The Return of the Golden Eagles

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters podcast podcast where we are super excited to share our main feature story today, which is the return of the golden eagles.

Yeah.

Join us for a day in southwest Scotland as we look for these majestic birds to stay tuned and discover if we actually find them.

Then you can join us as we immerse ourselves in nature and but in an urban environment on this week's Wildlife Mindful moment and this week's Wildlife Matters.

Nature News explores the species returning to.

The New Forest after decades of local extinction and discusses the globally scarce habitats.

Which are mainly found within the UK.

That are now being conserved under the guidance of the Wildlife Trust.

Finally, we'll investigate recent reports of albino fox cubs in Hull and examine the lives of albino animals in the wild.

And that's all coming up next on this week's Wildlife Matters Nature.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Our first story highlights the return of a species that has been absent from the UK for over 25 years.

A musical insect known as the New Forest cicada, which has been extinct in the UK for over 25 years, is being reintroduced as conservationists work to re establish its population.

Scientists at the Species Recovery Trust recently released 11 new forest cicadas into a specially created habitat just outside of a Hampshire woodland.

The New Forest cicada, or Cicadeta montana.

Was once commonly found throughout the New.

Conservationists believe that changes in land management practices led to the insect's extinction from the uk.

Charlotte Khan, a project officer at the Species Recovery Trust, told Wildlife Matters this has been a challenging project, so it's fantastic to see new forest cicadas in England after all the this time it's.

Reported that some of the released cicadas.

Are already pregnant and have begun laying eggs in their specially designed habitat, which includes their preferred plants such as raspberry canes and hazel tree sapwings.

Since cicadas spend at least four years.

Underground as nymphs, the trust won't know.

If they manage to survive their nymph stage, the plan is to release the adult cicadas at undisclosed locations.

The Species Recovery Trust also hopes to import more cicadas from France to continue the breeding program and they are studying populations of the same species in Slovenia to gain a better understanding of their behavior.

Dominic Price, who's the director of the.

Species Recovery Trust, shared with Wildlife Matters.

We believe the New Forest cicada likely.

Went extinct due to changes in land management, but we have worked with Forestry England to implement appropriate management practices.

Additionally, we think our warming climate could favour their survival.

So.

So we are very hopeful that cicadas will sing in the New Forest again soon.

So what is a New Forest cicada?

Well, New Forest cicadas are described as.

Musical insects known for their distinctive singing.

Male New Forest cicadas are recognized for their characteristic high pitched song which they use to attract females for mating.

The pitch of the song is so high that it is at the limits of of human hearing, making it difficult for most adults to detect.

The adult cicadas are black with distinct golden rings and transparent wings.

Females will grow to around 5cm in.

Length, whilst males are slightly smaller.

New Forest cicadas are often found high in trees, making them extremely difficult to spot.

But listening for their singing is one.

Of the most effective ways to locate these elusive insects.

Our second story this week is about the restoration efforts that are underway on the River Mimram, a rare chalk stream located in Hertfordshire.

The Mimram is a rare and precious.

Chalk stream with only around 200 in.

The world, with 10% of the of those flowing through Hertfordshire, a vital part of the ecosystem.

The Mimran begins near Whitwell and flows through the villages of Kimpton, Codecot and Wellyn before joining the River Lee near Hartford.

Thanks to funding from the Environment Agency, the Harts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust has appointed Heidi Mansell as the new Chalk Rivers and Farm Advisory Officer, leading efforts to restore and protect the River Mimran.

The river is being improved by removing unnecessary weirs and creating better land management through a collaborative effort between various organizations and community groups.

Heidi told Wildlife Matters that we recognize that for a number of years different.

Groups and stakeholders have been coming together to help improve the Mimram.

So now the aim is to consolidate on this good work and make further progress.

In these first few months I have.

Been meeting with and listening to landholders.

To understand and support what they would like and gathering existing data on the catchment and already 11 of those with.

Land rights along the Mimram have said.

That they would like to work towards improving the river, which is hugely encouraging.

Over the coming months and years we'll work together to create and deliver restoration.

And management plans that address some of the reasons why the river is not.

Achieving good ecological status.

According to the Water Framework Directive, Heidi is exploring further new options available through the Higher Level Countryside Stewardship Scheme which may fund some of this work.

These options include payments to farmers who.

Manage riverbanks and water edge habitats sensitively, as well as those who connect river and floodplain habitat.

And as a result of this work, there is hope to see species such as the endangered water vole thriving once again, and also to find brown trouts creating their nests on the riverbeds and to see the flashes of blue as kingfishers dart along the river and waving strands of water's crowfoot teetering on the water's surface.

All of these, of course, are indicators of healthy chalk streams, and Wildlife Matters will closely monitor this project as it develops and will bring you further updates in the future.

And our third and final story this week is about wild albino animals.

In May of this year, albino fox cubs were spotted playing in a former cemetery in Hull.

Similar sightings have been reported in London parks.

So wildlife matters.

What are albino animals?

Well, albino animals are a rare phenomenon.

In both the wild and in captivity.

Albinism is caused by a genetic mutation that inhibits the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for color in skin, fur, feathers and eyes.

Albino animals are easily recognized by their white or pale appearance and pink to red eyes.

While they are beautiful and fascinating, their.

Lack of camouflage poses significant challenges for.

Survival in the wild.

Without natural concealment, albino animals are more visible to predators, making it harder for them to survive.

We mentioned the fox cubs in Hull.

Which were reported to have albinism, a condition characterized by white folk fur and the pink or red eyes.

Although albino foxes can naturally occur, they are incredibly rare in the wild and.

Face challenges such as increased sensitivity to.

Sunlight and difficulties in finding food.

Due to their reduced camouflage, albino foxes are more susceptible to sunburn, eye damage and other health issues that stem from their lack of pigmentation.

True albinism is rare among wild fox populations.

However, white or leucistic foxes, which retain some pigment, are observed more frequently.

Another native favourite is the badger.

An albino badger is a rare variation of the European badger, characterized by a complete lack of pigmentation, resulting in a white or creamy white coat and pink or red eyes.

Albino badgers differ from leucistic and erythristic badgers, which retain some pigmentation.

The absence of melamine affects their eyes, giving them a pink or red appearance, while badgers usually have gray fur with black and white markings.

Albinism can make these animals more vulnerable to sunlight and predators due to a lack of protective pigmentation which may impact the their lifespan.

Distinguishing albino from other badger variations and There are two other variations found in badgers.

The first is known as leucistic badgers.

Leucism results in the partial loss of pigmentation, creating patches of light colored fur while the eyes retain their standard coloring.

And the second variation is erythritic badgers.

Erythrism refers to a condition characterized by a lack of black pigment resulting in reddish or sandy colored fur.

Erythritic badgers may have light brown or even red eyes.

However, it isn't only white foxes and.

Badgers that can be found in the uk.

The humble hedgehog also has white variants.

Although albino hedgehogs are very rare with only about 1 in 10,000 being born with albinism.

Their striking white spines and pale features make them highly visible, which also makes.

Them more vulnerable to predation.

Actual albino hedgehogs have distinctive pink eyes and lack pigmentation in both their skin and spines.

And by contrast, blond hedgehogs, which carry a recessive gene, have dark eyes and are more commonly found on island populations such as Alderney and North Ronaldsay where there are very few natural predators.

Many of us will see squirrels daily.

But albino grey squirrels are an incredibly rare sight with only about 50 individuals believed to exist exist in the UK now.

These squirrels are distinguished by their ghostly white fur and pinkish eyes and are.

Sometimes confused with the more common leucistic.

Squirrels which have the reduced pigmentation in their fur but retain standard eye coloring.

Although most wild mammals in Britain can display albino or white fur with normal colored eyes, the last species we will look at today is the deer.

The native red and roe deer both have been recorded, but most frequently seen white deer are the fallow deer which are occasionally spotted among parkland herds across the uk.

These park based herds of fallow deer have a more common gene that is responsible for the lighter coloration.

Some of these white deer are true albinos characterized by their pink eyes and noses, whilst others exhibit leucism which reduces pigmentation without affecting the color of their eyes.

The gene that causes albino animals is found throughout wild mammal species in Britain.

A true albino will have red or pink eyes and pure white skin or fur, while leucistic animals lack the pigment gene in their fur but retain standard coloring in their eyes.

And we hope that's been interesting and explained a little bit about albinos and the difference between them and leucistic animals and it has been this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Well, I don't know about you, but.

I wasn't aware that cicadas were ever native in the uk, so every day.

Is a learning day and it was.

So enlightening to learn so much from the Species Protection Trust.

Thank you.

It was also great to catch up.

On the vital work of the Harts.

And Middlesex, a Wildlife Trust project on the River Mimram, one of the chalk streams, which is such an incredibly valuable habitat with over 80% of them found here in the UK.

We're pleased to hear about this project and encourage and support local conservation efforts for chalk streams as well as all rivers and freshwater lakes.

After hearing a story of the white.

Fox cubs in a Hull cemetery, Wildlife Matters wanted to explore albinism and the more common yet still rare leucistic animals.

And as always, we hope you found our stories interesting and informative.

Please do like, share and subscribe to Stay up to date with the latest episodes of the Wildlife Matters podcasts.

Now it's time to sit back and relax, close your eyes if it's safe to do so, and immerse yourself in the sounds of nature this week.

A wild animal that almost all of us will see on a daily basis, whether we're in cities, towns, villages or out in the countryside.

And yet so many of us still.

Don'T associate it with the sounds it makes.

So we hope you enjoy this week's nature encounter on Wildlife Matters.

Mindful moments Perhaps a little too shrill.

To be really relaxing, but the sounds.

Of these wild animals are such a part of our everyday lives that maybe.

We miss them and we don't always appreciate the complexity of the sounds that wildlife uses to communicate.

And gray squirrels have a range of vocalizations and gestures that captivate us, but we have so little understanding of them.

It's time we began a new study to appreciate and celebrate this captivating species.

And if you would like to find out more, then do listen to our chats with Natalia Doran from London based Specialist Squirrel Rescue Urban Squirrels, or one of our very earliest podcast episodes called In Defense of the Grey.

You will find them all wherever you.

Get your podcasts, and that has been this week's Wildlife Matters Mindful Moments.

Coming up now is this week's Wildlife Matters main feature where we are genuinely excited to share one of our most unique and magical encounters of all of our adventures.

So get ready to join me high on a hill in Galloway with the mizzle all around as we climb and get ready for the return of the golden eagles, a breathtaking spectacle you will not want to miss on this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Welcome to this week's A Wildlife Matters.

Main feature and here's another one I am so excited to bring you.

Following an adventure in Scotland, where I recently joined a small group of dedicated individuals, they were assembled in a remote car park.

The day was changeable, or as my Scottish friends would say, misel, a combination of dull and grey skies with light rain.

After a short while, we were divided into pairs and given an area to cover, and we set off in different directions.

Our purpose for the day was to try and spot an iconic bird I had never seen in the wild, one that would be hard to miss if it were in the area.

I was so excited.

We climbed up a long and muddy path to the ridgeline on the southern side of a hill and found a sheltered spot with an overhang above and good cover from the surrounding wild shrubs.

Ruth and I settled down and made ourselves as comfortable as possible on our small folding stools with our cameras and monitoring equipment prioritized over our comfort.

We chatted in soft, low voices as we waited to avoid disturbing the terrestrial wildlife that was all around us.

I turned and said to Ruth that one day this valley would be full of the birds that we were looking for.

She looked at me and without a word being spoken, I knew that she expected me to back that bold statement up.

I paused, knowing that I couldn't and that my comment was based more on hope and a gut instinct.

But that wasn't what I said.

I just smiled and said, well, hopefully.

The golden eagle is one of the largest and certainly one of the most impressive birds that call the British Isles home, especially when seen soaring over a highland glen or searching for prey over a hillside.

With deep, leisurely wing beats, they can often be seen from up to a mile away, and the impression is always of sheer size, a power and majesty.

It is sometimes confused at a distance with more frequently seen raptures, particularly the buzzard.

But the golden eagle's long wings, relatively long tail, and prominent head are enough to show it is an eagle, Ruth told me.

Once you have seen an eagle, there is never any doubt in your mind again.

The golden eagle usually builds its nest, or eyrie, high up on a rocky crag, and that can be up to 600 meters or around 2,000 Fe above the sea level.

Although some eagles will just nest in taller trees, a pair may have two or even three nests within 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 are lined with grasses.

The female will lay two white, blotchy eggs in mid March.

She will lay one initially, begin incubating that egg, and then lay a second egg three or four days later.

Both eggs usually hatch, but the youngest chick, born just a few days after the first, is often at a disadvantage.

Other birds of prey or raptors also use this strategy.

The younger and smaller chick may not survive, as it cannot compete with its larger sibling for food and and it can be pushed from the nest by the older chick or sometimes even eaten by it.

Both chicks are ready to fly in around 65 to 70 days, if they survive.

Each pair of eagles needs a vast territory of around 3,000 acres, and they soar on thermals as they hunt their prey from the air.

Once an eagle spots its prey, it swoops down at speeds of up to 150 kilometers an hour, and that's nearly 100 miles an hour, striking and killing the prey with its long, sharp talons.

Eagles have incredible eyesight that allows them to spot prey from a great distance.

The prey can be as small as a mouse or a lizard, or as big as a fox.

Usually large mammals, such as deer, are carrion.

Most prey is killed on the ground, but some birds are caught and killed in flight.

Over the years, the golden eagle has suffered greatly at the hands of humans.

In the 19th century, many eagles were killed by farmers and gamekeepers in the belief that the eagles killed large numbers of sheep and grouse.

You can't say with any certainty that an eagle wouldn't take a lamb, but they couldn't take a ewe who would be present and actively protecting her lamb.

What is more accurate is that eagles take lambs that are already dead.

Golden eagles certainly do kill grouse, but research tells us that the number of grouse predated by Eagles is 4, far below the estimates from gamekeepers, and they do not have any damaging effects on the bags that grouse shoots.

Fortunately, many farmers and gamekeepers now recognize the eagle's potential to control other wild animals, such as rats and rabbits.

As a significant predator, the eagle plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance within its habitat.

Ecological research shows that predators at the top of the food chain have an enormous effect on the biodiversity and ecology of an area.

Like ripples in water, the presence of our larger predatory animals sustains an incredible amount of life below their top spot in the food chain.

This phenomenon, in ecological terms, is known as a trophic cascade.

Although the golden eagle is a protected species, it is still threatened by various factors.

Golden eagles are regularly killed when they eat poisoned sheep carcasses put out to kill Foxes.

This is a severe threat that should be stopped and made illegal, as leaving a poisoned carcass out for any wildlife is clearly wrong.

You may think farmers would be the main ones doing this, and they certainly do.

But often it is the landowners or contractors on forestry plantations who take over the open areas of land where the eagles like to hunt.

Some pairs of eagles fail to breed or successfully rear their young when they are unintentionally disturbed by the high numbers of hikers, walkers and climbers who pass by close to their nests.

This is a problem in the Cairngorms and the central Highland areas.

The collection of eggs or eaglets is also a severe threat.

There are laws with hefty fines that have helped to reduce this.

But it is almost impossible to keep a constant watch on all of the nests, especially as they are naturally in such remote areas.

The eagles suffered high mortality rates from their position at the top of the food chain, with the poisons either making them infertile or causing their eggshells to be so thin that they broke when the birds tried to incubate them.

Another chemical, dielgerin, a component of sheep dip to kill ticks and fleas, had the same effect when the eagles fed on dead sheep.

Fortunately, when the danger of these pesticides was realised, they were banned.

And since the eagle has begun to recover its numbers in Scotland.

Now, 10 years on, that number has grown by no more than 10% to around 500 pairs.

So progress has been slow, although progress in rewilding is encouraging.

For example, white tailed eagles have been reintroduced to England.

Beavers have become the first legally reintroduced.

Native mammal and wild bison have been released into Kentucky.

But let's return to the conservation of the golden eagles.

When you think of golden eagles in the uk, most think of Scotland, which is undoubtedly where most of the eagles are found.

He was in Rigondale in the Lake District, and his death was unanimously assumed to be due to natural causes.

This unnamed male eagle had a sad story for several reasons.

It is now acknowledged that this reintroduction was flawed because the eagle population needed to be bigger to Sustain and develop the pesticide cocktails, including ddt, which were legal at the time until undoubtedly had an impact on it.

Tragically, he was the last survivor and spent the last 12 years of his life alone following the death of his mate.

Since then, the lonely eagle had diligently built a nest every year and put on a magnificent flying displays to attract other females.

But despite his impressive displays and sturdy palatial nests, no females ever came.

And he died alone.

And that's why I am sitting on the side of a windy and rain swept valley in the south of Scotland today looking for golden eagles.

After many hours, our patience was richly rewarded.

Ruth, whom I am working with today, had been surveying eagles in the area for many years.

And when she excitedly tugged on my arm and said I look, my heartbeat tripled in milliseconds, was not much more than a dark dot in the sky and was a long way off in the distance.

But through binoculars, it was a golden eagle.

What Ruth said next was even more exciting.

She said, he may be heading our way.

Now.

Eagles do not travel in straight lines or from point A to point B in any direct way.

No, they have their way of surveying their vast territories, which makes a lot of sense.

They have incredible eyesight and can see small things from a long way off and have considerable territory to cover.

So eagles fly up in a circular motion until they reach the air, thermals and currents where they will glide with their vast wings outstretched and covering many miles with the minimum amount of energy.

They look so graceful and beautiful while they're doing it.

I have no concept of time as I watch the eagle ride the thermals, moving ever closer to our position in the valley.

Maybe an hour had passed, but it felt like seconds when Ruth screeched at me.

There are two.

I followed the directions of her scope and right there at the other end of my binoculars was a second golden eagle.

We sat captivated by their majesty and their presence.

These birds are big.

Their wingspans can reach 2.4 meters or 8ft and we couldn't see any white patches on their tails.

So these were adult birds.

And maybe, just maybe, they were a couple.

It was the wrong time of the year for the actual courting behavior, where both birds would put on a 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 small pieces of rock and drop them before entering into a steep high speed dive.

And then, incredibly, they will catch that rock again in midair, repeating the maneuver several times to impress the female.

And the good news is, it usually works.

Today we would not be seeing the complete mating air display, but what we were watching was still spectacular.

I had the same primeval feeling deep within me that I felt the first time I heard a wild male lion roar.

And the hairs were standing up on my arms and neck just as they did when I saw a tiger in the wild for the first time.

It was an unforgettable experience.

When I was younger, some school friends, parents had a bird of prey rescue centre and swan sanctuary, and I would visit it to help out as often as possible.

One day Robin told me there was someone I would like you to meet, and he took me to the large enclosures.

And there was a golden eagle on its own.

It wasn't a wild bird.

It had escaped, and the tags on its legs were enough for Robin to find and contact its owners.

The bird stood tall on its perch and was a stunning combination of shades and tones of brown, with a distinct golden shimmer to the feathers on the back of its head and neck.

Its beak was extended with a deep hook off the top, and I could see a yellow line around the mouth that matched a splash of yellow on the top of its beak and central between its eyes.

And what stunning eyes it had.

Dark amber brown with black pupils that.

Was dilated as the bird rested, but still very aware of our presence.

I remember clearly the sheer size of its feet and talons as they lazily gripped the perch and how the feathers covered its legs until they reached the yellow skin of its feet.

Back then, cameras were not the sort of things a young lad carried around with him and phones lived in the hallway at home and were attached to a wall, so I have no pictures of that chance encounter, but it is etched into my memory forever.

Back to the present and now one of the eagles was riding the air currents above us.

As they rose after hitting the upper edges of the valley, the eagle circled and swooped close enough for me to see the feathers on its wingtips.

They were like slim, elongated fingers that moved in the wind, and I was drawn to the tail's sheer width and depth as the eagle used it to remain stable and level in the ever changing thermals.

Its large legs were tucked in tightly underneath and its head moved in a counter direction to its tail.

As both wings stabilized the flight and allowed the eagle to ascend or descend at will.

I reached for my camera remote, almost hoping the eagle above me wouldn't notice the and move away.

I aligned the camera to the eagle high above me in the sky, extended the zoom lens and began to capture that magical moment.

We both got some stunning stills and videos of the eagles individually, but neither of us could get a single image with them both in one frame.

That gives you an idea of how big the sky is and how far apart the birds are.

Both birds had rings but no tracking devices, and we were thrilled to see that the rings on the right and left legs of the individual birds confirmed our hopes that these may well be a pair.

The excitement was real and I was trembling.

Not from cold or dampness, but from the exhilaration of sharing time with such a remarkable wild and native bird.

I hope that I have captured some of that excitement today and that you too will find the same excitement when you see a wild animal of whatever species for the first time in its natural habitat.

I know I will be back to see these incredible birds as they continue to populate new areas within Scotland and I nurture the hope that one day we will see them again in England.

Sadly, she didn't stay and return to Scotland, but her exploration has sparked new hope for the species to re establish itself in England.

Another reason is that the general attitudes towards wildlife conservation and rewilding have improved in recent years as people have discovered, rekindled or refuelled their love of nature.

Another factor could be the overall reduction in sheep farming on the upland hills of northern England since the government changed the subsidies and funding that essentially keep these loss making upland sheep farms in business.

In his book Feral, Georges Monbier states sheep farming in this country is a slow burning ecological disaster which has done more damage to the living systems of this country than either climate change or industrial pollution.

This is the ideal opportunity for England to rewild its upland moors, funded by removing subsidies to support the grouse shooting estates, and instead create a genuine wild habitat that will help us tackle the imminent challenge of climate change that we have brought upon ourselves.

As an apex predator, the golden eagle plays a vital role at the top of the food chain in remote mountainous and open moorland regions.

And maybe the golden eagle is the ultimate sign of wildness.

I hope you enjoyed our adventure and that I was able to convey the exhilarating feeling I had experienced when I saw such a large and impressive predator gliding through the open skies.

The adrenaline rush I felt upon realizing.

That I had seen a golden eagle in the wild was not just a.

Thrilling moment, but a profoundly personal and magical experience that I will always cherish.

When we first published our article about this adventure, it quickly gained popularity in the U.S.

appearing in multiple magazines and publication.

This widespread recognition not only made it one of the most popular articles we have ever written, but also one of.

The most visited pages on the Wildlife.

Matters website showing the value and impact of our content.

And I'm excited and hopeful that this podcast, capturing one of our best wild experiences and memories, will also go on to become one of our most popular.

It was an experience that I will.

Always treasure and I hope it inspires you to create your own wildlife adventures and explore the natural world.

In our next episode of the Wildlife Matters podcast, we invite you to join us for a unique experience as we spend time the night in a cemetery to observe wildlife in the heart of the capital.

Yes, this episode marks the launch of a brand new series that explores urban wildlife and our most vibrant cities, starting with West Norwood Cemetery in London.

We will also take time to connect with nature as we share more audio sound baths from Wildlife Matters Mindful moments and we'll bring you our selection of intriguing news stories from the world of nature and wildlife in Wildlife Matters Nature News and as always, we appreciate you taking the time to listen to us today.

Please share the podcast with anyone you think will would enjoy it and help us grow organically alongside the algorithms that influence so much of what we see and hear in our daily lives.

Wildlife Matters will return in two weeks.

Until then, stay curious wild ones.

This is Wildlife Matters signing off.

SA.