Rare sea eagle returns to the Isle of Wight

A white-tailed sea eagle, not G463, seen in UK waters

(Image credit: Papilio/Alamy Stock Photo)

published 9 February 2023

A rare sea eagle has returned to the Isle of Wight after spending two years flying 10,000 miles around Europe. Sea eagles, whose wing span can stretch to more than two metres, were once a common sight in the UK but went extinct about a century ago. This eagle, known as G463, was reared on the Isle of Wight and fitted with a GPS tracker, as part of a project to reintroduce the birds. In October 2020, G463 left the island and was eventually tracked crossing over the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Belgium, Germany and mainland England. It lost one of its legs on its journey but still seems to be able to hunt, and finally returned home last month.

Neolithic monuments given to the nation

Two Neolithic monuments in Yorkshire known as the “Stonehenge of the North” have been given to the nation. The Thornborough Henges complex near Ripon, which dates back to around 2,500BC to 3,500BC, is made up of three large earth circles that are four metres high and 200 metres across. Two of the three henges have now been given by the construction firm Tarmac into the care of Historic England, so that they can be properly conserved, and visited for free by the public.

A writer from south London has been identified as Britain’s biggest blood donor. Lindsay Johns, 46, first gave blood as a student in the mid-1990s, and later became a dedicated platelet donor: platelet transfusions are mostly given to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Last year, he donated 25 times, but says he is merely doing his civic duty. “I’m not splitting the atom here,” Johns said. “I simply come and sit for a little over an hour with a needle in my arm... It’s not exactly arduous. The opposite actually, I really enjoy it.”