White Tailed Eagle sighting?
- RW
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
One of our readers has sent these two images to the website with the comment:
"While by Stratford Road we saw an enormous bird being mobbed by a persistent and angry sea gull which was dwarfed in size by the larger bird.
The larger bird then flew out over the river and on towards the opposite side of the valley towards Devizes Road, still noticeable in the sky with the naked eye even over such a large distance.
The sheer size of it along with the long and slow wing movement got us thinking...could this be the elusive WTE?
We've seen kites in flight before and it was too small to be a buzzard. (As always never had the best camera but managed to catch this silhouette from a video.)"
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Do any of our readers have any thoughts on this sighting??
The BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) has prepared this video to aid identification of eagles v buzzards in flilght:
Earlier News................
Langford Lakes, managed by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, is only 9 miles away from Stratford sub Castle.
The website is still hoping for evidence of a sighting of a WTE in Stratford sub Castle!
Earlier Newspost 9 November
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve where this image was taken on 8 November, is 17 miles south of Salisbury. See ** below in respect of the reference to the lesser black backed gull.
There have been several WTE sightings at Blashford Lakes and at Ibsley over the past few days. Images have been shared on the Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve and Education Centre Facebook pages.
Original Newspost 31 October
In their November Members’ Newsletter, the Salisbury and District Natural History Society report October sightings of White Tailed Eagles (“sea eagles”) over Great Wishford and Lower Woodford. These are Britain’s largest bird of prey and the fourth largest eagle in the world.
Thirty-seven were released on the Isle of Wight in 2019, and in 2023 the first chicks hatched in England in nearly 250 years.
They can fly 100 miles a day. They are big (“the flying barn door”, wing span 2- 2.5 metres) with a yellow bill and yes, have white tails.
Eyes peeled and please send us your photos if you're lucky enough to achieve a genuine sighting....
WTE Image - Royalty free Public Domain
** Reference to the Lesser black backed gull in the image
This may refer to fears of Avian Flu spreading, following a report of Avian Flu at Winterbourne Stoke, Wiltshire on 6 November.
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has published these guidelines about Avian Flu:
"Since there is still a high risk of avian flu in Wiltshire and Swindon, please follow the guidance below to help us keep our wildlife safe whilst enjoying our much loved nature reserves:
Report dead birds on Wiltshire Wildlife Trust sites to us (refer to ‘You Can Help’ section above). Do not touch them.
Keep to the footpaths
Stay out of lakes, ponds and rivers
Keep dogs on leads and out of the water
Do not pick up feathers or touch/walk on bird droppings
Do not feed or handle wild birds
Follow good hygiene similar to Covid precautions, i.e. use hand sanitizer regularly and wash hands before/after your visit
Disinfect your clothing and footwear if you keep poultry or other birds at home
In rare cases, avian flu can infect humans and result in serious illness. By taking all necessary precautions, we can also help to reduce the risk to people."