This amazing bird is a two year old bearded vulture from a reintroduction programme in the Alps, these birds wander long distances but usually return to places of origin.

It was seen in Belgium and then, on 26^th of June, the same bird was photographed by a  birdwatcher in the West Midlands.

An hour later someone driving along the A50 at Scropton in South Derbyshire saw it fly overhead and five days later it was seen and photographed near Edale by Alan Kydd a birder from Hathersage.

It is currently in a remote area owned by The National Trust in North Derbyshire.

This awe inspiring bird has now attracted birders from all over the country to observe its magnificence!

This is the first time that this bird has been seen in Derbyshire and only the second time on record that the species has been sighted in the UK EVER!

Bearded vultures are fascinating mountain birds, driven to extinction in the Alps and very rare in the Pyrenees. They mainly eat bones (for the marrow inside), those left from carcasses where the meat has already been eaten by foxes, eagles or other vulture species like the griffon vulture.

They drop the bones onto rocks to break them open and then eat them. The Spanish name Quebrantahuesos – translates as “he who breaks bones”.
The bearded vulture has an impressive wingspan of 2.8 metres: that is wider then even a white tailed eagle!