On the way our exploration party took a break for some light refreshments when two Sea Eagles were spotted some distance off.
A fight for prey was going on, the mid air acrobatics a sight to see.
The victor headed to the forest with its prize.
The battle left the partially devoured prey in a bit of a state, so much so that a portion fell to earth as the Eagle flew off.
I was interested to see what had been caught, so approached to where the portion was dropped and discovered this....
...remains of what seem to be a Fairy Penguin.
I was not aware that the Sea Eagle, although a big bird, would take on such large prey.
Perhaps it was scavenged, already dead.
Either way a good meal for a large an majestic hunter.
I was glad to see that the kids were not fazed by the grizzly find, rather accepting the roles played out by hunter and hunted, fascinated by the unusual sight they had witnessed.
Truly amazing set of images, David.
ReplyDelete.
The prey certainly is a Fairy Penguin. The fact that when the birds were fighting over it, the prey was already broken does tend to suggest that it had already died - so maybe it was a scavenged "find" rather than a "kill". But that is just speculation on my part.
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Great shots of the birds fighting over the food.
Cheers
Denis