San Lameer Newsflash/Nuusflits Sept 2019 | Page 12

Crowned Eagles / Kroonarende
In the wild, Crowned Eagles breed once in every two years. Where there is a ready supply of
food, however, they generally produce a chick every year. The latter has been the case on the
San Lameer Estate and in the past 7 years, they have successfully reared 5 chicks to
independence before chasing them off the estate to make a life for themselves elsewhere.
While the mortality rate in the wild is high, the fact that only two chicks on the Estate failed to
make it to adulthood is a tribute to the safe and friendly environment San Lameer offers this
rare and highly threatened species of raptor. In die natuur broei Kroonarendpare een keer elke twee jaar. Waar daar voldoende voedsel
beskikbaar is, produseer hulle egter gewoonlik elke jaar 'n kuiken. Laasgenoemde was die
geval op San Lameer Landgoed waar die paar die afgelope 7 jaar vyf kuikens tot
onafhanklikheid grootgemaak het voordat hulle van die landgoed af weggejaag is om elders
hulle eie lewe te lei. Alhoewel die sterftesyfer in die natuur hoog is, is die feit dat slegs twee
kuikens op die landgoed nie volwassenheid bereik het nie, 'n huldeblyk aan die veilige en
vriendelike omgewing wat San Lameer aan hierdie seldsame en baie bedreigde roofvoël bied.
The chick that hatched on the estate on 10 September last year, is now nearly a year old. While
previous juveniles have left the area by the time, they are 10 months old, our current female
juvenile is still hanging around in the thickets bordering the 17 th fairway and regularly shouts to
the parents for food. The fact that she does not seem to have developed an ability to hunt for
herself yet, might relate to the rather strange absence this year of visible numbers of dassies
and monkeys on the estate. Whether or not this is a feature of the unusually high temperatures
the country has been experiencing, is not clear. However, country-wide observers have
remarked on the apparent decline of visible animal and bird numbers. Die kuiken wat op 10 September verlede jaar op die landgoed uitgebroei het, is nou amper 'n
jaar oud. Terwyl die vorige jong arende die gebied verlaat het toe hulle tien maande oud was,
hang ons huidige vroulike jong arend nogsteeds rond in die ruigtes wat aan die 17de skoonveld
grens en skree sy gereeld vir haar ouers vir kos. Die feit dat dit lyk of sy nog nie die vermoë
ontwikkel het om vir haarself te jag nie, hou moontlik verband met die nogal vreemde
afwesigheid van hierdie jaar se sigbare getalle dassies en ape op die landgoed. Of dit 'n
kenmerk is van die buitengewone hoë temperature wat die land ondervind, is dit nie duidelik
nie. Navorsers in die land het egter opgemerk dat daar 'n skynbare afname in sigbare diere- en
voëlgetalle is.
In the meanwhile, the adult pair has been refurbishing the nest in their pine tree for the past
two months. It is now very deep, lined with soft leaves and pine needles, making it ready for the
breeding process to begin. The adults have also been mating two or three times each day and it
is likely that the female will lay, within the next week, the first of her customary two eggs,
usually deposited three days apart. Then the incubation period of 48 to 52 days will start and if
all goes well, both chicks will hatch early in November. Because the chicks require an
enormous amount of food and grow very rapidly, only one will be allowed to survive. The
parents could not cope with feeding more than one and because the chicks are skeletally fully
grown within 5 months, two would simply not fit in the nest.
There is evidence of a growing interest in the eagles among both San Lameer residents and
visitors. On a regular basis their breeding cycles feature on both national and international
birding websites and visitors have come from as far afield as Japan and Russia to enjoy the
comfort and accessibility offered at San Lameer for viewing these magnificent birds. The pair
has now been around for many years and inevitably the question must arise about when they
will cease to be fertile.
Die volwasse paar het die afgelope twee maande die nes in hul denneboom opgeknap. Dit is
nou baie diep, gevoer met sagte blare en dennenaalde, wat dit gereed maak vir hulle om met
die broeiproses te begin. Die volwassenes het elke dag twee of drie keer gepaar en dit is
waarskynlik dat die wyfie binne die volgende week die eerste van haar bruikbare twee eiers
gaan lê, wat gewoonlik drie dae uitmekaar is. Dan begin die inkubasietydperk van 48 tot 52
dae en as alles goed gaan, sal albei kuikens vroeg in November uitbroei. Omdat die kuikens 'n
enorme hoeveelheid kos benodig en baie vinnig groei, sal slegs een toegelaat word om te
oorleef. Die ouers kan nie meer as een kuiken voer nie, en omdat die kuikens binne vyf maande
volledig gegroei het, sal twee kuikens eenvoudig nie in die nes pas nie.
Daar is bewyse van 'n groeiende belangstelling in die arende onder inwoners en besoekers van
San Lameer. Hul broeisiklusse verskyn gereeld op nasionale sowel as internasionale
voëlkykwebwerwe en besoekers kom van so vêr as Japan en Rusland om die gemak en
toeganklikheid te geniet wat by San Lameer aangebied word om hierdie pragtige voëls te
besigtig. Die paar bestaan nou al vir baie jare en die vraag begin ontstaan oor hoe lank hul nog
so vrugbaar gaan wees.
The male Crowned Eagle sitting on the nest. He is proud of all the sticks he has carried in
over the past two months to build it up to its current levels of substantial strength and
depth for the new breeding season.
The female Crowned Eagle allowing the wind to lift her
royal tiara to display level for the admiring crowds.
The juvenile in the dense foliage of the 17 th fairway in mid-August,
where she was shouting loudly to the parents to deliver food. He
flat crop indicates that she must be very hungry indeed.
The change of the seasons has produced some beautiful colours in the
foliage frequented by the eagles on the borders of the 17 th fairway.
A rare picture of the pair mating on a branch near to
the nest. In this precarious position the male extends
his magnificent wings to maintain his balance while
the procreative act lasts for about 6 to 10 seconds.
The new breeding season embraces all the wildlife on the Estate.
Here, the dominant ram of one of the resident impala herds
celebrates Women's Day with a mischievous wink of intent.
Written piece and photographs:
Jacques Sellschop