WILDLIFE PHOTOS > BIRDS
Rare and endagered harpy eagle - by Phil and Doris Brody
Note:This is one animal photgraph that did not happen around Lookout Innbut was taken about 15 miles away. Any viewing of a Harpy Eagle is such good news and we wanted to include that on our website
At 11:45 on Friday, February 21, 2003 we saw a harpy eagle from the deck of a house known as Casa Coronado. It was a bright warm day, about 30 degrees Celsius. The house is located off the Matapalo private road in the El Porton Blanco area of the Osa peninsula of Costa Rica . This is about a quarter of a mile from Lapa Rios Resort and also connected by a hiking trail to Bosque del Cabo Resort. The deck overlooks the Golfe Dulce just on the Golfe Dulce side of the cape about 200 yards in from the beach. It is 40-50 feet above the beach side road and looks into the canopy.
The bird was first seen when it flew from the beach direction into a tree about 75 feet from the deck at about eye level. The first impression was of a huge bird with very broad wings. The underside was light with barring on the wings and tail. A distinct wide dark band was clearly visible across the chest. The bird landed behind leaves and was pretty much hidden from view. A couple of minutes later it flew out, crossed the space in front of the deck, from left to right and landed in a second, taller tree about 300 feet away somewhat above eye level. It sat there for 8 minutes or so visible in profile but often turning its head towards us. Its "face" looked like a furry gray mask. We also saw two distinct crest projections on the head. The main impression from the profile view was of huge yellow feet, a very large bill, and a very dark back with lighter sides. We were able to take 14 pictures with 35mm slide film, a tripod mounted camera using a 500mm mirror lens at different exposures before the bird flew away (Doris Brody).
When the bird first flew into its first perch at eye level, only about 75 feet away, it sat directly facing me. There was a very apparent dark chest band. (Phil Brody).
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