African Fish Eagle taking off after a bath and a drink
Lake Panic, Kruger National Park
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It does not happen often that I post bird pictures two days in a row, but yesterday’s Martial Eagle sighting was very special. I was really glad that as rather large mammal I was not not on the menu list of this impressive raptor.
Enjoy your day 😊
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Fish for lunch?
This *African Fish Eagle* caught his meal just in front of our boat.
For many people its distinctive and shrill cry represents the true spirit of Africa. This magnificent creature appears in the coat of arms of Namibia, Zambia, and South Sudan, as well as on the flags of Zimbabwe and Zambia.
And just in case you wondered: African Fish Eagles are related to the North American Bald Eagle and look quite alike, but they are two different species in the same genus.
They are both considered sea eagles not true eagles.
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A few days ago I took this picture of a *Tawny Eagle* perched in the late afternoon, backlight by the sun. Tawny Eagles (Aquila rapax) are large, long-lived birds of prey. Like all eagles, they belong to the family Accipitridae. It is estimated that these beautiful birds can reach the age of 16.
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The sound of Africa: African Fish Eagle – This picture was taken at iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu Natal (St.Lucia Estuary).
To view more of my African Fish Eagle images go to http://www.sperka.biz/sgb9
The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Sudan.
This species resembles the North American Bald Eagle in appearance.
The African Fish Eagle is a large bird, and the female, at 3.2-3.6 kg (7-8 lbs) is larger than the male, at 2-2.5 kg (4.4-5.5 lbs). The adult is very distinctive in appearance with a mostly brown body with a white head like the Bald Eagle and large, powerful, black wings. The plumage of the juvenile is brown in colour, and the eyes are paler compared to the adult. The feet have rough soles and are equipped with powerful talons in order to enable the eagle to grasp slippery aquatic prey.
 
  
As I am working on the re-organization of my image library I thought to start a series of blogs, which many of you might enjoy. I will present a ‘Bird of the Day’ as often as possible – might not be every day, but we will see how it goes 🙂
This very dark specimen and its mate have a nest near Thanda house. I took this shot trough my office window as the bird sat only a short distance away in the newly cut grass.
To view more of my Wahlberg’s Eagle images go to http://www.sperka.biz/sgb2
Wahlberg’s Eagles (Hieraaetus wahlbergi – named after the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg) are medium-sized raptors. They are about 53–61 cm (21–24″) in length with a wingspan of 130–146 cm (51–58″) and occur in many color variants from pale and light brown to almost black. They are bird of woodland, often found near water. Wahlberg’s Eagles hunt reptiles, small mammals, and birds.
A good morning drive on Ithala. I encountered …
… a new species (for me :-)): An antelope named Tsessebe, which I have never seen before.
… two Secretary birds with their funny walk across a burned area.
… a Tawny Eagle who was harassed by a Black-shouldered Kite.
… a well light scene at sunrise with Zebra and Wildebeest.
… and an exciting drive on a very rocky 4×4 trail.
Let’s see what the afternoon will bring!
Here are four more Reelfoot Lake pictures (Tennessee, USA).
Check out Nancy Moore’s website for more information on boat trips on the lake http://blbweb.bluebasin.com (the site is about her “bed and breakfast” place, but she also does great photography lake trips – just contact her at jaybird@bluebasin.com)
Into the Sun – Osprey and Geese at Sunrise on Reelfoot Lake
Take-off – Duck on Reelfoot Lake
Nesting – Bald Eagle at Reelfoot LakeÂ
What are YOU looking at? – Osprey at Reelfoot Lake
Enjoy the pictures!
I took these pictures yesterday around 11:45 a.m. at the Nashville Zoo, Tennessee, USA.
This Bold Eagle stayed for a short time near the Giraffe exhibit and then flew on in a westerly direction.
This was the first official sighting of a Bald Eagle at Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.
A beautiful and rare sighting in the midst of a city on a gloomy day.
If you wish to order a print of this image go to www.sperka.biz/baldeagle
Have a good weekend!
This week’s picture of a male Bateleur was taken at Phinda Private Game Reserve, Kwazulu Natal South Africa.
To review all 2011 pictures of the week go to www.sperka.biz/potw2011/slideshow
About Bateleur …
The Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) is a medium-sized eagle. It is a common resident species of the open savanna country in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bateleurs pair for life, and will use the same nest for a number of years. Unpaired birds, presumably from a previous clutch, will sometimes help at the nest. The Bateleur is a colourful species with a very short tail which makes it unmistakable in flight. Immature birds are brown with white dappling. The prey of this raptor is mostly birds and also small mammals; it also takes carrion. “Bateleur” is French for “tight-rope walker”. This name describes the bird’s characteristic habit of tipping the ends of its wings when flying, as if catching its balance.
For more Bateleur pictures go to www.sperka.biz/bateleur
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