ONE of the Isle of Wight's white-tailed sea eagles has been spotted in Cornwall, leading to excitement in the county that the species might eventually breed there.

The “flying barn door” with its huge wingspan was photographed on Bodmin Moor on Wednesday morning.

It is a further boost to the species, which disappeared from the UK during the early 20th century following centuries of persecution.

The juvenile, which was captured on camera by amateur photographer Cat Lake, was one of the original six released on the Island in the spring of 2019 as part of a reintroduction programme run by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England.

Conservationists from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall Bird Watching hope that breeding pairs of white-tailed eagles could be established in the county in the next 20 years.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s State of Nature 2020 report found sharp declines among many species in the region.

But it cited the fact that birds such as the chough and cirl bunting have successfully re-established themselves as proof that previously lost species can make a comeback.

Last year, the Government agency Natural England gave the go-ahead for another scheme to release up to 60 white-tailed eagles, which mostly feed on fish, over ten years in Norfolk.

The last pair to breed in southern England nested on Culver Cliff on the Isle of Wight in 1780.

They were reintroduced in 2019 and two further releases have since taken place.

The birds of prey have travelled far and wide, including to France, but Isle of Wight residents and tourists often spot them here.

Earlier this week, Clare Jacobs was in a bird hide when she managed to capture the below image of an eagle attempting to steal a fish from a seal.

Isle of Wight County Press: