Final English Golden Eagle missing, feared dead
As reported on the BirdGuides Twitter feed on Tuesday evening, England's last remaining Golden Eagle has failed to appear this spring — leading RSPB staff and volunteers at its Lake District home to fear that it may have perished.
This final eagle, a male, had been resident at Riggindale near Haweswater, Cumbria, since 2001/02 but had been alone since the death of its mate in 2004.
RSPB staff at Haweswater, who operate a special eagle viewpoint at the site, haven't seen the bird since November 2015 but only became concerned last month when it still hadn't appeared. The bird isn't always seen during the winter but in spring it is normally observed nest-building and displaying.
Golden Eagle (Photo: John Anderson)
Lee Schofield, Site Manager at RSPB Haweswater, commented: "When the eagle didn't appear last month we thought there was a chance he might be hunting in a nearby valley but over the past few weeks we've been gradually losing hope.
"We will probably never find out what happened to him but as he was around 19-20 years old, an advanced age for an eagle, it's quite possible that he died of natural causes.
"His disappearance marks the end of an era as he has been an iconic part of the Haweswater landscape for the past 15 years. During this time, thousands of visitors have travelled from across the country hoping to catch a glimpse of him at the Riggindale Eagle Viewpoint. With him gone, the Lake District has just got a bit less wild."
Golden Eagles arrived in the Lake District from Scotland in the late 1950s and a pair first bred at Haweswater in 1969. The original male died in 1976 and was replaced by what turned out to be Britain's oldest known eagle — a male that lived until he was at least 32 years old. In turn, he was replaced in 2001/02 by the most recent male. The original female was replaced in 1981 by the last female who died in 2004.
Between 1970 and 1996, 16 young were produced at Haweswater, while a second pair of eagles bred in the Lake District from 1975 to 1983, fledging four chicks.
Although the RSPB fear it is unlikely that Golden Eagles will take up residence again at Haweswater in the near future, the conservation organization is undertaking an extensive programme of habitat restoration, which it hopes will eventually encourage eagles to nest again at the site as they spread southwards from strongholds in Scotland.
Lee Schofield explained: "At the moment the Lake District isn't particularly attractive to Golden Eagles as there is a shortage of suitable habitat and food. By restoring a range of natural habitats at Haweswater, we hope this will lead to an increase in wildlife including birds and small mammals, which would provide a sustainable food source for Golden Eagles."
