BBC Wales TV presenter Iolo Williams has spoken of his delight at spotting the golden eagle of Tregaron for the first time in several years.

The renowned conservationist tracked down the massive bird with a seven-foot wingspan while filming his latest BBC Wales TV series near Tregaron last Thursday morning.

“Yesterday was a red letter wildlife day for me,” he tweeted. “I saw the female golden eagle near Tregaron in the morning and a pine marten near Cwmystwyth in the afternoon.”

Iolo explained that the last breeding golden eagles in Wales died out in the 1600s. The Tregaron bird is an escapee, but has been living wild since 2010.

“She’s a corker of a bird, very impressive,” he told the Cambrian News.

“We were filming in the Cambrian Mountains and had spoken to a number of local farmers and ornithologists about her possible whereabouts.

“She seems to stay in an area for a few months and then move on – a few years ago she was spending time in the Strata Florida region, but has now clearly moved further south.

“Anyway, we’d barely set out on Thursday when, lo and behold, there she was – The Tregaron Eagle – sitting on a fencepost waiting for the rain to pass.

“Then off she went into the sky to be harassed by all manner of birds, including kites, crows and magpies, not that it seemed to bother the eagle – she is the master of the skies up there.

“This is the first time I’ve gone looking for her for quite a few years – I would love to see a male golden eagle wander down so we could have a breeding pair in the Cambrians."

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