Sad news for those working hard to re-introduce the magnificent White Tailed Eagle (Sea Eagle) to the Isle of Wight.
Just two months after six juveniles were released on the Isle of Wight, one has been found dead and another has gone missing.
Feeding on dead porpoise
Steve Egerton-Read from Forestry England, who have been following the eagles, explains,
“Unfortunately, we recently found out that one of our young eagles that had remained on the Isle of Wight after release had died.
“It had been eating a dead porpoise on the shore for several weeks and we knew where he was roosting. When we noticed that he had moved to a new place and had not been moving around very much, we immediately went out to investigate.
“Very sadly we found the bird had died. An initial post-mortem has been conducted and although no cause of death could be determined, further tests are underway that may provide some clarity as to exactly what happened.”
Unfortunately inevitable
Steve went on to explain,
“Whilst this is clearly very sad, we know from previous projects involving white-tailed eagles and other raptors, that losses like this are unfortunately inevitable.
“During their first year the birds are inexperienced and depend largely on carrion whilst they hone their hunting skills. We give them all the help we can. We closely monitor their progress using satellite tracking and provide food on a daily basis, something that we will continue throughout the winter.”
Culver is missing
As well as that sad news, Culver, the male young eagle who recently took a trip to Essex, has gone missing.
Those monitoring his movements explain that after he returned from Essex, he left for the mainland again. At this point they stopped receiving data from his tag.
Steve says,
“We have analysed the tracking data, consulted with the police, and other experts. We have also conducted both ground and aerial searches in the most likely area using radio tracking equipment (all birds are fitted with a radio transmitter in addition to the satellite tags).
“However to date we have not been able to determine his location. There have been sporadic unconfirmed reports of white-tailed eagles from various locations and therefore we are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Culver or any of the other birds.”
Your help needed with sightings
Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Foundation are keen to hear from anyone with sightings, photos and observations as we head into the winter.
If you can take a photo from a safe distance, without disturbing the birds, please send any photos or information about sightings on Instagram, or Twitter: @SeaEagleEngland and @RoyDennisWF
Image: © https://www.ainsleybennettphotography.co.uk/ Ainsley Bennett Photography
