Eryr Euraidd Natur Gudd Cymru

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-I'm searching

-for rare creatures living in Wales.

-Those that have made their home here

-after a long absence.

-Those with unusual behaviours.

-And shy creatures

-that only venture out at night.

-Crikey!

-I'm in the Tregaron area,

-with the marsh below...

-..and the Elenydd mountains

-in the distance.

-I've heard that a golden eagle

-has been spotted flying around.

-The golden eagle

-is native to Scotland...

-..but has been living

-in these parts for some years.

-It's been hanging around

-the lofty mountains...

-..occasionally

-swooping down over the marsh.

-I've never seen

-a golden eagle in Wales.

-I can't wait to witness it.

-The golden eagle has been absent

-from Wales for many centuries.

-We don't know for certain...

-..but it apparently disappeared from

-Snowdonia over three centuries ago.

-It's very exciting to discover that

-such an eagle lives in Wales today.

-Tregaron's rural location and

-the Elenydd uplands are sprawling.

-It'll be a challenge

-locating the eagle...

-..though it's

-one of the world's largest birds.

-I begin my search

-in the Cors Caron car park.

-When the bird first came here...

-..almost two years ago...

-..it was spotted

-above Pontrhydygroes...

-..and Ysbyty Ystwyth.

-It could be seen

-from both villages.

-It's believed

-the eagle moved south...

-..but no-one knows for sure where.

-What I think I'll do...

-..is search the Teifi pools

-behind Strata Florida.

-I'll try there first.

-It's raining intermittently...

-..which is good because if it were

-raining constantly, it'd stay put.

-I considered

-driving past Strata Florida...

-..and walking along the path

-but what I think I'll do...

-..is go past Ffair Rhos instead...

-..and head to the mountaintop

-near the Teifi pools.

-There are a couple

-of good parking spots there.

-It'll give me

-a better view of the mountains...

-..in case the eagle's airborne -

-providing it's here, of course.

-This is Llyn Teifi, the source

-of Ceredigion's drinking water.

-It's one of Wales's

-most barren regions.

-The hill in the distance

-is called Disgwylfa.

-I intend walking around it.

-Beyond it are a couple of valleys...

-..with enough rocks and shade.

-If there's an eagle present

-in these parts, it'd roost there.

-The summit of Disgwylfa Hill

-is 1,500 feet above sea level.

-The mountaintop

-overlooks Nant Egnant.

-There is no sign of the eagle,

-just a glimpse of a kite...

-..and a hen harrier.

-I'm inspecting the rocks because all

-birds of prey need a resting place.

-They choose an obvious rock

-such as this with a panoramic view.

-It's a great place to rest.

-It's likely

-to deposit pellets here...

-..made up of fur and bone

-that its stomach can't digest.

-It has to spit them out.

-There are pellets here but not

-the kind a bird of prey would leave.

-This one's from a crow

-and it's teeming with beetles.

-You see beetle traces all over it.

-There are

-a few beetles in this one...

-..along with bits of apple.

-Crows will eat

-anything and everything.

-If it were a pellet

-from a large bird of prey...

-..you'd expect to see

-more fur, fleece and bone in it.

-But I'll carry on searching. There

-are plenty of prominent rocks here.

-After searching for hours,

-there's still no sign of the eagle.

-I return to the lowlands to

-meet people who've seen the eagle...

-..to give me a better idea

-of where to search for it.

-Lyn Ebenezer lives locally.

-He saw the eagle

-above the main road...

-..between Pontrhydfendigaid

-and Tregaron.

-Have you seen it just the once?

-Have you seen it just the once?

-

-No, three times in all.

-Once above Ty'n Cwm.

-It flew over the top

-and disappeared.

-That's above Strata Florida,

-isn't it?

-Months went by...

-..when my wife and I

-were driving home.

-She said,

-"Look at that kite. It's huge."

-It flew across here.

-Allt-ddu farm is situated behind us.

-My wife said,

-"Look at that huge kite."

-It flew there in the distance,

-heading for Strata Florida.

-It was also spotted by Charles Arch,

-a sheep farmer near Strata Florida.

-So you caught a glimpse of the eagle

-whilst herding sheep?

-Yes, I heard bird noises

-coming from the river.

-I saw two buzzards

-and a couple of herons.

-I wondered what was wrong with them

-because I couldn't see anything.

-Suddenly behind me

-the eagle took flight.

-It was huge.

-You knew instantly it was an eagle?

-Was that a while back, Charles?

-No. It must've only been in August.

-Not that long ago at all then.

-It's now November,

-so only three months ago.

-This is encouraging news.

-It must be here somewhere,

-but where?

-I've come to Ystrad Meurig,

-which overlooks the wetlands.

-A man named Steve

-lives in this house.

-I think

-he sees the eagle regularly...

-..but I want to know

-the last time he saw it and where.

-This might be a good vantage point.

-We'll soon find out.

-I don't think he speaks Welsh.

-Where's the eagle

-been hanging around?

-You can see the top of the point..

-..and then the crag

-further down to the right.

-He used to sit there most mornings.

-I'll speak to the farmer

-who owns the land over there.

-There's a prominent rock

-that looks promising.

-If it's been feeding there,

-it will have left traces.

-I'll go over and take a look.

-This is the hill

-Steve was talking about.

-He saw the eagle on this rock.

-What a spectacular view.

-You can see for miles around.

-It's no wonder

-the eagle chose this spot.

-Those are the Elenydd mountains and

-Ystrad Meurig is in the distance.

-I can see Steven's house

-through my binoculars.

-I can see his back garden

-from where he spotted the eagle.

-He has a clear view.

-You can see Pontrhydfendigaid

-and the marsh from this spot.

-Having searched

-every inch of the hill...

-..there is no trace of the eagle.

-No faeces, no feathers, nothing.

-There's no point

-searching any more...

-..or staying in this spot

-in anticipation.

-It's best to move on.

-We'll move on.

-It's a shame because I was hoping

-to find something here.

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-I'm searching for a golden eagle

-in Tregaron and Pontrhydfendigaid.

-It crossed here,

-just behind us near Allt-ddu farm.

-There've been a few sightings.

-It used to sit there most mornings.

-But I've seen no signs thus far.

-None of the farmers

-have said a word against the eagle.

-I'm driving past

-Strata Florida Abbey.

-I'll park in the car park and see

-what I can view from there...

-..before it gets dark.

-I'll sit here for an hour.

-If the eagle happens to be

-roosting in the valley...

-..I should see it

-because it returns...

-..half an hour before it gets dark.

-This is Nant Egnant.

-The stream flows from

-Llyn Egnant in the uplands...

-..near our starting point,

-Disgwylfa Hill.

-Often on a stormy day...

-..the sun comes out late in the day.

-Autumn provides the perfect light

-to see clearly into the distance.

-You notice the colours

-of the changing leaves...

-..and the decaying ferns.

-There are three buzzards

-circulating overhead.

-There are kites too.

-There's no sign of anything else

-as yet, but this is a great spot.

-Plenty of kites, buzzards...

-..and ravens, but no eagle.

-I've had a phone call

-from a farmer...

-..who lives higher up the valley

-from Strata Florida.

-Not only has he seen the eagle

-on several occasions...

-..he's also taken photographs of it.

-I've not seen this eagle yet...

-..but this will be the first

-confirmation that the eagle exists.

-Wil Jones farms in Ty'n Cwm

-at the bottom of Nant Egnant.

-Wil saw the eagle

-for the first time three years ago.

-So this is the bird, Wil?

-Wow! That's the first time

-for me to see it.

-Was this taken in the valley?

-Yes, near Troedrhiw.

-It's a giant, isn't it?

-It's a female.

-She's bigger than the male.

-They tend to be larger, do they?

-They tend to be larger, do they?

-

-Yes.

-Her wingspan measures

-about seven feet four inches.

-She's gigantic.

-Are there more photos?

-You've captured the buzzard too.

-It shows how big it is.

-It makes the buzzard look small.

-How close did you come to it?

-I came within 100 yards of it

-one time.

-It's been in these parts

-for a while, but is it still here?

-Yes, it's still around, but we

-don't see as much of it any more.

-We've hardly seen it

-during the last year.

-Has it killed any of your lambs?

-No, not ours...

-..but next door's.

-I saw it take a lamb

-from the mountain.

-It swooped down

-and carried it away...

-..to the top of the rock.

-That's what I was worried about.

-If it was attacking the lambs, I

-didn't think people'd want it here.

-Has it taken many?

-Not that we've noticed.

-I can't say it's taken many.

-Is it worth me

-looking around this area?

-We haven't seen it

-for about a year or more.

-I'm at the top of the valley.

-Wil's house

-is beneath me in the trees.

-They saw the eagle

-above me up there.

-It was photographed against

-those rocks at the side of the hill.

-It's a great place

-for an eagle to roost.

-There are plenty of rocks here, far

-enough away from predatory foxes.

-There are plenty of trees here

-because they can roost in trees too.

-But there've been

-no recent sightings...

-..so maybe the best thing I should

-do is head back down to the marsh...

-..and spend more time

-in the lowlands.

-I've heard

-the eagle's been spotted....

-..flying above Cors Caron.

-It's difficult

-to see from the marsh.

-I'm going to the top of the hills to

-get a better view of the territory.

-Up to now...

-..I've been

-one step behind the eagle.

-Every place I've been, the eagle's

-been there before me and moved on.

-I was talking to someone

-late last night...

-..who recommended this spot

-which is teeming with rabbits.

-Apparently the eagle

-comes here to hunt on most days.

-I'm willing to sit here all day

-if I have to...

-..just to catch sight of the eagle.

-I'll sit here patiently

-in anticipation.

-I've a clear view of the marsh

-from the hills.

-I'm the same level

-as the birds in flight.

-Cors Caron was once the red kite's

-stronghold 30 years ago...

-..but nowadays there's a multitude

-of them across all parts of Wales.

-And more buzzards besides.

-If I had a penny

-for every hour I've spent...

-..sitting patiently bird-watching,

-I'd be a very rich man by now.

-But if you consider

-the size of a golden eagle...

-..it's a giant of a bird...

-..it covers an extensive territory.

-It probably extends from Cors Caron

-to the Elan Valley...

-..as far as Abergwesyn valley,

-no doubt.

-If a sheep

-has died on top of a mountain...

-..it's not going to stray

-too far from there.

-It'd provide

-a fortnight's worth of food.

-It wouldn't venture far.

-There's nothing more I can do.

-I just have to wait patiently

-in this spot.

-I'm finally rewarded

-for my patience.

-From nowhere,

-the eagle appears above the marsh.

-At last!

-I've seen buzzards and kites...

-..and suddenly spotted something

-in the distance.

-It's circulating above the marsh...

-..and every now and again,

-it flaps its giant wings.

-It moves quickly.

-Hopefully it'll come nearer.

-Its shape is completely different.

-The wings are long.

-The wings' front feathers turn

-upwards in the air like fingers.

-It's incredibly handsome.

-This is the first time I've seen

-a golden eagle in this country.

-It's difficult

-getting near them in Scotland.

-I'd be thrilled if it came closer.

-It's huge.

-The eagle didn't get any closer.

-After circulating two or three times

-above the marsh...

-..it disappeared into the uplands.

-I can't tell you how happy I am...

-..after people told me

-they hadn't seen it for months.

-I've finally caught up with it. This

-is obviously a great vantage point.

-I have a panoramic view here, but I

-can't understand where it came from.

-I've been keeping watch for hours.

-It rose from nowhere.

-It's too much to ask for an eagle

-to return twice in one day.

-After waiting

-the best part of a day...

-..my only consolation

-is watching a swarm of fieldfare...

-..feeding on hawthorn berries.

-The marsh is obviously

-the best place to view the eagle.

-I've decided to spend a second day

-on the hill in case it returns.

-It's been spotted

-sitting on this fence above the bog.

-Perhaps it's left a pellet here.

-This pellet has been left by a crow.

-There are

-bits of straw and seeds in it.

-There are also

-tiny stones embedded in it...

-..that are used to grind

-the contents of their stomach...

-..to retrieve

-the nutrients they require.

-The golden eagle's pellets

-are bigger.

-I'd expect to see fleece

-and rabbit fur in it.

-It'd be great retrieving a pellet

-to see what exactly the eagle eats.

-But there's nothing here.

-But who needs traces

-when the bird itself appears?

-The eagle returns and flies

-majestically over the wetlands.

-To get an idea of its size...

-..it's twice the size

-of the kite which tails it.

-It's circulating.

-Scotland's national bird...

-..is circulating alongside the red

-kite, the national bird of Wales.

-Yes, I could go to Scotland

-to see a golden eagle...

-..and they're fantastic birds

-in a lovely country...

-..but what's nice about this...

-..is the fact that I can sit here

-and watch a golden eagle in Wales.

-That's what makes this so special.

-I remember coming to Cors Caron

-as a young birdwatcher...

-..to view the red kite.

-This was one of

-the few places where it survived.

-If someone had told me

-I'd be back here in 20 years...

-..to see dozens of them,

-along with a golden eagle...

-..I would've thought they were mad.

-But here I am in Tregaron watching

-a golden eagle and it's fantastic.

-The eagle lands on a post...

-..above the marsh.

-To give you an idea of its size...

-..it's larger than the sheep

-closest to us in the picture.

-She flies away to roost

-in a secret location for the night.

-Hopefully she'll be left alone

-to enjoy a long life.

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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