White-bellied Sea-eagle

228 spp last year is the current record. Let's make 230 spp our goal for 2010.

Moderator: Mick Atzeni

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Bill Jolly
Posts: 352
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:57 am
Location: Lockyer Valley

White-bellied Sea-eagle

Post by Bill Jolly »

Michael Atzeni has pointed out that the White-bellied Sea-eagle we had here at Abberton on 22 June, 2010 was new for the 2010 Challenge.

This led me to check back through my records and I was surprised to find that we hadn't recorded a sea-eagle here since 14 November.

So far this century, we've got used to them turning up at any time of year, every month of 2005 for example. But checking further back I note that through the 1980s and 1990s they were mostly absent from Abberton in the first quarter of each year.

Since there has been more rain about over the last six months or so, there has been a noticeable reduction in the numbers of waterbirds here, and it is interesting to see that the White-bellied Sea-eagle is also returning to older patterns of movement.

Which is not to suggest that there is any one pattern of 'normality' to return to, only to emphasise that every aspect of bird movement and behaviour is dynamic and in a constant state of modification in response to circumstance.

Bill Jolly
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