White-bellied Sea-eagle flying overhead
White-bellied Sea-eagle
Canon EOS R1 with a Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens [ISO 640, 800mm, f/9.0 and 1/2500])
I am processing a backlog of photos and I came across this one from a morning in January when I was photographing on the sandflats at Narooma at low tide. There was not much water at all, and I had walked far out along the exposed sand to the oyster leases. I was enjoying photographing the Crested Terns that congregate on the exposed oyster farm lines, as well as the Australian Pelicans that rest on the sand at the edge of the water. While I was photographing those birds, I heard a lot of commotion in the sky behind me. Knowing that birds calling in alarm normally means a larger creature I turned around to see a pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster) flying relatively low over the sandflats with seagulls, some terns and a few other birds mobbing them while calling warnings. The eagles were also calling out, although the eagles appeared to be unperturbed by the attention. Both birds continued to fly on their own path rather than be put-off by the smaller birds in the air around them. They flew across to the other side of the inlet where one landed in a tree and the other on an oyster farm sign that was standing upright in the water. It was a beautiful sight as those two birds flew over me. Their large wing span and simple colouration making identification so easy. It was no surprise why the other birds were calling in alarm because while these eagles primarily eat sea creatures like fish, they will also take animals and birds, even up to the size of a swan. They will also harass other birds that are carrying prey, forcing them to drop it, so that the eagle can pick it up. These are Australia’s second largest bird of prey and Narooma is fortunate to have this pair residing permanently around the inlet.
