RUMOURS of an eagle attacking a jogger on Old Carlisle Road have been quashed, with a buzzard named as the likely culprit.
A jogger who was visiting the town and staying locally was running along the road past the Moffat Distillery early on Thursday morning when he reported being attacked by a large bird of prey, that left scratches on his head.
Speculation about the bird’s species soon began online, with discussion about if it could have been an eagle.
However, the South of Scotland Eagle Project have confirmed through satellite tagging that there were no eagles nesting or flying over the area on Wednesday morning.
Lead officer Dr Cat Barlow said: “Given the location of the reported incident and the nature of the bird’s territorial behaviour, it is highly likely that this was a buzzard defending its nest or young.
“We are very confident it was not a golden eagle, as they stick to higher upland areas, and when disturbed, circle high in the air and move away from the nest site.
“All of these iconic predators are incredible to see in the wild, but they’re very fast and can look quite similar from a distance, which can make identifying them a challenge to the untrained eye.
“If you are aware of a buzzard nest location or you ever hear a buzzard calling, the best course of action is to avoid the area, give the buzzards space, and find another route until the birds have left their nest.”
