ML73790231
Contributor
Date
Location
- Age
- Not specified
- Sex
- Not specified
Media notes
Second non-adult, seen poorly.
Observation details
Non-adult bird seen approaching from the north, high, at 0926. Circled some, a bit to the north, then glided more or less directly south, disappearing into the far distance against the mountains W of Mt Helena. Second non-adult seen 0933 to 0934, spotted overhead and backlit, gliding fast to the S with occasional flaps on a path a bit E of the previous bird. When overhead, I got the impression of a large raptor with long broad wings and lightish on the underwing coverts. This bird was clearly an eagle, but was hard to ID. As it went into the distance, I noted that the series of flaps seemed heavy and labored, like the previous BAEA or like a GBHE. The poor photos I got seem to corroborate the whitish mottling under the wing, as well as suggesting some similar mottling on the back. These plumage characteristics eliminate GOEA; also, one of the photos shows the bird with its head turned, making a large beak obvious. Between 1025 and 1029, I observed an adult gliding in high from the N, circling with very infrequent flaps overhead, moving off to the E or SE while still circling, then setting wings and gliding in a direct manner to the S, high. Distant non-adult seen between 1055 and 1058, gliding more or less SE from over the Scratchgravels, then circling distant E, where I lost sight of it. In the field, I thought wings not as long or straight as BAEA; flight a bit unsteady; some dihedral. Poor-quality photos show white on the upperwing coverts and a dark upper breast. Photos are extremely bad, but proportions suggest eagle to me rather than Buteo and plumage characteristics match BAEA well. Between 1306 and 1309, I saw a distant adult or near-adult circling, E, gaining altitude and then gliding S, becoming a speck in the binoculars.
Technical information
- Model
- COOLPIX P900
- ISO
- 220
- Focal length
- 116 mm
- Flash
- Flash did not fire, auto
- f-stop
- f/5.6
- Shutter speed
- 1/500 sec
- Dimensions
- 502 pixels x 434 pixels
- Original file size
- 45.67 KB