Today, we returned from the vegie garden (work in progress) to hear the alert calls of a pair of magpies. They kept squawking and swooping something that was just out of our sight, over the horizon: due to the shape of the old aeolian sand-dunes on which we live. The commotion had attracted the attention of a mob of roo's, which had been grazing further down the hill. The whole mob were fixed on the disquiet.
We've seen this behaviour before from the magpies, too often than not, it'll be a fox that they're swooping.
Janet went to investigate and as she approached the calamity, she disturbed a Wedge-Tail Eagle which had fallen a White-faced Heron, and was feeding on the ground. The Wedgie immediately took flight. It's size was absolutely amazing - 2.5 to 3 metres wingspan, easy. The bird dwarfed Janet. When ya that close, you realise how big they actually are. Still awestruck at the size!!!....sorry, no piccies.
On a lighter note, earlier in the day down near the gully, we found a nest on the ground. Have attached photos - the outer perimeter of the circular cup-shaped nest was mostly constructed from Tea-tree Twigs and Coral Fern, although there were a few sprigs of Cottontail Grass. It was ~150mm dia. x ~75mm high with an inner diameter of ~75mm. The inside was lined with fur - probably kangaroo or wallaby, taken from dead beasts once they had passed on.
We're not sure what species of bird made it, but someone might know.
No comments:
Post a Comment