White-tailed eagles thriving across the south-east England
Waterways and marshland have made Elmley a prime hunting ground, with the reserve saying seven different white-tailed eagles have visited over the last six years.The latest, tagged as Eagle G603, has been especially active on the reserve this summer.
'I cried when I saw it'
Natasha Marks, a birdwatcher, described the moment the eagle landed just 5m (16.4ft) away from her."Not to be dramatic, but I did cry when I saw it," Ms Marks said."It takes your breath away."Workers on the reserve said he dwarfed other birds of prey, such as red kites and marsh harriers."Having an apex predator like that here, it's an indicator of an underlying health in the wider eco system," Mr Ginnaw added.
Some eagles have even been tracked as far afield as Scandinavia, however, the birds always return, having established the South of England as their home.Dr Tim Mackerill, from the Roy Dennis Foundation, has been tracking these types of journeys for years and says habitat preservation will be key in the future."Kent and Sussex have been really important for the birds since we started the project," he said."These young birds are finding that habitat which is a really positive sign for the future."
In 2023, chicks hatched in England for the first time in nearly 250 years at an undisclosed nest site in Sussex.But many of the recent cohort will not be ready to rear chicks for a while longer, since that typically starts at five to six-years old.
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