Would love to see a Golden Eagle
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CC's Kinlochewe and Morvich Sites, C&CC's Isle of Skye site.
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As a regular visitor and previous resident, the reality is you will be lucky to see one. Elusive, have a vast area, fly very high. Mull would be my best location but would have other things to do if going there.
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Several years ago saw that lone male on eastern side of Ullswater. Unfortunately no longer there.
You may have a slightly better chance of seeing Sea Eagles along the north western coast of Scotland mind. Equally if not more spectacular birds in my opinion.
A few years ago we had one spend much of the summer in Lincolnshire. An attempt to reintroduce them in Norfolk was thwarted by a few who feared attacks to pets and farmed chickens, what non sence!
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One flew over the Altnaharra site every morning and early evening for the four days we were there last May. We needed the binoculars to identify it the first time. The wardens said they had never seen one before. Twitchers on a pitch near us said they were filling their boots with so many different species of birds. The highlight for us on that trip was not the golden eagle but the cuckoo that entertained us just outside Gairloch.
Beinn Eighe, within walking distance of the Kinlochewe site, is said to be home to Golden Eagles but we never saw any when we were there last year.
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I'm just adding a link to my previous comment about the Cairngorms, as a former resident if you take time and venture into some of the quieter areas you will probably spot one or two, even the occasional one on top of a telegraph pole. There are some excellent rspb reserves in the area too, for all sorts of wild life. If you venture into the Rothiemurchus estate area or somewhere like Glenfeshie you'll have a good chance of seeing lots of interesting things. This year we saw ptarmigan on the edge of the moors coming over the top near Tomintoul. Happy eagle spotting!
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We have stayed at Newtonmore site several time snd its in a nice position. Used to be an AS but not now. Every visit we have seen eagles by driving right to the top off the Findhorn valley, park the car and walk past the large shooting lodge then after about 0.5 mile cross the river via the bridge and follow the track. Anywhere along the Findhorn upper reaches you may see some eagles. Another good spot is walk up past Kingussie Golf Club and then just follow the paths up into the Mondailath Mountains Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare too. Glen Feshie is good too but take the road that goes by the gliding club otherwise you will not be able to cross the river and access the higher parts of the Glen.
My Profile picture shows the shooting lodge in Findhorn valley.
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We saw one in Mull a few years ago also some lovely sea life but other than that not much else to do on Mull in my opinion.
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Hi as already suggested the North West of Scotland, Morvich, Isle of Skye but late September early October the reason the parents chase the young birds from their territory, so the young eagles are on the move looking for their own spot. Also the above sites you may well see young White Tailed Sea Eagles & young Golden Eagles searching out territorys for own.
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If you've any doubt whether it's a Buzzard or an Eagle, then it's a Buzzard!!
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Some years back I was driving around the west coast of Mull, when, what I thought was a small glider, flew straight over the car and then landed on a tree stump, no more than 20 yards away! I was staggered at the physical size of a Golden Eagle and it's wingspan!
It's the only time I've seen GE in the wild
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Each time I have visited the standing stones at Callanish ( much older than Stonehenge ) I have been happy to watch not one but a pair of Golden Eagles.
LIke wise on the Island of Raasay I often watched a pair of Golden Eagles flying between the Island of Rona and Raasay. Nearby Skye at the Quiraing is also a good place to see Eagles.
K
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Golden Eagles are absolutely huge compared to buzzards and even high in the sky you ought to be able to tell the difference. The wingspan of a Golden Eagle can be 78 inches, compared to a buzzard at less than forty inches. We have both species flying over our house in France (in the Hautes Corbieres), and there is no mistaking one for the other.
Try a site near Haweswater, where the RSPB Haweswater website mentions Golden Eagles. You might be lucky, but it's also not so far to go, and plenty of other bird-watching opportunities, too.
However, if you want to get really close to an Eagle, just to see how big it is, watch it eating, and even perhaps to have it perch on your arm, I can highly recommend a Falconry Experience. We've just had a fabulous day at a local falconry centre, where we got to see, carry, fly and feed a whole range of birds, from a tiny kestrel, to a Griffon Vulture called Ruby (too big to hold but we did feed her). The centre has a Sea Eagle called Demona, which I had standing on my arm (all 10 kgs of it and bigger than a Golden Eagle)....... Whilst it's not 'in the wild' it does guarantee you a sighting, and close up photo opportunities that you would never get in nature.
Here's where we went, but there are plenty of other centres all over the country.
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Great post Valda, you hit the nail on the head with identification. There is absolutely no way to confuse a buzzard with a Golden Eagle.
If I am going to look for a bird i'm not familiar with I google it, view the images and listen to the birds call
We went to Helmsley raptor centre a couple of years ago. Well kept with a good flying program
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Some years ago while climbing the ridge line above Haweswater I got a great photo of the female, and nearly rolled off of the ridge taking it as she ascended in front of me from the cliff face. The last male hasn't been seen since early 2016 and the RSPB website doesn't now mention Golden Eagles. So Scotland is the only place in Uk to see this fabulous bird.
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According to websites there are no Golden Eagles in North Wales, and yet we, along with other friends, definitely saw one a few years ago. Like other birds they will search for suitable territories when reaching adulthood and looking for a mate, and so it is possible to see them in areas where there isn't an 'established' population.
Interestingly, googling 'Golden Eagle in North Wales' appears to confirm a sighting in Carmarthenshire in 2014 - and this could well have been the bird that we saw too.
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Eagles can occasionally appear anywhere in the UK. Mrsysf saw the Lincolnshire bird a few years ago. I missed it
This one turned up in Norfolk earlier this year!
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We went on a boat trip on Loch Etive. The guide on the boat promised us Seals, Red Deer and Golden Eagle. As if on command, as he pointed to either left or right of the boat, up popped seals and red deer walking the shoreline. However, when he announced Golden Eagles to the front, nothing. Three times he announced Golden Eagles, and on the third time, sure enough 2 soured in the sky above the boat. I swear they were remote controlled, lol.
The second time was quite by chance in the Findhorn Valley. We had pulled over into a layby so I could get a drink from the back of the car. There sitting on a fence post at the end of the layby was a Golden Eagle. It didn't move, just stared at us. We weren't expecting that at such close quarters and, of course, the camera was in the boot. It flew off when opened the door.
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Our problems here in Wales are 1) the low flying jets ( Our local pair have moved from Cader Idris due to the Jet run called Mach Loop).They are now in amore remote area. 2) Its DEFRA ( Department for extermination of Farming and Rural Activities). They insist that all dead farm animals are removed depriving the raptors of a very important NON CONFLICT food source. In Scotland dead Deer are the mainstay. THe raptors then have to find an alternative food source which is very scarce hence the survival rate very low and breeding almost Nil.
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