wedge-tailed eagle or not or cautionary item

["Philip Veerman" <>]

This is more a comment about recording birds from aural observations. Thursday 3 weeks ago I watched a wedge-tailed eagle flying high over my home. A day later (nicely though in the next GBS week) I saw the same thing, this time flying low, which is quite unusual, as nearly all of the times I have had one here before, they were quite high.

 

Another week later on two different days I have heard clear calls of a wedge-tailed eagle in the neighbour's bushy (actually just messy) "garden". No sign of any eagle flying by, over, or perched. However a Satin Bowerbird was in the place where the sound was coming from. Can't say I observed the Satin Bowerbird doing mimicry but the implication was obvious and this is not unusual for them. Then a few days later the call of a sparrowhawk led to the same conclusion, although they are a regular in the trees but I couldn't see one.

 

Inspired by the comment of a Pallid Cuckoo heard recently. Though I was not there. I don't know what was happening. I was not going to bother mentioning this.

Just a cautionary note again on recording birds from aural observations, especially when the right one is out of season.

 

Philip