Up until this outing I had only briefly seen a Pacific Baza (aka Crested Hawk) in flight, so I was very happy to see one land in a nearby tree in Lane Cove National Park Sydney. Not long after a second one joined it, and then a couple of minutes later a third Pacific Baza perched in a neighbouring tree!
This is the first one that arrived - i would be interested to know what it is eating looks like some sticky stalky thing with pink petals?
Kept an eye on me, but were not nervous even when a couple of cyclists stopped right underneath to have a look !
Third one arrived in a nearby tree, and then swooped into the foliage and delicately plucked out an insect that didnt quite look enough like a leaf.
Wow! This Lane Cove National Park Sydney that you keep mentioning sounds like a great spot!
Samford Valley Qld.
Another of my favourite Birds of Prey.
I'm guessing the mystery object in the first photo is a large stick insect with pink wings. Something like this I'm guessing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink-winged_phasma
Looks like these hawks are loving the stick insects.
Nice work WD.
Love shot no. six, close up on the insect.
Thanks for looking and for the comments.
Thanks windshear - that would be it! Had me fooled i thought it was a flower, but it didnt fool the baza.
Yep its great - quite close to where i live, and even though its surrounded by suburbia on both sides once I get down in the valley its a different peaceful beautiful world.
Beautiful shots.
I have not seen one of these yet.
I love Pacific Bazas - such a striking bird, though I've only seen them a couple of times.
They are quite different for a bird of prey, eating only small prey like frogs and insects (as you can see).
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Lovely pics and so close too. i love this bird - only saw my first sighting this year.. raced inside to find out what 'bird was that!!!
Thanks twitchyGirl - yep i was very lucky, first time i had seen one perched and i got three of them!
Thank you for sharing your gorgeous photos.
Don't we have some amazing birds in Australia.
I had my first up close and personal with a Pacific Baza (which to be honest I had not heard of prior to this) a few months ago on a rescue call. Sadly he had passed away before I attended. He is now planted in my garden fertilising the native trees planted there.
I was actually proud that I could identify him with my field guide and knew exactly what he was.
Happy Birding!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/138588528@N02/
I was going to be silly and say the latin name for his food was Stickius Stalkus, so glad someone cleverer and more sensible than me solved your mystery
. Yet another amazing set of shots WD, and yet another bird I would love to encounter one day. I had a giggle over his expression in that last shot, brilliantly comical angle too. Far too hard to pick a fav this time.
West Coast Tasmania
Thanks Timmo and Devster - I knew they eat insects and frogs from trees and imagined they would be small in size for a raptor, I was surprised to see they are as big as a brown goshawk.
Sorry to hear your meeting with a pacific baza was a sad one Wollemi. Hope you have many happy encounters in the future.
Thank you AnnieJ ... "Stickius Stalkus",
- sounds like Life of Brian! Yep, I was very lucky that day.