El Hondo: an unlikely encounter

 17/12/22

I have been waiting for this moment for an entire year. Then, I returned to the El Hondo North Gate, to try to see the greater spotted eagles again. Last year, except for a very brief encounter, all my sightings involved extremely distant views of perched birds. And I was aiming to correct that this time. An hour later, I was waiting for the opening to arrive. When the gate was opened, I proceeded very slowly on my bike, scanning the trees, as if expecting there to be a greater spotted eagle in those trees, like last time. I saw it a very long way off, and drew closer. 

I was able to confirm it was a greater spotted eagle, due to its massive size even at a distance and the features of the bird which I managed to see. I was unable to get closer than something like 70 meters- it suddenly flew off, a massive bird circling once and then vanishing. It had the exact eagle proportions needed. I was always amazed at how shy these birds are, however! Nobody except me and one other person who I showed the bird to saw it. There were other spotted eagles circling in the distances. I found this odd, as they usually don't fly until midday unless disturbed. I found out what disturbed it later.

As I was returning back, patrolling the road, hoping to see the eagles again, I saw an eagle-owl sitting in the open, in a eucalyptus tree. I stopped, and began taking photos just as it took off, flew a short distance away, and then flew back, passing me at extremely close range before being chased out of the area by another big bird of prey. I was stunned. 

Eagle owls are extremely difficult to see during the day, and this was a bird I thought I would never be able to see, anywhere. However, here it was. At extremely close range, giving incredible views! This was even better than the greater spotted eagle. In fact, this would prove to be the best moment of the day. After that, I looked everywhere for hours, but did not see anything except extremely distant spotted eagles. I did, however, see, a booted eagle at the entrance. I remarked on how tiny it was compared to the spotted eagle, and also how it didn't fly off like that- booted eagles are much more approachable. 

But I will never forget the greater spotted eagle I flushed in the morning, nor the amazing eagle owl encounter I had just a bit later...