By Robin Crow, Wildlife Correspondent
Extraordinary sightings of a large eagle and two bears at a Suffolk wildlife reserve have got birdwatchers and nature lovers in a frenzy of excitement.
The eagle, said to have “mahoosive wings and a bad attitude”, and the two bears were spotted at Minsmere, the world-famous habitat that features on the BBC’s popular Springwatch programme.
At first rumours of the rare visitors were scoffed at. But then wardens noticed the sightings were being chalked up repeatedly on ‘What’s About’ noticeboards used by enthusiasts to pass on information about which creatures they have seen.
One birdwatcher had even helpfully drawn a picture of the eagle, albeit with a strange long beak, on the board alongside normal entries like snipe, geese and coots.
“Then I was amazed to spot the two bears playing about in the long grass. It was a lovely moment, and one I am unlikely to witness again.”
Paddington Bear
Experts say it is likely the Bald Eagle, so called because it has no feathers on its head, was swept off course by the wind from its normal habitat in Birmingham. It is not to be confused with a Bald Eagle Shaver.
But they are more baffled by the playful bears taking up residence on the Suffolk coast.
Bear expert Michael Bond told the Suffolk Gazette: “Sadly this may be an unfortunate result of the Paddington Bear film that was released last year.
“Many kids demanded their own bear for Christmas, and even though we always say a bear is for life, not just for Christmas, some of the poor things got dumped before January was over.
“This pair appear to be doing a good job of looking after themselves in the wild. But you must remember they are more used to feasting on marmalade sandwiches rather than catching shrews and fish.”
A spokesman for the RSPB, which runs the Minsmere site close to Dunwich, said: “We’ll be trying to catch the bears and find them a good home.
“As for the eagle with the mahoosive wings, we expect it to stick around for a while. But once it gets warmer it will likely head back to Birmingham.”
Facebook it:
I was there too! On a motorbike!
How come I never got a mention?
Probably the lack of number plates I guess….
me and my husband observed the mahoosive eagle at Minsmere today and can confirm it had a brummy accent. It swooped down and stole some skips from one of our children and a bit of Easter egg as well. we sadly didn’t see the bears but I know that the village shop in nearby Westleton has run out of Roses lime marmalade . we saw an oystercatcher and a scary cow at the Minsmere sluice.
Dear Mrs Mullan,
Shame you did not see the bears, but lovely that you and your family got to see the eagle.
There have been reports that the scary cow at Minsmere sluice has eaten three children, so I am glad it appeared calm when you came across it.
Regards,
The Editor
If you want to see scary cows, Tuesday in Debenham is a good steer.