The Solitary Male

HOW did we end up with just one golden eagle in England? Or did we? 

By official counts there is just one golden eagle left in England. The estimated 15-17 year old is situated at Haweswater in the Lake District. This may sound special but there is a sad side to this tale as our last man has not had a mate since 2001. The picturesque head of Haweswater in the Riggindale valley is a mighty home for the king of birds, but not alone. He should have a mate. 

Solitude

Every winter and early spring, the male plummets from it’s high perch and performs an awe-inspiring sky dance; a series of swoops and acrobatic dives, all in hope of attracting the attentions of a new mate. This amazing spectacle is all in vain though, as the RSPB claim there are no other Golden Eagles in England.

When I started looking into forums and threads about people’s opinions on whether the eagle as a species should be aided in a reintroduction plan, I found the results on the pro-bird forums were as expected overwhelmingly in support of a plan. But what really stood out to me was the amount of people who claim to have seen Golden Eagles in the Lakes, not at Haweswater, and sometimes claims of a pair. Now, you can believe what you want, but some of the posts were very informative and it made me rethink the surety of the issue. 

Conspiracy

Another interesting quote which I’ll now paraphrase made me take note. A man was birdwatching near his Lakeland campsite for a few days. He’d been watching a pair of golden eagles. After a couple of days studying the birds through binoculars, he was approached by a man in a jeep, who could be described as a warden of some kind, who asked what he had been watching. The man told the warden he had been observing a pair of Golden Eagles and the warden argued and dismissed the man’s opinion. 

Only when the birds appeared in view and our birdwatcher proved the point, going through the specification of the birds, did the warden change tact. He then admitted that he was here to monitor the Golden Eagles and was deterring the public from knowing what the birds were to keep tourists away. 

Other posts voiced their disappointment for the RSPB for not helping this magnificent bird due to the politics behind some local farmers and land owners not wanting Golden Eagles to be helped to populate the area.

Downward Trend

Even if there are a fabled few Golden Eagles, their numbers have definitely been on the decline. There are a few reasons behind the downward trend, some more factual than others. Golden Eagles have been reported in Cumbria since the 50s, yet some argue that the Lakes have become too occupied and noisy for the peace-loving raptor, and this could be a factor for the dwindling population in the Lake District. 

Eagles were shot and poisoned, which are a couple of reasons why only one male is left in England, as some land owners see the Golden Eagle as a predator to their livestock and needs to be eradicated. I can see the point and the reason for the action, but is there not more to this bird than a rumoured lamb here and there?

Nature’s Course

Dave Shackleton, an RSPB warden, claims that the best chance of a mate for our Lakeland male is a female ‘drifting down from Southern Scotland’. So what’s stopping a grand bird like these soaring the 30 or so miles south to the Lakes? 

There are over 400 breeding pairs in Scotland and the Scottish Natural Heritage are working hard to improve the habitats in the south for Golden Eagles to spread out from the Highlands and the Islands. But in recent history, windfarms and grousemoor management shooting estates have deterred and prevented golden eagles from venturing south. 

Some doubters claim that there is no point in helping a bird that our land cannot support a sustainable number of inhabitants. The more optimistic of thinkers point out that other than the Lake District, England has other high areas that could provide for the Golden Eagles of the future, such as Northumberland, the Peak District and Yorkshire with the Pennines, Dales and the North York Moors.

Now, as you know where I stand, as a boy who grew up with a poster of a Golden Eagle on his bedroom wall, I want to see the Golden Eagles freely in England once again and the future is looking bright as changes in Scotland may result in the natural movement of the regal raptors, southbound for the Lakes and the north of England.

The video below shows some of the natural changes in Scotland and the video even higher up the page shows the great birds in all their glory.

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Cheers 

#TeamFell