Rare white-tailed eagle flies over Arran

A young white-tailed eagle released on the Isle of Wight as part of a reintroduction programme has flown over Arran during its journey down south to where it was released.

 

Released in spring 2020, the young eagle headed north to Scotland with an attached GPS device which allows researchers to track and plot its movements and habits.

 

After spending nine months in Scotland, it flew over Arran on Friday February 4, before continuing south where it was photographed six days later over Belvide in Staffordshire.

 

White-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, are usually found along rocky coastlines, although juveniles also venture further inland.

 

They are well established in Russia and Norway but were driven to extinction in the UK. Since their reintroduced to the west, and more recently the east, coasts of Scotland, as well as a reintroduction programme in Ireland, they can now once again be found in Scotland and Ireland.

 

In Scotland the best places to see white-tailed eagles are Mull, Skye and parts of the northwest Highlands.

 

Since the first sea eagles were reintroduction in 2019, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation in partnership with Forestry England, has released 25 birds into the wild, with 12 having been released last year.

 

Thanks to the information provided by the GPS trackers, and from spotters around the UK, the data collected has been invaluable for researchers and scientists to help them better understand the migratory patterns and habits of these large birds.

 

For more information on the reintroduction project you can visit the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation at www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/

 

"attachment_654474" "" "300"] The path of the white-tailed eagle shows it passing over Arran earlier this month.