The Pelican and the Sea-eagle

Last Monday was a pretty special day. It was filled with Australian meat pies and lots of good company, beautiful birds, blue sky, and sunshine. I got a little sunburnt. I took lots of photos and hope to add them little by little to this blog. Thank you to Mick and Rod. Our outings are always special and a major experience for me on my visits home.

If you have ever seen a wild sea-eagle pass by your nose, I’m sure you thrilled at their great size and powerful movement. No wonder eagles are such symbols of earthly magnificence. In the above slide show, we can see a young White-bellied Sea-eagle passing in front of an Australian Pelican. What a sight!

Below, are some of the huge birds that floated by us at the water’s edge of Lake Coolmunda, Queensland, Australia. All photos were taken within minutes.

Thank you for visiting this site.

Down and Around the Lockyer on the Last Saturday of 2013

Cattle Egret

breeding

Queensland University, Gatton Campus, Queensland, Australia

A week late posting this, but enjoyed a big day out with Rod Hobson who kindly took me down and around the Lockyer Valley on Saturday, December 28, 2013. It was overcast to start the day but we quickly commenced our day with a Black Falcon of which we had two sightings. 
Rod was determined that we would find more raptors and we even went up through the Great Divide to Wyreema and Cambooya in hope for a Spotted Harrier but we only saw a couple of kestrels as the skies became quiet once blue, so we turned around and went back down to the valley where we got a Spotted Harrier with our eyes but I failed with the camera near Grantham.
Still, it was a remarkable day with the Lockyer Valley proving it is a special place for birding. 
Thanks, Rod.
(Disappointed that I can only input 200 or less characters for the labels/contents on Blogger so I couldn’t list all the species pictured in my contents!)

Royal Spoonbill

Magpie Goose

Cockatiel

Superb Fairy-wren

male

Comb-crested Jacana

Black Falcon

Royal Spoonbill

Magpie Goose (Above and below)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill and Royal Spoonbill

Interesting sight: Glossy Ibis (landing), Australian Shoveler (left) Spoonbills, Australian Wood Duck (centre) etc.

Another view of several birds including Black-winged Stilt and Australian Pelican

Sacred Kingfisher

Freckled Duck is a rarity here (Above and below)

Whistling Kite

Black Kite (Australian)

White Bellied Sea-eagle

Lake Clarendon

Pink-eared Duck (flying behind) and Eurasian Coot (foreground)

The ducks were nervous with the sea-eagle circling overhead