White-bellied sea eagle
There have been some very special moments for me whilst out and about in nature and this is one that will stay with me for a long time.
Blue whales are busy with their annual migration north, past this part of the New South Wales coast once again and there I was on the cliffs facing the South Pacific before me, with my eyes searching the vast waters for any sign of the magnificent marine creatures.
Then out of nowhere, rising up from the cliff face beneath me, came this wonder of the natural world…a white-bellied sea eagle. All 2 metres (6.5 feet) of wingspan. Flying skyward in front of me, then a single graceful curve back to the right and finally off out of sight down along the cliff.
I managed just one rushed image during that very brief and exciting encounter and after it had disappeared, I remained standing there with tears in my eyes, in reverence for this magnificent bird. I am humbled and grateful to have had this incredible encounter.
The White-bellied Sea Eagle , also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Originally described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788, it is closely related to Sanford's Sea Eagle of the Solomon Islands, and the two are considered a superspecies. A distinctive bird, the adult White-bellied Sea Eagle has a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white.. more