Please look through the series of photos of Short-toed Eagles taken by Bernard Joubert in Haute-Loire /map/ in the past few years, showing the impressive variability of their appearance:
Snake eagle is one of the most elegant raptors in Europe. When observed at close range, one is amazed by the way it can change looks and attitudes. This can clearly be seen in these pictures taken in France (Massif central) in 2009, 2012 and 2016.
Bernard Joubert
These amazing pictures and text were published in the latest La Plume du Circaète. Few of them were included in the previous galleries of Bernard Joubert on our site. Then, several new photos taken in March 2016 have been added and described by the author. Many thanks to him for sharing the pictures and especially for detailed comments on them, also to Ferenc and Gábor Papp for their kind help in the translation!
Moments of life
During these 20 years, while we have been following the Short-toed Eagles, we could obtain numerous pictures taken in ideal conditions, some of which we later published, however, I never played with the thought seriously that I should take advantage of it since photography is very laborious and has little use in conservation.
Nevertheless, in 2010, I decided that I would give it a try at a nest site where I could do it without any disturbance. In January, I built a hide, which I dug in the ground about twenty metres from the nest. I made a frame of beech and covered it with smaller pine branches. This nest site seemed to attract this particular pair, they visited it during last autumn several times.
I made myself comfortable in the hide in the first days of March, not knowing how remarkable moments and wonderful events of the everyday life I would experience soon.
I used a quite mediocre Nikon camera with 110 mm equivalent focus length*, but still I could record their whole breeding cycle except incubation without being noticed by them.
I would like to share a few pictures…
Bernard Joubert
* – also, photos taken with Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 are included.
We would like to bring to your attention the 5th gallery of photos taken by Bernard Joubert at a nest of Short-toed Eagle in Haute-Loire /map/. Although the pair has eventually occupied another (last year’s) nest for the breeding, Bernard’s camera has captured scenes of the early nesting behaviour of the birds. Thanks to the researcher, we have a possibility to see unique moments of this eagles’ life once again.
One more season of Short-toed Eagles’ stay in Europe has begun recently. Observers watched the first scenes of their breeding activity. Please enjoy some pictures and photos:
Breeding and survey season 2014 started with a rainy day in Maremma, Central Italy /map/. In spite of the bad weather, the pair was doing its job and this is my 38th year with the Short-toed Eagles.
At the first blush the pictures by Francesco are simple and rough, but they are accurate and for an experienced observer all the depicted scenes are easy to imagine in reality.
Bernard Joubert observed the same Short-toed Eagles at their old nest in Haute-Loire /map/ since March 10th. The pair occupied the nest also in 2009 and 2012 years. A special hide allows getting unique knowledge of the behaviour of the eagles and taking magnificent photos. According to a recent message from Bernard, the female has finally chosen another nest – one that was occupied in 2013.
My observations at breeding sites of ST Eagles in Kiev Region /map/ began on April 5th. Like in Haute-Loire the same old pair at first seems to be going to occupy the same nest, for 4th year in a row. Now we have to wait and see what will happen next.
These photos, like previous ones, were taken by Bernard Joubert from his hide in Haute-Loire. This year is difficult for Short-toed Eagles because of bad weather conditions. Nevertheless in June the pair already has the chick and takes care of it with a great attention. Let’s hope the chick will grow up and will leave the nest successfully.
These photos are taken by Bernard Joubert in Haute-Loire /map/ in 2012. The gallery is going to be updated with new pictures. Every photo is provided with explanatory comments by the observer. Enjoy secret scenes of Short-toed Eagles’ life in simple gallery or in 1201! The first photos have been taken from the hide.
Intraspecies communication and contest behaviour
For 3 hours, the 24th March 2010, I am the witness of a specific behavior between a male and an intruding female. The scene takes place on a nest, two weeks before the laying-date. At first, the male “marks” his site ostensibly. An unknown female, interested by the nest appears …
Bernard Joubert, Haute-Loire /map/
