Where eagles dare?

He hadn’t been seen for several months and RSPB staff at Haweswater, where the bird of prey had called home for around 15 years, revealed they feared the worst.

Many called it the “end of an era” and those who regularly venture around this particular corner of the Lake District landscape believe it is most likely that the iconic bird has died of natural causes.

Whilst the eagle’s presence contributed in a flock of visitors to the area it is unlikely the species will make a quick return and contribute once again to Cumbria’s wildlife economy.

Lee Schofield is the RSPB’s site manager at Haweswater.

He said: “The eagle was at least 19 years old and the average life of a golden eagle in the wild is 21 years so it is likely that he has died.

“Reintroduction of the species isn’t really an option. The Lake District is really marginal for golden eagles generally, most are in Scotland. They are also the ultimate wild bird and they are more shy of humans than any other species.

“With it being so heavily populated with visitors it is really a surprise that they lasted so long here and we did everything to maintain Riggindale as a quiet area.”

The Lake District habitat isn’t ideally suited to the golden eagle either, Mr Schofield said.

“The state of the habitat is also an issue,” he said.

“That’s historical too with too many grazing animals as a result of government subsidies to drive sheep numbers up. That has changed and we’re seeing numbers drop there now but it means we’re undertaking work on habitat restoration.”

The RSPB at Haweswater monitors the activity of a range of other bird species and wildlife as it manages large swathes of woodland and two farms in association with landowner United Utilities.

The area – around 3,000 hectares – boasts a number of migratory birds including the red start, pied flycatcher and hard-to-spot ring ouzel.

Haweswater also has populations of rare butterflies and Cumbria’s famous red squirrel.

“The woodland around here is rich in bird species,” Mr Schofield said.

“Many are migratory and in the spring when we do a dawn chorus walk you can come across 30-40 species in the woodland compared to say five on the farms.

“The fells in their current state are quite poor when it comes to wildlife and we want to change the management of this.”

Environmental projects RSPB staff are working on to help improve the draw for wildlife and the development of habitats include a recent river restructuring scheme at Swindale, one of its two farms at Haweswater.

The work has involved “returning bends” to the river to allow natural processes to take place and help re-establish fish and invertebrate populations that will subsequently lead to the return of the birds that will feed off them.

The charity is also involved in a number of upcoming wildlife events that members of the public can book to take part in.

They include “Moths and Moor” at 8am on August 20.

Staff will also lead visitors on a bat walk on the evening of September 9.

Autumn will also see red deer around Martindale – the oldest native red deer herd in England – draw in the crowds eager to see the spectacle of the rut.

Despite its unexplained disappearance, all hope of the golden eagle returning to the Cumbrian countryside is not lost.

A project just north of the border is receiving a huge financial investment as part of its bid to boost golden eagle numbers. The RSPB is an active partner in the South of Scotland Golden Eagle project.

The scheme wants to reinforce the population of the bird by releasing them at secret locations.

The project has received initial support of £1,150,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The scheme will boost numbers to up to 16 pairs in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, with the potential to release eagle chicks into the wild in the years ahead.

Webcams are being set up to follow progress of birds and the work to improve golden eagle numbers is seen as a great tourism opportunity for the area.

Due to its neighbouring location, the work has the potential to lead to the species recolonising in Cumbria.

Mr Schofield said: “It raises the prospect of recolonisation but that is just getting started and it is at the stage of getting birds out in the landscape again, so that will take time.”

In 2008 Scottish Land & Estates and RSPB Scotland worked together to try to understand what was limiting the golden eagle population in southern Scotland.

Detailed ecological work was carried out and a report was published in 2014 by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

After an approach by Scottish Land & Estates, RSPB Scotland and Buccleuch to the minister, a partnership was formed to take forward work to reinforce the population.

The Langholm Initiative, SNH and Forestry Commission Scotland have subsequently joined.

The partnership will now begin a public consultation involving a range of stakeholders.

Work is planned to examine how food supplies could be improved and nest sites made secure, identify additional habitat management measures which may be needed and, if necessary, consider prospects for bringing in eaglets for release to reinforce the existing population.

Despite the loss of the eagle, Cumbria is still blessed with an array of wildlife that continues to attract visitors from far and wide.

One of the most famous attractions are the ospreys.

The birds re-appeared in Cumbria in 2001 and have been nesting at Bassenthwaite, near Keswick every year since.

A total of 60,000-70,000 visitors are expected to have visited the osprey spots this summer by the time the birds fly off on their migration at the end of the month.

So far 50,000 are thought to have stopped by at the Dodd Wood viewing platform near Keswick to catch a glimpse of the birds through telescopes. Visitors have also been able to drop in to the centre at Whinlatter to watch webcam footage of the birds on the nest.

Elsewhere, one successful reintroduction project in Cumbria has been the recent return of red kites.

Two years ago the Forestry Commission confirmed the first chicks had been raised at Grizedale in what was the first breeding to be recorded in Cumbria since 1807.

The Forestry Commission and volunteers had been monitoring progress of 90 of the birds that were released between 2010 and 2012.

Twitchers are also a regular sight around the coast, which boasts the Solway Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a designed site of scientific interest.