Wedge-Tailed or Sea Eagle Chick?
This week I went out to a site near Googong Dam with my mate Bruce to look for some Eagle nests. Bruce had spotted some previously and we wanted to see if they were active or not. We took our e-bikes and rode for a few kilometers and then took a small walk through the bush to the first nest location. It was in a Eucalypt on the other side of the Queanbeyan River but appeared to be unused with no activity.
We then went back to our bikes and headed for the second nest. When we got there it was apparent that it wasnt an eagle nest due to its small size. It might have been a Raven or Currawong nest. We decided to go to the last nest which involved a ride for a kilometer or so and then a 600m walk through the bush. This nest was in a tree on the side of a steep slope that lead down to the river. We were at the same elevation as the nest and about 50 metres away. We had a look through our binoculars and to our excitement, there was a young chick. We retreated away from the nest to a secluded spot so it wasn’t disturbed. We could monitor the nest and the chick from our new viewing spot. The chick had soft white down and so may have only been a few weeks old. It sat low in the nest and occasional lifted into an upright sitting position. I got a few shots which are below.
We will come back to the nest in a couple of weeks but need to ensure we are not interfering with the chick and adults so careful stealth will be required. We are hoping to see the adults at the nest to determine if its a Wedge-Tailed or Sea Eagle.
