Twitcher Alert: White Tailed Sea Eagles in the skies above Badwell Ash!

Posted 05/02/2024 : By: Will & Sarah Draper

It is scarcely believable but a pair of White Tailed Sea Eagles have taken up residence in the next village over from us, Stowlangtoft. No-one is really sure why this is, as they are a long way from their normal home - northern Scotland, the Hebrides and Shetlands - and also some way inland of the coastlines they normally inhabit. White tailed sea eagles are the largest eagle in the UK, bigger even than the golden eagle, with a massive and unmistakable 2.4m wingspan earning the nickname of flying barn door. Their diet is principally fish but they are opportunistic hunters and will take rabbits, hares, small deer, geese, ducks and other birds if they're around. 

Twitchers love coming to Badwell Ash Holiday Lodges due to the wide variety of birds in the area. In the last few days we've spotted plenty of birds of prey including buzzard, red tailed kite, sparrowhawk, barn owl, marsh harrier, kestrel and of course our lovely kingfisher. But these magnificent eagles are really something special.

A message to our anglers - don't worry! They have not been taking the fish from our lakes. Even they couldn't manage one of our carp. The mild weather meant that our guests were catching fish fairly steadily over the winter months. 2024 has got off to a good start, and can only improve as the water warms with Spring. We look forward to welcoming twitchers and anglers alike in the coming months!

Link to BBC article about the eagles: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-68155156