Early morning walk and a bird of prey
I rose early this morning so I could go for a walk. I left the house just after sunrise. The air was crisp and cool and I was pleased it had not yet warmed up to the forecast temperature.
I decided to take the route along the road up the hill from our home. Because it was early there was very little traffic. This meant I could concentrate on the bird life. I was quite delighted with the busy activity of so many birds all around me.
Just as I approached a bush on the road side I was aware of a sudden flapping. A Singing Honeyeater shot like an arrow from the bush closely pursued by a Collared Sparrowhawk. They flew to another bush on the opposite side of the road. The honeyeater was too quick for the hawk and escaped. The hawk wheeled around, flew back in front of me and then off to look for another potential meal.
As I continued my walk I noticed the sparrow-hawk eyeing off a small flock of Common Starlings nearby. I hope he had more luck with them and eventually caught some breakfast.
The photo below was taken last year, possibly of the same bird. If it is the same bird it is a frequent visitor to our garden.
Updated November 2013.
Collared Sparrowhawk
Eagle attack
I always thought that paragliding seemed to be a somewhat dangerous pursuit. Like all extreme sports, the prospect of danger seems to be one of the main adrenalin surging elements.
One paraglider received a little more of an adrenalin rush than normal. Her glider was attacked by a pair of Wedge Tailed Eagles.
Britain’s top female paraglider has cheated death after being attacked by a pair of “screeching” wild eagles while competition flying in Australia.
Nicky Moss, 38, watched terrified as two huge birds began tearing into her parachute canopy, one becoming tangled in her lines and clawing at her head 2,500 metres (8,200ft) in the air.
“I heard screeching behind me and a eagle flew down and attacked me, swooping down and bouncing into the side of my wing with its claws,” Moss told Reuters on Friday.
Read the story in the Melbourne Age here.
Australian Hobby
I was out in the garden a few minutes ago. I was checking to see if the vegetables needed watering. I heard the warning calls of a variety of honeyeaters, especially the New Hollands, and this is usually a signal for me to scan the sky in all directions, looking for a bird of prey.
Sure enough, what looked like an Australian Hobby went skimming across the property at tree level, scaring the smaller birds silly. I can’t be 100% certain it was a Hobby, as I didn’t have my binoculars with me, but the shape, size, wing beat, manner and general appearance indicated that species.
The Australian Hobby (also called Little Falcon) is found throughout Australia but is not common anywhere. I have observed it on a number of occasions up the hill from home, about a kilometre away so it is not an unexpected visitor.
I have not yet been able to get a photo of this species so you will have to click here to see one.
What’s that bird doing?
While travelling home from Clare in the mid-north of South Australia recently I was surprised by a sudden movement by a small raptor. As I was travelling at about 90kph at the time it was hard to stop and photograph the Nankeen Kestrel.
The kestrel dived from above the car as I travelled along. It plummeted rapidly across my line of vision into the grass on the verge of the road. What it was attempting to capture I could only imagine. Perhaps it was a mouse or a lizard sunning itself. Or even a beetle or some other insect that would make a small delicacy for the kite, such as a grasshopper.
I suspect it was probably a mouse of some description. Both Nankeen Kestrels and Black Shouldered Kites are regularly encountered along the highways in this area at present. They are two of our quite common, small Australian raptors present throughout most of the country. In the 180 kilometre drive from home in Murray Bridge to my daughter’s place in Clare it is not unusual to see ten or more of each species, far more common than any other species of raptor.
Ringnecks and Kites
3 Comments »30th June, 2006; Category: Eagles Hawks and Kites, Garden birds, Parrots and Lorikeets, Photos
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
I was putting out the rubbish bin a few days ago. Our rubbish is collected once a week and it requires a 60 metre walk towing the bin behind – we have a long driveway.
I was in that kind of mood where the brain was in neutral and the eyes weren’t really trained for birding. It happens.
The brain suddenly snapped back into focus as a Black Kite soared low overhead, perhaps only 15 metres above me. Great views. Seemed to have a few feathers missing on the wings. I wonder what caused that? Maybe it’s been in a scrap with another bird.
As I returned to the house two Australian Ringneck parrots were sitting in a tree right next to the house. They just sat there less than 5 metres away, watching me for a minute before flying off. They are regular visitors to our garden. The above photo of one of them at our bird bath was taken last year.
This is one of the reasons I love being a birder; I don’t have to travel anywhere to enjoy my passion. The birds just come to me, insisting that I share my garden and my life with them.
All I can say is – fantastic.
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