My lucky pic today.... must see

[cyprusmax47]

I wasn't sure so I took the liberty of posting the photo on an international birding forum that I belong to. The general consensus is that they are a pair, male on the left & female on the right so congratulations Max, I'm a bit envious as I've only seen them singularly.


Shane

Shane, I have no problem with you posting my "poor" pic on this forum. Interesting for me is that the male is much smaller than the female and a bit scruffy looking Maybe the boy is younger than the girl? Normally male birds are more pretty than the females.
Would be interesting if their nest is nearby. Breeding time supposed to be finished in July...
Max

[ApusApus]

Shane, I have no problem with you posting my "poor" pic on this forum. Interesting for me is that the male is much smaller than the female and a bit scruffy looking Maybe the boy is younger than the girl? Normally male birds are more pretty than the females.
Would be interesting if their nest is nearby. Breeding time supposed to be finished in July...
Max

In BOP's the males are often smaller than the females though not always & the "scruffy look" may be due to the male starting his moult into winter plumage earlier than his mate! As for your next comment, yes usually but often they look the same ............. not like in the human form eh!

Regarding your last comment, you are right so I guess they were unsuccessful this year otherwise there would be a juvenile in the photo instead of the male!

Keep your camera handy, you never know what you may stumble across!


Shane

[cyprusmax47]

...a couple of Bonelli's Eagles ........probably juveniles venturing out on their travels!

Shane

Could they be a breeding pair?

This is my question too. I was reading in Wiki:" The Bonelli's eagle is usually silent except near the nest"
When I took the photo the pair was in the air above the rocks and very noisy shouting at me (or my car)

Max

[ApusApus]

This is my question too. I was reading in Wiki:" The Bonelli's eagle is usually silent except near the nest"
When I took the photo the pair was in the air above the rocks and very noisy shouting at me (or my car)

Max

Probably not as the young would have fledged by now. BEs take around 4 months from egg laying to fledging & lay eggs in February/March which means that the juveniles would be on the wing latest July & when I say on the wing, I mean they would be advanced flyers. The juveniles then stay with the mother for another 12-15 months before dispersing!


Shane

[Firefly]

Beautiful, lets just hope they survive the hunters.

Jackie

[PaphosAL]

Marvellous stuff, Max and Shane, thanks!

Max suspected that there might be a nest behind where these two beatiful eagles were perched on a rock, side by side, in what apparently seems to be a unique world first shot by Max!

Is there any chance that someone could get higher up, armed with a high zoom camera, and maybe pinpoint their nest and take some close-ups? Or perhaps a drone above that location? I don't think their nest will be that far away from Max's perching point, given that both eagles are looking for their next meal...

Cheers- AL

[cyprusmax47]

Marvellous stuff, Max and Shane, thanks!

Max suspected that there might be a nest behind where these two beatiful eagles were perched on a rock, side by side, in what apparently seems to be a unique world first shot by Max!

I don't think their nest will be that far away from Max's perching point, given that both eagles are looking for their next meal...

Cheers- AL

Perhaps they were after my Bavarian Sausages which I enjoyed when I was waiting for the best shot... Would be the right size...
Max

[ApusApus]

Why Max, are you only the size of a BV sausage by any chance?


shane

[cyprusmax47]

Why Max, are you only the size of a BV sausage by any chance?


shane

You are obviously not aware Shane how small the Nuremberg sausages are and as my Avatar does not show my face (Thank goodness!) you don't know how big my nose is either (German idiom)
Max

[cyprusmax47]

Update: As I informed BirdLife Cyprus about my sighting I was told that there are some breeding pairs in the Marathounda/Minthis Hills area, the
position will not be published for security reasons. If there were young birds than they left the nest in June and are only occasionally together with the parents now. Bonelli's Eagles are pretty well protected in Cyprus despite other problems in bird protection. The area I took the photo is a great environment for the Eagles, near the Paphos rubbish damps.

Max

[cyprusmax47]

I was actually trying to do a pic from the funny looking sun rise on a August morning, when 2 Eagles crossed the valley...

Max

[PaphosAL]

Stunning shot, Max! Thank you for sharing..

Cheers- AL

[ApusApus]

Agree with above, great shot Max!


Shane

[Dominic]

Stunning. What time was it?

[PaphosAL]

Stunning. What time was it?

Sunrise is around 6.15am at present in Paphos, but that is when viewing a flat eastern horizon. In Max's supreme shot, there are a) hills to the east and b) a cloud bank above them thar hills.

I'm guesstimating Max clicked the shutter at around 6.30 / 6.45am (possibly even 7.00am)... AL

[cyprusmax47]

Stunning. What time was it?

I looked it up on the camera memory and it was 6.20 am when I did the one with the birds, the next one was 6.22 (without birds) and the Sun rises exactly behind Troodos observatory at the moment.



Max

[ApusApus]

Superb Max


Shane

[brengreen]

Beautiful pictures. Thank you.

[PaphosAL]

I wasn't that far out on time of shot taken, then? Amazing how quickly the Sun climbs in the morning sky after it rises, isn't it?

All down to mother Earth rotating on her 23.5º axis every 24 hours (almost)! AL

[cyprusmax47]

I wasn't that far out on time of shot taken, then? Amazing how quickly the Sun climbs in the morning sky after it rises, isn't it?

All down to mother Earth rotating on her 23.5º axis every 24 hours (almost)! AL

Yeah Alan, you wasn't far out on time guessing. You are right the Sun climbs so fast that you come into stress if you keep changing the settings on your camera all the time as I do. Today's pic was done at 6.21 am...



and 4-5 minutes later the Sun is high in the sky and you fell already the heat of it...



Max