I heart WOTD

2 Sunny Coast pics in a week.
Nice one. Wish we had these days more often!

Mr Nettle wins the internet today.

haha. had to read it twice.. Very good indeed.

Andy-macs' in 7th heaven with Bonza's new beaut 241 frequent flyer Sunny Drone Surfaris

Same SR went back and read again after seeing Blackers comment missed the deeper meaning 1st time

Tim's comb over has ye olde crusty crew working up a lather!
e Commissioner warns swellnet Hodads to tone down yer blather!

haha, Father knows best.

tubeshooter wrote:

haha, Father knows best.

Tubeshooter. They’ve got it all wrong.

If you look carefully, they’re actually pointing at a White-faced Heron right on the littoral zone on a bit of the reef covered in Neptunes Necklace ( Hormorsira banksii). AW

- maybe a tad more than a dozen ;)

AlfredWallace wrote:

tubeshooter wrote:

haha, Father knows best.

Tubeshooter. They’ve got it all wrong.

If you look carefully, they’re actually pointing at a White-faced Heron right on the littoral zone on a bit of the reef covered in Neptunes Necklace ( Hormorsira banksii). AW

Of course, how did I miss that? ;)

Jelly Flater wrote:

- maybe a tad more than a dozen ;)

JF. Very clever indeed. You mystic cryptic.

Those Neptunes Necklaces normally have a bakers dozen.

You are correct to a ‘tee’. AW

Crazy wotd. Great shot!

Of Pure Fun.

Prefer the Mambo version, 'Innermost limits of puerile fun'

Nice shot.

Todays WOTD, Brahminy Kite atop a Norfolk Island Pine (not a real pine ) AW

Those Norfolks must be prime real estate.

White bellied sea eagles also like to sit up there, and ospreys.

freeride76 wrote:

Those Norfolks must be prime real estate.

White bellied sea eagles also like to sit up there, and ospreys.

Freeride76. You bet! . Great vantage points. AW

Been a good recovery in local Osprey populations here.

Counted 4 sitting on vantage points when I crossed North Creek the other day.

Not sure where the white bellied sea eagles are nesting up, I see them heading north quite frequently so I assume further up towards Broken Head.

They do daily reconnoissance of the local inter-tidal lagoon here.

freeride76 wrote:

Been a good recovery in local Osprey populations here.

Counted 4 sitting on vantage points when I crossed North Creek the other day.

Not sure where the white bellied sea eagles are nesting up, I see them heading north quite frequently so I assume further up towards Broken Head.

They do daily reconnoissance of the local inter-tidal lagoon here.

Freeride76. Hi mate,

That’s great to hear. Sadly down here on our coast, it’s a rarity to see an Osprey.

Never see them around Torquay, 13th Beach etc. Not too many vantage points.

There is one on the Bellarine Peninsula, usually around Swan Bay, Queenscliffe , St,Leonards and environs.
Stops you in your tracks when you do see one.

Nankeen Kestrels are prolific around here at present, almost say they’ve temporarily filled a visual void that’s normally full of Black Shouldered Kites, the kites are sitting on eggs or with young at present. They’ll start their flight training sorties in another month and a bit, a great sight watching the skill of a parent teaching offspring.

I’ve got Osprey envy FR76. All the best. AW

I'll try and get a shot for you AW.

Love to hear their screeching/whistling calls.

Don't see too many Nankeen Kestrels here (occ. sighting).

Black shouldered kites are prolific- but as you said, busy with offspring at the moment.

Pacific Baza likes to hang in the tuckeroo grove here- see him on the wing or at rest from time to time.

It's so cool , to hear ( about ) Birds early in the morning , especially Sea birds .

Seeing a Sea Bird , try 2 wrestle a flicking big fish out of the Water by Flying it Out , is one of the most remarkable sights in the animal kingdom .

Like a Breeching whale .

A Huge Vulture can't even get off the Ground , with up currents , after gorging on 5kg of dead meat .

They have 2 sit under a tree 4 half an hour and rest .

I find it hard to Pop Up from the water , on a Log .

These birds have Dinosaurs as relatives , the crew that Ruled the world 4 100 million years .

Only a meteor stopped , most of them and gave our mighty Lung Fish it's shot at the Title of best species .

To drag a 1kg , kicking and screaming fish , out and then Up , when Wet , from a seething Sea , is bloody unbelievable Strength .

Flapping Extraordinary Maximus imho !

Great these birds are still our Guardians Sentries of our lovely shore line .

Keep a look out for them , please !

freeride76 wrote:

I'll try and get a shot for you AW.

Love to hear their screeching/whistling calls.

Don't see too many Nankeen Kestrels here (occ. sighting).

Black shouldered kites are prolific- but as you said, busy with offspring at the moment.

Pacific Baza likes to hang in the tuckeroo grove here- see him on the wing or at rest from time to time.

Fr76. Thanks, that would be great. I saw my first Pacific Baza on a power pole in Malanda,FNQ late last year. Blew me away.

Tuckeroo, ( Cupaniopsis anarcardioides) also a fave of mine when I visit your part of this land .
Great tree for providing cover for littoral zone birds . AW

Pop Down wrote:

It's so cool , to hear ( about ) Birds early in the morning , especially Sea birds .

Seeing a Sea Bird , try 2 wrestle a flicking big fish out of the Water by Flying it Out , is one of the most remarkable sights in the animal kingdom .

Like a Breeching whale .

A Huge Vulture can't even get off the Ground , with up currents , after gorging on 5kg of dead meat .

They have 2 sit under a tree 4 half an hour and rest .

I find it hard to Pop Up from the water , on a Log .

These birds have Dinosaurs as relatives , the crew that Ruled the world 4 100 million years .

Only a meteor stopped , most of them and gave our mighty Lung Fish it's shot at the Title of best species .

To drag a 1kg , kicking and screaming fish , out and then Up , when Wet , from a seething Sea , is bloody unbelievable Strength .

Flapping Extraordinary Maximus imho !

Great these birds are still our Guardians Sentries of our lovely shore line .

Keep a look out for them , please !

PopDown. Hi mate, morning gazette has arrived, thanks.

Your dot point reporting is right on point, if I’m allowed to point that out.

Evolution is wonderful.

Birds were around along time ago. In fact the Jurassic Period show us the first evolution of birds.

Archaeopteryx fossils around 150million years old highlight a bird that looked like and evolved from dinosaurs.

From that point on, birds have always been on earth. AW

Seeing the eagle in todays shot lifted my heart.
Thanks Stu.
The WOTD is my fav feature of SW.
Every day another great photo to really take in.
The dude burying his rail the other day was awesome.

Had to zoom in to find the eagle, a few ospreys around the local lots of places on the WA coast build platforms for them is it true they only hunt fish and have a 60% successful strike rate?

mattlock wrote:

Seeing the eagle in todays shot lifted my heart.
Thanks Stu.
The WOTD is my fav feature of SW.
Every day another great photo to really take in.
The dude burying his rail the other day was awesome.

Thanks, mate. Though all credit should go to the photographers.

Was also a bit surprised no-one commented on that gouge by Oscar Berry. As committed and clean as they get.

Been surprised to see so many sea eagles this time. Some just sitting around on the beach waiting for who knows what. Beautiful birds,

My favourite has been the magpie that shows up for breakfast, engages in back and forth warbling, then eats seeds out of my hand (before pooing on my towel).

And how good is today's speed run.

Island Bay wrote:

Been surprised to see so many sea eagles this time. Some just sitting around on the beach waiting for who knows what. Beautiful birds,

My favourite has been the magpie that shows up for breakfast, engages in back and forth warbling, then eats seeds out of my hand (before pooing on my towel).

And how good is today's speed run.

IslandBay. Hi mate.

How good is that , having numerous sea eagles, majestic birds.

Magpies are such comedians.
I like your speed run quote, yep, that’s what it was like Tuesday just gone, smoking’. AW

Had to zoom in to find the eagle, a few ospreys around the local lots of places on the WA coast build platforms for them is it true they only hunt fish and have a 60% successful strike rate?[/quote)

@IF, not sure about their success rate, I’ve seen them make a few misses, but Osprey’s definitely only take fish.

Sea Eagles on the other hand will take whatever they can near water. If you ever come across a feeding tree there is all sorts of leftovers scattered around below it such as turtle shells, fish and eel fragments, mutton bird carcasses etc. Sea Eagle as a name though isn’t totally correct as they follow large water courses inland, including right up the Murray Darling River systems.

I've seen an Osprey snatch a mates pet budgie fair off his shoulder at fishing wharf one day. Took it back to the nest and shredded it.

^ that raises more questions, @tubeshooter!

I feel like I have seen a LOT more falcons, kites, hawks & eagles perched or stalking prey while I've been driving (i.e. in the vicinity of the roadside) over the past 3 months.. putting it down to low rainfall.. AW?

Distracted][quote=I focus wrote:

Had to zoom in to find the eagle, a few ospreys around the local lots of places on the WA coast build platforms for them is it true they only hunt fish and have a 60% successful strike rate?[/quote)

@IF, not sure about their success rate, I’ve seen them make a few misses, but Osprey’s definitely only take fish.

Sea Eagles on the other hand will take whatever they can near water. If you ever come across a feeding tree there is all sorts of leftovers scattered around below it such as turtle shells, fish and eel fragments, mutton bird carcasses etc. Sea Eagle as a name though isn’t totally correct as they follow large water courses inland, including right up the Murray Darling River systems.

Distracted. Hi mate.

Correct. They are happily at home in and around any body of water that supports their diet. AW

basesix wrote:

^ that raises more questions, @tubeshooter!

I feel like I have seen a LOT more falcons, kites, hawks & eagles perched or stalking prey while I've been driving (i.e. in the vicinity of the roadside) over the past 3 months.. putting it down to low rainfall.. AW?

Basesix. Hi mate, hope you’re well.
Of the raptors in Australia, the only two that hover are Black Shouldered Kites and Nankeen Kestrels (essentially a Falcon, Falco cenchroides). Both birds hover then pounce to the ground.

Brown Falcons chase their prey aerially or above and on the ground.
Black Falcons stalk and chase prey aerially, usually separating one bird from a flock and then exhaust it in a chase to the death.

Peregrine and Little Falcons (Australian Hobby) also separate birds from a flock or smash them at rapid speed from above their prey.

Eagles fish for food either over land or water.

Kites do chase other birds and also clean up other kills.

Of late there is lots of action near roads, especially Nankeen Kestrels and Black Shouldered Kites

BSKites are feeding new born young. Kestrels fill a temporary niche left by BSK’s and capitalise by feeding in paddocks on mice and quail.
Wedgies generally eat prey that others have left behind, one of their favourite foods is the afterbirth left on the ground from sheep or cattle.
It’s a rarity to see a WT Eagle take down large prey. They love roadkill. AW

They'll take young livestock if they can get it, esp. lambs and kids.

Those big wedgies outback roadside are incredible. Some big, well fed mofos for sure.

Hi AW, I'm going pretty well, hope you are too.

^ great information, as always, thank you.

The wedgie tactic reminded me of that zebra study, where they worked out zebras have stripes to blend in with the herd, not for camouflage. Predators need to peg an individual, not chase a herd. Like the myth that old or weird herd animals are targeted by predators.. they simply stand out for attrition targeting. I think the story went, that scientists put red or pink paint on a zebra, so they could identify an individual in a herd, and whichever one they painted kept going missing.

Time to get some shuteye. Gonna give the chopesalypics a go in the am!

basesix wrote:

Hi AW, I'm going pretty well, hope you are too.

^ great information, as always, thank you.

The wedgie tactic reminded me of that zebra study, where they worked out zebras have stripes to blend in with the herd, not for camouflage. Predators need to peg an individual, not chase a herd. Like the myth that old or weird herd animals are targeted by predators.. they simply stand out for attrition targeting. I think the story went, that scientists put red or pink paint on a zebra, so they could identify an individual in a herd, and whichever one they painted kept going missing.

Time to get some shuteye. Gonna give the chopesalypics a go in the am!

Good stuff B6. AW

freeride76 wrote:

They'll take young livestock if they can get it, esp. lambs and kids.

Fr76. Hi mate. Little lambs with tails still attached only a few days old go missing here, so do Joeys.

I watched a female wedgie (larger than male) flying low at slow speed follow a Joey along a wire fence line across from ours, the minute it was partially in the open, down came the two sky cranes, silent abduction. I felt privileged to see uninterrupted prey/predator behaviour.AW

seeds wrote:

Those big wedgies outback roadside are incredible. Some big, well fed mofos for sure.

Seeds. I love it crossing the Nullarbor, the birds are right on the bitumen edge, almost 100% macropod diet. AW

seeds wrote:

Those big wedgies outback roadside are incredible. Some big, well fed mofos for sure.

Seeds. I love it crossing the Nullarbor, the birds are right on the bitumen edge, almost 100% macropod diet. AW

basesix wrote:

^ that raises more questions, @tubeshooter!

haha, happened on the boat old mate lived on, the nest wasn't far away.
Same bloke used to use a freshly caught live fish to hold in the air and have the bird take it from his hand. So, he probably brought it on himself.

AlfredWallace wrote:

seeds wrote:

Those big wedgies outback roadside are incredible. Some big, well fed mofos for sure.

Seeds. I love it crossing the Nullarbor, the birds are right on the bitumen edge, almost 100% macropod diet. AW

Seen a few that have bitten the dust too. Trucks probably. Their kind carnivorous? Probably not fussy I’d imagine but I haven’t seen it myself.

Jeezus....BomB

Incredible shot of an incredible wave!

Craigo’s! That’s massive.

Awesome shot Craig , what a wave .

Supafreak wrote:

Awesome shot Craig , what a wave .

+1

Looks like Waimea in a wetsuit

Cheers guys, stoked on this shot! Incredible run of large swell. You wait to see the one he didn't make that I took from land. Not sure what size to put on it!

Mental shot Craig!