Hi

I am cycling up and down the river most days.

In an area south of Padua.....ie where the road from Hang Dong meets the river.....I am seeing eagles regularly circling for prey.

I think they are not fishing, but mostly interested in the wide banks.

Also saw one yesterday over nearby fields.

I once saw one change mode as if it was about to go down, it pulled it's extremities into a ball briefly and it's flight changed character completely and it turned on a dime, but changed it's mind.

It is pretty big.

It is brown.

It has "fingers" at the end of it's wing feathers.

Its tail is like a folded fan but not rounded it's kinda cut straight across.

I have seen a pair but pretty sure once it was three (strange?) and yesterday was one.

Any idea what I'm seeing so i can learn more?

Sorry I don't have a suitable camera.

And there was me expecting a floating concert -Hotel California etc. Hmm.

And there was me expecting a floating concert -Hotel California etc. Hmm.

God forbid

Possibly a mountain hawk eagle.

Or Goshawk? Maybe member Goshawk will be along to help identify.

Raptors are tricky and especially for beginners. There are a lot of possibilities. The "jiz" is important. ie the way it flies, as is habitat and time of year as well as location. I would pm "Goshawk" as suggested. I recon to be pretty good at raptors but I think he has more local knowledge and is more likely to know what you may have seen.

Maybe - Crested serpent eagle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiDBstRrxGk

I think not the Mountain Hawk Eagle I didn't see all that white. (although funny enough I thought I remembered a patch of white under each wing on an earlier view but not yesterday. It wasn't however a long line of white. Yet yesterday I don't remember seeing white.......two species?)

The Crested Serpent is definitely a possibility.

I shall take my best camera....the iPad....with me and try to get a moving shot.

Oh....and what about my suggestion that there were three?

Why would they hang out like that?

Edited April 7, 201511 yr by cheeryble

Crested Serpent-Eagles are quite common. The adult is dark from below with a single distinct white band on the tail and on the wings (toward the trailing edge but with the trailing edge itself being seen as a black line.). The immature bird is quite pale and streaked or dotted appearance from below. They soar or glide with wings held in a (mid) V . The tail appears quite short.

"fingers" and straight tail sounds like a black kite to me

"fingers" and straight tail sounds like a black kite to me

Now you're talking VerbalKint

Here's a pic i downloaded

You'll notice the white patches under the wings......these are more or less what I was talking about.

Tail is pretty square cut too and about the same "fan" angle and I noticed very much the tail skewing one way or the other as a flight surface just as the photo.

What the hell's the difference between a kite and an eagle?

Eat's prey more politely?

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by cheeryble

Here's a little better view...

Kites are smaller than eagles... loads of what I thought were Serpent Eagles here on the ping down by Baan Tawai - way bigger than the photo below of a black kite... seen them catch fish too... or perhaps it was a serpent in the river.

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by whiterussian

Here's a little better view...

..........Showing the White patches perfectly

Kites are smaller than eagles... loads of what I thought were Serpent Eagles here on the ping down by Baan Tawai - way bigger than the photo below of a black kite... seen them catch fish too... or perhaps it was a serpent in the river.

Sounds like the same place Whitey.....

Can you tell me why they would gather in a three (saw once)? I mean from the point of view of selective advantage....

And do they have like a permanent nest or sort of drift up and down the river following the food?

Edited April 8, 201511 yr by cheeryble

Don't know Cheery... I'll have to try and snap a photo - see them most days here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?&hl=en&ll=18.678823,98.978169&spn=0.00002,0.009645&sll=14.532799,-91.680672&sspn=0.017842,0.01929&t=m&z=17&layer=c&cbll=18.679131,98.978562&panoid=o6TaNOZuvwtYcOSTrPvk1g&cbp=12,202.77,,0,-0.2

I always assumed they lived somewhere over in the lum yay fields stretching out to lampoon.

This spot above is where the new 6 lane highway is crossing... grrr

That's it Whitey they can be downriver from there too.

Yes heard about this highway bit sad it's a lovely unspoiled bit of river almost like one owns it.

Will I be able to whizz up to CMU area quickly?

Where will it connect?

Edited April 12, 201511 yr by cheeryble