are there eagles in Surrey?

[chodwobbler]

Hello people, I've just joined, mainly because of a large bird of prey I often see on my way to Guildford.
I drive trains and visit Guildford via Effingham Junction only 3 or 4 times a month, but nearly every time, especially early mornings, I spot a large, what looks to me, like a golden eagle between Horsley and Clandon. It is always hanging around the line as we tend to wipe out an awful lot of pheasants that, for some reason, like to stand on railway lines, and as the train approaches, either run away (usually straight ahead, which is pretty pointless as the train is normally doing between 60 and 70 mph) or wait 'till its too late to fly off (quite often towards the oncoming train) This upsets me as I hate to kill anything, but there are an awful lot of well fed crows magpies and foxes around that area, which I suppose is a bit of an up-side. (every cloud etc..)
Back to my question....are there eagles in that part of the country, because my memory of a golden eagle is extremely similar in size and colour to the magnificent beastie that I see clearing remnants of train kill from the track. Any Ideas???? Choddy.

[speckled wood]

More likely to be a Buzzard or perhaps a Red Kite (believe they have been introduced in Southern England). I used to work on the railway (Conductor) on the route between Crewe and Cardiff and Also into the Heart of Wales to LLanwtyd. Buzzards were common along the railway and sometimes got killed when they came to feed on other animals that had been killed by trains .... One Buzzard that got Killed North of Shrewbury ended up by the stop blocks at Liverpool Lime Street.

[Paul mabbott]

Welcome. There's been much talk of vultures lately so why not eagles? Escapes and releases are increasingly common ....
Worth persevering with, hopefully someone else on the forum will have better information but if that doesn't work get on to your Wildlife Trust - they'll know someone who can nip round for a reccy ...
Cheers, Paul

[carlj]

Ah, Bones the vulture - last seen in Richmond park - very attractive fellow he is too (I met him in March!).

[Paul mabbott]

Glad to see you weren't laying around sun-bathing!
For interest, do vultures feed on recently dead meat or does it have to be, shall we say, ripe? I rather assume that if they came and pecked at an animal that wasn't quite dead and that animal moved, then they would back off?

Originally Posted by carlj

Ah, Bones the vulture - last seen in Richmond park - very attractive fellow he is too (I met him in March!).

[aeshna5]

To my knowledge in England there's now only 1 (in wild) Golden Eagle which is in Hawswater area of Lake District.

Assuming what you've seen is not some falconer's escape (birds like Harris Hawks often turn up + there was one at liberty around Beddington area of Surrey, though colour is very different to Golden Eagle) then I'm pretty sure what you've seen is a Buzzard, which is now spreading eastwards + there are now a few pairs in Surrey. A lot of laymen + novices often call out GE in Scotland, when in fact what they've seen is a Buzzard, both fly with raised wings (dihedral).

Red Kites aren't yet breeding in Surrey but with Chilterns population doing so well, they are seen more often + hopefully will bredd in Surrey soon.

[Dogghound]

is there now only one eagle left in the wild in england? thats a shame, afew years ago i think there where 4 pairs and one had reproduced, if there is now only one it is not great news

[Gue Jam Fowsid]

I agree with speckled wood. I would have thought it was a buzzard. Unless it was an escapee. I see alot of these majestic birds while out with the Trust in Surrey.

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi,
I'd agree with Buzzard.They can look big and eagle like if you're not used to seeing them.

Neil

[chodwobbler]

Thanks for all your responses....probably a buzzard then. Trouble is, I get only a fleeting glimpse at 70mph as it is hard to see at a distance on the line ballast and it takes off as I approach. I shall certainly brush up on buzzards and see if I can give a truer description in the no too distant future. Thanks again. Choddy.