Over the past few weeks, an adult White-bellied Sea-eagle has occasionally been patrolling along the beach area on the top end of Port Phillip along the western shores.
Almost always with a young bird tagging along. There is a good chance, as chances go, that this is the pair that we saw preparing to nest in the Western Treatment Plant last year.
There are a number of Umbrella Pines that surround the old (first) homestead of the Chirnsides. The old trees must provide a wonderful view over the surrounding bay and beaches.
We had been working our way along the beach, on what was a particularly quiet day on the water. Only a handful of ducks and a few swans, with some cormorants snoozing away on the old pier and rocks.
We turned a corner on the bay, and there was the unmissable shape of a Sea-eagle in one of the pines.
So the challenge.
Do we work along the beach, out of sight of the birds, to get to a spot where if they flew—and flew in our direction—we’d have some close views.
Or.
Do we work our way inland through the trees to get a closer, and clearer view.
And then with a turn of wing, the bird launched and slipped through the trees further away from the beach.
With absolute precise timing, every bird—cormorant, duck, oystercatcher and the like, took to wing in a flurry of feathers and the loud sound of wings beating the air. The swans.—they continued as if nothing had happened.
Our challenge was now doubled at least.
The beach option seemed the most likely, I’m sure being able to ‘sneak up’ on a Sea-eagle, would be as difficult as approaching a Swamp Harrier, so we decided to see if we could get line-of-sight further along the beach.
As it happened both birds were sitting on an old dead pine, and we managed a clear view. But it was a case of so near. Yet. So far.
We were about to continue on along the beach, when, both birds took to wing, and were gone from view. We discovered a few minutes later that some photographer friends, had been near the tree and had moved to get a closer look.
So near…
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 