Some days, you just get lucky

Gob · Post by **Gob** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:56 am

from my dog walk yesterday

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 1:15 am

If you look real close you can see a weasel on that bird's back.

(beautiful pics they are...)

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Fri Mar 06, 2015 3:45 am

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:45 am

Nice shots, and nice place to ramble!

Sue U · Post by **Sue U** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:53 pm

Nice pix. That's a kookaburra in Number 2, right? What's the eagle-y vulture-y thing at the bottom?

Gob · Post by **Gob** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 9:49 pm

Thanks all.

Sue, it is a male Kookaburra, and that's a juvenile wedge tail eagle, (shot at the extreme range of my telephoto lens unfortunately.)

oldr_n_wsr · Post by **oldr_n_wsr** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:39 pm

I like the grasshopper.

Sue U · Post by **Sue U** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 5:24 pm

Gob wrote: that's a juvenile wedge tail eagle, (shot at the extreme range of my telephoto lens unfortunately.)

Interesting bird; from the Wiki link:

They are highly aerial, soaring for hours on end without wingbeat or effort, regularly reaching 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) and sometimes considerably higher. The purpose of this very high flight is unknown. Their keen eyesight extends into the infrared and ultraviolet bands. This helps them spot prey and allows them to see rising thermals, which they can use to gain altitude while expending little energy.

***

The wedge-tailed eagle is the only bird that has a reputation for attacking hang gliders and paragliders (presumably defending its territory). There are recorded cases of the birds damaging the fabric of these gliders with their talons. An example of an attack on a Paraglider can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2O1XQ-b08

I have always been fascinated by creatures with extended range of vision or more highly defined visual sensitivity than we humans have. Wouldn't it be cool to be able to see in the ultraviolet and infrared ends of the visible light spectrum, or to see in radio waves or gamma rays? I heard a radio show once describing a butterfly's visual acuity as orders of magnitude beyond ours; they are able to see dozens of different shades within a band of light that we could not distinguish as more than one color.

Econoline · Post by **Econoline** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 5:38 pm

The purpose of this very high flight is unknown.

My guess: just because it's a lot of fun!

Gob · Post by **Gob** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:57 pm

Sue U wrote: The wedge-tailed eagle is the only bird that has a reputation for attacking hang gliders and paragliders (presumably defending its territory). There are recorded cases of the birds damaging the fabric of these gliders with their talons. An example of an attack on a Paraglider can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2O1XQ-b08

I have flown in the same thermals as them, I wouldn't have if I had seen that video!

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