White-tailed Eagle, Haliaeetus albicilla

The first and second records of this species in our area are separated by almost 180 years.
1841 Nelson (1907) detailed various Yorkshire records and of the only one for our area he
wrote “A specimen, formerly in the collection of Mr. A. Clapham of Scarborough, and now in
the Leeds Museum, is interesting, inasmuch as only two or three feathers of the tail show
black tips, having only these to cast to attain to maturity of plumage. This bird was taken at
Castle Howard in the year 1841″. The details of the tail feathers indicate that this bird was a
near-adult.
One was seen over Bishop Wilton, then Melbourne, on 26th March 2020. Enquiries
suggested it was of wild continental origin.
There were also three records in 2020, three in 2021 and one in 2022 of birds from the Isle
of Wight reintroduction scheme which passed through the Club area. In most cases they passed
through unseen and the information came via satellite data. As these birds are from a recently
reintroduced population, they are in Category E of the British list (rather than A or C), and so do
not count as part of the official record.

Very rare vagrant (but birds from reintroduction scheme also possible)

Records
2020: Bishop Wilton then Melbourne, 26th March. one (first for the recording area). photographed over
Doncaster later that day.


Birds of the Isle of Wight reintroduction (Category E)

2022: Strensall Common, 22nd October. 2nd-calendar-year female (G542) flew ESE
2021: Bubwith Ings, 11th November. 1st-winter flew south
2021: South of Malton, just east of Stamford Bridge, over Wheldrake and then south out of the Club area, 7th April. G405, a
female passed unseen southwest
2021: Skipwith Common NNR & Sinnington, 25th March. immature bird passed unseen
2020: Rufforth > Copmanthorpe > Bubwith > Howden., 3rd September. a young female G324 passed unseen
2020: Wass > Coxwold > Linton-on Ouse, 31st August. a young female G318 passed unseen
2020: Ellerton, 19th July. a young male roosted, G393 passed unseen