'Golden eagle' speculation mounts

The photograph appears to show a golden eagle in full flight

Could a golden eagle be circling in the skies of south Wales?

Speculation is increasing that the bird of prey could now be nesting in the Bridgend area after a photograph of what appeared to be a large eagle.

A spokeswoman for RSPB Wales said it looked like a golden eagle, which had probably escaped from captivity.

"It looks sub adult from the patterns on the plumage, and the tail and wing feathers look a little damaged," she added.

Environmentalist Professor David Bellamy, who was shown the picture during a visit to south Wales, said it could be an eagle, although he was not sure what type.

Gareth Hopkins, of Llangeinor, Maesteg, who took the picture, said he grabbed his camera after spotting the bird "gliding about very majestically".

"We're used to buzzards and red kites but this was just that much bigger again - wider wings and the tail, the feathers on the ends and the white markings under the wing which told us it was a juvenile golden eagle.

"It also had a tether on it so we knew then it had probably escaped from somewhere."

Gareth Hopkins took the photograph after spotting the bird near his home

Prof Bellamy, who was shown the picture as he visited a school in Cardiff, said it looked like an eagle - although he could not tell what type.

"We can see big primary feathers and things and a big white patch underneath," he said.

"But it could be a golden eagle and in Bridgend that would be phenomenal and fantastic because up in Scotland they have been having a hard time but now the Wildlife Trust and the RSPB are looking after them as far as they can.

"To find one down here is amazing. I hope it is a golden eagle."

Readers to the BBC website have also contacted us.

One suggested it could be an immature white-tailed eagle, possibly one from a Scottish breeding project which had earlier been tracked on the west coast in Merseyside and in north Wales.

Golden eagles prefer mountainous regions and are most commonly found in Scotland.

They feed on medium-sized mammals, including rodents and lambs.