28th July 2014
Wedgies observing courting & mating on Mt Cottrell by Frances Overmars & Daryl Akers while planting in the crater of Mt Cottrell. A magnificent panorama but it was very cold & windy!
About a dozen Kangaroos were beside the track, a little way in from the front gate, out of the wind. They ignored us as we drove past them up the track. There were another 16 or so just beside the crater. They took off as we came close.
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| Wedge-tailed Eagles on Mt Cottrell 28th July 2014 |
There were two Wedge-tails on the sole remaining dead pine tree at the summit. They flew off as we approached but soon returned after we stopped & got out. They seemed oblivious to us for nearly two hours. The male bid kept taking off & giving an aerobatic display around the tree. It looked as though it were simply enjoying flying in the wind. After each display it would swoop low, almost the grass level then swoop upward then drop onto a branch. Then, after mating, they simply disappeared.
The female bird was a young bird. The honey gold colouration looked rather like the female bird reared on the nest beside Pinkerton homestead in 2013-2014, although most of the time they were simply silhouettes against the dull skies. She spent most of the time perched in the tree.
Not much of a photo as it was pretty dark all afternoon.
17th August 2014
A Wedge-tailed Eagle was observed by BirdLife Australia members perched in a tree near the old White-bellied Sea-eagle nest tree.
Eagles were regularly noticed in the sea-eagle nest precinct in Upper Pinkerton. They were also often seen perching in the vicinity or flying about the vicinity.
15th September 2014
Confirmation of eagles nesting in the old sea-eagles’ nest in Upper Pinkerton
Frances Overmars confirmed that she saw a Wedge-tailed Eagle flying from the sea-eagles' nest, after watering in Pinkerton Link!
Frances emailed all contractors stating that the precinct was off limits for the duration of the nesting period. Probably for the rest of the year. We had been monitoring the nest (and other old nests in the vicinity) for a couple of weeks without any definite confirmation of nesting. We would see one from time to time perched in neighbouring trees so were pretty sure but it was annoying not to be definitely certain
5th November 2014
A large juvenile eagle was seen on the nest at Upper Pinkerton
12th November
While weeding in Upper Pinkerton we observed a large juvenile bird still in nest. It was mainly hidden within the nest but occasionally sits on top of the nest flapping its wings
14th November 2014
Nora Peters writes:
Hi all
Kelly and I went to Pinkerton this morning, both parents there and they took off, a couple of shots but not that good, one of them has a lot of light colours on its back, probably the male as small than the other….not very good conditions for the camera work, a little bit of video and a few photos.
Comparing these photos with the Eynesbury one, I think that it won’t fledge for three to four weeks, so a good time frame to get a few shots!
Regards’
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Juvenile wedge-tailed Eagle on nest in Upper Pinkerton 14th November 2014 |
Coincidentally, a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles also nested at Eynesbury, successfully rearing one juvenile. In keeping with normal protocol, news of the eagles’ nesting was embargoed, with only a few people being notified; to avoid too many visitors disturbing the nesting birds. It has been observed, photographed & filmed by Nora Peters over October – November. This bird felt the nest shortly after 11th November 2014.
November 11th 2014
to me, Linda
‘Hi Daryl & Linda
Making it official, I went there yesterday and the bub had gone.
My last sighting was on Tuesday at lunchtime, Ian Matthews happened to come along as someone had mentioned a Wedge-tailed Eagle sitting in the pine trees near the homestead and he thought it might have been the baby but he saw that it was still there. I did witness it trying to lift off from the bough that it was sitting on but as I waited it just sat and preened itself. I had to go to work and didn’t get back there until yesterday after work. One of my first photos taken on the 6th September and my last taken on Tuesday 11th November at 1pm, now to sort out the rest!
Regards’
Another successful nesting. Two years in a row we have had Wedge-tailed Eagles successfully nesting on Western water land.