A White-bellied Sea-eagle with a catch is as Jane Austen once wrote, “in need of friends”,(well I paraphrased the good Jane just a  bit).

We are at Lake Borrie in the Western Treatment Plant,  early morning, far out in the middle of the Lake a young Sea-eagle has scored.  (Best guess is a Pink-eared Duck).

As it settles down to prepare its meal, out of the sky drops all the Kites and Harriers in the area.  Each one wanting to be the Sea-eagles best friend.  “Comeon mate,  share it about, I’m your best mate, maahte.”

The Sea-eagle doesn’t see that opportunity to increase its Friends list on FB and doggedly proceeded to pluck and consume the feast.
Not that the big birds didn’t try.  The Harriers tried their usual ‘spook’ tactics, the Kites a variety of out staring and then hostile aggression, the ravens a mixture of sheer cunning and brute force, but in the the end, the Sea-eagle persisted.

For the Technically Ept:  These images are shot on the D810, mostly with the TC 2.0iii on the 300mm f/2.8, Tripod mounted, with a 4kg bean bag to weigh it all down.  And the new addition in the D810, the Electronic First Shutter ,which eliminates shutter/mirror bounce on long lenses.  (Wish I’d had that with the old 600mm.).

Huge crops as the bird is so far away in the middle of the lake.

Just about to settle down for a fine breakfast and…

the neighbours drop in to help themselves

Feathers fly as it settles down for a meal.

I changed position to the other side of the lake.

Further round to get the perspective.