I have already mentioned the Kingston-watching eaglet, whose
vantage point was on the slopes of Mount Mugga. I came across this nest
while scouting yet again for any sign of nesting by Little Eagles in the area,
and at first thought I had found what I was looking for, the nest being relatively
small and quite low. Then an obviously non-little parent came into
view. A nearby observer will usually keep WTE parents away and can
endanger a small chick, so I took a couple of quick snaps and moved on. I
next visited on 29 Oct, when the nestling was sitting up, still with quite a
bit of pale down. On 15 November it was much more developed, care then
being needed so the bird was not spooked into premature flight. On 19
November, I noticed the nest was vacant and moved on, but came back an hour
later to check for prey-remains underneath it. Then I saw a parent,
stationed in a nearby tree-top. I didn’t realise the significance
of this until I was almost up to the fledgling that was only a couple of metres
above the ground, clasping the branch of a fallen tree and looking bemused, as
well as imperious. The rufous tones and shortish tail distinguish it from
the adult.
