San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits April / May 2018 | Page 9

CROWN EAGLES / KROONARENDE
October or early November when the
weather warms up and an abundance
of young dassies and monkeys make
for easy prey on which to feed the new
chick. Current indications are that
everything is going to happen a little
ahead of schedule this year. Hopefully
However, since the start of April, one the weather will be kind, the tornados
or both have been at the nest almost and tsunamis will stay in the Far East
every day and on most occasions they and the age of our eagle pair will not
count against fertile eggs or a resilient
have been collecting branches to
refurbish the nest. The male tends to chick.
collect and deliver the larger
branches while the female arranges Groot is die verligting, want dit blyk
them to her satisfaction and adds the dat ons arende besig is om voor te
berei vir die nuwe broeiseisoen. Na die
smaller bits of nest lining.
afsterwe van hul 2017-kuiken in
Because they have not had to chick to Oktober verlede jaar, het hulle 'n
blaaskansie geniet en is selde of ooit
feed this year, thoughts of mating
tot Februarie vanjaar gesien.
appear to have entered the male's
head rather prematurely. He is already
Sedert die begin van April was een of
making the kind of overtures to the
female that we would normally record albei van die ouerpaar feitlik elke dag
by die nes gesien. Hulle was besig om
only in June.
takke te versamel vir die opknapping
In previous years the pattern has been van hul broeituiste. Die mannetjie is
one of nest building in July, mating in geneig om die groter takke bymekaar
August and then incubating the eggs te maak en by die nes af te lewer,
terwyl die wyfie die bydraes tot haar
(48-52 days) for hatching late in
Great is the relief that our eagles
appear to be preparing for the new
breeding season. After the demise of
their 2017 chick in October last year,
they took a break and were rarely
seen until February of this year.
persoonlike bevrediging rangskik. Sy
versamel self die kleiner takkies met blare
as sagte dekking vir die kuiken.
Aangesien hulle nie vanjaar 'n kuiken hoef
te voer nie, lyk dit asof die mannetjie reeds
begin voorstelle aan die wyfie maak om te
paar. Sy sinspelings van hierdie aard sien
ons normaalweg eers in Junie van elke jaar.
In vorige jare was die patroon een van nes
bou in Julie, paring in Augustus, gevolg deur
tussen 48 en 52 dae se uitbroei van die
eiers voor die kuiken sy verskyning in
Oktober of vroeg November maak. Teen
daardie tyd is die weer reeds warmer en
meer gunstig vir die oorlewing van die
nuweling. Dan is daar ook talle jong dassies
en blouapies beskikbaar as prooi om die
kuiken mee te voed. Huidige tekens is dat
alles vanjaar 'n bietjie voor skedule reeds
loop. Hopelik sal die weersomstandighede
saamspeel en die tornado's en tsoenami's
hulle tot die Verre Ooste beperk. Ons moet
ook duim vashou dat die ouderdom van ons
arendpaar nie teen die vrugbaarheid van die
eiers tel nie.
Written by / Geskryf deur
Jacques Sellschop
The male is on the left and the female on
the right. They have added considerable
height to the walls of the nest and the
sprigs of pine needles which the female
gathered that morning are still green and
some of them are visible on the outside of
the nest. Later she will use them as lining
for the inside of the nest.
Photos by / Foto’s deur: Jacques Sellschop
The male has just landed among possible
branches for taking back to add to the nest
structure. It is a tricky business supporting
himself in such a confusion of sticks and
foliage, but he takes his time in choosing
precisely what he needs before breaking
off a suitable branch.
The female has selected one of the three
branches available directly in front of her
and is about to break it off with her
powerful beak.
In earnest conversation on the nest, the
male tries to persuade the female to
submit to his conjugal rites but she knows
it is far too early in the season for viable
copulation and is explaining that,
unfortunately, she has a headache.