My Brother-in-law and Nephew came across a Wedge Tailed Eagle's nest in one of their paddocks last week. The Wedge tailed eagle is Australia's largest bird of prey.  They have a wing span of up to 2.3 metres and can weigh up to 5kg.  When ever we see one up close, usually when they are disturbed on the side of the road while eating kangaroo carcasses, it always amazes me how large they are.


The nest was unusually low, eagle's nests are usually perched in as high a vantage point as the eagle pair can find.  It was low enough that if they stood on the side of the crate on the back of the toyota they could see in the nest.  To their amazement they startled the sitting eagle and she flew off and revealed 2 fluffy white chicks.

Seeing as all of our collective children are home from boarding school for the holidays, we decided to visit them and have a look at the eagle chicks.  We all piled into the back of the toyota.  Kids, cousins and visiting school friends, and Grandfather pulled up under the nest and took turns climbing up to have a look in the nest.  We were amazed when we looked in to see the 2 healthy little fluffy white chicks with dangerous looking beaks already, and a half eaten piglet!  The parents were circling off in the distance not looking too bothered about all of the fuss.  Underneath the nest there was the front and back legs of a small kangaroo, so they are being fed well.