Wedgetail, WB Sea Eagle & a Diamond

[grahamh]

I was sitting in my loungeroom just after lunch today when a White breasted Sea Eagle carrying what appeared to be a large diamond python and followed closely by an even larger Wedge tail flew across our paddock within 50 metres of the house.

This trio was closely followed by about 15 or so Galahs and a few other birds who seemed to be intent on mobbing the eagles. The inhabitants of the house including the dogs raced outside to follow the commotion around the back.

The two eagles sat about 80 feet up a tree and finally took off again (birds in pursuit) for another circuit. The WBSE then dropped the snake into the trees and undergrowth of the creek line and took off. I've seen plenty of Wedgies and Galahs before and I know how fast a Galah can fly but these eagles so far out classed them for pure speed and power that it was just stunning to watch.

We searched for the snake (which was pretty big - it looked as thick as my arm) but we couldn't locate it. Shame about the snake but I guess that's nature, I assume that it was dead from the way it was hanging from the eagles tallons. Also not sure what a white breasted sea eagle was doing round my way although we're not far from Lake Maquarie.

G

 

[Fuscus]

I saw a goshawk ( I think ) with a gippsland water dragon once. The dragon didn't look happy.

 

[instar]

Envy ,Envy ENVY graham! how cool is that, how lucky too. (for you not the python) some video would have been awesome. Maybe you should take up wildlife photography, you got it all right there. Lucky, lucky, lucky B*stard.

 

[grahamh]

It all happened so quick I didn't even get a chance to take a photo. Funny though I've seen a few wedgetails round here lately they seem to be getting more common. Not so many snakes this year though probably cos I've been too busy to notice them. Met an interesting bloke yesterday, he's an environmental scientist up at my place to do a Bush Fire report. He specialises in Flora and Fauna reports. He gave me an insight into some of the snakes that we should find on the property. I've invited him back to do a bit of a field trip. He reckons we'd find Stephens Banded, Red naped, Golden Crowned. I've seen plent of Diamonds and RBBS the odd green tree and Marsh snake but the others would be a cool find. His plant estimate was in excess of twoo hundred species within close proximity to the house. Bout time I started enjoying the place a bit more instead of working so much.

 

[instar]

I dont know how to make this type any bigger or bolder...."ENVY, ENVY, ENVY!"

How cool is that, sounds like pristine natural area. How lucky to live right fair smack in the middle of it!

 

[jimmy_the_kid]

envy, envy, envy

 

[instar]

:lol: Thanks jimmy! :lol:

 

[africancichlidau]

That sounds like a once in a lifetime experience to me Grahame, you should take holiday bookings mate You'd make a fortune

 

[Magpie]

Yeah envy... sure, he has to drive more than an hour each way to work every day.

 

[Bryony]

ENVY as well you have it all nature on your door step AND winerys galore i'll come there for a holiday

magpie - i have to drive an hour to work and i live in the middle of sydney and my work is 20mins away but the traffic

 

[sxereturn]

Ride a bike.

 

[grahamh]

hour and a half - drives me nuts still I've been doing it for 6 years now - sort of get used to it - be nice if I could afford toi stay home.

 

[africancichlidau]

Turn ya property into a herpetological guest house and you could

 

[ackie]

yeh the hunter vally kiks ar$e. I always go up to branxton near cessnock, maitland and singleton ect. because my grandparents and cuzns and stuff live their. I hav only really looked in my uncles 80 acre property which is completely cleared apart from sum fallen tree and rocks. So far i hav found eastern brown snakes, water dragons, wood geckos, red bellies, beardies, jackys, southern rainbow skinks, blue tounges, copper tails, eastern water skinks, whites skinks, bar sided forest skinks, tussock skinks, red throated skinks and yellow bellied 3 toed skinks.
I know a guy who lives about 20min outy of branxton who was telling me sum of the stuff he finds (well explaining in detail anyway)-red naped snakes, swamp snakes, mainland tigers, 2 bandy bandys, diamonds, eastern browns, mulgas, rbbs, green tree snakes and carpets. Keep in mind that around his house is dense bush and he lives on the bank of the hunter river.
The hunter valley is pretty cool if ya ask me.
where bouts are u graham?

 

[Pinkie]

One day up here in ye olde Townsville a black kite flew down in front of my car to attack a sacred ibis on one of those traffic island thingies, that was pretty kool but Graham's story is better

 

[ackie]

lol, our pidgeons were flyin round the other day and a peragrin falcon just smashed one in mid-air, even i didnt see that commin. Hawks and stuff always catchin things at my place.

 

[grahamh]

Ackie I'm closer to Lake Macquarie. I think I should visit your rellos.

Pinks - All stories are cool - what about others - anyone got a good observation?

 

[Magpie]

Ummmm, I once saw a blue tongue take on a strawberry all by itself.
Had a wedgie come into care that a farmer had been feeding dead lambs to for 2 weeks.
The inlaws have a place near gloucester that one of dem sea eagles comes down the river valley most days, seen it take a mullet out of the river once.

 

[africancichlidau]

I had a few spectacular observations during the 2 years I worked in Kings Cross But I think they are more suited to another site

 

[ackie]

if we r talkin bout spectacular sites...i was at bents basin once and me and my friend were at the top of this cliff and we were inline with the top of a huge gum tree. in this gum tree was a green tree snake. Next to that green tree snake was another and another and another....we ended up counting 11 adult green tree snakes in one tree, i think it was communal hibernation.

I was fishin at cape hawk just near foster and there were to sea eagles about 100m up fighting. It was so cool, they were interlocking and falling really fast. Could be part of courtship, anyone know?