Unverified

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The purpose of this sighting is to try and determine what the eagle is eating. Last year they had two chics, both of which became progressively lethargic and eventually died just before fledging. See also: Unverified Bird and

Hi @jb2602, I think that is probably either a bandicoot or a rabbit. Judging by the location, this is probably the eagle pair that produced two of the three ACT records of Isoodon obesulus (other than the captive ones seen frequently at Tidbinbilla, and at a time -2003- when there were none of that species in captivity).

As I commented on your other record, if you are getting this close to a nest (I assume within 400m) then there is a far better way to determine the eagles' diet, which is systematic collection of oorts (the uneaten remains of prey) and pellets (inedible parts of prey regurgitated from the crop in a cylindrical mass) and eventually have them examined by a person with the required experience (and preferably access to reference collections of bones, scales and feathers) to identify them. The late Jerry Olsen published such results several times and Stuart Rae at ANU is now doing such work for the Little Eagle. I am less interested in raptor diet and more interested in the zoological survey which it represents, for example Isoodon obesulus is known only from oorts found beneath WTE nests! The staff at the Australian National Wildlife Collection may be able to assist or advise on aspect of this.

Here is a record of Isoodon obesulus from beneath a WTE nest at RobRoy Isoodon obesulus obesulus (Southern Brown Bandicoot)