Amateur Photographer Captures A Once In A Lifetime Shot Of Magpie Riding An Eagle

Magpies are known for being cheeky little fellas, but one went to a whole new level by hitching a ride on an enormous eagle - and the amazing performance was all somehow caught on camera.

How it pulled off the feat will remain a mystery forever, but the brave Australian bird chased the wedge-tailed eagle, then managed to somehow perch on its huge tail, letting it carry it along for a moment.

Jam Press

Unsurprisingly, it didn't last long and the eagle soon brushed the magpie off its tail and both birds were swooping around in the sky individually.

The once in a lifetime moment was captured in a series of photos by photographer Nichole Wescombe.

The 36-year-old, who lives in Geelong, Victoria, said she couldn't believe the birds' escapades, and was even more shocked that she was in the right place at the right time to capture it all on film.

Nichole admitted: "It is an amazing shot."

She didn't realise quite how special her photos were until she looked back trough them and had to double take.

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She said: "When I went through the shots and saw this one, I had to look twice.

"Once I had another look I couldn't stop smiling, and thought to myself, this is my once in a lifetime shot."

Nichole isn't a professional photographer, she actually runs a family business of bottle shops in Australia, and is a manager by day.

But the keen photographer has a passion for wildlife and has even invested in some top gear to keep her hobby going.

She said: "I just love to photograph birds of prey, especially wedge-tailed eagles. I've been taking photos for years, but only got serious two years ago and splurged on some good equipment."

Nichole has even met one of the creatures, which can grow up to 1.2 metres tall, up close at a park in Australia.

Jam Press

The wedge-tailed eagle is the biggest bird of prey in Australia and also one of the largest in the world. They are known to attack adult kangaroos and can be found in southern New Guinea, part of Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia as well.

It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and its instantly recognisable wedge-shaped tail.

The 'once in a lifetime shot' of the magpie and eagle was captured on camera near the hangars at Avalon Airport in September last year.

Topics: Interesting, Animals, Australia

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. She spent a few years working on festivals and events before joining LADbible. In her spare time, Amelia likes music and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward