San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits August/September 2016 | Page 9

Crown Eagles / Kroonarende
Our Crowned Eagle pair continues to provoke
interest around the world. They are regularly
prominent on the Africa Birds and Birding
website and questions about them come from
as far away as Russia and Japan.

What are the most frequently asked questions
when I stand under the pine trees staring at the
branches through my telephoto lens?

“Are you photographing something?”
“What are you taking photographs of?”
“Is that a bird?”
July was chiefly a nest building and mating
month. As a result of last year's failure to rear a “Is that an owl or a fish eagle?”
chick, the eagles had no parental feeding duties
From the seasoned San Lameer homeowners:
this year and have therefore started breeding
“Are they back?”
almost six weeks earlier than they have ever
“Are they still here?”
done before. With more time to build their
“Do we have a chick yet?”
nest, they collected significantly greater
“When will the chick hatch?”
numbers of larger sticks than in the past and
consequently the nest is so deep this year that
Few people realize just how lucky San Lameer
one can hardly see the female when she is
residents and visitors to the estate are to be able
sitting in it.
to see a rare and threatened species of forest
raptors at such close and comfortable range.
On August 1st she had her first full day of
incubation. Since it takes between 48 and 52
days for the eggs to hatch, we can reasonably
Ons kroonarend paar lok gedurig belangstelling
expect a chick around 19th September. Only
regoor die wêreld. Hulle is gereeld prominent op
one chick survives if both hatch. This is
die “Africa Birds” en “Birding” webwerf en vrae
probably because the eagles cannot gather
oor hulle kom so vêr as Rusland en Japan.
enough food to nourish two chicks to
independence and nature therefore organizes
for the survival of only the fitter of the two. The Julie was hoofsaaklik 'n maand vir nesbou en
weaker either starves to death or it is killed by paar. As gevolg van die feit dat die arendpaar nie
verlede jaar 'n kuiken gehad het nie, het hul geen
the adult or the stronger sibling.
ouerlike voedingspligte vanjaar gehad nie, en het
For the next few months the male will hunt for dus byna ses weke vroeër as wat hulle ooit
tevore gedoen het, begin om te teël. Met meer
the usual diet of dassies, monkeys, small
tyd om hul nes te bou, samel hulle aansienlik
antelope or birds and deliver the prey to the
groter hoeveelhede stokke in as in die verlede en
female at the nest. She leaves the eggs only
gevolglik is die nes vanjaar so diep dat 'n mens
once a day for a necessary cooling period of
about 10 to 15 minutes which she spends near skaars die wyfie kan sien wanneer sy in dit sit.
the nest or on the trees bordering the 17th
Op 1 Augustus het sy haar eerste volle dag van
fairway.
inkubasie gehad. Aangesien dit tussen 48 en 52
dae vir die eiers neem om uit te broei, kan ons
Eagle watchers keen to see the male flying in
with prey should keep a lookout between 10am met redelikheid verwag dat 'n kuiken rondom 19
September sy opwagting sal maak. Slegs een
and 4pm each day. But an element of luck
kuiken oorleef indien beide uitbroei. Dit is
attends the timing of such a sighting. One
needs both great patience and intense vigilance waarskynlik omdat die arende nie genoeg kos
bymekaar kan maak vir twee kuikens nie, dus
to experience such a rare moment.

oorleef slegs die sterkste een van die kuikens. Die
swakker kuiken sterf as gevolg van die volwasse arend
óf die sterker kuiken wat hom doodmaak.
Vir die volgende paar maande sal die mannetjie jag vir
hul gewone dieet van dassies, ape, klein wildsbokke of
voëls en die prooi sal vir die vroulike arend op die nes
afgelewer word. Sy laat die eiers net een keer 'n dag
alleen vir 'n noodsaaklike afkoelingstydperk van
ongeveer 10 tot 15 minute, wat sy dan naby die nes of
by die bome langs die 17de skoonveld spandeer.
Persone wat die arende graag dophou behoort die
manlike arend met die prooi tussen 10:00-16:00 elke
dag te gewaar. Maar dit is 'n element van geluk saam
met die regte tydsberekening om bogenoemde te kan
waarneem. 'n Mens moet beide groot geduld en
intense waaksaamheid hê om so 'n seldsame oomblik
te ervaar.
Wat is die mees algemene vrae wat ek kry as ek onder
die dennebome staan en staar na die takke deur my
telefotolens?
"Neem jy foto's van iets?"
"Waarvan neem jy foto's?"
"Is dit 'n voël?"
"Is dit 'n uil of 'n visarend?"
Van die gesoute San Lameer huiseienaars:
"Is hulle terug?"
"Is hulle nog hier?"
"Het ons al 'n kuiken?"
"Wanneer sal die kuiken uitbroei?"
Min mense besef hoe gelukkig San Lameer
huiseienaars en hul besoekers is, om in staat wees om
so 'n seldsame en bedreigde spesies van roofvoëls op
so 'n nabye en gemaklike afstand te beleef.

1. The males eagle choosing building
material for the nest.

Written by / Geskryf deur
Jacques Sellschop

4. Mating while the female has some soft nest

2. Ferrying in a large branch from the
trees across the highway.

Photographs by / Foto’s deur
Jacques Sellschop

3. Maneuvering a passage through the
foliage to take the new branch to
the nest.

5. The male watches while the female mantles
over (covers with her wings) prey that he has
just delivered to the nest.