Dinner is served... the magnificent eagle that swooped in to feast on a fallen stag

LOOMING imperiously over the body of a fallen stag, this magnificent eagle has stumbled upon the meal of its life.

The white-tailed sea eagle was captured on film by a remote camera trap on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides after it swooped down for the feast.

The stag, which was knocked down and killed on a nearby road, had been moved to the camera site in an attempt to monitor the local wildlife.

Sea eagles became extinct in Scotland in 1918 after excessive hunting. But, thanks to campaigns to reintroduce the birds in the 1970s and 1990s, breeding pairs are now found on the isles of Skye, Rum, Mull and several sites on the west coast.

The image was captured on a camera belonging to the Uist Forest Retreat holiday park. It was shared on the RSPB Highlands & Islands Facebook page. Sea eagles, which can have a wingspan of as much as 8ft, are known to swoop in and steal meals from other predators.

‘White-tailed eagles are versatile and opportunistic hunters and carrion feeders, sometimes pirating food from other birds and even otters,’ according to the RSPB. ‘They eat largely fish, but also take various birds, rabbits and hares.’