The eagle has absconded! Raptor leaves Isle of Wight for 124-mile flight to Big Ben
NO wild eagle has been seen in the skies of Westminster for centuries.
But incredibly, only ten days after six sea eagles were released in the wild on the Isle of Wight, an adventurous juvenile bird has been spotted flying above Big Ben.
It was the first long- distance flight by one of six eagles reintroduced to England, where they have been extinct since 1780.
The birds – which are also known as white-tailed eagles – are sometimes described as ‘flying barn doors’ because of their impressive 8ft wingspan.
Having been hatched in Scotland and taken to the Isle of Wight, five eagles seemed content to scout out their new home in the Solent.
The sixth, however, apparently had other ideas.
The male sea eagle, nicknamed Culver, made a 124-mile journey through southern England – taking in the sights of the capital – before heading to Essex.
On Saturday at 12.23pm, Culver was tracked flying an incredible 2,300ft in the sky above the capital. His flight was even captured by one eagle-eyed bird enthusiast, although the image taken on Victoria Street, Westminster, shows just a ‘speck in the sky’.
Culver was released on August 22 along with five other birds.
His incredible journey has been detailed by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, the charity that has been licensed to carry out the historic release of sea eagles by Natural England.
After a week exploring the Isle of Wight, Culver decided to fly further afield on August 29 – setting off across the Solent at 11.21am before soaring to 3,300ft above the New Forest, the highest altitude of his adventure.
The foundation said: ‘Having flown 100km ( 62 miles) the previous day, we wondered if Culver may remain in the New Forest on Saturday. In fact, he did quite the opposite.’
Culver then flew to the north of Portsmouth before making fast progress through Surrey, the statement added. ‘ Incredibly, at 2.23pm he was directly above Big Ben at an altitude of 705 metres (2,312ft).
‘Having passed over London, Culver showed no signs of letting up and continued to follow the River Thames east, passing over Canvey Island at 3.20pm and then Southend- on- Sea ten minutes later at an altitude of less than 200 metres (656ft).
‘It will be fascinating to see what Culver does next. Will he stay in Essex, or continue north up the East Anglian coast into Suffolk? Might he even cross the North Sea to the Netherlands? Or will he return to the Isle of Wight?’
Culver was last recorded flying over the Isle of Sheppey, said the foundation, which has been granted a five-year reintroduction programme to bring back the eagles on the Isle of Wight.
A similar scheme in Scotland has led to 130 breeding pairs.
The last sea eagle in England was recorded on Culver Cliff, on the Isle of Wight in 1780.
The eagles – the UK’s largest bird of prey – are not expected to start breeding until 2024.
But the reintroduction of the birds has not proved popular with everyone. Farmers have warned that the birds may prey on lambs.