Sea eagle on the lookout

Over the winter, my wife and I regularly saw what we thought was a sea eagle close to our woods in the South of England. Is this bird likely to hunt this season’s roe kids?

There have been regular reports in the media about the presence of sea eagles in the South. Most, I think, have been attributed to the release of a number of tracked birds from a release programme on the Isle of Wight, but there have also been releases on the east coast of Scotland in Fife and, as has always been the case, birds do drift over from the near continent and farther north.

The sea eagle is a large predator often blamed for taking lambs and various other quadrupeds, including not infrequent alarmist claims that they have nailed a domestic cat and lifted small dogs. I rather doubt that the one you have seen will trouble roe kids, which tend to be well hidden and keep pretty still.

In my experience, and I see sea eagles frequently, these birds tend to be happier when scavenging. Where I live that tends to be bits of decomposing carcasses on the seashore, grallochs that have been left out, fallen stock and deer, which haven’t been followed up.

Sure, they are opportunists, as the feral greylag goose population knows only too well. If the chance is there, they’ll take it, but I reckon that the chief persecutors of this year’s roe kids are likely to be foxes, badgers, loose dogs, mowing machines and other bits of agricultural equipment.

Enjoy watching your visitor and remember that many others who are not sympathetic with our sport will be watching it as well. IW