Afternoon of the big birds.
May 30th, 2008 by Duncan
I needed to go out to the quarry this afternoon to try and find a suitable rock on which to mount a memorial plaque. It was quite a nice afternoon, with the near winter sun shining down through quite spectacular cirrus cloud formations. As I drove out through the dairying country on my way to the foothills I glanced up and saw two Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring overhead, and above them was another smaller raptor also circling. I couldn’t identify it without stopping, but it could have been either a Brown Falcon or Brown Goshawk. Along the track on the outskirts of the bush I drove through the usual flocks of Eastern Rosellas, they really are a bird of the wooded roadsides. I spotted several likely rocks before I drove on up to the ridge top and stopped for a look around. As soon as I got out of the vehicle I again looked up to see just above the treetops, two more Wedge-tails flying unhurriedly over me, with just a brief glance down at the earth-bound human below. I had a great look at them at relatively close quarters, one was quite dark, the other was a lighter bird, four eagles in fifteen minutes, good going.
One sandstone rock looked to be the ideal candidate, three feet long, eighteen inches wide, with a split running right through giving two suitable slabs with flat faces. Leaving it for another day when I could rustle up help to load it, I decided to make a detour on the way home to the fern gully where I saw a pair of Powerful Owls soon after the bushfires eighteen months ago.
It was very quiet by the creek, with only the sound of a spinebill’s wings and the distant calls of a lyrebird disturbing the stillness. A sambar deer track made it easy to get down to the creek near the Blue Oliveberry tree I’d seen them in before, I then only had to walk ten yards before I could look up into the tree, and to my delight there they were sitting quietly looking at me.
It was a perfect re-run of my first sighting, with the paler bird, possibly the female, holding what looked to be a dead magpie in her talons. As is so often the case I was photographing up into the light which made things difficult, especially focus at full zoom, but they were very cooperative and I managed some reasonable shots before I left them in peace. Impressive birds.
Duncan, congratulations! What a brilliant find! The Powerful Owl should be in my area. Alas, I may never see one in my lifetime as their habitat has been so sorely destroyed. The speckled breast leads me to think it may be a male, but – heck – what would I know? I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing one in the flesh.
Watch over them. They certainly need it!
Jenny, seeing a Powerful Owl like this is one of the greatest birding thrills you can have to my way of thinking. They have such presence.
What is there to say?
Magnificent clarity.
I can see every feather of both birds.
Well done.
p.s. On the day you took the lovely photo of the sulphur crested cocky at Victoria Park, I was there
later and saw hanging in branches over the pond an adult cocky regurgitating in its bubs mouth.
She/he missed the mouth a bit and went back and wiped the mouth,then I saw the family of 3 fly off.
pps. What is anthropormorphism?
I had to work at it Miss Jane, focus was hard to come by.
Anthropomomorphism is attributing human qualities or form, to animals, the gods, etc. Quite a common thing when you think about it, I reckon my son’s whippet is half human!
Reasonable shots indeed. These are terrific photographs. I would do cart-wheels for photos like these.
Great post.
Great Work all around.
thanks for the visit,
Troy
We’re always trying to do better Troy. You and Martha are hot stuff behind the lens too you know, that profile shot of the ground squirrel for example is a ripper.
That one with the magpie sure has the mean eye look for you. They are a very impressive bird.
Reckon you’re right Dave, there’s quite a difference in expression between the two.