Hi there
My library tells me that Short-toed Eagles (/Circaetus gallicus/) migrate as far south as Timor, so Australia is not much of a stretch (certainly not 8,500km out of range!) – though getting as far south as Geelong is a bit unexpected.
I recall being in a convoy of birders that included Margaret Cameron and other notables, somewhere out in Victoria’s Western District /circa/ 1979-1980 – the consensus of the birders who had some experience outside Australia then was that the odd raptor we saw that day was a Short-toed Eagle.
I’d love for some people to see the bird and confirm the ID …
