\n A white-tailed eagle was spotted at RSPB Pulborough Brooks on February 25 by\u00a0Alistair Magill, who said he “couldn’t believe” his luck at seeing the bird of prey on his first visit to the nature reserve.\n<\/p>\n
\n Mr Magill said: “I knew the eagles were occasionally spotted there but I had not dared pinning my hopes on seeing one.\n<\/p>\n
\n “I’d already had a wonderful couple of hours wandering the wetland path photographing all sorts of birds when I entered the Winpenny Hide and took a seat next to a staff member.\n<\/p>\n
\n “Within literally five minutes, there was a shout of ‘eagle coming in!’, and every bird on the water took to the air in panic.”\n<\/p>\n
\n Mr Magill spotted the eagle on his first visit to the wildlife centre (Image: Alistair Magill)\n<\/p>\n
\n White-tailed eagles were originally declared extinct in the UK in the early 20th century.\n<\/p>\n
\n The birds, which can have a wingspan of up to 2.5 metres, have since been reintroduced, but numbers remain limited, with\u00a0fewer than 150 pairs thought to exist nationwide, according to the RSPB.\n<\/p>\n
\n Mr Magill said the eagle’s arrival scattered a number of birds, including Canada geese, adding: “It\u00a0swooped in from the north over the water and flew off to the west, everything else trying to get out of its way.”\n<\/p>\n
\n The latest siting follows a pair of eagles which were spotted at Ardingly Reservoir<\/a> last November.\n<\/p>\n