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Golden eagles return to English skies

Golden eagle flying.Getty Images

Golden Eagles have been absent from England's skies for more than 150-years

Golden eagles are making a comeback in England.

The birds, which are the UK's second-largest birds of prey, have been absent from England's skies since 2015.

However, now the eagles have been seen beginning to cross the border from the south of Scotland.

The return of these majestic birds is exciting for wildlife enthusiasts and suggests that golden eagles might soon nest in England once again.

Where are the eagles coming from?

A golden eagle named Talla, photographed flying in Scotland.John Wright

A golden eagle named Talla, photographed in Scotland, was seen in Northumberland back in March

One of the eagles who has been spotted venturing into England is Talla, a young male golden eagle.

He was spotted by wildlife enthusiast Ian Glendinning, who has seen golden eagles many times in the Scottish Highlands. This year is the first time he has spotted the birds in his home county of Northumberland.

"They just fit in perfectly with the landscape, I just felt a real sense of amazement that they are there and I can see them," he said.

"It just feels like they belong here."

Ian Glendinning looking through binoculars.

Talla is one of around 50 golden eagles living in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.

They are part of the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project (SSGEP).

The project was set up when the population of golden eagles in the region dropped to just a handful of birds.

It helped to restore the numbers of golden eagles in the South of Scotland.

Now, thanks to satellite tagging, the project is able to track some of these birds crossing over into England.

Where are the eagles travelling to?

A golden eagle close-up portrait.Getty Images

The eagle trackers have shown them visiting a few places across the North of England

The tagging has shown the birds visiting Northumberland, North Pennines and the Lake District.

They have even been tracked travelling as far as the Forest of Boland in Lancashire and Nidderdale in Yorkshire.

SSGEP chair Michael Clarke said: "Thanks to our satellite tagging, we can confirm that some are beginning to venture into Northumberland and further afield and these sightings reaffirm the importance of us extending our groundbreaking work.

"While it is too early to say if they are settling in these areas, it is a potentially exciting and significant milestone."