Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/04/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Well, I did learn a lot looking at your wonderful series and reading your
comments. Thanks!JM
Jean-Michel Mertz
Strasbourg
> Date: Sat, 6 Apr 2013 12:14:47 +0530
> From: jayanand at gmail.com
> To: lug at leica-users.org; psm1857 at googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Leica] Secretary Bird Aggression
>
> 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
>
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