The Kestrels have continued to offer all kinds of photography opportunity in the last few weeks, and we’ll get to all that at some point, but for now let’s have a look at a bit of a phenomenon from the good old Block of Flats.

In short, I was on an errand in the car with Archie and decided to take him up to the top of Gillamatong Lane, where the Block of Flats is — it’s just a great place for the dog (and me) to get a sense of space and look out over the vastness of the Braidwood conurbation.

Today, though, the tree was home to two monsters of the avian world, normally seen describing lazy circles at high altitude: Wedge-Tailed Eagles (Aquila audax). Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world, they’re known locally as ‘wedgies’ and are famous for their distinctive wedge-shaped tail and massive wingspan – up to 2.8m.

From what I’ve read, the ginger one is a first-year juvenile, so it would have hatched in a nest high up in the trees of Gillamatong late last year and is now presumably being schooled in the ways of high-altitude hunting by a parent.

They both looked at us as we approached, although they had been facing out over the valley in which Braidwood is set. They turned back to look out again, but kept an eye on us nevertheless.

And then they both dived off the branch, parent first, put some trees between us, and soared away.

I’m always a bit nervy to have Archie trotting about when these guys are circling high above: I reckon he’d make a delicious late-afternoon snack for them. But on this occasion, they didn’t seem to fancy a canine tidbit — those huge claws will no doubt be applied to a rabbit or baby roo before too long.

(Incidentally, this means in the last few months, the Block of Flats has hosted Wedgies, Kestrels, Magpies, Rosellas, Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos, a Black-Shouldered Kite, a Brown Falcon, a Hobby, Willie Wagtails, and countless Starlings — not bad for an old dead tree.)