Went south of Perth to visit a friend for most of the day then stopped at a popular wetlands location on the way back home for a few birdshots.
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great shot mate, is this at wellard??
Mate!! It does not get much better than that.
Top job Raoul.
What is the 3rd bird?
Thanks guys,yes Wellard aa. Tassie Nankeen Kestral and Whistling Kite.
HI Raoul
Really top shots nice.
It's shots like these that make me wonder whether I should just quit! Very classy shots there, Raoul. Thanks.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Great shots Raoul, the backlighting on the tail makes it beautiful doesn't it?
I have seen a few raptors around the vacant land at work lately hovering and diving , they seem to be white in colour and can stand still hovering for a good period of time . Don't know what they are though.
The birds everywhere are really skittish at the moment, must be the nesting season for them all. There's plenty of biff to be seen and great "dog-fights" in the air.
The lorikeets are really busy in the tree hollows on my walk too. I was busily staring at a couple hollowing out and cleaning the end of a tree limb when I heard a chirp and right above my head two little heads popped out to see who I was - ma and pa lorikeet from deep within a hole!
Absolutely gorgeous to observe.
Cheers
birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thanks dingo,Tark i have seen your pics they are just as good if not better.Thanks birdie yes its probably the Nankeen Kestral they do that! seem to hover, just nice for a clean shot,yes i have noticed here the same here with the Lorikeets.
Hey Birdie could also be a Black shouldered Kite if its white.
Excellent shots - the lighting through the tail is wonderful. I wish I could get some that close!
Hi Raoul
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Stunning shots , especially of the Kestrel hovering. It is a female, by the way. Males have plain grey colour on the tail, with a black band at tip, whereas females have the brown stripes which are visible (even from below) in your excellent images.
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I believe your 3rd bird is a Little Eagle.
You might be able to check out the original image, perhaps more successfully than I can on the small image uploaded. Please check the legs.
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It appears the legs are feathered all the way down to the foot. If so, it is definitely a LE.
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Also, Whistling Kite has longer tail feathers, relative to wings, and also tends to have more open wing tips.
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You can see photos of both species and my notes on separating them, on this post on my blog.
http://peonyden.blogspot.com/2008/01/birds-of-prey-how-to-tell-them-apart.html
Incidentally, there is a small image of a clearly identifiable male Kestrel which had dive-bombed the Whistling Eagle, so it is flying down, (upside down) and so it is seen from the back in this image. So the grey tail and black band is clearly visible.
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Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com
Thanks Dennis,you are spot on with your ID of the bird i will change the name on my computer file on birds. I found this site which will help me identifying them a bit better.
http://photogallery.canberrabirds.org.au/raptors.htm
Cheers Raoul
Hi Denis and Raoul
I have tried to capture two different raptors lately, one near my home that was being chased again by the lorikeets and smaller birds and then another yesterday at work but quite a distance from construction where it is a marshy type sandy grassland .
Your site has helped me to think of ideas for identification denis but it can't help me to get my butt closer and have a camera in hand at the time!!!
By the time I get organised the fight is over and they have disappeared.
I guess that is the bane of being an opportunist birder instead of going out and hunting for them at leisure!!!
cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hey Dennis,
thanks for the tips re identifying the male vs female kestrels. I never knew that. I must file that in my brain for future reference.. clunk.. done.. :)
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the legs of the little eagle is a great tip as well, because they are a true eagle, just so because of the feathers covering the whole legs.
And another good diagnostic to distinguish them from the whistling kite.
And in that vein, the White-bellied Sea-eagle is not a true eagle(is it a kite? ), afaik, because it does not have the legs fully feathered. (I think that is right). :)
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cheers,
steve
Hi Steve, Birdie and Raoul
Happy my points were well received.
Steve, the WB Sea Eagle is close to the Kites, but the Sea Eagles are in their own group.
The Whistling Kite and the Brahminy Kite (which is often called a "Sea Eagle") are in genus Haliastur. The WB Sea Eagle is classed as Haliaeetus.
Certainly you are right about the feathered legs distinguishing true eagles.
Cheers
Denis
Denis Wilson
www.peonyden.blogspot.com