Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/04/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The most unusual experience of the East African trip was coming across not one, but two instances of aggression by Secretary Birds. Up till now, I had seen them either roosting on acacia trees, or marching across the grasslands, with their pompous walk, searching for snakes, their primary diet. The first instance was a Tawny Eagle and a Secretary Bird taking turns running down a hare! Firstly, the Eagle - we were quite far away at this point and this is a massive crop, for illustration: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ndutu_20130307_07769-Edit.jpg.html Then the Secretary Bird took over: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ndutu_20130307_08018-Edit.jpg.html Lost the prey: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ndutu_20130307_08024-Edit-2.jpg.html Found it again: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ndutu_20130307_08038-Edit.jpg.html Killed it: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ndutu_20130307_08047-Edit.jpg.html The funny thing was that both the birds abandoned the kill and went away! Maybe there were too many vehicles around... I saw this behaviour again in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, when a Secretary Bird aggressively chased a jackal around for 10 minutes: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ol_Pejeta_20130315_09854.jpg.html Deed done, he rejoined his mate: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/EAfrica/2013/Ol_Pejeta_20130315_09859.jpg.html Please see LARGE Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome. Cheers Jayanand