Wedge-tailed Eagles along the Tanami Road

I had been wondering where the Wedge-tailed Eagles were hanging out, as I hadn't seen one for quite a while heading out via Glen Helen towards Papunya. So, one week recently I decided to head up the Tanami Road, not to llok for Wedgies specifically, more for a change of scenery.

The first pair I came across were quite close to the road, one on a roadkill about 5 metres from the road and the other off the road a bit more, probably 15 metres from the road. I then noticed a third one soaring above. Generally it is the crows that make me aware of the possibility a Wedgie could be around as they are the birds that spread from the roadside first. On this occasion, there weren't any crows around, but the one by the roadside was moving on the carcass. I slowed, then stopped. The sun was still rising behind me. The golden hour. Time to try to get out of the car without disturbing the birds. Door open. Foot outside the car. Open the door wider. Camera in hand. Stand up to exit the car completely. Still the birds hadn't moved. Closed the door gently. Still there. Looking wary. Camera starts to come up ..... and there goes the close one. I looked across towards the second one on the ground, still there. I moved around behind the car and managed to get a few photos.

Wedge-tailed Eagle

I then continued driving, and saw another lone Wedgies sitting in a tree, again, the sun was still rising behind me. More photos.

I did see 5 more birds that morning, 9 in total, another couple and another threesome. All of the birds were within 15 kilometres, between the first sighting and the last. I thought this was interesting as generally I would see them further apart, but probably this was where the food was, so this is where they were. I didn't see any more roadkill after the initial threesome location, but it was lovely to see these majestic birds once more in the wild.

Photos of a couple of Little Eagles

Over the past week I have had two fairly close views of Little Eagles. The first lot of photos was from yesterday at a dam near Yuendumu on the Tanami Road. It was a hot afternoon and I was expecting a few birds to come and have a drink besides the Zebra Finches, but the Little Eagle was a nice surprise.

My second encounter was one that was sitting in a tree at Nyirripi. I was confusing it with a Whistling Kite with the fawny coloured head. Thank goodness I have a son who knows his birds of Prey.

Ground Cuckoo-shrikes on the Tanami Road

Drove out to Papunya today via the Tanami Road. I stopped at an area where someone had told me they had seen a Grey Falcon in a tree over a period of years. I noted that there was a fair bit of nest building that had taken place since I was last there, but no sign of any Grey Falcons. Will continue to check on this site each time I pass. I ventured further up the road a bit and 3 birds flew from my right across the road and landed on my left on some scrubby-covered ground. I stopped the car and grabbed the camera, wondering if I was just chasing a group of Magpie Larks, although they had a different flight pattern to the M-Ls.
I have seen Ground Cuckoo-shrikes previously, but never really managed decent photos. Once I looked through the camera and realised my hunch was correct, I snapped off around ten photos, but from a decent distance and realised later the wire fence in between was beautifully in focus, the birds a lovely grey, white and black blur in the background. There was a bush between me and the birds so I crouched and hurried up behind the bush. In the meantime, they had fluttered a further 20 metres away from me. Below is a sample of what I managed to capture:

Ground Cuckoo-shrike

Nyirripi and back trip 2

I returned this week to Nyirripi. It was hot. And the birds were feeling the heat, being very quiet throughout the days but active in the mornings. No storms this week, but I did see a few interesting sights on the way back to Alice Springs.

The Zebra Finches are out and about as usual and hang around any sort of permanent water source. There was a leaking water pipe outside my accommodation and hundreds would use the pool below the pipe as a drinking trough. They were joined by honeyeaters and a shrike-thrush. Another place the Zebra Finches congregated is at a roadside stop about 125 kms from Alice Springs up the Tanami Road. The photos below are from here:

Zebra Finches

"What, what's happening, am I missing out?"

"Outta here!"

frogleaping

"Jo's got chocolate - let's get it!"

Camel

(this camel was lazing under a tree by the side of the road and got up as I approached, think it thought I was a dentist!)

Diamond Doves

Collared Sparrowhawks on and near their nest

 

 

Sacred Kingfisher

Dragonflies

and a small group of Budgerigars

Enjoy your Bird-watching!