July 2, 2025 • 42 mins
The Return of the Golden Eagles serves as the focal point of this week's Wildlife Matters Podcast, as we journey to the enchanting landscapes of southwest Scotland in search of these majestic avian creatures. With eager anticipation, we invite you to accompany us on this expedition to discover whether we are fortunate enough to witness their resplendent flight. In addition, we delve into the flora and fauna of urban environments during our Wildlife Matters Mindful Moments segment, fostering a connection with nature amidst bustling cities. The Nature News segment highlights the remarkable resurgence of species in the New Forest, alongside the vital conservation efforts spearheaded by the Wildlife Trusts to preserve scarce habitats within the UK. Lastly, we explore the intriguing phenomenon of albino fox cubs recently spotted in Hull, examining the challenges faced by albino animals in their natural habitats. Join us for an enlightening exploration of wildlife and conservation endeavours in this captivating episode.
This week's Wildlife Matters Podcast not only captivates with its feature on the golden eagle but also serves as a platform for broader discussions regarding biodiversity and conservation. The speakers' expedition in search of golden eagles culminates in a moment of triumph as they successfully spot these birds, capturing the excitement and significance of witnessing such a rare sighting. The episode intricately weaves together themes of conservation, ecological balance, and the personal joys of wildlife observation, encouraging listeners to develop a deeper appreciation for nature's wonders. The insightful exploration of urban wildlife through the Mindful Moments segment provides a refreshing perspective on the coexistence of humans and nature, advocating for a harmonious relationship with the environment. Conclusively, the Nature News section highlights the ongoing restoration efforts in the New Forest and the remarkable sightings of albino animals, thereby broadening the discourse on species preservation and habitat conservation. This episode is a profound reminder of the interconnectedness of all living beings and the vital role we play in safeguarding the natural world.
Takeaways:
- This week's Wildlife Matters podcast highlights the remarkable return of golden eagles to Scotland's skies, showcasing their majestic presence and ecological significance.
- The podcast features a profound exploration of the reintroduction efforts for the New Forest cicada, an insect that has been absent from the UK for over 25 years.
- Listeners will gain insight into the challenges faced by albino animals in the wild, including the difficulties of survival due to their lack of camouflage.
- The episode also discusses the critical restoration efforts being undertaken on the River Mimram, a rare chalk stream, emphasising the importance of conserving such fragile habitats.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Species Recovery Trust
- Wildlife Trust
- Environment Agency
- Forestry England
- Urban Squirrels
- Wildlife Matters Org
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:26):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast podcast
where we are super excited toshare our main feature story today,
which is the return of thegolden eagles.
Yeah.
Join us for a day in southwestScotland as we look for these majestic
birds to stay tuned anddiscover if we actually find them.
(00:51):
Then you can join us as weimmerse ourselves in nature and but
in an urban environment onthis week's Wildlife Mindful moment
and this week's Wildlife Matters.
Nature News explores thespecies returning to.
The New Forest after decadesof local extinction and discusses
(01:12):
the globally scarce habitats.
Which are mainly found withinthe UK.
That are now being conservedunder the guidance of the Wildlife
Trust.
Finally, we'll investigaterecent reports of albino fox cubs
in Hull and examine the livesof albino animals in the wild.
(01:34):
And that's all coming up nexton this week's Wildlife Matters Nature.
(01:58):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
Our first story highlights thereturn of a species that has been
absent from the UK for over 25 years.
A musical insect known as theNew Forest cicada, which has been
extinct in the UK for over 25years, is being reintroduced as conservationists
(02:23):
work to re establish its population.
Scientists at the SpeciesRecovery Trust recently released
11 new forest cicadas into aspecially created habitat just outside
of a Hampshire woodland.
The New Forest cicada, orCicadeta montana.
(02:43):
Was once commonly foundthroughout the New.
Forest and but the lastconfirmed sightings occurred in the
1990s.
Conservationists believe thatchanges in land management practices
led to the insect's extinctionfrom the uk.
Charlotte Khan, a projectofficer at the Species Recovery Trust,
(03:05):
told Wildlife Matters this hasbeen a challenging project, so it's
fantastic to see new forestcicadas in England after all the
this time it's.
Reported that some of thereleased cicadas.
Are already pregnant and havebegun laying eggs in their specially
designed habitat, whichincludes their preferred plants such
(03:27):
as raspberry canes and hazeltree sapwings.
Since cicadas spend at leastfour years.
Underground as nymphs, thetrust won't know.
Until 2029 at the earliestwhether this phase of the project
has been successful.
If they manage to survivetheir nymph stage, the plan is to
(03:47):
release the adult cicadas atundisclosed locations.
The Species Recovery Trustalso hopes to import more cicadas
from France to continue thebreeding program and they are studying
populations of the samespecies in Slovenia to gain a better
understanding of their behavior.
(04:07):
Dominic Price, who's thedirector of the.
Species Recovery Trust, sharedwith Wildlife Matters.
We believe the New Forestcicada likely.
Went extinct due to changes inland management, but we have worked
with Forestry England toimplement appropriate management
practices.
Additionally, we think ourwarming climate could favour their
(04:31):
survival.
So.
So we are very hopeful thatcicadas will sing in the New Forest
again soon.
So what is a New Forest cicada?
Well, New Forest cicadas aredescribed as.
Musical insects known fortheir distinctive singing.
Male New Forest cicadas arerecognized for their characteristic
(04:52):
high pitched song which theyuse to attract females for mating.
The pitch of the song is sohigh that it is at the limits of
of human hearing, making itdifficult for most adults to detect.
The adult cicadas are blackwith distinct golden rings and transparent
wings.
Females will grow to around5cm in.
(05:15):
Length, whilst males areslightly smaller.
New Forest cicadas are oftenfound high in trees, making them
extremely difficult to spot.
But listening for theirsinging is one.
Of the most effective ways tolocate these elusive insects.
Our second story this week isabout the restoration efforts that
(05:38):
are underway on the RiverMimram, a rare chalk stream located
in Hertfordshire.
The Mimram is a rare and precious.
Chalk stream with only around200 in.
The world, with 10% of the ofthose flowing through Hertfordshire,
a vital part of the ecosystem.
The Mimran begins nearWhitwell and flows through the villages
(06:00):
of Kimpton, Codecot and Wellynbefore joining the River Lee near
Hartford.
Thanks to funding from theEnvironment Agency, the Harts and
Middlesex Wildlife Trust hasappointed Heidi Mansell as the new
Chalk Rivers and Farm AdvisoryOfficer, leading efforts to restore
and protect the River Mimran.
(06:22):
The river is being improved byremoving unnecessary weirs and creating
better land management througha collaborative effort between various
organizations and community groups.
Heidi told Wildlife Mattersthat we recognize that for a number
of years different.
Groups and stakeholders havebeen coming together to help improve
(06:44):
the Mimram.
So now the aim is toconsolidate on this good work and
make further progress.
In these first few months I have.
Been meeting with andlistening to landholders.
To understand and support whatthey would like and gathering existing
data on the catchment andalready 11 of those with.
(07:05):
Land rights along the Mimramhave said.
That they would like to worktowards improving the river, which
is hugely encouraging.
Over the coming months andyears we'll work together to create
and deliver restoration.
And management plans thataddress some of the reasons why the
river is not.
Achieving good ecological status.
(07:26):
According to the WaterFramework Directive, Heidi is exploring
further new options availablethrough the Higher Level Countryside
Stewardship Scheme which mayfund some of this work.
These options include paymentsto farmers who.
Manage riverbanks and wateredge habitats sensitively, as well
(07:47):
as those who connect river andfloodplain habitat.
And as a result of this work,there is hope to see species such
as the endangered water volethriving once again, and also to
find brown trouts creatingtheir nests on the riverbeds and
to see the flashes of blue askingfishers dart along the river
(08:08):
and waving strands of water'scrowfoot teetering on the water's
surface.
All of these, of course, areindicators of healthy chalk streams,
and Wildlife Matters willclosely monitor this project as it
develops and will bring youfurther updates in the future.
And our third and final storythis week is about wild albino animals.
(08:33):
In May of this year, albinofox cubs were spotted playing in
a former cemetery in Hull.
Similar sightings have beenreported in London parks.
So wildlife matters.
What are albino animals?
Well, albino animals are arare phenomenon.
In both the wild and in captivity.
(08:55):
Albinism is caused by agenetic mutation that inhibits the
production of melanin, thepigment responsible for color in
skin, fur, feathers and eyes.
Albino animals are easilyrecognized by their white or pale
appearance and pink to red eyes.
(09:15):
While they are beautiful andfascinating, their.
Lack of camouflage posessignificant challenges for.
Survival in the wild.
Without natural concealment,albino animals are more visible to
predators, making it harderfor them to survive.
We mentioned the fox cubs in Hull.
Which were reported to havealbinism, a condition characterized
(09:39):
by white folk fur and the pinkor red eyes.
Although albino foxes cannaturally occur, they are incredibly
rare in the wild and.
Face challenges such asincreased sensitivity to.
Sunlight and difficulties infinding food.
Due to their reducedcamouflage, albino foxes are more
(10:01):
susceptible to sunburn, eyedamage and other health issues that
stem from their lack of pigmentation.
True albinism is rare amongwild fox populations.
However, white or leucisticfoxes, which retain some pigment,
are observed more frequently.
Another native favourite isthe badger.
(10:23):
An albino badger is a rarevariation of the European badger,
characterized by a completelack of pigmentation, resulting in
a white or creamy white coatand pink or red eyes.
Albino badgers differ fromleucistic and erythristic badgers,
which retain some pigmentation.
(10:45):
The absence of melamineaffects their eyes, giving them a
pink or red appearance, whilebadgers usually have gray fur with
black and white markings.
Albinism can make theseanimals more vulnerable to sunlight
and predators due to a lack ofprotective pigmentation which may
impact the their lifespan.
Distinguishing albino fromother badger variations and There
(11:10):
are two other variations foundin badgers.
The first is known asleucistic badgers.
Leucism results in the partialloss of pigmentation, creating patches
of light colored fur while theeyes retain their standard coloring.
And the second variation iserythritic badgers.
(11:31):
Erythrism refers to acondition characterized by a lack
of black pigment resulting inreddish or sandy colored fur.
Erythritic badgers may havelight brown or even red eyes.
However, it isn't only whitefoxes and.
Badgers that can be found inthe uk.
(11:52):
The humble hedgehog also haswhite variants.
Although albino hedgehogs arevery rare with only about 1 in 10,000
being born with albinism.
Their striking white spinesand pale features make them highly
visible, which also makes.
Them more vulnerable to predation.
(12:13):
Actual albino hedgehogs havedistinctive pink eyes and lack pigmentation
in both their skin and spines.
And by contrast, blondhedgehogs, which carry a recessive
gene, have dark eyes and aremore commonly found on island populations
such as Alderney and NorthRonaldsay where there are very few
(12:37):
natural predators.
Many of us will see squirrels daily.
But albino grey squirrels arean incredibly rare sight with only
about 50 individuals believedto exist exist in the UK now.
These squirrels aredistinguished by their ghostly white
fur and pinkish eyes and are.
(12:57):
Sometimes confused with themore common leucistic.
Squirrels which have thereduced pigmentation in their fur
but retain standard eye coloring.
Although most wild mammals inBritain can display albino or white
fur with normal colored eyes,the last species we will look at
today is the deer.
(13:18):
The native red and roe deerboth have been recorded, but most
frequently seen white deer arethe fallow deer which are occasionally
spotted among parkland herdsacross the uk.
These park based herds offallow deer have a more common gene
that is responsible for thelighter coloration.
(13:40):
Some of these white deer aretrue albinos characterized by their
pink eyes and noses, whilstothers exhibit leucism which reduces
pigmentation without affectingthe color of their eyes.
The gene that causes albinoanimals is found throughout wild
mammal species in Britain.
A true albino will have red orpink eyes and pure white skin or
(14:03):
fur, while leucistic animalslack the pigment gene in their fur
but retain standard coloringin their eyes.
And we hope that's beeninteresting and explained a little
bit about albinos and thedifference between them and leucistic
animals and it has been thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
(14:43):
Well, I don't know about you, but.
I wasn't aware that cicadaswere ever native in the uk, so every
day.
Is a learning day and it was.
So enlightening to learn somuch from the Species Protection
Trust.
Thank you.
It was also great to catch up.
On the vital work of the Harts.
And Middlesex, a WildlifeTrust project on the River Mimram,
(15:06):
one of the chalk streams,which is such an incredibly valuable
habitat with over 80% of themfound here in the UK.
We're pleased to hear aboutthis project and encourage and support
local conservation efforts forchalk streams as well as all rivers
and freshwater lakes.
(15:29):
After hearing a story of the white.
Fox cubs in a Hull cemetery,Wildlife Matters wanted to explore
albinism and the more commonyet still rare leucistic animals.
And as always, we hope youfound our stories interesting and
informative.
Please do like, share andsubscribe to Stay up to date with
(15:51):
the latest episodes of theWildlife Matters podcasts.
Now it's time to sit back andrelax, close your eyes if it's safe
to do so, and immerse yourselfin the sounds of nature this week.
A wild animal that almost allof us will see on a daily basis,
(16:13):
whether we're in cities,towns, villages or out in the countryside.
And yet so many of us still.
Don'T associate it with thesounds it makes.
So we hope you enjoy thisweek's nature encounter on Wildlife
Matters.
Mindful moments Perhaps alittle too shrill.
(17:53):
To be really relaxing, but the sounds.
Of these wild animals are sucha part of our everyday lives that
maybe.
We miss them and we don'talways appreciate the complexity
of the sounds that wildlifeuses to communicate.
And gray squirrels have arange of vocalizations and gestures
(18:14):
that captivate us, but we haveso little understanding of them.
It's time we began a new studyto appreciate and celebrate this
captivating species.
And if you would like to findout more, then do listen to our chats
with Natalia Doran from Londonbased Specialist Squirrel Rescue
(18:36):
Urban Squirrels, or one of ourvery earliest podcast episodes called
In Defense of the Grey.
You will find them allwherever you.
Get your podcasts, and thathas been this week's Wildlife Matters
Mindful Moments.
(18:56):
Coming up now is this week'sWildlife Matters main feature where
we are genuinely excited toshare one of our most unique and
magical encounters of all ofour adventures.
So get ready to join me highon a hill in Galloway with the mizzle
all around as we climb and getready for the return of the golden
(19:22):
eagles, a breathtakingspectacle you will not want to miss
on this week's WildlifeMatters main feature.
Welcome to this week's AWildlife Matters.
Main feature and here'sanother one I am so excited to bring
(19:43):
you.
Following an adventure inScotland, where I recently joined
a small group of dedicatedindividuals, they were assembled
in a remote car park.
The day was changeable, or asmy Scottish friends would say, misel,
a combination of dull and greyskies with light rain.
(20:06):
After a short while, we weredivided into pairs and given an area
to cover, and we set off indifferent directions.
Our purpose for the day was totry and spot an iconic bird I had
never seen in the wild, onethat would be hard to miss if it
were in the area.
(20:26):
I was so excited.
We climbed up a long and muddypath to the ridgeline on the southern
side of a hill and found asheltered spot with an overhang above
and good cover from thesurrounding wild shrubs.
Ruth and I settled down andmade ourselves as comfortable as
(20:47):
possible on our small foldingstools with our cameras and monitoring
equipment prioritized over our comfort.
We chatted in soft, low voicesas we waited to avoid disturbing
the terrestrial wildlife thatwas all around us.
I turned and said to Ruth thatone day this valley would be full
(21:09):
of the birds that we werelooking for.
She looked at me and without aword being spoken, I knew that she
expected me to back that boldstatement up.
I paused, knowing that Icouldn't and that my comment was
based more on hope and a gut instinct.
But that wasn't what I said.
(21:31):
I just smiled and said, well, hopefully.
The golden eagle is one of thelargest and certainly one of the
most impressive birds thatcall the British Isles home, especially
when seen soaring over ahighland glen or searching for prey
over a hillside.
With deep, leisurely wingbeats, they can often be seen from
(21:53):
up to a mile away, and theimpression is always of sheer size,
a power and majesty.
It is sometimes confused at adistance with more frequently seen
raptures, particularly the buzzard.
But the golden eagle's longwings, relatively long tail, and
prominent head are enough toshow it is an eagle, Ruth told me.
(22:15):
Once you have seen an eagle,there is never any doubt in your
mind again.
The golden eagle usuallybuilds its nest, or eyrie, high up
on a rocky crag, and that canbe up to 600 meters or around 2,000
Fe above the sea level.
Although some eagles will justnest in taller trees, a pair may
(22:39):
have two or even three nestswithin their territory, and they
will use them in rotation.
The nests are big and bulky,made of piles of sticks, bracken
and heather, and then they arelined with grasses.
The female will lay two white,blotchy eggs in mid March.
She will lay one initially,begin incubating that egg, and then
(23:03):
lay a second egg three or fourdays later.
Both eggs usually hatch, butthe youngest chick, born just a few
days after the first, is oftenat a disadvantage.
Other birds of prey or raptorsalso use this strategy.
The younger and smaller chickmay not survive, as it cannot compete
(23:26):
with its larger sibling forfood and and it can be pushed from
the nest by the older chick orsometimes even eaten by it.
Both chicks are ready to flyin around 65 to 70 days, if they
survive.
Each pair of eagles needs avast territory of around 3,000 acres,
(23:49):
and they soar on thermals asthey hunt their prey from the air.
Once an eagle spots its prey,it swoops down at speeds of up to
150 kilometers an hour, andthat's nearly 100 miles an hour,
striking and killing the preywith its long, sharp talons.
Eagles have incredibleeyesight that allows them to spot
(24:13):
prey from a great distance.
The prey can be as small as amouse or a lizard, or as big as a
fox.
Usually large mammals, such asdeer, are carrion.
Most prey is killed on theground, but some birds are caught
and killed in flight.
Over the years, the goldeneagle has suffered greatly at the
(24:35):
hands of humans.
In the 19th century, manyeagles were killed by farmers and
gamekeepers in the belief thatthe eagles killed large numbers of
sheep and grouse.
You can't say with anycertainty that an eagle wouldn't
take a lamb, but they couldn'ttake a ewe who would be present and
(24:57):
actively protecting her lamb.
What is more accurate is thateagles take lambs that are already
dead.
Golden eagles certainly dokill grouse, but research tells us
that the number of grousepredated by Eagles is 4, far below
the estimates fromgamekeepers, and they do not have
(25:18):
any damaging effects on thebags that grouse shoots.
Fortunately, many farmers andgamekeepers now recognize the eagle's
potential to control otherwild animals, such as rats and rabbits.
As a significant predator, theeagle plays a crucial role in maintaining
ecological balance within its habitat.
(25:41):
Ecological research shows thatpredators at the top of the food
chain have an enormous effecton the biodiversity and ecology of
an area.
Like ripples in water, thepresence of our larger predatory
animals sustains an incredibleamount of life below their top spot
(26:02):
in the food chain.
This phenomenon, in ecologicalterms, is known as a trophic cascade.
Although the golden eagle is aprotected species, it is still threatened
by various factors.
Golden eagles are regularlykilled when they eat poisoned sheep
carcasses put out to kill Foxes.
(26:23):
This is a severe threat thatshould be stopped and made illegal,
as leaving a poisoned carcassout for any wildlife is clearly wrong.
You may think farmers would bethe main ones doing this, and they
certainly do.
But often it is the landownersor contractors on forestry plantations
(26:46):
who take over the open areasof land where the eagles like to
hunt.
Some pairs of eagles fail tobreed or successfully rear their
young when they areunintentionally disturbed by the
high numbers of hikers,walkers and climbers who pass by
close to their nests.
(27:06):
This is a problem in theCairngorms and the central Highland
areas.
The collection of eggs oreaglets is also a severe threat.
There are laws with heftyfines that have helped to reduce
this.
But it is almost impossible tokeep a constant watch on all of the
nests, especially as they arenaturally in such remote areas.
(27:30):
During the 1960s, GoldenEagles and many other birds of prey
were affected byorganochlorine pesticides such as
ddt, which entered the foodchains in their habitat.
The eagles suffered highmortality rates from their position
at the top of the food chain,with the poisons either making them
infertile or causing theireggshells to be so thin that they
(27:54):
broke when the birds tried toincubate them.
Another chemical, dielgerin, acomponent of sheep dip to kill ticks
and fleas, had the same effectwhen the eagles fed on dead sheep.
Fortunately, when the dangerof these pesticides was realised,
they were banned.
And since the eagle has begunto recover its numbers in Scotland.
(28:17):
In 2014, there were 440 pairsof golden eagles in the UK.
Now, 10 years on, that numberhas grown by no more than 10% to
around 500 pairs.
So progress has been slow,although progress in rewilding is
encouraging.
(28:38):
For example, white tailedeagles have been reintroduced to
England.
Beavers have become the firstlegally reintroduced.
Native mammal and wild bisonhave been released into Kentucky.
But let's return to theconservation of the golden eagles.
When you think of goldeneagles in the uk, most think of Scotland,
(28:59):
which is undoubtedly wheremost of the eagles are found.
It may surprise many of you toknow that the last golden eagle to
be resident in England was asrecent as 2016.
He was in Rigondale in theLake District, and his death was
unanimously assumed to be dueto natural causes.
(29:20):
This unnamed male eagle had asad story for several reasons.
Firstly, he was descendeddirectly from a reintroduction to
the lake district in 1969.
It is now acknowledged thatthis reintroduction was flawed because
the eagle population needed tobe bigger to Sustain and develop
(29:43):
the pesticide cocktails,including ddt, which were legal at
the time until undoubtedly hadan impact on it.
Tragically, he was the lastsurvivor and spent the last 12 years
of his life alone followingthe death of his mate.
Since then, the lonely eaglehad diligently built a nest every
(30:04):
year and put on a magnificentflying displays to attract other
females.
But despite his impressivedisplays and sturdy palatial nests,
no females ever came.
And he died alone.
And that's why I am sitting onthe side of a windy and rain swept
valley in the south ofScotland today looking for golden
(30:28):
eagles.
After many hours, our patiencewas richly rewarded.
Ruth, whom I am working withtoday, had been surveying eagles
in the area for many years.
And when she excitedly tuggedon my arm and said I look, my heartbeat
tripled in milliseconds, wasnot much more than a dark dot in
(30:48):
the sky and was a long way offin the distance.
But through binoculars, it wasa golden eagle.
What Ruth said next was evenmore exciting.
She said, he may be headingour way.
Now.
Eagles do not travel instraight lines or from point A to
point B in any direct way.
(31:08):
No, they have their way ofsurveying their vast territories,
which makes a lot of sense.
They have incredible eyesightand can see small things from a long
way off and have considerableterritory to cover.
So eagles fly up in a circularmotion until they reach the air,
(31:30):
thermals and currents wherethey will glide with their vast wings
outstretched and covering manymiles with the minimum amount of
energy.
They look so graceful andbeautiful while they're doing it.
I have no concept of time as Iwatch the eagle ride the thermals,
(31:50):
moving ever closer to ourposition in the valley.
Maybe an hour had passed, butit felt like seconds when Ruth screeched
at me.
There are two.
I followed the directions ofher scope and right there at the
other end of my binoculars wasa second golden eagle.
(32:11):
We sat captivated by theirmajesty and their presence.
These birds are big.
Their wingspans can reach 2.4meters or 8ft and we couldn't see
any white patches on their tails.
So these were adult birds.
And maybe, just maybe, theywere a couple.
(32:37):
It was the wrong time of theyear for the actual courting behavior,
where both birds would put ona magnificent undulating display
as they glide up and down,riding the thermals as they dance
their way across the sky together.
Male birds will pick up smallpieces of rock and drop them before
(32:57):
entering into a steep highspeed dive.
And then, incredibly, theywill catch that rock again in midair,
repeating the maneuver severaltimes to impress the female.
And the good news is, itusually works.
Today we would not be seeingthe complete mating air display,
but what we were watching wasstill spectacular.
(33:21):
I had the same primevalfeeling deep within me that I felt
the first time I heard a wildmale lion roar.
And the hairs were standing upon my arms and neck just as they
did when I saw a tiger in thewild for the first time.
It was an unforgettable experience.
(33:43):
When I was younger, someschool friends, parents had a bird
of prey rescue centre and swansanctuary, and I would visit it to
help out as often as possible.
One day Robin told me therewas someone I would like you to meet,
and he took me to the large enclosures.
And there was a golden eagleon its own.
(34:04):
It wasn't a wild bird.
It had escaped, and the tagson its legs were enough for Robin
to find and contact its owners.
The bird stood tall on itsperch and was a stunning combination
of shades and tones of brown,with a distinct golden shimmer to
the feathers on the back ofits head and neck.
(34:24):
Its beak was extended with adeep hook off the top, and I could
see a yellow line around themouth that matched a splash of yellow
on the top of its beak andcentral between its eyes.
And what stunning eyes it had.
Dark amber brown with blackpupils that.
Was dilated as the birdrested, but still very aware of our
(34:49):
presence.
I remember clearly the sheersize of its feet and talons as they
lazily gripped the perch andhow the feathers covered its legs
until they reached the yellowskin of its feet.
Back then, cameras were notthe sort of things a young lad carried
around with him and phoneslived in the hallway at home and
(35:10):
were attached to a wall, so Ihave no pictures of that chance encounter,
but it is etched into mymemory forever.
Back to the present and nowone of the eagles was riding the
air currents above us.
As they rose after hitting theupper edges of the valley, the eagle
circled and swooped closeenough for me to see the feathers
(35:34):
on its wingtips.
They were like slim, elongatedfingers that moved in the wind, and
I was drawn to the tail'ssheer width and depth as the eagle
used it to remain stable andlevel in the ever changing thermals.
Its large legs were tucked intightly underneath and its head moved
(35:55):
in a counter direction to its tail.
As both wings stabilized theflight and allowed the eagle to ascend
or descend at will.
I reached for my cameraremote, almost hoping the eagle above
me wouldn't notice the andmove away.
I aligned the camera to theeagle high above me in the sky, extended
(36:17):
the zoom lens and began tocapture that magical moment.
We both got some stunningstills and videos of the eagles individually,
but neither of us could get asingle image with them both in one
frame.
That gives you an idea of howbig the sky is and how far apart
(36:38):
the birds are.
Both birds had rings but notracking devices, and we were thrilled
to see that the rings on theright and left legs of the individual
birds confirmed our hopes thatthese may well be a pair.
The excitement was real and Iwas trembling.
Not from cold or dampness, butfrom the exhilaration of sharing
(37:01):
time with such a remarkablewild and native bird.
I hope that I have capturedsome of that excitement today and
that you too will find thesame excitement when you see a wild
animal of whatever species forthe first time in its natural habitat.
I know I will be back to seethese incredible birds as they continue
(37:25):
to populate new areas withinScotland and I nurture the hope that
one day we will see them againin England.
That isn't a fantasy as theScottish population is now easily
within range of the border anda young female was spotted in the
Pennines as recently as 2020.
(37:45):
Sadly, she didn't stay andreturn to Scotland, but her exploration
has sparked new hope for thespecies to re establish itself in
England.
Another reason is that thegeneral attitudes towards wildlife
conservation and rewildinghave improved in recent years as
(38:06):
people have discovered,rekindled or refuelled their love
of nature.
Another factor could be theoverall reduction in sheep farming
on the upland hills ofnorthern England since the government
changed the subsidies andfunding that essentially keep these
loss making upland sheep farmsin business.
(38:28):
In his book Feral, GeorgesMonbier states sheep farming in this
country is a slow burningecological disaster which has done
more damage to the livingsystems of this country than either
climate change or industrial pollution.
This is the ideal opportunityfor England to rewild its upland
(38:50):
moors, funded by removingsubsidies to support the grouse shooting
estates, and instead create agenuine wild habitat that will help
us tackle the imminentchallenge of climate change that
we have brought upon ourselves.
As an apex predator, thegolden eagle plays a vital role at
(39:11):
the top of the food chain inremote mountainous and open moorland
regions.
And maybe the golden eagle isthe ultimate sign of wildness.
(39:34):
I hope you enjoyed ouradventure and that I was able to
convey the exhilaratingfeeling I had experienced when I
saw such a large andimpressive predator gliding through
the open skies.
The adrenaline rush I feltupon realizing.
That I had seen a golden eaglein the wild was not just a.
(39:54):
Thrilling moment, but aprofoundly personal and magical experience
that I will always cherish.
When we first published ourarticle about this adventure, it
quickly gained popularity inthe U.S.
appearing in multiplemagazines and publication.
This widespread recognitionnot only made it one of the most
(40:17):
popular articles we have everwritten, but also one of.
The most visited pages on the Wildlife.
Matters website showing thevalue and impact of our content.
And I'm excited and hopefulthat this podcast, capturing one
of our best wild experiencesand memories, will also go on to
(40:39):
become one of our most popular.
It was an experience that I will.
Always treasure and I hope itinspires you to create your own wildlife
adventures and explore thenatural world.
In our next episode of theWildlife Matters podcast, we invite
you to join us for a uniqueexperience as we spend time the night
(41:04):
in a cemetery to observewildlife in the heart of the capital.
Yes, this episode marks thelaunch of a brand new series that
explores urban wildlife andour most vibrant cities, starting
with West Norwood Cemetery in London.
We will also take time toconnect with nature as we share more
(41:29):
audio sound baths fromWildlife Matters Mindful moments
and we'll bring you ourselection of intriguing news stories
from the world of nature andwildlife in Wildlife Matters Nature
News and as always, weappreciate you taking the time to
(41:49):
listen to us today.
Please share the podcast withanyone you think will would enjoy
it and help us groworganically alongside the algorithms
that influence so much of whatwe see and hear in our daily lives.
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks.
(42:11):
Until then, stay curious wild ones.
This is Wildlife Matterssigning off.
SA.
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters podcast podcast
where we are super excited toshare our main feature story today,
which is the return of thegolden eagles.
Yeah.
Join us for a day in southwestScotland as we look for these majestic
birds to stay tuned anddiscover if we actually find them.
(00:51):
Then you can join us as weimmerse ourselves in nature and but
in an urban environment onthis week's Wildlife Mindful moment
and this week's Wildlife Matters.
Nature News explores thespecies returning to.
The New Forest after decadesof local extinction and discusses
(01:12):
the globally scarce habitats.
Which are mainly found withinthe UK.
That are now being conservedunder the guidance of the Wildlife
Trust.
Finally, we'll investigaterecent reports of albino fox cubs
in Hull and examine the livesof albino animals in the wild.
(01:34):
And that's all coming up nexton this week's Wildlife Matters Nature.
(01:58):
Hello and welcome to thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
Our first story highlights thereturn of a species that has been
absent from the UK for over 25 years.
A musical insect known as theNew Forest cicada, which has been
extinct in the UK for over 25years, is being reintroduced as conservationists
(02:23):
work to re establish its population.
Scientists at the SpeciesRecovery Trust recently released
11 new forest cicadas into aspecially created habitat just outside
of a Hampshire woodland.
The New Forest cicada, orCicadeta montana.
(02:43):
Was once commonly foundthroughout the New.
Forest and but the lastconfirmed sightings occurred in the
1990s.
Conservationists believe thatchanges in land management practices
led to the insect's extinctionfrom the uk.
Charlotte Khan, a projectofficer at the Species Recovery Trust,
(03:05):
told Wildlife Matters this hasbeen a challenging project, so it's
fantastic to see new forestcicadas in England after all the
this time it's.
Reported that some of thereleased cicadas.
Are already pregnant and havebegun laying eggs in their specially
designed habitat, whichincludes their preferred plants such
(03:27):
as raspberry canes and hazeltree sapwings.
Since cicadas spend at leastfour years.
Underground as nymphs, thetrust won't know.
Until 2029 at the earliestwhether this phase of the project
has been successful.
If they manage to survivetheir nymph stage, the plan is to
(03:47):
release the adult cicadas atundisclosed locations.
The Species Recovery Trustalso hopes to import more cicadas
from France to continue thebreeding program and they are studying
populations of the samespecies in Slovenia to gain a better
understanding of their behavior.
(04:07):
Dominic Price, who's thedirector of the.
Species Recovery Trust, sharedwith Wildlife Matters.
We believe the New Forestcicada likely.
Went extinct due to changes inland management, but we have worked
with Forestry England toimplement appropriate management
practices.
Additionally, we think ourwarming climate could favour their
(04:31):
survival.
So.
So we are very hopeful thatcicadas will sing in the New Forest
again soon.
So what is a New Forest cicada?
Well, New Forest cicadas aredescribed as.
Musical insects known fortheir distinctive singing.
Male New Forest cicadas arerecognized for their characteristic
(04:52):
high pitched song which theyuse to attract females for mating.
The pitch of the song is sohigh that it is at the limits of
of human hearing, making itdifficult for most adults to detect.
The adult cicadas are blackwith distinct golden rings and transparent
wings.
Females will grow to around5cm in.
(05:15):
Length, whilst males areslightly smaller.
New Forest cicadas are oftenfound high in trees, making them
extremely difficult to spot.
But listening for theirsinging is one.
Of the most effective ways tolocate these elusive insects.
Our second story this week isabout the restoration efforts that
(05:38):
are underway on the RiverMimram, a rare chalk stream located
in Hertfordshire.
The Mimram is a rare and precious.
Chalk stream with only around200 in.
The world, with 10% of the ofthose flowing through Hertfordshire,
a vital part of the ecosystem.
The Mimran begins nearWhitwell and flows through the villages
(06:00):
of Kimpton, Codecot and Wellynbefore joining the River Lee near
Hartford.
Thanks to funding from theEnvironment Agency, the Harts and
Middlesex Wildlife Trust hasappointed Heidi Mansell as the new
Chalk Rivers and Farm AdvisoryOfficer, leading efforts to restore
and protect the River Mimran.
(06:22):
The river is being improved byremoving unnecessary weirs and creating
better land management througha collaborative effort between various
organizations and community groups.
Heidi told Wildlife Mattersthat we recognize that for a number
of years different.
Groups and stakeholders havebeen coming together to help improve
(06:44):
the Mimram.
So now the aim is toconsolidate on this good work and
make further progress.
In these first few months I have.
Been meeting with andlistening to landholders.
To understand and support whatthey would like and gathering existing
data on the catchment andalready 11 of those with.
(07:05):
Land rights along the Mimramhave said.
That they would like to worktowards improving the river, which
is hugely encouraging.
Over the coming months andyears we'll work together to create
and deliver restoration.
And management plans thataddress some of the reasons why the
river is not.
Achieving good ecological status.
(07:26):
According to the WaterFramework Directive, Heidi is exploring
further new options availablethrough the Higher Level Countryside
Stewardship Scheme which mayfund some of this work.
These options include paymentsto farmers who.
Manage riverbanks and wateredge habitats sensitively, as well
(07:47):
as those who connect river andfloodplain habitat.
And as a result of this work,there is hope to see species such
as the endangered water volethriving once again, and also to
find brown trouts creatingtheir nests on the riverbeds and
to see the flashes of blue askingfishers dart along the river
(08:08):
and waving strands of water'scrowfoot teetering on the water's
surface.
All of these, of course, areindicators of healthy chalk streams,
and Wildlife Matters willclosely monitor this project as it
develops and will bring youfurther updates in the future.
And our third and final storythis week is about wild albino animals.
(08:33):
In May of this year, albinofox cubs were spotted playing in
a former cemetery in Hull.
Similar sightings have beenreported in London parks.
So wildlife matters.
What are albino animals?
Well, albino animals are arare phenomenon.
In both the wild and in captivity.
(08:55):
Albinism is caused by agenetic mutation that inhibits the
production of melanin, thepigment responsible for color in
skin, fur, feathers and eyes.
Albino animals are easilyrecognized by their white or pale
appearance and pink to red eyes.
(09:15):
While they are beautiful andfascinating, their.
Lack of camouflage posessignificant challenges for.
Survival in the wild.
Without natural concealment,albino animals are more visible to
predators, making it harderfor them to survive.
We mentioned the fox cubs in Hull.
Which were reported to havealbinism, a condition characterized
(09:39):
by white folk fur and the pinkor red eyes.
Although albino foxes cannaturally occur, they are incredibly
rare in the wild and.
Face challenges such asincreased sensitivity to.
Sunlight and difficulties infinding food.
Due to their reducedcamouflage, albino foxes are more
(10:01):
susceptible to sunburn, eyedamage and other health issues that
stem from their lack of pigmentation.
True albinism is rare amongwild fox populations.
However, white or leucisticfoxes, which retain some pigment,
are observed more frequently.
Another native favourite isthe badger.
(10:23):
An albino badger is a rarevariation of the European badger,
characterized by a completelack of pigmentation, resulting in
a white or creamy white coatand pink or red eyes.
Albino badgers differ fromleucistic and erythristic badgers,
which retain some pigmentation.
(10:45):
The absence of melamineaffects their eyes, giving them a
pink or red appearance, whilebadgers usually have gray fur with
black and white markings.
Albinism can make theseanimals more vulnerable to sunlight
and predators due to a lack ofprotective pigmentation which may
impact the their lifespan.
Distinguishing albino fromother badger variations and There
(11:10):
are two other variations foundin badgers.
The first is known asleucistic badgers.
Leucism results in the partialloss of pigmentation, creating patches
of light colored fur while theeyes retain their standard coloring.
And the second variation iserythritic badgers.
(11:31):
Erythrism refers to acondition characterized by a lack
of black pigment resulting inreddish or sandy colored fur.
Erythritic badgers may havelight brown or even red eyes.
However, it isn't only whitefoxes and.
Badgers that can be found inthe uk.
(11:52):
The humble hedgehog also haswhite variants.
Although albino hedgehogs arevery rare with only about 1 in 10,000
being born with albinism.
Their striking white spinesand pale features make them highly
visible, which also makes.
Them more vulnerable to predation.
(12:13):
Actual albino hedgehogs havedistinctive pink eyes and lack pigmentation
in both their skin and spines.
And by contrast, blondhedgehogs, which carry a recessive
gene, have dark eyes and aremore commonly found on island populations
such as Alderney and NorthRonaldsay where there are very few
(12:37):
natural predators.
Many of us will see squirrels daily.
But albino grey squirrels arean incredibly rare sight with only
about 50 individuals believedto exist exist in the UK now.
These squirrels aredistinguished by their ghostly white
fur and pinkish eyes and are.
(12:57):
Sometimes confused with themore common leucistic.
Squirrels which have thereduced pigmentation in their fur
but retain standard eye coloring.
Although most wild mammals inBritain can display albino or white
fur with normal colored eyes,the last species we will look at
today is the deer.
(13:18):
The native red and roe deerboth have been recorded, but most
frequently seen white deer arethe fallow deer which are occasionally
spotted among parkland herdsacross the uk.
These park based herds offallow deer have a more common gene
that is responsible for thelighter coloration.
(13:40):
Some of these white deer aretrue albinos characterized by their
pink eyes and noses, whilstothers exhibit leucism which reduces
pigmentation without affectingthe color of their eyes.
The gene that causes albinoanimals is found throughout wild
mammal species in Britain.
A true albino will have red orpink eyes and pure white skin or
(14:03):
fur, while leucistic animalslack the pigment gene in their fur
but retain standard coloringin their eyes.
And we hope that's beeninteresting and explained a little
bit about albinos and thedifference between them and leucistic
animals and it has been thisweek's Wildlife Matters Nature News.
(14:43):
Well, I don't know about you, but.
I wasn't aware that cicadaswere ever native in the uk, so every
day.
Is a learning day and it was.
So enlightening to learn somuch from the Species Protection
Trust.
Thank you.
It was also great to catch up.
On the vital work of the Harts.
And Middlesex, a WildlifeTrust project on the River Mimram,
(15:06):
one of the chalk streams,which is such an incredibly valuable
habitat with over 80% of themfound here in the UK.
We're pleased to hear aboutthis project and encourage and support
local conservation efforts forchalk streams as well as all rivers
and freshwater lakes.
(15:29):
After hearing a story of the white.
Fox cubs in a Hull cemetery,Wildlife Matters wanted to explore
albinism and the more commonyet still rare leucistic animals.
And as always, we hope youfound our stories interesting and
informative.
Please do like, share andsubscribe to Stay up to date with
(15:51):
the latest episodes of theWildlife Matters podcasts.
Now it's time to sit back andrelax, close your eyes if it's safe
to do so, and immerse yourselfin the sounds of nature this week.
A wild animal that almost allof us will see on a daily basis,
(16:13):
whether we're in cities,towns, villages or out in the countryside.
And yet so many of us still.
Don'T associate it with thesounds it makes.
So we hope you enjoy thisweek's nature encounter on Wildlife
Matters.
Mindful moments Perhaps alittle too shrill.
(17:53):
To be really relaxing, but the sounds.
Of these wild animals are sucha part of our everyday lives that
maybe.
We miss them and we don'talways appreciate the complexity
of the sounds that wildlifeuses to communicate.
And gray squirrels have arange of vocalizations and gestures
(18:14):
that captivate us, but we haveso little understanding of them.
It's time we began a new studyto appreciate and celebrate this
captivating species.
And if you would like to findout more, then do listen to our chats
with Natalia Doran from Londonbased Specialist Squirrel Rescue
(18:36):
Urban Squirrels, or one of ourvery earliest podcast episodes called
In Defense of the Grey.
You will find them allwherever you.
Get your podcasts, and thathas been this week's Wildlife Matters
Mindful Moments.
(18:56):
Coming up now is this week'sWildlife Matters main feature where
we are genuinely excited toshare one of our most unique and
magical encounters of all ofour adventures.
So get ready to join me highon a hill in Galloway with the mizzle
all around as we climb and getready for the return of the golden
(19:22):
eagles, a breathtakingspectacle you will not want to miss
on this week's WildlifeMatters main feature.
Welcome to this week's AWildlife Matters.
Main feature and here'sanother one I am so excited to bring
(19:43):
you.
Following an adventure inScotland, where I recently joined
a small group of dedicatedindividuals, they were assembled
in a remote car park.
The day was changeable, or asmy Scottish friends would say, misel,
a combination of dull and greyskies with light rain.
(20:06):
After a short while, we weredivided into pairs and given an area
to cover, and we set off indifferent directions.
Our purpose for the day was totry and spot an iconic bird I had
never seen in the wild, onethat would be hard to miss if it
were in the area.
(20:26):
I was so excited.
We climbed up a long and muddypath to the ridgeline on the southern
side of a hill and found asheltered spot with an overhang above
and good cover from thesurrounding wild shrubs.
Ruth and I settled down andmade ourselves as comfortable as
(20:47):
possible on our small foldingstools with our cameras and monitoring
equipment prioritized over our comfort.
We chatted in soft, low voicesas we waited to avoid disturbing
the terrestrial wildlife thatwas all around us.
I turned and said to Ruth thatone day this valley would be full
(21:09):
of the birds that we werelooking for.
She looked at me and without aword being spoken, I knew that she
expected me to back that boldstatement up.
I paused, knowing that Icouldn't and that my comment was
based more on hope and a gut instinct.
But that wasn't what I said.
(21:31):
I just smiled and said, well, hopefully.
The golden eagle is one of thelargest and certainly one of the
most impressive birds thatcall the British Isles home, especially
when seen soaring over ahighland glen or searching for prey
over a hillside.
With deep, leisurely wingbeats, they can often be seen from
(21:53):
up to a mile away, and theimpression is always of sheer size,
a power and majesty.
It is sometimes confused at adistance with more frequently seen
raptures, particularly the buzzard.
But the golden eagle's longwings, relatively long tail, and
prominent head are enough toshow it is an eagle, Ruth told me.
(22:15):
Once you have seen an eagle,there is never any doubt in your
mind again.
The golden eagle usuallybuilds its nest, or eyrie, high up
on a rocky crag, and that canbe up to 600 meters or around 2,000
Fe above the sea level.
Although some eagles will justnest in taller trees, a pair may
(22:39):
have two or even three nestswithin their territory, and they
will use them in rotation.
The nests are big and bulky,made of piles of sticks, bracken
and heather, and then they arelined with grasses.
The female will lay two white,blotchy eggs in mid March.
She will lay one initially,begin incubating that egg, and then
(23:03):
lay a second egg three or fourdays later.
Both eggs usually hatch, butthe youngest chick, born just a few
days after the first, is oftenat a disadvantage.
Other birds of prey or raptorsalso use this strategy.
The younger and smaller chickmay not survive, as it cannot compete
(23:26):
with its larger sibling forfood and and it can be pushed from
the nest by the older chick orsometimes even eaten by it.
Both chicks are ready to flyin around 65 to 70 days, if they
survive.
Each pair of eagles needs avast territory of around 3,000 acres,
(23:49):
and they soar on thermals asthey hunt their prey from the air.
Once an eagle spots its prey,it swoops down at speeds of up to
150 kilometers an hour, andthat's nearly 100 miles an hour,
striking and killing the preywith its long, sharp talons.
Eagles have incredibleeyesight that allows them to spot
(24:13):
prey from a great distance.
The prey can be as small as amouse or a lizard, or as big as a
fox.
Usually large mammals, such asdeer, are carrion.
Most prey is killed on theground, but some birds are caught
and killed in flight.
Over the years, the goldeneagle has suffered greatly at the
(24:35):
hands of humans.
In the 19th century, manyeagles were killed by farmers and
gamekeepers in the belief thatthe eagles killed large numbers of
sheep and grouse.
You can't say with anycertainty that an eagle wouldn't
take a lamb, but they couldn'ttake a ewe who would be present and
(24:57):
actively protecting her lamb.
What is more accurate is thateagles take lambs that are already
dead.
Golden eagles certainly dokill grouse, but research tells us
that the number of grousepredated by Eagles is 4, far below
the estimates fromgamekeepers, and they do not have
(25:18):
any damaging effects on thebags that grouse shoots.
Fortunately, many farmers andgamekeepers now recognize the eagle's
potential to control otherwild animals, such as rats and rabbits.
As a significant predator, theeagle plays a crucial role in maintaining
ecological balance within its habitat.
(25:41):
Ecological research shows thatpredators at the top of the food
chain have an enormous effecton the biodiversity and ecology of
an area.
Like ripples in water, thepresence of our larger predatory
animals sustains an incredibleamount of life below their top spot
(26:02):
in the food chain.
This phenomenon, in ecologicalterms, is known as a trophic cascade.
Although the golden eagle is aprotected species, it is still threatened
by various factors.
Golden eagles are regularlykilled when they eat poisoned sheep
carcasses put out to kill Foxes.
(26:23):
This is a severe threat thatshould be stopped and made illegal,
as leaving a poisoned carcassout for any wildlife is clearly wrong.
You may think farmers would bethe main ones doing this, and they
certainly do.
But often it is the landownersor contractors on forestry plantations
(26:46):
who take over the open areasof land where the eagles like to
hunt.
Some pairs of eagles fail tobreed or successfully rear their
young when they areunintentionally disturbed by the
high numbers of hikers,walkers and climbers who pass by
close to their nests.
(27:06):
This is a problem in theCairngorms and the central Highland
areas.
The collection of eggs oreaglets is also a severe threat.
There are laws with heftyfines that have helped to reduce
this.
But it is almost impossible tokeep a constant watch on all of the
nests, especially as they arenaturally in such remote areas.
(27:30):
During the 1960s, GoldenEagles and many other birds of prey
were affected byorganochlorine pesticides such as
ddt, which entered the foodchains in their habitat.
The eagles suffered highmortality rates from their position
at the top of the food chain,with the poisons either making them
infertile or causing theireggshells to be so thin that they
(27:54):
broke when the birds tried toincubate them.
Another chemical, dielgerin, acomponent of sheep dip to kill ticks
and fleas, had the same effectwhen the eagles fed on dead sheep.
Fortunately, when the dangerof these pesticides was realised,
they were banned.
And since the eagle has begunto recover its numbers in Scotland.
(28:17):
In 2014, there were 440 pairsof golden eagles in the UK.
Now, 10 years on, that numberhas grown by no more than 10% to
around 500 pairs.
So progress has been slow,although progress in rewilding is
encouraging.
(28:38):
For example, white tailedeagles have been reintroduced to
England.
Beavers have become the firstlegally reintroduced.
Native mammal and wild bisonhave been released into Kentucky.
But let's return to theconservation of the golden eagles.
When you think of goldeneagles in the uk, most think of Scotland,
(28:59):
which is undoubtedly wheremost of the eagles are found.
It may surprise many of you toknow that the last golden eagle to
be resident in England was asrecent as 2016.
He was in Rigondale in theLake District, and his death was
unanimously assumed to be dueto natural causes.
(29:20):
This unnamed male eagle had asad story for several reasons.
Firstly, he was descendeddirectly from a reintroduction to
the lake district in 1969.
It is now acknowledged thatthis reintroduction was flawed because
the eagle population needed tobe bigger to Sustain and develop
(29:43):
the pesticide cocktails,including ddt, which were legal at
the time until undoubtedly hadan impact on it.
Tragically, he was the lastsurvivor and spent the last 12 years
of his life alone followingthe death of his mate.
Since then, the lonely eaglehad diligently built a nest every
(30:04):
year and put on a magnificentflying displays to attract other
females.
But despite his impressivedisplays and sturdy palatial nests,
no females ever came.
And he died alone.
And that's why I am sitting onthe side of a windy and rain swept
valley in the south ofScotland today looking for golden
(30:28):
eagles.
After many hours, our patiencewas richly rewarded.
Ruth, whom I am working withtoday, had been surveying eagles
in the area for many years.
And when she excitedly tuggedon my arm and said I look, my heartbeat
tripled in milliseconds, wasnot much more than a dark dot in
(30:48):
the sky and was a long way offin the distance.
But through binoculars, it wasa golden eagle.
What Ruth said next was evenmore exciting.
She said, he may be headingour way.
Now.
Eagles do not travel instraight lines or from point A to
point B in any direct way.
(31:08):
No, they have their way ofsurveying their vast territories,
which makes a lot of sense.
They have incredible eyesightand can see small things from a long
way off and have considerableterritory to cover.
So eagles fly up in a circularmotion until they reach the air,
(31:30):
thermals and currents wherethey will glide with their vast wings
outstretched and covering manymiles with the minimum amount of
energy.
They look so graceful andbeautiful while they're doing it.
I have no concept of time as Iwatch the eagle ride the thermals,
(31:50):
moving ever closer to ourposition in the valley.
Maybe an hour had passed, butit felt like seconds when Ruth screeched
at me.
There are two.
I followed the directions ofher scope and right there at the
other end of my binoculars wasa second golden eagle.
(32:11):
We sat captivated by theirmajesty and their presence.
These birds are big.
Their wingspans can reach 2.4meters or 8ft and we couldn't see
any white patches on their tails.
So these were adult birds.
And maybe, just maybe, theywere a couple.
(32:37):
It was the wrong time of theyear for the actual courting behavior,
where both birds would put ona magnificent undulating display
as they glide up and down,riding the thermals as they dance
their way across the sky together.
Male birds will pick up smallpieces of rock and drop them before
(32:57):
entering into a steep highspeed dive.
And then, incredibly, theywill catch that rock again in midair,
repeating the maneuver severaltimes to impress the female.
And the good news is, itusually works.
Today we would not be seeingthe complete mating air display,
but what we were watching wasstill spectacular.
(33:21):
I had the same primevalfeeling deep within me that I felt
the first time I heard a wildmale lion roar.
And the hairs were standing upon my arms and neck just as they
did when I saw a tiger in thewild for the first time.
It was an unforgettable experience.
(33:43):
When I was younger, someschool friends, parents had a bird
of prey rescue centre and swansanctuary, and I would visit it to
help out as often as possible.
One day Robin told me therewas someone I would like you to meet,
and he took me to the large enclosures.
And there was a golden eagleon its own.
(34:04):
It wasn't a wild bird.
It had escaped, and the tagson its legs were enough for Robin
to find and contact its owners.
The bird stood tall on itsperch and was a stunning combination
of shades and tones of brown,with a distinct golden shimmer to
the feathers on the back ofits head and neck.
(34:24):
Its beak was extended with adeep hook off the top, and I could
see a yellow line around themouth that matched a splash of yellow
on the top of its beak andcentral between its eyes.
And what stunning eyes it had.
Dark amber brown with blackpupils that.
Was dilated as the birdrested, but still very aware of our
(34:49):
presence.
I remember clearly the sheersize of its feet and talons as they
lazily gripped the perch andhow the feathers covered its legs
until they reached the yellowskin of its feet.
Back then, cameras were notthe sort of things a young lad carried
around with him and phoneslived in the hallway at home and
(35:10):
were attached to a wall, so Ihave no pictures of that chance encounter,
but it is etched into mymemory forever.
Back to the present and nowone of the eagles was riding the
air currents above us.
As they rose after hitting theupper edges of the valley, the eagle
circled and swooped closeenough for me to see the feathers
(35:34):
on its wingtips.
They were like slim, elongatedfingers that moved in the wind, and
I was drawn to the tail'ssheer width and depth as the eagle
used it to remain stable andlevel in the ever changing thermals.
Its large legs were tucked intightly underneath and its head moved
(35:55):
in a counter direction to its tail.
As both wings stabilized theflight and allowed the eagle to ascend
or descend at will.
I reached for my cameraremote, almost hoping the eagle above
me wouldn't notice the andmove away.
I aligned the camera to theeagle high above me in the sky, extended
(36:17):
the zoom lens and began tocapture that magical moment.
We both got some stunningstills and videos of the eagles individually,
but neither of us could get asingle image with them both in one
frame.
That gives you an idea of howbig the sky is and how far apart
(36:38):
the birds are.
Both birds had rings but notracking devices, and we were thrilled
to see that the rings on theright and left legs of the individual
birds confirmed our hopes thatthese may well be a pair.
The excitement was real and Iwas trembling.
Not from cold or dampness, butfrom the exhilaration of sharing
(37:01):
time with such a remarkablewild and native bird.
I hope that I have capturedsome of that excitement today and
that you too will find thesame excitement when you see a wild
animal of whatever species forthe first time in its natural habitat.
I know I will be back to seethese incredible birds as they continue
(37:25):
to populate new areas withinScotland and I nurture the hope that
one day we will see them againin England.
That isn't a fantasy as theScottish population is now easily
within range of the border anda young female was spotted in the
Pennines as recently as 2020.
(37:45):
Sadly, she didn't stay andreturn to Scotland, but her exploration
has sparked new hope for thespecies to re establish itself in
England.
Another reason is that thegeneral attitudes towards wildlife
conservation and rewildinghave improved in recent years as
(38:06):
people have discovered,rekindled or refuelled their love
of nature.
Another factor could be theoverall reduction in sheep farming
on the upland hills ofnorthern England since the government
changed the subsidies andfunding that essentially keep these
loss making upland sheep farmsin business.
(38:28):
In his book Feral, GeorgesMonbier states sheep farming in this
country is a slow burningecological disaster which has done
more damage to the livingsystems of this country than either
climate change or industrial pollution.
This is the ideal opportunityfor England to rewild its upland
(38:50):
moors, funded by removingsubsidies to support the grouse shooting
estates, and instead create agenuine wild habitat that will help
us tackle the imminentchallenge of climate change that
we have brought upon ourselves.
As an apex predator, thegolden eagle plays a vital role at
(39:11):
the top of the food chain inremote mountainous and open moorland
regions.
And maybe the golden eagle isthe ultimate sign of wildness.
(39:34):
I hope you enjoyed ouradventure and that I was able to
convey the exhilaratingfeeling I had experienced when I
saw such a large andimpressive predator gliding through
the open skies.
The adrenaline rush I feltupon realizing.
That I had seen a golden eaglein the wild was not just a.
(39:54):
Thrilling moment, but aprofoundly personal and magical experience
that I will always cherish.
When we first published ourarticle about this adventure, it
quickly gained popularity inthe U.S.
appearing in multiplemagazines and publication.
This widespread recognitionnot only made it one of the most
(40:17):
popular articles we have everwritten, but also one of.
The most visited pages on the Wildlife.
Matters website showing thevalue and impact of our content.
And I'm excited and hopefulthat this podcast, capturing one
of our best wild experiencesand memories, will also go on to
(40:39):
become one of our most popular.
It was an experience that I will.
Always treasure and I hope itinspires you to create your own wildlife
adventures and explore thenatural world.
In our next episode of theWildlife Matters podcast, we invite
you to join us for a uniqueexperience as we spend time the night
(41:04):
in a cemetery to observewildlife in the heart of the capital.
Yes, this episode marks thelaunch of a brand new series that
explores urban wildlife andour most vibrant cities, starting
with West Norwood Cemetery in London.
We will also take time toconnect with nature as we share more
(41:29):
audio sound baths fromWildlife Matters Mindful moments
and we'll bring you ourselection of intriguing news stories
from the world of nature andwildlife in Wildlife Matters Nature
News and as always, weappreciate you taking the time to
(41:49):
listen to us today.
Please share the podcast withanyone you think will would enjoy
it and help us groworganically alongside the algorithms
that influence so much of whatwe see and hear in our daily lives.
Wildlife Matters will returnin two weeks.
(42:11):
Until then, stay curious wild ones.
This is Wildlife Matterssigning off.
SA.
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