Jon
When I lived at Mount Perry (west of Bundaberg, Queensland - those who have
driven to North Queensland have probably seen the signpost just out of Gin
Gin) we did many trips to Gayndah for shopping or took the Gayndah road to
and from Brisbane. This road was mainly dirt (not gravel).
At night, the road was taken over by fauna. Cattle and Wedge-tailed Eagles
were the biggest risk. The 'roos were generally moving and you had a chance
to miss them. The cattle used to lie in the middle of the road and often
remained unseen until you were almost upon them. The eagles tended to be
feeding on carcasses or small animals and were VERY slow taking off. Their
dark colour, crouched low on the dirt road, made them almost invisible until
they tried to take off in front of you.
I had scratch marks on the roof of the car on two occasions and we had at
least one casualty who arrived at the hospital with severe lacerations
requiring many sutures after an eagle went through the windscreen and ended
up trapped inside the car. The thought of being trapped inside a car with a
frightened (and injured) eagle is frightening.
I never noticed how bright the moonlight was and just assumed that
Wedge-tailed Eagles often fed at night. One two occasions, I also saw
Wedge-tails feeding on a dirt road at night on the Darling Downs.
It is only now, reading your posting, that I find that this is unusual
behaviour.
Cheers
Terry Pacey
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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