Crowned Eagle.
11 08 2009
Crowned Eagle. Photo ₢ Rafael Fortes.
On a recent trip to the Agulhas Negras road with Graham and Penny Lower from the UK, I was lucky enough to come across a pair of Crowned Eagles. We watched them through the scope as they hung in the wind off the ridge. We then saw them both perched with their crown feather standing erect as they turned their heads in the wind. Later one flew down below the ridge and along above the forest and scrub giving excellent views.
The next day sadly the birds were not there again, but we got a cracking fly-by view of a White-rumped Hawk, another scarce raptor and a good selection of the sought after special birds of the region including; Itatiaia Thistletail; Sharp-billed Treehunter; Rufous-tailed Antbird; Rufous-backed Antvireo; Serra do Mar Tyrannulet; Red-rumped and Bay-chested Warbling Finch; Diademed and Brassy-breasted Tanger; Golden-winged Cacique. We came within a few feet of a Speckle-breasted Antpitta, but didn’t get even a glimpse of it! We also had Greenish Tyrannulet which is not a bird I come across often.
