heading south-east towards Le Mans, before turning to the north-east during the afternoon. She flew 224km (139 miles) before roosting in woodland near Longny-les-Villages in the Perche Regional Natural Park. It appeared from this significant flight and change of direction, that she might be beginning to head for home. 

She moved a little further north on 2nd and then remained near Verneuil d’Avre et d’lton on 3rd. Then, on 4th, she made a more purposeful flight north, travelling 77 km (48 miles) to the River Seine just to the west of Rouen in Normady.   She lingered beside the Seine all day on 5th and then during the morning of 6th, before moving 32 km (20 miles) north that afternoon and roosting in the grounds of Château de Cany. 

Next morning G818 left the Château at 9:30 and then followed the Normandy coast north-east, passing over Dieppe at 10:30 and eventually reaching Wissant just to the west of Calais at 13:10. Conditions obviously weren’t conducive to a Channel crossing because she headed back inland, before roosting in an area she had first visited on 23rd March, after a day’s flight of 227 km (141 miles). 

G818’s explorations in France, with roost sites (and dates) shown by yellow icons.

Next morning, on 8th April, G818 flew back to the coast and then time headed out across the English Channel, 11 km south-west of where she had made landfall on 23rd March. She took 27 minutes to make the crossing, arriving over Dover at an altitude of 109 metres at 12:40.

G818’s English Channel crossings on 23rd March (easterly route) and return on 8th April.

She then continued north, stopping briefly on the Isle of Sheppey at 14:15 before heading west and skirting around the south side of London before roosting south of Oxted in Kent, having flown 196 km (122 miles) from northern France. Over the course of the next three days she continued west through the South Downs, and then the New Forest, before arriving at a favoured location in the Avon valley at 08:30 on 12th. She had flown a total of 2062 km (1281 miles) in 22 days. A remarkable flight for a young eagle learning her place in the world.  

G818 returned to England on 8th April, flying 196 km that day.
G818 flew 2062 km in 22 days.

Very many thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Foundation and the White-tailed Eagle project in the past few months. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate to our work, then you can do so via the link below.

Happy Christmas

Christmas is a good time to reflect on the past twelve months, and 2023 has proved to be a very significant year for our work.

Fledging success

The White-tailed Eagle project, which we run in partnership with Forestry England, reached a major milestone in July, with a chick fledging from a natural nest in southern England for the first time in 240 years. We fitted the youngster, G625, with a satellite tag and this has provided a fascinating insight into his movements since leaving the nest. The young male remained within 1km of the nest site for the first month after fledging, with his parents, G405 and G471 – both translocated to the Isle of Wight in 2020 – providing a steady supply of food, which field monitoring and analysis of prey remains indicated was predominantly fish, supplemented with some rabbits. He made his first longer flight away on 15th August, following G471 to a favoured area 10km to the south. These exploratory flights became more regular thereafter, and on 6th September G625 flew over 20km north-east and eventually roosted away from the nest for the first time.

G625 on an exploratory flight (photo by Mike Jerome)

We know that G471 catches bass off the South Coast and on 23rd September G625 followed his father to the coast, and then made another visit with him on 29th, before making a solo visit on 3rd October. Such experiences will be invaluable for the young male as he becomes independent. He remains in his natal territory most days but there are signs that he is becoming more self-sufficient. It was particularly encouraging that he was seen catching a fish for the first time on 11th December, by Ben Ayling. It will be fascinating to see at what point G625 finally decides to leave the area, or whether he will wait until he is pushed away by his parents once the new breeding cycle begins.

Establishing pairs

While G405 and G471 were the only pair to breed this year, two other territorial pairs of White-tailed Eagles are now well-established. G274 and G324, released in 2019, are resident on the Isle of Wight and the Solent, while G463 and G466, translocated in 2020, have paired up at Poole Harbour. This latter pair are regularly seen from the brilliant Birds of Poole Harbour boat trips which are now one of the very best ways of seeing the White-tailed Eagles in southern England. It has been wonderful to join some of these trips and to see the excitement that the birds generate. Birds of Poole Harbour are running regular trips this winter, so check out their website for more. We are hopeful that these two pairs of White-tailed Eagles will attempt to breed for the first time in 2024.

G466 (left) and G463 have paired-up at Poole Harbour (photo by Mark Wright)

Sad news

Unfortunately, it is not all good news from Dorset. In early September we were encouraged that two 2021 birds, female G801 and male G816, appeared to have paired in an area to the south-west of Poole Harbour. However during the afternoon of 26th September, the satellite data indicated that G816 had been hit by a train on the main London-Weymoth line. We contacted Dorset Police and, with assistance from Network Rail, they recovered the body of the bird. A subsequent post-mortem carried out by the Disease Risk and Health Surveillance team at Zoological Society of London (ZSL) confirmed that the injuries sustained were consistent with a train strike. It seems G816 had been feeding on a dead deer close to the tracks and was then hit by the train as he attempted to fly off. Sadly, this is a well-known cause of death of White-tailed Eagles in other parts of Europe, but it was especially disappointing to lose a bird that had begun to pair-up.  Thanks to Dorset Police, Network Rail and ZSL for their valuable assistance in dealing with this sad case.

Although G801 avoided the train strike, she has recently developed an overgrown bill. This has been recorded in White-tailed Eagles in Scotland in the past and can be caused by a rage of factors. One possibility is that she sustained an injury, which subsequently became infected. G801 has had several territorial disputes with the Poole Harbour female, G466, and it is possible that she damage her bill in one such incident. Although G801 appears thin, the satellite data indicates that she is behaving normally. We will continue to monitor her condition closely over the coming months.

G801 at RSPB Lodmoor on 17th December (photo by Helen Wood)

Ospreys breed again

We were delighted that Ospreys nested for a second year at Poole Harbour. Translocated male 022 and Rutland Water female CJ7 raised three chicks, which all fledged successfully in July (see video below, which shows 5H3 returning to the nest after his first flight). It was excellent that Birds of Poole Harbour arranged public viewings at the nest for the first time, and Osprey boat trips during August and September were once again a resounding success. We were also encouraged that a second translocated male, 374, released in 2021, returned for the first time and spent time at several artificial nests around the harbour. We very much hope that this young male will return earlier in 2024 and attract a mate.

In addition, two translocated females, 014(18) and 019(19), again bred successfully in North Wales, both rearing three chicks. Meanwhile two other younger females from the 2021 cohort, 372 and 379, were also seen in Wales, raising hopes that they may return to join the expanding Welsh population in 2024. These sex-based differences in natal dispersal, with males returning to breed close to their natal site, and females often joining other populations, is typical of Ospreys and shows how the Poole Harbour translocation can play a key role in linking different populations of Ospreys.

Thank you

Sincere thanks to everyone who has supported our work in 2023, through donations, by submitting sightings and photos of White-tailed Eagles or Ospreys, or simply through words of support. We wish you all a very happy Christmas and all the very best for the New Year.   

The eagle chick, G625, aged approximately 10 days.

Very many thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Foundation and the White-tailed Eagle project in the past few months. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate to our work, then you can do so via the link below.

First white-tailed eagle in 240 years fledges in England 

In a landmark moment for conservationists, the first white-tailed eagle for over 240 years has fledged from a nest in the wild in England. The chick is the first successful breeding attempt of the white-tailed eagles released by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation’s project to return this lost species to England.

White-tailed eagles are Britain’s largest birds of prey with a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters and were once widespread across England. Human persecution caused their extinction with the last pair breeding in southern England in 1780. In 2019, Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation began a reintroduction programme to restore these iconic birds to the English landscape.

Two of the birds released by the project in 2020 – female G405, originally translocated from the Outer Hebrides and male G471, from north-west Sutherland – reared the male chick earlier this summer. The location of the nest, on private land with no public access, is not being disclosed for the welfare of the birds and to prevent any disturbance to them or the landowner either this year or if the birds return to breed at the same location. 

The chick was ringed and fitted with a satellite tag by licensed ornithologists from the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation enabling the project team to track this historic bird’s daily progress through its life. 

Roy Dennis MBE, Founder of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, said: 

“This is a very special moment for everyone who has worked on, supported and followed this ground-breaking project. Restoring a breeding population in southern England, where the species was once widespread, has been our ultimate goal. Many thought it was impossible but we knew food for eagles – fresh and salt water fish, cuttlefish, rabbits, hares and wild birds – was plentiful. I visited the Isle of Wight as a young birdwatcher in the 1950s, saw the last breeding location at Culver Cliff and knew they should be restored. It is early days, but this is a very significant milestone and we are heartened by the enthusiastic support shown by so many people and that the sight of these huge eagles in the sky inspires hope for restoring nature. We still have a long way to go, but the feeling of seeing the first pair reach this stage is truly incredible.” 

The birds are one of three territorial pairs that have now become established in southern England and the first to breed. 

Steve Egerton-Read, White-Tailed Eagle Project Officer for Forestry England, said: 

“We are thrilled that this moment has happened and at such an early stage in the project. At only three years old, it is remarkable that the pair have successfully bred, with most white-tailed eagles not attempting to do so until they are at least four or five. This pairs’ ability to breed and fledge their chick at this early age is extremely encouraging.”

“It is really hard to put into words just what an incredible moment this is for the return of these iconic birds to England. It is evidence of just how well the eagles are starting to fit back into this landscape and how, with a little help, nature can begin to return and thrive. Although it has not been possible to set up a public viewing site at this location, we are hopeful that one of the other pairs that has become established in southern England will choose to nest in a location that we can share with the public in future years.”  

To date, 25 white-tailed eagles have been released by the reintroduction project with 16 still surviving. A further release of young white-tailed eagles is planned for later this summer from the project team’s base on the Isle of Wight. 

The reintroduction of white-tailed eagles is conducted under licence from Natural England, the Government’s wildlife licensing authority. All of the young birds involved in the project are collected under a NatureScot licence from the wild in Scotland and brought to the Isle of Wight.

The White-tailed Eagle chick in the nest prior to fledging (RDWF)
The chick was fitted with a satellite tag prior to fledging (Forestry England)

A Who’s Who of White-tailed Eagles at Poole Harbour 

Over the last year Poole Harbour has become a hotspot for White-tailed Eagle activity. The vast natural harbour provides rich forging opportunities throughout the year with abundant supplies of fish, including Grey Mullet, as well as waterbirds, and many quiet areas to perch. We have been particularly encouraged that three-year-olds G463 and G466 have become established as a pair, and up to six other birds have been regular visitors over the past twelve months. Here is a brief overview of each of the birds, and also where best to see them, by Tim Mackrill.

G463 and G466

Male G463 was originally translocated to the Isle of Wight from Sutherland in North-West Scotland in 2020. After spending his first winter near Chard in Somerset, G463 crossed the English Channel in early April 2021 and spent seven months exploring Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, favouring many areas with expanding White-tailed Eagle populations. G463 made the return journey across the English Channel in November that year and then spent the majority of the winter in East Anglia, favouring parts of North and West Norfolk and also the Suffolk Coast. During his time in Norfolk, G463 lost the lower part of his right leg, as reported in our blog in January. Despite this, G463 appears to have adapted well, and again crossed the Channel in early April before summering in mainland Europe; returning to many of the sites he had first visited the previous year, and also making a short flight into southern Sweden. 

G463’s movements in Europe during 2021 (red) and 2022 (white)

Despite the fact that he would have encountered many White-tailed Eagles during his travels in mainland Europe, the draw of returning to the South Coast clearly proved very strong and G463 headed back across the English Channel on 22nd September last year.  He then spent time in favoured areas in East Anglia and Somerset, before finally returning to the Isle of Wight on 9th January, after more than two years away. He first visited Poole Harbour on Boxing Day, and has been present there almost continuously since late January, when he first encountered G466. 

Female G466, was also translocated to the Isle of Wight in 2020, from a nest near Uig on the Isle of Skye. After spending her first winter on the Isle of Wight, G466 flew north to Scotland the following spring, and then spent the rest of the year in Caithness in Sutherland. She eventually returned to the Isle of Wight in February 2022, but then flew north again on 5th April, and like G463, returned to many of the sites she had favoured the previous summer, including Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point of mainland Britain. She flew south again in late September and after visiting various sites on the South Coast, she became a regular at Poole Harbour from 20th November, appearing to displace another female, G801, who has been resident over summer 2022 (see below). 

G466 spent two summers in northern Scotland
G466’s movements in northern Scotland during 2021 (white) and 2022 (yellow)

G466 was joined by G463 on 20th January, and the two birds have been together on an almost daily basis since. Their favoured area, which covers approximately 125km², is centred on the Wareham Channel at Poole Harbour, and stretches south to the coast at Kimmeridge, where the satellite data indicates they catch fish off-shore, and also Wareham Forest to the north. The birds have made regular courtship flights in recent months, flying in tandem across much of this area. It is clear that they are now a pair, and we are hopeful that they may try and breed as early as next spring. 

G466(right) and G463 (with a Carrion Crow for size comparison) have paired at Poole Harbour. This brilliant photo, by Mark Wright, was taken from a boat trip run by Birds of Poole Harbour.

G801

Female G801 was translocated to the Isle of Wight in 2021 from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. She spent much of her first winter on the Isle of Wight, but also visited Hampshire and Dorset. As the days began to lengthen, she made longer exploratory flights into Surrey and Sussex during February and then west to Devon and Cornwall during March.  G801 returned east to Poole Harbour on 19th March, and became a regular in the Wareham Channel during April. On 4th May she set off on another longer exploratory flight, heading east to Kent where she was seen at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory. She then followed the East Anglian coast north before continuing through Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, reaching Saltburn-by-Sea on the Cleveland coast, on 9th May. After a few days in the nearby North York Moors, she headed south again, stopping at Middleton Lakes near Tamworth from 15th-23rd May before returning to Poole Harbour on 27thMay. 

G801 spent the rest of the summer at Poole, again favouring the Wareham Channel, where she was regularly seen from the Birds of Poole Harbour’s excellent boat trips. She also visited the coast at Kimmeridge. However once G466 became resident at Poole Harbour, as described above, she seems to displace the younger female, who moved to Cranborne Chase, another area that is favoured by the young eagles. Nevertheless, G801 continues to make regular visits to Poole Harbour, most recently on 21st May. 

G801 spent most of summer 2022 at Poole Harbour, but now seems to have been displaced by G466 (photo by Mark Wright)

G812 and G486

Male G812 was translocated from the Isle of Lewis in 2021.  He has remained in southern England since release, favouring an area that extends from Poole Harbour in the south to Cranborne Chase in the north. He has formed a close association with female G486 who was translocated from the Isle of Mull the same year. The female has been more nomadic, visiting East Anglia during July 2022, Colliford Lake on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall from 11th December – 26th January, and then various South Devon estuaries in late January and early February this year. She returned to her favoured areas in North Dorset on 9th February and she and G812 continue to visit Poole Harbour, often together. 

G812 has favoured Dorset since release in summer 2021 (photo by Jamie Randall)
G486 has been a regular in Dorset, but has also spent time in East Anglia, Cornwall, and Devon (photo by Jamie Randall)

G816

Another 2021 male, G816, who was translocated from the Isle of Lewis, has also remained in southern England since release. He is a regular visitor to Poole Harbour, and also spends time on the Purbeck coast at Kimmeridge, the Isle of Wight, in south Wiltshire and Cranborne Chase. During the early part of 2023 he began to associate with 2021 female G818, but the female, who was also translocated from the Isle of Lewis, has since flown north to the Cairngorms, where she spent much of summer 2022.  

G318 

Female G318 is one of three surviving birds from the first release in 2019. She remains unpaired and somewhat nomadic, but was a regular visitor to Poole Harbour in 2022 when wandering away from her favoured areas in Cranborne Chase and the Avon Valley. She has spent the past two summers in the Peak District and recently returned north to the same favoured area near Howden Reservoir on 24th May.  

Female G318 has spent most of the past year in Dorset, but has recently returned to the Peak District for the third successive summer (photo by Jamie Randall)

Where to view White-tailed Eagles at Poole Harbour?

White-tailed Eagles can be encountered just about anywhere in and around Poole Harbour but there are a few particularly good spots to try:

  • The new Ham Common Viewpoint offers panoramic views along the Wareham Channel and the areas often favoured by G463 and G466. More details here: https://bcpprojects.net/ham-common-lookout/
  • Arne RSPB reserve offers an excellent chance of seeing White-tailed Eagles, with the Hyde’s Heath trail and Coombe Heath viewpoint the best places to try. 
  • Birds of Poole Harbour run boat trips throughout the summer, and often get excellent views of White-tailed Eagles from on board. For more details check out the Birds of Poole harbour website: https://www.birdsofpooleharbourbookings.co.uk/.  

Thank you

Sincere thanks to everyone who has been in touch to report sightings or sent photos of eagles either from Poole Harbour or in their local area. This information is of real value and adds to our understanding of how the birds are living in the landscape. You can report any sightings using our online form. We have been thrilled at the excitement the birds have generated, and greatly appreciate the support the project has received.  

Very many thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Foundation and the White-tailed Eagle project in the past few months. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate to our work, then you can do so via the link below.

The explorer returns

During the course of the first four years of the Isle of Wight White-tailed Eagle project, which we run in partnership with Forestry England, the young eagles have followed a fairly predictable pattern. They disperse widely during their early years, but then move back towards the Isle of Wight and the South Coast as they approach breeding age. This is demonstrated by the fact that the first two territorial pairs have become established on the Isle of Wight and in the Arun valley in West Sussex, despite the fact that three of the four birds involved spent time in Scotland during their second calendar year. 

The latest bird to return to the Isle of Wight after a prolonged period away is 2020 male, G463. He was the first Isle of Wight bird to cross the English Channel and spent seven months in Continental Europe between April and November of his second calendar year, favouring the Wadden Sea coasts of Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. When he returned he spent the majority of the winter in East Anglia, mainly in north and west Norfolk, but also visiting the Suffolk coast. Later he also re-visited a favoured area near Chard in south Somerset, where he had spent his first winter, but made no attempt to return to the Isle of Wight. 

On 3rd April last year he made a second crossing of the Channel, and returned to many of the locations he had visited the previous summer, and also made a short excursion into Sweden. It was notable that like many of the other young eagles, he was returning to favoured locations first encountered during his initial explorations. 

G463’s movements from 13th October 2020-31st December 2021 (red) and 1st January 2022-9th January 2023 (white)

One of the places G463 re-visited during his second visit to mainland Europe, was the Biesbosch, a large wetland in the Netherlands which supports breeding White-tailed Eagle and Osprey. Whilst G463 was there we received images taken by a local photographer, kindly sent to us by Dirk van Straalen who monitors White-tailed Eagles in the Netherlands. We were very concerned that the photos clearly showed the bird was missing his right leg below the knee. We initially suspected that this was a recent injury, but when we analysed the satellite data it was clear that G463 had been behaving apparently normally for several months; indicating it probably occurred earlier.

The tag’s in-built accelerometer, which provides data on the eagle’s movement, indicates that G463 probably sustained the injury in December 2021 when he was in North Norfolk. White-tailed Eagles favour the sit-and-wait strategy when searching for food, and consequently are are often static for prolonged periods. However, in this case, the data indicated G463 was more sedentary than usual, and so the Foundation’s Associate Ornithologist, Zoe Smith, a highly experienced raptor fieldworker, made a specific visit to try and locate him. The eagles can be very difficult to track down depending on their location, but with the permission of the landowner, Zoe was able to locate G463 perched inconspicuously, and not easily viewed, in a quiet area of woodland. A few days later we were encouraged that he became more mobile again.

In January G463 moved further south and was seen and photographed at various locations in Suffolk, including at RSPB Minsmere at the end of the month. Close inspection of photos taken at the time indicate that the right foot was missing, even though it again went unnoticed. This supports our hypothesis that G463’s period of inactivity the previous month was due to the injury. 

Having sought advice from the project’s vet and raptor expert, John Chitty, it seems that the injury could have been sustained in one of two ways. The first is through loss of blood due to entrapment or entanglement, and the second is through electric-shock, which is known to cause raptors to loose legs in the manner of G463 (see here for some examples).

G463 at Minsmere on 31st Januay 2022 (photo by Rachel Harvey)

Regardless of the exact cause, it appears that G463 has learnt to adapt to living with only one foot. He returned across the English Channel on 20th September 2022 and initially returned to favoured areas in West Norfolk, where he remained until the end of October.  He then made his way slowly south-west to Somerset and spent six weeks in south Somerset, before heading east to Poole Harbour on Boxing Day. Finally, on 9thJanuary he returned to the Isle of Wight for the first time since 13th October 2020. During his 27-month period away – the longest of any of the released eagles so far – he flew over 17,000km and visited seven different countries. 

On his first night back on the Isle of Wight, G463 roosted close to the release area, but like other returning eagles, he had the Island’s resident birds, G274 and G324 to contend with. The satellite data showed they roosted very close to each other that night, and then G463 remained in the local area for most of the next day. However, on the morning of 11th, the tracking data indicates that G463 was seen off by G274 and, after spending two further nights on the Isle of Wight, albeit in areas away from the resident male’s core territory, G463 headed back across the Solent during the afternoon of 13th. He flew north across the New Forest and spent several days near Amesbury in Wiltshire, before heading south-west and returning to Poole Harbour. 

G463 at Chard Junction Gravel Pits on 27th November 2022 (photo by Dave Helliar)

Poole Harbour has become something of an eagle hotspot over the past twelve months and on the morning of 21st January G463 was photographed by John Thorpe, Pete Scott having an aerial tussle younger male G812, who has been a regular visitor to Poole Harbour in recent months. He then spent the rest of the day with 2020 female G466, who returned to the South Coast in early October after spending last summer in northern Scotland, and has been another regular in the area. With both birds now in their fourth calendar year they are reaching the age where we might expect them to pair up and establish a territory, and so it be interesting to see what happens over the coming weeks. We will be paying particular attention to G463 to understand better how he has adapted to living with only one foot. Birds can be remarkably adaptable and there are examples of Bald Eales living with only one foot in North America (see here). The fact that G463 has survived for more than a year, is certainly encouraging. We will be sure to keep you updated over the coming months. 

G463 (below) tussling with younger male, G812 at Poole Harbour. The missing right foot is evident in this photo (photo by John Thorpe)

G463 (below) with G812 (photo by John Thorpe)
G463 at Poole Harbour on 21st January (photo by Pete Scott)

Happy New Year

New Year is a good opportunity to reflect on the last twelve months. Working in conservation inevitably involves highs and lows and 2022 was true to form in that regard. However, we think it is import to focus on the positives, and to consider what can be achieved with our proactive approach to the restoration of nature. 

It is very encouraging to report that two territorial pairs of White-tailed Eagles are now established. G274 and G324 were part of the first cohort of six young eagles released by us and Forestry England, our project partner, on the Isle of Wight in August 2019. They paired up very early, in autumn 2020, and have remained together since. They have become fiercely territorial of two coastal sites on the Isle of Wight and as they approach their fifth calendar year, the two birds look resplendent in near full adult plumage. Project Officer, Steve Egerton-Read, who is based on the Island, has been monitoring the two birds closely, particularly in relation to their diet. Steve’s important work has shown that the two birds readily catch both marine and freshwater fish throughout the year and are also proficient at predating any weak or injured Canada Geese, as well as a range of other bird species, particularly corvids and gulls.  They are also expert at stealing food from other species, including Grey Herons, and Marsh Harriers. We are hopeful that the two birds may show the first signs of breeding behaviour in the spring, and will be monitored closely. 

Elsewhere a second pair of eagles has also become established. G405 and G471, were both released in 2020 and, as we have come to expect, explored widely during their second calendar year. G471 summered in the Southern Uplands in the south of Scotland, while G405 spent time in Exmoor and, later, Bodmin Moor. Both returned to the Isle of Wight and surrounding areas last spring, and met each other in the Arun valley in West Sussex during March. They have been together since, and are a regular sight at Pulborough Brooks and Amberley Wildbrooks. During the cold spell before Christmas the two birds were photographed by Mike Jerome catching carp through a hole in the ice at Pulborough. Our diet studies have shown that fish becomes an increasingly important component of the diet as the eagles become older. 

G405 catching a carp through the ice at Pulborough Brooks (photo by Mike Jerome)
G471 coming in to land next to G405 (photo by Mike Jerome)
The two eagles caught four carp with seemingly very little effort, while Mike Jerome was watching (photo by Mike Jerome)

Although a year younger than the pair on the Isle of Wight, G405 and G471 have become territorial and are showing encouraging courtship behaviour. Indeed, on one occasion they were observed seeing off a compatriot from the 2020 release, female G466, who visited the Arun valley having been chased off from the Isle of Wight by G274 and G324.  Having recently returned from a summer in northern Scotland, the fact that this young female had encountered two eagle territories in southern England would have been a significant experience for her, and it is encouraging that she is now spending much of her time at Poole Harbour. She appears to have displaced a younger female G801, released in 2021, who had become a near permanent resident at Poole Harbour, and has recently been spending time with a 2021 male, G812. 

Poole Harbour has become something of an eagle hotspot over the course of the last year and it has been wonderful that so many people have been able to enjoy seeing the eagles from the fantastic Birds of Poole Harbour boat trips. If you haven’t been on one of these trips, then we thoroughly recommend booking onto one in 2023. You can find more details on the Birds of Poole Harbour website here. We are so encouraged by the enthusiastic responses we receive about the eagles. 

Male G812, photographed from a Birds of Poole Harbour boat trip (photo by Mark Wright)

It is not just White-tailed Eagles that Poole Harbour has become important for in recent years. This summer a pair of Ospreys bred successfully. Male 022, who we translocated to Poole Harbour from the famous B01 nest near Roy’s home in Moray, which has been occupied by successive generations of Ospreys since 1966, reared two chicks with female CJ7 who fledged from a nest near Rutland Water in 2015; the first breeding Ospreys on the South Coast of England for two centuries. It was tragic that one of the young was killed by a Goshawk a few days after fledging, but these are the hurdles in restoring nature – it’s not easy. The remaining juvenile 5H1 departed on her first migration in early September; a very significant milestone for the project we run in partnership with Birds of Poole Harbour. Hopefully, now wintering in West Africa, she will be the first of the new South Coast Osprey clan. The ancient local name ‘mullet hawks’ can be reclaimed.

A close-up view of 5H1 soon after fledging at Poole Harbour (from Birds of Poole Harbour webcam)

Projects to restore lost species like White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys are not a fast process, but events this year give us real optimism for the future. We are very grateful for all the support we have received from many people; from members of the public to farmers who have been excited to see White-tailed Eagles on their land. We have been extremely heartened by messages from people who have been thrilled to see these species back in southern England.

Recently Forestry England repeated the public questionnaire that we ran when we first proposed the project and this showed that the public’s attitude towards the reintroduction of White-tailed Eagles is overwhelmingly supportive, even more so than when our idea was first suggested five years ago (watch out for the full results soon). It was also valuable to know that people are really keen that more reintroductions of lost species are undertaken. In some ways it is clear that the conservation bodies, government and NGOs, are behind the curve and people want us to move ahead more quickly. This makes us even more determined than ever to continue and widen our work and to play our part in the restoration of nature at a time when it is urgently required. We are working on several other ideas for 2023.

A big thank you to everyone who has followed our projects during 2022, reported sightings, shared photos, made donations or sent messages of support. May we wish you all the very best for 2023.

 Roy, Tim, Steve and Zoe

Very many thanks to everyone who has made donations to the Foundation and the White-tailed Eagle project in the past few months. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate to our work, then you can do so via the link below.