I did not see the White-bellied Sea-eagle until if flew from a branch that was low to the water on a sunken tree. It took off from the opposite side of the creek from where I was, gracefully curving across the water, around the sharp bend that was just in front of me. I tried to follow the eagle with my eyes but I lost it behind some trees on the inside of the bend that I was approaching. I already had my camera out because I had just been photographing a Willie Wagtail. Nervously resting the camera on the black spray skirt stretched across the kayak I carefully paddled on to where I estimated the eagle had flown, intently scanning the trees for the impressive bird. Coming around the bend I saw the tell tale shape of an upright eagle perched on a branch that was high in a tree but overhanging the water. With a sense of excitement I took some initial shots while I let the kayak drift onwards. Once I was past the bird I decided to beach the kayak so the I could exit to try to take more shots. I landed the kayak in a bad place to exit, the water was just a little deeper around the cockpit than I would have liked, so I stumbled and banged things getting out of the kayak, If birds could laugh this eagle probably would have fallen off its branch looking at my clumsiness. I was worried that all my activity had scared away the eagle but the raptor must have thought that no creature as noisy as me was trying to sneak up on it. Thus started one of the highlights of my paddle up Wandandian Creek, a small watercourse that flows into the north-west end of St George’s Basin. I had taken a week off work and this was the first of two kayak-photography trips that I had planned. I am so glad that I undertook this kayaking because I had a great time seeing one new species of bird to me as well as a number of other wonderful birds along a lovely creek. It was a wonderful break in these strange COVID times. I hope that you like the photographs below.
More of this story is on my blog at https://bit.ly/3hyH3Uf
Plastic chair in the water near where I started
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Great Egret silhouetted by shadows while looking for food
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 312mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Silver Gulls on an exposed mud flat
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 312mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
Silver Gull taking off
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 312mm, f/8.0 and 1/800 SEC])
White-bellied Sea-eagle considering what I am
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 278mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
White-bellied Sea-eagle that held my attention for so long
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 349mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
White-bellied Sea-eagle looking around its Environment
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
White-bellied Sea-eagle after fluffing its feathers, not really that intimidating now
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Wille Wagtail pausing while it plucks insects from near the creek’s waters
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Little Black Cormorant on a sunken dead tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Striated Heron
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Australian Pied Oystercatcher
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Dead tree sticking up from the water with tide marks
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 106mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Dead mangrove tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 106mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Golden Orbweaver on a small island
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Two Little Pied Cormorants in St George’s Basin
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Chestnut Teals, female on the left and male on the right with the green head
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Australian Pelican
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 160, 278mm, f/9.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Australian pelicans resting on private jetties along St George’s Basin
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC] two shot panorama)
Superb Lyrebird male
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/7.1and 1/320 SEC])
