Aylin posted photographs of the eagle on her wildlife site on Facebook – Peterborough Walks, external – and almost 2,000 people reacted, while hundreds of keen birdwatchers commented.
Some said they thought they had spotted it, but did not quite believe it could be an eagle, while others were envious and said they wished they had been in the right place at the right time.
Ayling said: “At first I thought it was a buzzard, but then I saw the wing span and I thought, no, this is something else.
“I only really saw it when I noticed crows were trying to attack it, and then the eagle began circling and I realised what it was.”
She said white-tailed eagles were tracked and she had been told this was a female juvenile which hatched in West Sussex last year. She was told it had travelled through Northamptonshire and was heading for Norfolk when it passed over Peterborough.
A spokesperson for Nene Park Trust, which runs the Peterborough park, said they were not aware of other sightings of these eagles in the area.
However, they said as the eagle had not landed, it was unlikely it would be staying to nest, and agreed it was probably flying to another destination.
Carter, from the BTO, added: “Occasionally, birds from the continent do show up in the UK, adding to the numbers of released birds (and their offspring).
“With a further six eagles released in Exmoor in 2026, it is likely that we will continue to see these impressive raptors soaring in our skies across the UK in the coming years.”
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