San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits JanFeb 2019 | Page 10

A “textbook case”..
indicate that it wants food. (The sound helps bird watchers to find it among all the trees on
the estate.) Secondly, the increasing levels of hunger compel it to start exploring for its own
food and provoke short flights within roughly 500 meters of the nest. Thirdly, instinct is
triggered and the juvenile becomes hyper-aware of anything that moves on the ground,
which is the prelude to its identifying potential prey upon which it can descend.
Now, and for the next two months, would be the ideal time for photographers to capture
images of the bird flying or preening its magnificent feathers, which is does quite regularly.
I expect it will stay on the estate for another 8 weeks before the parents will finally
encourage (read “chase”) it to leave the area and start a life of its own somewhere else.
Previous San Lameer chicks have tended to fly north and evidence has been recorded of
their successful mating and breeding routines in forest areas between Port Shepstone and
Scottburgh.
'n “Textbook Case”
Die Engelse uitdrukking “a textbook case" impliseer ooreenstemming met 'n stel gevestigde
norme. Dit dui daarop dat 'n gebeurtenis of entiteit op 'n voorspelbare wyse gedra word, die
proses waar daar deur 'n vorige ervaring, iets vasgestel is. Met ander woorde, iets het
voorheen gebeur en dit het weer gebeur, in ooreenstemming met verwagting.
The juvenile, in December 2018, sitting on the edge of the nest and displaying its bulging crop after a
feeding on a dassie carcass delivered by the adult male.
The English expression “a textbook case” implies conformity to a set of established norms. It
suggests that an event or an entity behaves in a predictable manner, the process of which has
been established by previous experience. In other words, something has happened before and it
is happening again, in accordance with expectation.
As we enter 2019, the San Lameer juvenile Crowned Eagle has established itself as a textbook
case for demonstrating the development of this threatened species of raptor. However, it has
gone one step further. Having monitored the breeding cycles of the San Lameer adult pair for
the past 7 years, I am persuaded that this is one of the finest, best-fed, best-feathered and most
exquisite specimens of all the chicks reared on the estate.
At the end of this month it will be 140 days old. It took its first flight when it was 116 days old.
That is “textbook” because juvenile Crowned Eagles are documented to fly between 100 and
120 days after hatching. Its first adventure in the air took it to the trees on the north side of
the 18 th fairway, after which it spent some time on the roof of one of the villas across the road
from the nesting tree.
The adults, in keeping with their instinctive processes of teaching it to become independent, are
doing notably two things. First, they are reducing the frequency with which they are bringing
food to the nest and secondly, the quantities they are delivering are noticeably smaller. This
has principally three results. First, the juvenile cries loudly each morning, calling the parents to
Soos daar in 2019 ingetree word, het die jong San Lameer kroonarend haar as 'n “textbook
case”gevestig deur die ontwikkeling van hierdie bedreigde roofvoëlspesie te demonstreer,
gevestig. Dit het egter een stap verder gevorder. Nadat ek die broeisiklusse van die San
Lameer kroonarendpaar die afgelope 7 jaar bestudeer het, is ek oortuig dat dié jong
kroonarend een van die mooiste, beste gevoede en beste geveerde kuikens van alle tye op
die landgoed is.
Aan die einde van hierdie maand sal die jong arend 140 dae oud wees. Sy het vir die eerste
keer gevlieg toe sy 116 dae oud was. Dit is "textbook" omdat daar gedokumenteer word dat
jong kroonarende tussen 100 en 120 dae na hul uitgebroei het, begin vlieg. Haar eerste
avontuur in die lug het haar na die bome aan die noordekant van die 18de setperk geneem,
waarna sy vir 'n geruime tyd op die dak van een van die villas oorkant die pad van die nes
spandeer het.
Die volwassenes, in ooreenstemming met hul instinktiewe prosesse om die jong arend te
leer om onafhanklik te word, doen veral twee dinge. Eerstens verminder hulle die aantal kere
wat hulle kos na die nes bring. Tweedens, die hoeveelhede wat hulle lewer, is merkbaar
minder. Dit het hoofsaaklik drie resultate. Eerstens, roep die jong arend elke oggend hardop
haar ouers om vir hulle aan te dui dat sy kos wil hê. (Die klank help voëlkykers om die jong
arend onder al die bome op die landgoed te vind.) Tweedens, dwing die toenemende
hongersnood die jong arend om die area te begin verken en so haar eie kos te kry. Dit bring
ook kort vlugte van ongeveer 500-meter uit die nes. Derdens word instink geaktiveer en die
jong arend word meer bewus van enigiets wat op die grond beweeg, wat kan potensiële prooi
voorspel.
Vir nou, en vir die volgende twee maande, sal dit die ideale tyd wees vir fotograwe om foto's
van die voël te neem waar sy vlieg en haar pragtige vere wys, wat gereeld op hierdie
stadium gebeur. Ek verwag dat die jong arend vir nog 8 weke op die landgoed sal bly voordat
die ouers uiteindelik haar sal aanmoedig ("jaag") om die gebied te verlaat en êrens 'n eie
lewe te begin. Vorige San Lameer-kuikens is geneig om noord te vlieg en bewyse is
aangeteken van hul suksesvolle parings- en broeiroetines in bosgebiede tussen Port
Shepstone en Scottburgh.
Written piece and photographs:
Jacques Sellschop
The juvenile taken this month (January 2019) as it scrutinizes a group
of Impala daring to feed near the nesting tree.
The adult female leaving the nest after delivering food. This is what the juvenile's
plumage will look like when it is fully adult at four years of age.