Where the Imperial Eagle is Lord and Master

Sunday, April 8, 2012

We spent some time watching and photographing the rare Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti in one of its traditional haunts, in the Monfrague National Park of Central Spain.


This is the home of the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus, which nests in colonies on the impressive cliffs


Here the vultures come and go as they please, it seems, but this time they weren't to have everything their way...



The morning seemed quiet enough, even a newly arrived Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus pausing to look for unsuspecting snakes


An adult Imperial Eagle arrives - it has decided to nest on some trees close to the Griffon colony


It patrols the cliff line and even comes down near to the vultures' nests


It is an amazing bird at close quarters...


...and it chases off any Griffon that ventures near!


We watched the eagles for a couple of hours and Stewart came home with a wonderful range of images of this spectacular eagle. All where the Mediterranean forest meets the cliffs in Monfrague