White tailed Eagle G466, Poole Harbour Oct 2025

The white‑tailed eagle was once native to much of England but had been absent from the southern coastline for many decades. A reintroduction scheme on the Isle of Wight (led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England) has been releasing young eagles in recent years.

Poole Harbour has emerged as an important area for these returning eagles: rich in fish and water‑birds, the harbour’s estuarine system gives the eagles good foraging and roosting opportunity.

G466 is a female white‑tailed eagle, translocated to the Isle of Wight in 2020 from a nest near Uig on the Isle of Skye. After spending time in Scotland and then returning south, she became a regular at Poole Harbour from 20 November 2021. She has paired with male G463 in the Wareham Channel area of Poole Harbour. Their territory covers roughly 125 km², centred on the Wareham Channel and stretching to the Purbeck Coast and Wareham Forest

This year, the pair became the first WTEs to breed in southern England, producing one male chick. The juvenile has yet to be seen in the harbour, but he will soon be ejected from their territory by the parents. WTEs spend ~5 years exploring the landscape, look for potential territories, before they breed.

G463 and G466 are often seen on BOPH wildlife cruises around the harbour.  They are usually distant spots, sitting on low lying islands, often partially obscured by the vegetation.   On the cruise this week, we were lucky enough to get good views of G466 flying.









A few other shots from the BOPH cruise including a 'flight' of European Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), Spoonbills on Brownsea lagoon and six of the many Glossy Ibis that have appeared in the UK this autumn.





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