12 October 2013: Keeping home...

Yes, the parents are definitely back for the new season, though it's late and no sign of an egg yet. Meantime they keep themselves occupied. This last weekend presented some great photo opportunities...

05 October 2013: Back again?

The eagles returned this weekend, entering into a royal battle with the Sparrow Hawks, who conceded the nest with considerable resistance. For hours the hawks, angered at being ejected from their new-found home, repeatedly dive-bombed the eagles - kamakazi style - screaming through the trees just centimetres near the eagles, who in turn flared their plumage in warning. I managed to get just a few presentable pics of the high-speed action...

30 September 2013: A New Season and New Residents

At the beginning of September Esther moved off into the big wide world. Who knows to where? She wears a yellow plastic ring marked C7. Should anyone observe her, do let us know. We miss her! 

For a week, the parents got busy with rebuilding the nest ... and then for some reason seemed to lose interest. Much to our disappointment, they appeared to abandon the idea of breeding this year, and we saw and heard little of them for the the last 3 weeks.

It didn't take long a a pair of Black Sparrow Hawks to move in on the nest, and we resigned ourselves to being entertained by these smaller raptors in place of the eagles for the present. They make for interesting observation themselves. They are extremely swift flyers and for their favourite meal they will chase down a dove in flight - I've seen it myself - quite spectacular!