San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits October / Oktober 2016 | Page 10

Crown Eagles / Kroonarende
South Africa's threatened
Crowned Eagle population has
not had a successful breeding
season this year. Expert Shane
McPherson, who monitors
several nests in Natal between
Port Edward and the furthest
reaches of the north coast,
reports on numerous breeding
failures and collapsed nests.
In the Hibiscus Coast region
alone, the Southbroom, Margate
and Ramsgate nests did not
produce a chick this year,
possibly because of the drought
and high winds followed by
incessant rain during the critical
period of hatching.
However, our San Lameer pair,
and their cousins on the nearby
Paulsburg estate not only
hatched chicks but seem to be
rearing them with resounding
success. The Paulsburg pair,
about 3 kilometres “as the eagle
flies” north of San Lameer
produced their chick early in
September. Our San Lameer pair,
residents on the estate for about

Photographs by / Foto’s deur
Jacques Sellschop

15 years, hatched their healthy
th
chick on 20 September and it has
been growing rapidly since then
on a diet of monkeys, dassies and
the occasional bit of venison.

winde wat gevolg is deur
aanhoudende reën gedurende die
kritieke periode van die broeiseisoen.

Maar ons San Lameer paar, en hul
bure op die nabygeleë Paulsburg
The babies on both nests are
landgoed het nie net vanjaar hul
already trying their little wings
kuikens uitgebroei nie, maar lyk my
which are still without feathers
hulle word nou met groot sukses
and should take their first
grootgemaak. Die Paulsburg paar,
experimental flights between 100 sowat drie kilometer "soos 'n arend
and 120 days after hatching.
vlieg" noord van San Lameer het
vroeg in September hul kuiken
Suid-Afrika se bedreigde
geproduseer. Ons San Lameer
Kroonarendpare se bevolking het kroonarend paar wat al vir ongeveer
nie 'n vreeslike suksesvolle
15 jaar inwoners op ons landgoed is,
broeiseisoen vanjaar ervaar nie.
het hul gesonde kuiken op 20
Deskundige Shane McPherson,
September vanjaar uitgebroei, en die
wat 'n hele paar neste in Natal
het vinnig gegroei sedertdien hy/sy op
tussen Port Edward en die verste 'n dieet van ape, dassies en so af en
uithoeke van die noordkus
toe 'n bietjie wildsvleis gesit is.
monitor, het verskeie broei
mislukkings en neste wat
Die kuikens van beide neste het
ineengestort het, oor verslag
alreeds hul vlerkies wat nog sonder
gelewer.
vere is, uitprobeer en behoort hul
eerste eksperimentele vlug tussen 100
In die Hibiskusstreek alleen, het
en 120 dae nadat hulle uitgebroei het
die Southbroom, Margate en
te neem.
Ramsgate neste nie vanjaar 'n
Written by / Geskryf deur
kuiken geproduseer nie, moontlik
Jacques Sellschop
as gevolg van die droogte en sterk