The highlight of our week so far was seeing a pair of dark morph Little Eagles (Hieraaetus morphnoides). Little eagles are listed as vulnerable in Canberra.

We have only ever glimpsed them flying high above us. We were therefore particularly excited to see two (!!) together in a tree. They looked very cute and fluffy so we thought they must be fledglings but information online indicates they don’t start breeding until the end of August in our area. Perhaps then, the two are a breeding pair? It was hard to tell because it was another overcast day and once again the light was fading fast (story of our lives).

So with much Photoshop ado, here are the lovely pair.

They did not take their eyes off us. The first photo was taken by my True Love and the second by me. A truly excellent day for all its gloominess.

Kind Regards.
Tracy.

49 thoughts on “Little Eagles”

    1. Thanks, Liz. I wasn’t expecting to see much on that grey ol’ day but it exceeded our expectations. It is a good time of year for birds and gardening so I’m not indoors or on the computer very much at the moment.
      Mosaicing thoughts are also starting to intrude so I think it is time to start planning another project.

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    1. Super cute, Brian. I am not convinced they are not fledglings. One had some down or errant feather on its front. It looked so funny. Perhaps the breeding season started early … I also saw a couple of YTBC fledglings when I was out.
      Personally, I think it would be good if the birds started breeding a little earlier to avoid the hotter weather.

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  8. How exciting to see. I agree with Lois. The eagle on the right reminds me of an owl turning its head.
    Maybe they are a pair and it’s young love when their parents aren’t looking. Who’s to say what young birds get up to.
    I guess the thing to do is keep an eye out in that area and when breeding season is at its height, you might see some results.

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    1. Maybe the breeding season started early this year, Vicki. Since I’ve never seen an adult up close, let alone a juvenile, it is hard to know exactly what I was looking at and photos on the net are relatively scarce given their rarity.
      I never see anything when I am out on my own but fortunately my TL had just had his Covid booster so I dragged him out before the head and muscle aches set in. He has eyes like a hawk!

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