New Year in Yakumo #1

A Mountain Hawk Eagle in Yakumo yesterday...............


We spent New Years day in Yakumo and in fact we stayed the night in a cheao business hotel. Every time we decide to stay in Yakumo the weather is awful and this time was no exception..............

There were a lot of eagles but in the gloomy light they were difficult to photograph. I wanted some pics of them feeding, they are very skittish when on the ground.

This one actually stuck around................

But a lot of standard BIFs as per usual........

Local birders are more interested in scarcer species such as the Hawk Eagle. It was difficult to get a clear view of as it sat in the tree though.

It kept getting buzzed by the local crows and jays,it's obviously a lot more dangerous than the big sluggish Sea Eagles. the crows went crazy when a Goshawk flew over at the rivermouth, it was too far off for anything than a record shot though............

Other stuff around yesterday included a drake Smew and a flock of Siskin but it was a pretty quiet day except for the raptors. Just before sunset we got close to this eagle, shame about the branches in the way.