To help everyone through lockdown, we ran a series of much-enjoyed virtual talks at and after the Annual Conference.
With spring and the easing of lockdown, we have paused these events. Keep an eye on this website though, as we will have more, including an exciting one in July.
Q and A: White-tailed Eagle Talk
Here are the questions and answers that we could not address on the day. Steve Egerton-Read has been on leave, hence the slight delay. The talk was and remains (based on YouTube views so far) one of our most popular ever talks. If you’ve not had a chance to see it, it’s here.
| Question | Answer(s) | |
| 1 | What did they do differently that led to success [compared to the Fair Isle attempt]? | This pioneering project only released four birds, juvenile mortality is high – approximately 40% survive to adulthood (five years old), unfortunately none of these birds are thought to have survived to adulthood. Subsequent projects not only refined release methodology but released a greater number of birds, however without this pioneering project things could be very different today. The reintroduction in Scotland is well-documented by a number of authors. |
| 2 | Didn’t see the episode but i was told Countryfile showed a clip purporting to show a WTE taking a lamb in 2017. have I been misled? | Conflict with livestock farming is not documented in the nearby Netherlands or other parts of north-western Europe, nor has it been documented to date following the Irish reintroduction. Conflict in Scotland has been reported, though the reasons behind this conflict are complex – one possible reason is the lack of naturally available prey in western Scotland. The project anticipates that white-tailed eagles will not come into conflict with livestock farmers here in southern England, as the landscape, land-use and natural prey availability is similar to that of the Netherlands. |
| 3 | Where do they go in the non-breeding season? | Territorial pairs typically occupy their home range throughout the year across most of lowland Europe. Some populations are more migratory, particularly in the far north of their range, where food is much less readily available during the winter months. Juveniles tend to be more nomadic throughout the year. |
| 4 | I see that white tailed eagle was seen at Rye harbour nature reserve recently. Does this mean that they are nesting in the area or are they traveling long distance to feed? | There are presently no breeding white-tailed eagles in England, the birds released on the Isle of Wight aren’t expected to start breeding until 2024. Juvenile white-tailed eagles wander great distances, the Isle of Wight released birds have been seen across much of England but there are also occasional Continental juveniles that appear from time-to-time. |
| 5 | Why won’t the project reach 60 bird releases in 5 years? | The project is licensed to release up-to 60 birds over a five-year period. To date the project has released 25 with two years left on the present licence. |
| 6 | Is there a danger of WTEs trying and failing to replicate the artificial IoW “nests”? | No, white-tailed eagles will not try to replicate the release aviaries. The same methods the project uses on the Isle of Wight have been used in successful reintroduction projects in Scotland and Ireland, where white-tailed eagles have re-established as breeding birds. |
| 7 | Do they eat carrion? | White-tailed eagles are generalist predators, taking what is most readily available in the environment. Carrion can be an important consituent of these birds diet, particularly for juveniles during their first winter. Across much of their range, fish is taken preferentially when available. |
| 8 | We’ve had a lot of visits from G408 in the Arun Valley this year – is this a good sign that a pair will choose this location to breed? And when do you hope the first pair from the IoW scheme will breed? | A number of white-tailed eagles from the project have spent time in the Arun Valley, hopefully in the not too distant future white-tailed eagles will breed in Sussex again, as to where, we will have to wait and see. First breeding is not expected until 2024 at earliest. |
| 9 | Would the eagles be a threat to the white storks breeding at Knepp ? | White-tailed eagles and white storks co-exist throughout many parts of Europe. |
| 10 | Does the fact that the translocated birds are not fed by an adult bird affect the way they will provision their own young when they breed? | The project replicates a wild nest as closely as possible, the juveniles collected are capable of tearing up their own food and at that age, adults will simply leave food in the nest for them. Other reintroduction projects in Scotland and Ireland have used the same methods and as a result, white-tailed eagles have re-established as a breeding species. |
| 11 | Do you test the birds you translocate genetically so that there is variation in the translocated population? | The project collects birds from as wide an area in Scotland as possible but it may be possible for an academic institution to investigate the relatedness released by the project. |
| 12 | Where do the original reintroduction birds come from and is there sufficient genetic diversity? | Juveniles are sourced from Scotland under licence from NatureScot, the population is still expanding in Scotland and now exceeds 150 pairs. This population was established from several reintroduction efforts, with birds sourced from Norway – one of the last strongholds for white-tailed eagles in Europe. |
| 13 | At what point will you stop taking birds from nests and rearing/releasing them? | Presently, the project holds a five-year licence from Natural England to release white-tailed eagles on the Isle of Wight, this licence was granted in 2019. |
| 14 | The map showing where birds have visited on their explorations seemed to show that they’re not too impressed with Wales, any known reason for this? | White-tailed eagles travel widely in their first few years before returning to their natal area to set up breeding territories. We hope an academic study using the GPS data may help us understand more about these journeys. The map in the presentation was only a snapshot of the data we have, one bird G318, a female released in 2019, visited north Wales earlier this year. |
White -tailed Eagle talk by Steve Egerton-Read
This talk is now available here on the SOS Youtube channel. The answers to the many excellent questions that we could not deal with on the night will be posted on the SOS website soon.
White-tailed Eagle reintroduction: new virtual talk
White-tailed Eagle reintroduction: the Society is delighted to announce that project officer Steve Egerton-Read will give an online talk on the Isle of Wight project on Wednesday 17th November at 19:00. To register, click on the link under “upcoming virtual talks” below or here. The talk is free.
SOS Outings Programme 2021
Many thanks to Mark Wright (Outings Organiser) for arranging the following events from this month until the end of the year They will be subject to any future covid-19 restrictions that may be applied.
| Date | Event |
| Saturday 28th August | Whitbread Hollow, Beachy Head: Meet at 9.00 a.m. at Dukes Drive, Holywell corner at western end of Eastbourne promenade. (199/TV601972.). Access: no-charge street parking; Public Transport: Southern Rail to Eastbourne Station; Stagecoach route 3 from station to Foot of Beachy Head/St Bede’s School. Habitat guide: chalk cliff-top grassland and coastal scrub. Half day. Leader: Mark Wright |
| Sunday 5th September | Arlington Reservoir: Meet at 09.00 at the reservoir car park (TQ527074). Public transport: Southern Rail to Berwick station (half mile south of reservoir); by car: reservoir car park (charge) or layby outside. Toilets; cafe. Two hour circular walk including footpath across fields and over R Cuckmere. Leader: Mark Wright |
| Saturday 11th September | Thorney Island: Meet at corner of Thornham Lane at 9.30 a.m. 197/SU757049. All day, lunch required. Warm clothing recommended. Leader: Richard Senior |
| Saturday 9th October | Beachy Head (Birling Gap/Shooters Bottom): Meet at sea side of National Trust café at 9.00 (TV 5538 9611) accessible off A259 from East Dean on Beachy Head road. Parking at NT car park (charge for non-members). Half Day. Leader: Mark Wright |
| Sunday 17th October | Cissbury Ring: Meet in National Trust car park (Approach from Nepcote Lane, Findon) 198/TQ139084 at 9.30 a.m. Parking at NT car park can be limited but an alternative is to use the car park signed from A24 Findon and take path to left and walk up to the meeting point. Public Transport: Stagecoach route 1from Worthing station. Half day. Leader: Mark Wright |
| Sunday 22nd November | Selsey/Church Norton: Meet at 9.00 a.m. in the Selsey seafront car park at southern end of B2145. 197/SZ851923. Afterwards to Church Norton. Half day. Leader: Andrew House. |
| Saturday 27th November | The Burgh (South Downs): Meet 13.30 a.m. at “The Triangle”, Peppering Lane, Burpham (OS sheet 197 TQ042095); limited parking – careful parking required to allow as many as possible. Distance 3.5 miles. Half day. Leader: Bernie Forbes |
| Saturday 4th December | Dungeness RSPB: Meet at 9.30 a.m. at the reserve’s ARC Pit Car Park (TR062197) opposite main entrance to reserve (membership card or entrance fee required for subsequent entry to main reserve). All day (bring lunch). Leader: Mark Wright |
Virtual Talk: A Journey Through the Landscapes, Flora and Fauna of Alaska
by Dr Samantha Franks
Saturday 10th July 19:00 to 20:00
I am delighted to confirm that this exciting online talk is going ahead as planned. In a year when most of us may well not leave the UK, here is a chance to visit Alaska under the skilled guidance of Dr Samantha Franks, a Senior Research Ecologist at the BTO.
Full details of this much-anticipated talk and how to register and watch it are here.
This is currently the only SOS virtual talk scheduled until November (details to follow), so do watch and enjoy it.
Mark Mallalieu
SOS Outing Blackdown
The SOS are endeavouring to kickstart the outings programme for 2021. We are going ahead with an outing to Blackdown on Sunday 30th May, limiting members to a group of 10/12 people. If you would like to attend this outing, please contact Bernie Forbes on 07852820886 or bernieforbes@talktalk.net to register your place.
Meeting place:
| Sunday 30th May | Black Down: Meet at 9.00 a.m. small car park at the far (east) end of Tennyson’s Lane on the sharp bend at SU922306. From Haslemere (accessed from A286 and A287) leave on B2131, turn right up Haste Hill, follow onto Tennyson’s Lane. All Day (bring lunch!). Leader: Bernie Forbes. |
Seaford Seawatch – Sunday 2nd May (Members only)
Places limited and must be prebooked
Meet at 07.00 on the beach just to the right of the Splash Point groyne, as seen from the bathing huts, 198/TV488982. Telescope and deck chair useful, warm clothes advisable. Half day, leader Simon Linington.
In order to comply with covid regulations for groups of five plus leader, email Audrey Wende at mauwende@delta18.plus.com to book your place. Depending on numbers we will either have one group of five members, or possibly two groups, with Mark Wright leading another group nearby.
SOS Annual General Meeting 2021
The Sussex Ornithological Society Annual General Meeting will be held by Zoom on Friday 7th May 2021 at 7pm.
Members of Sussex Ornithological Society are invited to attend and vote at the Zoom AGM (if you have not already voted by post or email).
If you would like to be sent a Zoom link then please send an email for a “Request to Attend AGM” to secretary@sos.org.uk and we will be pleased to send a link to you.
Please also contact the Secretary if you have any other queries about the AGM. Thank you.
April mid-week walks (members only)
We are able to offer the following two walks this month led by Val Bentley in her local patch at Henfield. These were planned for February, but had to be cancelled due to Covid restrictions.
Please note that the “rule of 6” applies, and hence the group will be limited to the leader plus 5 others, so places must be prebooked by contacting Val on chetsford@talk21.com or on 01273 494723
Other social distancing measures should also be followed, and there should be no sharing of optical equipment etc.
Wednesday 14th April: Henfield Downslink walk 1 (½ day)
A walk north along the old railway line and River Adur at Henfield. Meet 9 am at the Downslink car park, Upper Station Road TQ205161 (immediately after The Old Railway pub, formerly The Cat & Canary). Particularly suitable for those new to birdwatching as we will be aiming to identify different birds by their song. Wellies recommended if it has been wet beforehand. Approx 3 miles, level, no stiles.
Friday 23rd April: Henfield Downslink walk 2 (½ day)
A walk south along the old railway line, mill stream and fields between Henfield and Small Dole. Meet 9 am at the Downslink car park, Upper Station Road TQ205161 (immediately after The Old Railway pub, formerly The Cat & Canary). Particularly suitable for those new to birdwatching as we will be aiming to identify different birds by their song. Wellies recommended if it has been wet beforehand. Approx 4 miles, mainly level walking, one slightly awkward stile.
Virtual Talks Update
The SOS is grateful to all the guest speakers who helped us through lockdown with their fascinating talks. We hope you were able to watch them and of course if you missed them you can still watch on our YouTube channel. With the coming of spring, we are pausing these events, but check upcoming talks for a great talk on Alaska in July.
‘Lockdown birding in Kabul’ completed our current series. There was one question not answered live:
Are there House Sparrows in Kabul? Yes, there are, of a subspecies sometimes called Indian Sparrow. Oddly, these are more in the rural fringes of Kabul than the very urban and abundant Tree Sparrows.
