Majestic icon of the coast.

 

 

Haliaeetus leucogaster is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night. I bet your glad i explained that!

If there is one iconic symbol that describes the coastal regions of Jervis Bay surely the White Breasted Sea Eagle is it. Seen soaring effortlessly above the coastal fringe, along the cliffs, rivers, and across the bays in it’s endless search for food, one can feel at times envious of the beauty and grace of this majestic animal as it silently glides by, the female adults can have a wing span over two meters and sometimes you are only made aware of their presence by the shadow they cast on the ground as they fly overhead.

 

The Eagles call in unmistakable and has anyone in ear shot scanning the skies or trees hoping to get a glimpse. Often seen in territorial pairs while others are nomadic. The Mating ritual. I was fortunate enough to witness the mating ritual performed high in the sky above Wreck Bay, this elegant aerial dance involved dipping and diving, calling and following close to each other mimicking each others moves, at one stage one swooped upside down grabbing the others talons causing both to plummet straight down in a cartwheel fashion dropping at least 30 meters only letting go around 20 meters above the ground. it was quite remarkable and repeated a number of times. The White Bellied Sea Eagle is the guardian Animal of the Wreck Bay Community and the official emblem of the Booderie National Park.

All these images were taken in Booderie National Park.

The visitors centre at Booderie has taxidermy examples on display. Its a sad way to see these animals up close but they were the result of accidents and their bodies recovered and preserved. Sad as it is, they are impressive creatures and probably the only way you will ever get that close to one.