Aviation charity Civil Air Support (CAS) have played an integral role in the successful reintroduction of the white-tailed eagle, Britain’s biggest bird of prey, to the Isle of Wight. The translocation of a batch of young eagles from Scotland in 2020, made possible by CAS pilot Graham Mountford and his zoologist daughter Helen, has now resulted in the first healthy eaglet being born in England since 1780.
The logistics of such a journey, which would have usually taken 24 hours by road, were made possible by the twin-engine Cessna 340, which completed the journey in just 2 hours and 30 minutes. The birds were delivered safely to licensed ornithologists at Bembridge Airport.
Dr Tim Mackrill of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation was quick to recognise the important role played by the Civil Air Support crew.
“Without Graham and Helen’s help back in 2020, we would not have been able to translocate any eagles that year, which would have been a major setback for the project in only the second year. The fact that two of the eagles Graham and Helen transported that year have now reared the first white-tailed eagle chick in England for over two centuries is testament to the integral role they and Civil Air Support have played in the project.”
Since the success of the initial flight, CAS have made several further flights with Highland Aviation Services, Turweston Flight Centre and Bembridge Airport providing aid and support. As a result, two territorial pairs of white-tailed eagles have been established on the South Coast, with a further ten younger eagles also getting established.
The historic young eagle, who now has a wingspan of 2.5 metres, will continue to be monitored by experts, who have fitted him with a satellite tag, to gain a greater understanding of how the eagles are adapting to their environment again.
Conservationists are now hopeful that the species will become a regular sight across coasts and wetlands of southern England.
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