San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits Oct/Nov 2017 | Page 11
CROWN EAGLES / KROONARENDE
I am confident that there is a new chick in the nest and that it probably hatched on
7 October, sometime during the morning.
Although a large measure of one's amateur deductions is based on a mix of
observation, speculation and wishful thinking, I am pretty sure that the female has
been feeding a chick for the past two weeks. The nest is very deep and therefore
one cannot see what is in it, but several behavioural aspects are persuasive. First,
the male has been bringing in food with more regular frequency than is his custom
when the female is merely incubating. Secondly, the female is sitting much higher
and more fluffed up in the nest. When incubating, she crouches down very low and
flat in the nest. Thirdly, for the past two weeks she has regularly been fidgeting
and fussing with her beak in the area below her chest, suggesting that a new chick
is being kept warm and protected there. Lastly, when the food (chiefly dassies and
monkeys at present) has been delivered by the dutiful male, she shreds off tiny
little pieces of meat with her beak, which then disappears down into the depths of
the nest before remerging empty.
The most remarkable aspect of all this is something that happened on 8
September. The juvenile that had hatched last year found it very difficult to fend
for itself and leave the area. This was probably because, for some strange reason,
there were very few dassies and monkeys evident on the estate this year. It should
have gone off on its own and left the area in July but stayed, regularly howling for
food until the male would weaken and drop of a piece of carcass for it on one of
the trees on the 17 th fairway. However, on 8 September it was desperate. The
adult female had already been incubating her egg(s) for some 20 days. At
10:20am the juvenile flew on to the nest (very unusual), chased its mother off and
started feeding on the carcass of a monkey that the male had delivered earlier in
the morning by the male. At first the female flew around distractedly and then
disappeared to fetch the male. The two returned to the nest at 1pm, when the
male attacked the juvenile and chased it away. It was not before 1:20pm that the
female resumed incubating the eggs. That meant that the eggs had been
uncovered for three hours in temperatures that were anything but warm. In the
circumstances it is remarkable that we now have a chick and it will be interesting
to see whether the interrupted incubation has left any visible signs of impairment.
Updated information:
When I wrote this article last week, all was well. My veiled warning of possible
“impairment” must have had an element of de-ja-vú in it.
Unfortunately the chick did not survive. The adults' behaviour patterns
suddenly changed dramatically on 24 October 2017, persuading me that they
were no longer feeding a chick. Professional drone pilot and photographer
Marc Frans, of Marina Beach kindly surveyed the nest for me from the air and
my worst fears were confirmed. The nest was empty, but for one unhatched
egg. Images taken by resident avian photographer of note, Mark McNulty, on
the 24 th October suggest that the adult female might have been disposing of
the chick's carcass that day. The precise cause of its demise is a matter of
speculation. The rain and tornado strength winds two day after it hatched may
have led to respiratory infection while five continuous days of rain with no
food being delivered to the nest may have resulted in malnutrition. So it is
with a heavy heart that we confirm the loss and settle down to wait for
regeneration in June of 2018. Hopefully the nest will not be invaded and taken
over by the Egyptian Geese that have been trying to assert squatter rights
throughout the hatching period this year.
The most unexpected thing has happened! This morning, Monday 30th
October, both adults were at the nest. It was a beautiful morning and both
eagles were busy refurbishing their nursery. Not with little nest linings of
leaves, mind you. This was the big stuff they were carrying in. It is something
we have not seen before this date in the breeding cycle and one wonders
whether they are going to attempt to produce another baby. We hold our
breaths and watch.
Ek is vol vertroue dat daar 'n nuwe kuiken in die nes is en dat dit waarskynlik
op 7 Oktober in die oggend, uitgebroei het.
Alhoewel 'n groot mate van 'n mens se gevolgtrekkings op 'n verskeidenheid
van waarneming, spekulasie en wensdenke, gebaseer is, is ek redelik seker dat
die wyfie die afgelope twee weke 'n kuiken by haar gehad het. Die nes is baie
Written by / Geskryf deur
Jacques Sellschop
The juvenile lands on the nest, chases the
mother away and starts to eat her food.
Photos by / Foto’s deur
Jacques Sellschop
The mother flies around distractedly watching her teenage
daughter take over her nest.