World Nature Conservation Day at Goodwood

29th July 2024

The Sea Eagles' Nest

If you live near the coast or larger water bodies close to the coast, look up, you might be lucky enough to spot a magnificent sea eagle! World Nature Conservation Day is on the 28th July, and we are thrilled to highlight one of the exciting conservation projects happening within the Goodwood Estate. 

  • Sustainability

  • Estate

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Last April, the estate was fortunate to have a rare visit from a pair of sea eagles, an event that delighted the Estate Team. Spotting these birds is a unique occurrence as sea eagles are a Schedule 1 species, meaning it is illegal for them to be disturbed. Sea Eagles are the largest birds of prey in Great Britain, boasting a wingspan approximately the size of two guitars!

Unfortunately, Sea Eagles became extinct in Britain in the early 1900s. However, reintroduction projects have been ongoing since then, bringing birds over from Norway.  Although initial efforts in the 1950s and 1960s were unsuccessful, later attempts in 1975 and 1985 saw success. The first hatching was recorded in 1983 on the Scottish Island of Rum.  According to the RSPB, there were roughly 150 breeding pairs in 2020, showcasing a positive trend in their population recovery.

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These versatile and opportunistic predators adapt their diet based on availability, which changes with the seasons. They survive mainly on fish and so tend to be found in coastal areas, often seen snatching their prey from the water's surface. However, they also feed on rabbits, hares, other birds, and carrion. In hunting prey from both land and the sea, their role in nutrient cycling between the ecosystems is unique and therefore crucial.  

After the sighting on the estate, Forestry England informed us that the visiting eagles were likely searching for a breeding site.Inspired by this, we teamed up with ‘The Social Tree Climbers’ to create safe, potential nesting sites, in the hope we might be fortunate enough to see these spectacular birds again.

Using organic materials from the surrounding environment, we constructed a couple of nests in the tops of the tallest coniferous trees on the estate.  From these taller trees, we thought that the ‘ready to use’ nests might be more visible to an eagle that might be looking to move in.  The process began with larger branches and concluded with leaf mulch and moss to fill gaps, resulting in a nest large enough for two people to sit in comfortably.

 

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  • Sustainability

  • Estate