A RARE bird of prey was photographed at Poole Harbour.

Martin Shaw, from Corfe Mullen, captured a pair of ‘amazing’ white-tailed eagles off the shore.

The hobbyist photographer visited the harbour on Sunday, July 14, at around 6.30am to see is he could take some pictures of wildlife in the area.

Martin said: “I just by chance spotted the pair of white-tailed eagles.

“It was amazing to see them up close, they are absolutely huge, with an eight foot wing span.”

White-tailed eagles were reintroduced to the Isle of Wight in 2021. Poole Harbour now has a resident pair that frequently returns to the area.

Martin said: “There’s been a successful re-introduction of them on the south coast as they have settled right back into this environment.

“Despite misconceptions, these eagles have only been eating water birds, fish and carrion, all in plentiful supply where they reside, so do not threaten livestock or pets.

“As apex predators, they play an essential role in the ecosystem dynamics by controlling the populations of their prey species, which, in turn, affects the species on which the prey depends.

“They have e also had a positive affect for people, with a big impact on ecotourism that provides charity funding to improve local habits for other species as well.”