Black Shouldered Kite
The black shouldered Kite can be found in grasslands with trees, farms, road sides and suburban paddocks. These photos have been taken at Point Cook and KarKarook. The birds themselves are Australia wide (mainland only.) Often they can be seen hovering over their prey. People don't seem to bother them too much and you can even see them hunting the median strip on the Western Ring Rd.
These photos were taken at the Western Treatment Plant where we were lucky enough to get quite close three black shouldered kites, with one of them half way through their lunch.
Brown Falcon
I'm very keen on birds of prey. But I often find it hard to get good photos. I drive to work and every morning without fail I'll see some Black Shouldered Kites, Kestrils, the occasional Wedgetailed Egil and Brown Falcons - but unless I hit the breaks and stop in the middle of the road, jump out with the camera at the ready... (not recommended in a 100kmph zone).
Anyway, this is three seperate Brown Falcons that we saw at the Western Treatment Plant. I beleive we saw at least 6, but but the time I see them in the tree, and raise the camera, the birds are off! Fortuantly we managed to spot some of them before they decided to fly away.
Anyway, this is three seperate Brown Falcons that we saw at the Western Treatment Plant. I beleive we saw at least 6, but but the time I see them in the tree, and raise the camera, the birds are off! Fortuantly we managed to spot some of them before they decided to fly away.
Peregrine Falcon
This falcon was found in some bushland north of Hamilton. It flew swiftly away, not impressed by people intruding on its hunting grounds. Teh can be found around cliffs, gorges, watercourses, around rivers and open woodlands.
Swamp Harrier
This bird of prey has longer than average legs (at least it seems to me)... Must be because they need to grab things out of the long swamp grass. This is a set of photos of a young Swamp Harrier from the Western Treatment Plant. We had a great show of watching him fly around - and then completely dissapear into the grass. We knew he was there, but until he wanted to fly again, try as we might, we could not see him! Great camoflage!
Whistling Kite
Currently this is the only bird of prey I seem to do well in idenifying on the wing. These photos are much better than the last ones I had. You can see the lighter part of the under wing near the ends much clearer. Similar to the Little Eagle (which I have not yet seen and positivly identified), the Whistling Kite is quite common and is a little darker than the Eagle.
This one I caught at the Western Treatment Plant.
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Here is a bird I always wanted to see but never got close enough to fully identify.
Then of course, without trying I sit there in my brothers backyard up in Townsville, to see a White-bellied Sea Eagle fly over. Here you can see there must have been two, one more mature (on the left) than the other (two photos on the right.
© Michelle Evans 2012, all rights reserved.