WHITE-TAILED EAGLE REINTRODUCTION
on the ISLE OF WIGHT and an MCV Film Show
By now many of you will be aware of
White-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme taking place on the Isle of Wight
under the guidance of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England.
This is a Government initiative managed
and licensed by Natural England and approved by Scottish Natural Heritage. The first six juvenile eagles arrived from
Scotland some weeks ago and have just been released from their holding
enclosures, although it is likely that these birds will initially stay close to
their release site pens before dispersing along the Solent coastline.
The young eagles will eventually be seen along our shores and perhaps in and
around the New Forest.
To welcome these birds back to the Isle
of Wight and Hampshire, Milford Conservation Volunteers (MCV) have obtained a licence from the RSPB to show the film
‘The Eagle Odyssey’ which was made nearly 20 years ago when the birds had
spread out from Rum to the neighbouring isles of the Inner Hebrides, especially
Mull and Skye before wandering along the west coast of the Highlands. The first
birds were released on Rum in 1975 and the first breeding attempt took place
(unsuccessfully) on Mull in 1983. From those early days the Scottish population
has now reached 100 pairs.
MCV have arranged two film shows at
Milford Community Centre. The first show was sold out within 24 hours of the notification
going out so they have arranged a second showing on Saturday 5th. October at 7 p.m. Steve
Egerton-Read, the Reintroduction Project Officer, will be there as well. After a refreshments
break he will bring us right up to date about how the Isle of Wight eagles are
settling in and about the monitoring group we have set up to watch what they
get up to when they visit our side of the Solent.
On booking MCV asks for a £5 donation per person and
suggests you book early so that you are not disappointed!