On Wednesday this week we had a very close encounter with a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the edge of the road. The Blue-tongued Lizard that was also having the same experience was definitely not as excited and was trying its hardest to protect itself. It all looked rather hopeless as it tried to make itself look fatter and wider & arched its back & forced a sound out. The Wedge-tailed Eagle only had a meal on its mind and I only had photographs and the health and welfare of a lizard on my mind. Ideally you always keep your windscreen glass immaculate, but this can’t always be achieved as bugs will hit the glass as you drive along. With some careful placement of the lens against the glass I was hopeful I had some photos I could share.
Wedge-tailed Eagle vs Blue-tongued Lizard
Wedge-tailed Eagle through the windscreen glass
I took a few more photos fast and then we slowly opened the car door to try and save the lizard. The bird flew into a nearby tree to see what we were going to do and no doubt thinking more about the meal on the ground than us. These birds are very large at about a metre tall and a wingspan between 2 and 2 1/2 metres and they don’t feel threatened by a car on the road. These birds will even stand stubborn on road kill as large road trains up to 53 metres long go by. Grant picked up the Blue-tongued Lizard and carried him into some denser bush and I took some more photos through an open window of this magnificent bird.
Wedge-tailed Eagle
You don’t need to worry about the Wedge-tailed Eagle going hungry, as there is always plenty of road kill about. The lizard had a lucky day and will be rather more cautious about crossing the road in the future. The close encounter on Wednesday was lucky for us and the Blue-tongued Lizard.
Save a lizard, starve a bird. There is always a trade-off.
I live in south Ga. & have seen a bird 3 times in the last week that I have never seen before. I originally thought it was a bird of prey. This bird has about a 18-24 inch wing span. It is shaped like a swallow. It has a white head, dark grey on the back of the wings & body & is a dove gray under it’s belly. Is similar to a sea gull, but I don’t think it;s a gull. I live about 150 miles from the ocean
Ray – sounds like a Swallow-tailed Kite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallow-tailed_Kite