Me: Sooo, would you guys like to look at loads and loads of photos of the same birds in pretty much the same pose in every single one of them?
*not waiting for a response*
Me: Well, do I have a treat for you! Enjoy!
Actually, this morning was pretty great bird wise. We only had an hour free because we were late getting up, last night being Friday night and Friday night being christened Friday Night Fun and consisting generally of wine, pasta, wine, horror movies, wine and the world's deepest sleep 😂
We walked a different way than usual because I wanted to show husby the Kestrel with expensive taste and right on cue I spotted him sitting on the roof of an even more expensive house! Being Saturday we assumed most of the homeowners were actually going to be at home so we only took a couple of quick snaps and were pretty damn excited when he flew down right in front of us and caught and ate some type of big ass beetle that looked as though it might smell when its shell was crushed. The Kestrel looked fairly happy though and we were totally chuffed so started to walk back to the car.
I looked out to the ocean one more time trying my hardest to manifest my first whale of the season - has anyone else seen one yet?! I have spent a lot of time this last month staring out to sea and still nothing. But as we were having a quick scan of the water husby noticed a gorgeous Black-Shouldered Kite. Seriously, after the Kestrel this species has to be my second favourite raptor and just because today was totally brilliant I saw a second sitting in the same tree!
It was so windy the poor things were hanging on for dear life and those raptor talons certainly were earning their keep. Would have loved to have seen them hunting especially as it is coming into breeding season (usually July to December) as they have a pretty incredible courtship ritual where the male brings food to the female midair and she actually flips upside down and accepts the food with her feet - kind of puts mine and husby's elaborate courtship display of: me - "wow I feel like a coffee", him - "I'll make you a coffee if you want" to shame.
Black-Shouldered Kite
Sandon Point
#sandonpoint #northernillawarra #coalcoast #birdsofoz #blackshoulderedkite #raptors #birdsofprey #backyardzoology
