|
First unread post | | 7 posts | | Page 1 of 1 |
Frigatebirds are not often seen off my local beach, they are usually soaring out over the ocean, occasionally on the reef islands. Except when there is cyclonic activity. We were slammed by TC Jasper on the 13th, but most of the damage was caused by the 5 days of historic rain when the system stalled over the Cape. The frigate birds seem to get pushed ahead of the cyclone, and head down the coast to roost until it passes. Every frigate bird between the Solomon Islands and Far North Queensland must have been here, and once the wind changed direction to be from the NE they started soaring back north along the coast. The first 2 or 3 days you could look up and see dozens, maybe up to 100 at any time, as thousands made their way back. Most of the time they were soaring fairly high, in the pouring rain. This image was taken 9 days after the cyclone, there were still a few stragglers, now sometimes fishing off the beach. Best I can tell this is a young female Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel). its has the white 'armpits' which distinguish it from the also present Great Frigatebird, but the head of the young ones should be a rusty orange-brown, this one is almost white. This one had just caught a squid, and despite being hassled by 2 other frigatebirds, just swallowed the squid, that is one of the long tentacles that hasn't gone down.
ISO800, 300mm, f4, 1/4000, OM-1. Click for better resolution, sorry for the long post. |
|
|
by Axel Hildebrandt
on Sat Dec 23, 2023 6:27 pm
|
Posts: 22100
Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Location: Coopersburg, PA Member #:00941 |
||
|
by paul fletcher
on Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:31 pm
|
Posts: 3101
Joined: 26 Feb 2018 Member #:02174 |
||
|
by david fletcher
on Sun Dec 24, 2023 5:43 am
|
Posts: 34439
Joined: 24 Sep 2004 Location: UK Member #:00525 |
||
|
by peter makuch
on Sun Dec 24, 2023 9:21 am
|
Posts: 5210
Joined: 13 Jun 2014 Location: montreal Member #:02075 |
||
|
by Carol Clarke
on Sun Dec 24, 2023 2:42 pm
|
Posts: 73286
Joined: 22 Aug 2003 Location: Lincolnshire, UK. In tune with Nature. Member #:00067 |
||
|
by Mary Brun
on Mon Dec 25, 2023 10:44 am
|
Posts: 3273
Joined: 6 Dec 2008 Location: Milan - Italy |
||
|
7 posts | | Page 1 of 1 |