White-Tailed Eagles Sightings Draw Enthusiasts
Two wild white-tailed eagles have been attracting numerous photographers and birdwatchers after being spotted flying along the south coast of the UK.
The pair were observed around Christchurch and are part of the white-tailed eagle reintroduction programme led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation on the Isle of Wight.
These birds were driven to extinction in the UK in the early 20th century. Notably, the male of this pair has become the first white-tailed eagle to fledge in the wild in Dorset in 240 years.
Lewis Slavin, a photographer and avid birdwatcher from Yeovil, shared his enthusiasm for the sightings.
"I get a buzzy feeling when I see them."
He travels over an hour from his home in Somerset to Christchurch four times a week to catch a glimpse of the eagles.
Slavin has family in the area and often spends entire days observing the birds, having now seen them dozens of times.
"I get like a little kid," he said.
"It's great to see them and they're wild, so it's even better. They're out there doing their thing, and to know that this pair down here is a mating pair just tops it off for everybody, really."
Photographers Capture the UK's Largest Bird of Prey
Charlotte Caetano, from Bournemouth, has also been photographing the eagles, which are the UK's largest bird of prey, boasting a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters.
She described the experience of watching the birds in their natural habitat.
"You can be sitting there twiddling your thumbs for quite a while, and then all of a sudden the other birds, the seagulls and crows, start kicking up a fuss.
They erupt into a large cloud and you think, 'hang on a minute, something's coming'. It's just a spectacle. Wonderful."
