The young bird, known as G816, is part of the Sea Eagle family, and one of many which have been released on the Isle of Wight since 2019 as part of conservation efforts to restore the species to South England.
The project led by Forestry England and the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation are monitoring the movements of eagles by small satellite trackers fitted before release.
Male bird G816's movements were shared (April 10-13) with Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW) a conservation project that hopes to restore this magnificent eagle back to Wales. The ERW team, led by Dr Sophie-lee Williams took full advantage of tracking G816 and its movements and the habitats it used.
In fact, the White-tailed Sea Eagle caused much excitement when it was sighted and enjoyed at various points during its flying visit around South Wales - including a fly-by and stopover in parts of Gwent - before it headed over the coast to England.
ERW's Dr Williams said: "White-tailed Eagles used to nest in South Wales, the last nest site was in 1810 at Kenfig Burrows on the Swansea Coast. So, it is amazing to observe a young eagle soaring the skies of South Wales again and so close to my home in Aberdare."
Young White-tailed Eagles explore far and wide in their early years -
G816 - the male White-tailed Eagle released on the Isle of Wight in 2020, came into Wales on Sunday (April 10) and roosted just west of Brecon Town. He spent all day Monday (April 11) foraging and idling around the River Usk before moving to Llangorse Lake to roost.
On Tuesday (April 12), he spent time roosting and soaring around Llangorse Lake, dwarfing the sight of any other birds flying beside him, before moving on and roosting just north of Rhymney.
Wednesday (April 13) G816 enjoyed much of the morning in the open grasslands of Rhaslas common before heading south-east near the towns of Caerphilly, Cwmbran and Newport City and flying over the Severn Estuary back into Southern England.
Dr Williams added: "White-tailed Eagles have extreme commitments to birth/release areas. Despite a visit to Wales he has now headed back towards the Isle of Wight."
ERW research highlights that there is no chance of natural colonisation of breeding White-tailed Eagles to Wales in the near future, despite an abundance of suitable habitat and prey availability for them. To restore breeding birds to Wales, they would need to translocate young birds for them to imprint on the Welsh landscape.
However, White-tailed Eagle reintroductions to Wales may only be a wingbeat away as the ERW project is currently working with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust to plan and implement a conservation programme.
We, at Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT) were extremely excited by the eagle's recent flying visit to south Wales including its stopover/fly-by through parts of Gwent.
GWT's CEO Adam Taylor said: "It’s amazing to have these incredible birds back in Wales after such a long absence. To think that this is a sight our ancestors would have marvelled in and that with public support we can allow future generations to marvel in once again is incredible.
"We would be delighted to see breeding White-tailed Sea Eagles back again in Wales and Gwent in the near future. And we support efforts to return these amazing birds, to areas they would have once naturally lived and thrived in, long before they sadly became extinct in the wild in Wales."
