WEDGE-TAILED WONDER

The chance discovery of an eagle nest leads to an extended vigil observing normally hidden behaviours of one of nature's supreme winged marvels.

- GEOFF LINNEY

Chapter 1: A rare vantage

During the winter of 2022, while travelling in Queensland, I approached the top edge of a gorge and noticed a wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) fly into it. Looking to where she appeared to have come from I spotted a nest containing two eggs. Being a nature lover and keen wildlife photographer, I felt incredibly lucky, given that eagle nests are usually beyond our range of sight. Figuring that she was incubating the eggs and wouldn’t be off them for too long, I headed back to the car for my long lens. Sure enough, by the time I’d returned so had she.

Dad was on sentry duty across the other side of the gorge and I headed off to camp, returning the next morning after a rainy night to find the mother still there and sopping wet.

So began a remarkable extended natural history experience. I continued on my way, and settled for a while about 500km from the nest, returning regularly during the next two and and a half months.

Chapter 2: New life