Birds of Prey rule the sides the Highways - Wedge-tailed Eagle, Black-shouldered Kite and more

I drove to Alpurrurulam (Lake Nash) yesterday and was lucky to have some close encounters with a number of birds of prey along the side of the highways.

The first was a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the Stuart Highway just before the turnoff to the Plenty Highway. It was perched in a tree beside the road and it was so big on the exposed branch I could slowly approach it. It looked amazing in the morning light. For some reason it didn't seem perturbed by my approaching and then stopping car. It sat there, then looked like it was going to fly off, then settled again after I'd stopped. But a passing truck sent it off into the sky:

I saw a number of Black-shouldered Kites. The perched one in the photos below was another bird seemingly unperturbed by my presence, until a Willie Wagtail came and sent it into the sky. I didn't manage to get the closer shot I was hoping for. Normally I like Willie Wagtails but I was unimpressed by this one as it had spoilt a 10 minute slow creep towards the BSK!

I was especially happy with this one as it focussed nicely on the eye.

Apart from the above two Birds of Prey, I saw a number of others - Black-breasted Buzzards circling high, Whistling Kites hunting the middle of the highways as I zoomed past, Black Kites in groups by the side of the Sandover Highway, normally near the cattle from the cattle stations, and nankeen kestrels fluttering above the fields.

There was a group I thought were all Brown Falcons, but I noticed one bird in amongst the other 5 was a fair bit larger. A beautiful Spotted Harrier that sat a bit further away once it had landed.

Spotted Harrier

Brown Falcon

Happy Birding!