Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

A flat field and a line of trees sit under a large, wooded hill and a grey sky. This is the sandstone crag of Arncliffe. The name comes from an old word for eagle, though the birds are currently missing.

Arncliffe — Where Eagles Once Dared

This is the sandstone crag of Arncliffe on the western edge of the North York Moors. The name comes from the Old Scandinavian word ‘ern’ for eagle. It is a pleasant fiction that these birds once nested on these rocks.1HISTORY INGLEBY ARNCLIFFE AND INGLEBY CROSS. https://www.inglebyarncliffe.org.uk/downloads.php?did=359&filename=Parish%20Histrory [Accessed 28 April 2026] A non-descript photo perhaps but it leads on to a bit of recent news.

The government has pledged £1 million to investigate the reintroduction of golden eagles into Northern England where they have been absent for over a century. 2“Iconic golden eagles to make comeback in England.” GOV.UK, 12 April 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/iconic-golden-eagles-to-make-comeback-in-england. [Accessed 28 April 2026] They plan to release them as early as next year. The North York Moors has been identified as a potential “recovery zone”.3Moss, Alex. “North Yorkshire farmers must be heard over golden eagle return.” BBC News, 19 April 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c977777y777o. [Accessed 28 April 2026] One cynic opines it is a clever way to buy good news before an election.4Avery, Mark. “Golden Eagles in England?” Standing up for Nature, 21 April 2026, https://markavery.info/2026/04/21/golden-eagles-in-england/. [Accessed 28 April 2026]

Of course, not everyone is pleased. Farmers worry that these birds will eat their lambs.5Moss, Alex. “North Yorkshire farmers must be heard over golden eagle return.” BBC News, 19 April 2026, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c977777y777o. [Accessed 28 April 2026] This is a minor trouble for the government but a total disaster for a small business. Others say there is nothing to eat in the hills because we have already removed the hares and the deer.6Avery, Mark. “Golden Eagles in England?” Standing up for Nature, 21 April 2026, https://markavery.info/2026/04/21/golden-eagles-in-england/. [Accessed 28 April 2026] It could end up a bit of a mess.

If they do return, they will be the cleaning crew for dead animals.7Kettel, Esther. 2026. “Golden Eagles in England? Here’s the Ecological Case for Bringing Them Back,” ed. by Will Freitas (The Conversation) <https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.tgmmwefk4 [Accessed 28 April 2026] They are the kings of the sky, or perhaps queens, as the females are larger and more bossy.8Avery, Mark. “Golden Eagles in England?” Standing up for Nature, 21 April 2026, https://markavery.info/2026/04/21/golden-eagles-in-england/. [Accessed 28 April 2026] They will keep the smaller “meso-predators” like buzzards and red kites in their place.9Kettel, Esther. 2026. “Golden Eagles in England? Here’s the Ecological Case for Bringing Them Back,” ed. by Will Freitas (The Conversation) <https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.tgmmwefk4 [Accessed 28 April 2026]

We might see them breeding within ten years. That is a long time to wait for a bird that might just be shot by someone who does not like them.10Avery, Mark. “Golden Eagles in England?” Standing up for Nature, 21 April 2026, https://markavery.info/2026/04/21/golden-eagles-in-england/. [Accessed 28 April 2026] Are we ready to share our hills with a real predator, or do we prefer our nature to be safe and dead?

In any case, I think the chances of eagles once again nesting on Arncliffe are pretty slim. But elsewhere in the North York Moors, just maybe.

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