Black Eagle chicks in the midst of a Cain and Abel struggle

Two eggs were laid by the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden’s resident Black Eagle pair during May 2012. The eggs hatched in early June after an incubation period of 44 to 45 days and two chicks emerged four to five days apart. 

The sad reality is that only a single chick will grow to adulthood. The reason for this being a phenomena called Cainism (or in other words a Cain and Abel struggle) whereby the stronger of the two chicks (usually the oldest (Cain), attacks and eventually kills and devours its sibling (Abel) after a 3 to 4 day struggle. The first chick, being the older and the stronger, will intercept the food offered by the female. The male provides most of the food while the chick is in the nest while the female feeds the young chick during the early stages and also defends the nest. The chick will grow into a handsome golden/brown juvenile eaglet. 

The gardens are situated in Roodepoort (Gauteng, South Africa) and fifteen eagle-generations have passed since the Black eagles (Verreaux’s eagles) were discovered in the Garden - I have been following the life of these two Black Eagles (Verreaux’s (Black) Eagles) for many years. Over the past 30 years Emoyeni, the female, has produced a chick every second year or even annually at times. In Nov 2011, Mbuso, their last juvenile Black Eagle chick, left the Garden to establish his own territory.

 Mbuso

The Black Eagles on their nest

The webcam focusing on the nest

The male circling the nest

For more interesting info visit the website or view the eagles via webcam or alternatively view them on TV at the Garden entrance.

PS : You can read all the Black Eagle articles in the menu on the left - they are all coloured RED

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Another breeding season starts

Another breeding season starts for the faithful Black (Vereaux’s) Eagles 

 

Fifteen eagle-generations have passed since the Black eagles (Verreaux’s eagles) were discovered in the Garden and they are again faithfully preparing their nest for another generation to come. According to some sources the Black eagles are thought to have occupied the Waterfall for over 40 years, long before the Garden was established. 

Over the past 30 years Emoyeni, the female, has produced a chick every second year or even annually at times. 

 Mating usually takes place after nest building has been in progress for some time and is not a certain sign that the female will lay, or that nest building will proceed to the eggcup stage. Mating occurs often after both birds have fed and can occur many times in one day. Laying occurs towards the end of April or early May, if the female is spending long periods of time on the nest. Two eggs are usually laid 4 days apart. After an incubation period of 44 to 45 days, the eggs hatch, but only one chick is likely to make it to adulthood. 

The Black Eagle is one of Africa’s largest and most spectacular eagles. It is big and powerful with a wingspan that measures more than two meters. This enables them to fly at high altitudes without flapping their wings, thus saving them energy. A breeding pair remains faithful to one another for as long as they live. 

(Info from the Botanical Gardens Newsletter - May 2012)

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Crocodile in Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens

What if you decided to visit a Botanical Garden and, while enjoying a nice and relaxing picnic, you were suddenly faced with the jaws of a crocodile some metres away? That possibility is now a reality at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa) after an approximately 80 cm young crocodile made the waterfall its new home. It has been named Snapper.

It was first sighted by a visitor, Vimal Sewlal, who took a picture of it whilst trying to capture the majestic flow of the water at the waterfall. He told the staff on duty about his scoop. This was dismissed as there was a possibility that it might have been mistaken for a huge monitor lizard sighted at the Garden a few months earlier. He then forwarded the pictures to the office proving beyond any doubt that we had a real crocodile on the estate.

Professor Graham Alexander, a reptile specialist, confirmed that it was indeed an indigenous Nile crocodile that was probably kept as a pet and might have escaped accidentally or was released on purpose by its owners. ''People are not responsible with these dangerous animals and it's highly likely that the owners did not have a permit and decided to release it in the Garden'' he said.



He said the predator was unlikely to make the waterfall its home as the area is too cold. At its age it is not yet a danger to humans although as young as it is, according to Prof. Alexander, it can deliver a nasty bite to anyone encroaching on its territory.

The Garden management is in the process of getting the young crocodile relocated but still working on procedures with the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding a permit. The new tenant has become a draw card and talking point of visitors who come to the Garden. He became a celebrity when he featured on the second page of some national newspapers on 21 October. People have been descending on the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden over the past weekends in the hope of glimpsing this beautiful reptile. It can usually be seen sunbathing near the waterfall. Snapper is probably feeding on frogs, fish, birds and crabs. The Garden is now home to the king of the sky (Black/Verreaux's Eagle) and the beast of the fresh water. Coincidentally the river that runs through the Garden is known as Crocodile River. Visit us on www.facebook.com/wsnbg to see more.
- Taken from my WWBG Newsletter

Verreaux’s (Black) Eagles family expands

Have you ever felt the thrill and absolute awe of watching a black eagle catching thermals – one minute savouring the currents on its 2.3 meter wingspan, the next minute with wings folded arrow like it plummets downwards - lost momentarily in swirling cloud – it appears again resolute and intent as it nears the earth – you wonder if it will be able to stop before it hits the ground - and to your amazement its large wings stretch out and it hurtles back up into the sky! It is a totally breathtaking sight, as the eagle climbs higher and higher - until it is not visible with the naked eye - and all of this in just a few minutes.

This is the world of the ‘Black Eagles of Roodekrans.’ Weighing up to 4.8 kg this is one of Africa’s largest and most spectacular eagles. - These are certainly the masters of the sky!



The Verreaux’s (Black) Eagles have laid two eggs following the preparations for the nesting season that started at the end of February 2010. During the nesting season both male and female refurbish their nest with sticks and leafy sprays.

The eagles laid their 1st egg on 9th April 2010 and the second one on 12th April.
Both Eagles take turns in incubating the eggs – one will stay on the nest while the other goes hunting. The eggs are expected to hatch after 45 days incubation. Two fluffy white eaglets will emerge from the eggs four days apart. Black eagles are birds of prey that hunt other animals for their food.

These birds can be viewed at the Botanical Garden (Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Malcolm Road, Poortview, Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa) in their natural world as they hover above the property or can be viewed through a webcam connected to a TV set at the Visitor Centre at the entrance to the Botanical Garden.

Visit www.blackeagles.co.za for more info and a map on how to get there.

GPS - X: 27°50`42`` Y:-26°5`15``


Come and browse art in the stunning outdoor setting of the Botanical Garden.
10% of sales go to the Botanical Society's Garden Development Fund.

Forthcoming dates -
Selected Sundays :
9th 23rd & 30th May and
20th & 27th June 2010

Black Eagle Project Feb. 2010

This is the February 2010 Newsletter which I receive from the Black Eagle Project and I thought I would post it here,as an up-date on how the Black Eagles are doing in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa.

What’s Happening at Roodekrans

URGENT APPEAL FOR SPONSORSHIP

FEBRUARY 2010

The ‘Black Eagles of Roodekrans’ have started to re-furbish their nest for the next breeding season. Large sticks and branches are being brought to the nest with Emoyeni carefully placing them where she would like them to go – this is woman’s work and Thulani is chased from the nest – his job is to supply the furnishings.

The eagles are looking so well – their feathers are really glossy and it certainly looks like they have eaten well. The juvenile left the territory mid December 2009 and has not been seen again. Lets hope it survives all the perils out there in the wild and becomes a healthy adult.

The good news is The Black Eagle Project played an intrinsic part in the prevention of a large housing development in Proteadal Ext 1. This area falls within the vital Paardekraal Ridge hunting territory of the black eagles, which is necessary for their continued survival in this area. The Gauteng Department of Environment passed a negative Record of Decision for the continuance of this development mainly because the site is located on an untransformed ridge, which is considered to be part of a wildlife corridor important to connecting biodiversity in the area



The Black Eagle Project would like to get the cam running again this year, unfortunately it is going to cost in the region of R32 000.00. We have so many queries as to why ‘live from nest’ is not on the Internet; well, the reason is we just have not got the funds to be able to convert to digital. Africam has put together a proposal on the project at hand and this can be emailed to you should you be interested in sponsoring this project. We would include your business logo or name on our web page and at the TV monitor at the Visitor’s Centre at the entrance to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden. National and international supporters would then be able to watch the eagles on the nest during their breeding season – February to October.

We have still not had a ruling on the case against Sugarbush Estate, which was heard in court in November 2009. Who says the wheels of justice turn slowly! We also need funds urgently to continue with this case, as we are responsible for paying any disbursements and court costs. We have a very good chance of winning this case but need financial support from the public.

This year we would like to attach a patagial tag in conjunction with a ring to the juvenile. Blood will be taken to sex the bird and to store DNA at the blood bank for further research. For us to be able to do this we need approximately R10 000.00, this will be used to pay the researchers from Pretoria/ Wits Universities, who do the job and to purchase the tag. By doing the tagging it will be easier to identify the bird out in the field – from the sightings we are able to understand the flight patterns and it lets us know where these young eagles go after leaving the natal area.

I appeal to all our supporters please donate and help us keep the eagle safe for everyone to enjoy. They deserve to stay in the area as this is where they belong – they where here long before all the development. We understand that times are tough out there so any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your continued support the eagles really appreciate it.

Yours in conservation

Libby Woodcock

Project Co-ordinator

Banking Details:

First National Bank

Account Number: 62108581043

Branch Code: Randridge Mall 255-955

Swift Code: FIRNZAJJXXX (International Deposits Only)

Account Name: Black Eagle Project Roodekrans Inc

Kindly use your company name or surname as a reference.

If possible email deposit slip to verreaux@mweb.co.za

Visit the Black Eagles at Botanical Gardens

"Black Eagle" Watercolour on Bockingford 300gsm watercolour paper - Maree©

FOUR years ago the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort, South Africa, had a crisis. Their magnificent Black Eagle male disappeared and it was thought that a 40-year old breeding programme would come to an end.

But the female eagle took charge. She disappeared for several days, and reappeared with a young male, and the pair have continued breeding ever since.

The Garden, some 30 kilometres west of the city centre at Roodepoort, is one of a network of eight botanical gardens around the country. It consists of around 300 hectares of landscaped and natural veld areas, planted with only indigenous trees, 600 species of indigenous flowering plants and shrubs. Over 230 species of birds have been recorded in the Garden as well as a number of reptiles and small mammals.

The kilometre walk to the top of the waterfall is worth it to get a view of the eagle's nest.

The Garden, donated to the people of Roodepoort in 1982 by the farmer who owned the property, is crisscrossed with trails, one going to the top of one of two small mountains that overlook a waterfall and the eagles' nests. Other walks take the visitor past the wild flower garden, a fern walk, a forest walk along the spruit, or a walk down to one of three dams on wheelchair-friendly brick and wood paths, to sit in the hide to watch the water birds.

There's more - an arboretum with shady lawns, a water-wise demonstration garden, acres of green lawns, a cycad garden, a magico-medicinal garden (plants used for magical and medicinal purposes), a succulent garden, and environmental education.

The eagle pair have two nests, towards the top of the beautiful 70-metre Witpoortjie Waterfall in the Gardens, and each year they alternate between them. The pair mate for life, and every year around March they prepare the nest when new sticks are added and a nest cap of leafy twigs is made. The male performs spectacular courtship displays, and two eggs are laid around mid-May, four days apart.

Magnificent gardens filled with indigenous flora, as far as the eye can see.

After 45 days an all-white chick hatches and once the second chick is laid four days later, the "Cain and Able" struggle begins. The first chick, Cain, proceeds to kill Abel, the second chick, over the next 3-4 days.

The white plumage changes to a golden brown over the next 90 days, when the bird leaves the nest. This juvenile will spend the next three months in the gardens, being fed by its parents. During this time, it practises and perfects its hunting and flying techniques, and in mid-December or January it will leave to establish its own territory. The chick has an estimated 30% chance of survival in its first year.

At around 4-5 years the eagle develops its beautiful dark plumage, then finds a mate and establishes its own territory.

This breeding pair are one of the few in an urban environment, and are unique to the Witwatersrand area, although they are under stress because of urban encroachment on their natural environment. This pair live mainly on hares and guinea fowl, although traditionally black eagles eat mostly Dassies.

Black Eagles

"When we open ourselves to the natural world, we escape the fast-paced bustle of our daily lives. That experience, not only reduces our stress, it also grounds us, reaffirming our connection to the Earth and all its creatures."


"Black Eagle" water colour - Maree©

I am utterly fascinated by birds, raptors in particular. To me they are the kings of the skies and their survival plight, as cities grow and multiply, is of on-going concern to everyone, or should be, at least.

The resident pair of Black Eagles in the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa, is under threat from urban spread.



Earlier nesting reports on the Black Eagle pair reads as follows :

Mating
Mating was first observed in March becoming frequent in April 2003. The day prior to laying the eagles were seen to mate five times. The mating observations were consistent with prior years.


Nest of the Black Eagles at Walter Sisulu botanical Gardens, Roodepoort. The nest is monitored by the Black Eagle Cam.

Nest building and laying
Nest building was first observed in February 2004, but increased significantly in March 2004 were on occasions that the black eagles would bring in excess of 10 branches on a daily basis. As Garget (1990) has noted in the Matopos study that after an unsuccessful breeding year there is a tendency for black eagles to move nesting site and use an alternate nest site. However, the Roodekrans black eagles spend most of there efforts building the bottom nest only. It was apparent that they were not going to change nest site. Building continued up to the day of egg laying. It was interesting to note that the male was seen to initiate building on a number of occasions.

Incubation and hatching
Incubation commenced with the laying of the first egg. The majority of the incubation being undertaken by the female, however the male would often relieve the female for periods. The first egg hatched on 2 June 2003, 45 days after laying which is normal. The second egg hatched on 6 June 2003, four days later.

Cain and Abel
The Cain and Abel struggle lasted for 3 days, young Abel died on 9 June 2003. This year the aggression from Cain was minimal and the project thought there might be a chance that Abel would survive. After two days Cain suddenly attacked Abel and did not let up for 24 hours, intervening the prey that was offered to them by the female eagle. On the morning of the 9 June 2003 Abel was dead when the female left the nest at 8.15am.



Fledging
We knew the Roodekrans black eagles were going to surprise us as they do every year. The juvenile eagle only fledged on the 22 September 2003. At 112 days this is the longest recorded fledging for the Black Eagle Project. The longest prior fledging recorded was 106 and 104 days in 1998 and 1993 respectively.

Newton (1979) highlighted that the male eagle chicks in most raptors tend to develop more quickly than females and are therefore more likely to fledge earlier. Observing the chick flying it was obvious from it size that it was a female which corresponds to the lengthy fledging period. It is generally believed that the male juvenile black eagles fledge from about 95 days, in 1993 the chick fledged at 93 days.

Gargett (1990) also notes that observations do not support statements that the young are deliberately starved by the parents in order to encourage them to fly nor that the parents bait the young off the nest with prey. This has not been observed in the Roodekrans black eagles either.
.
However, after the juvenile eventually fledged, it was soon apparent that this was a very confident juvenile. This juvenile was very confident in its behaviour when compared to prior juveniles. Prior juveniles tended to hide away in the ravine on the eastern ridge. This juvenile black eagle spend most of it time on Butchers Block while prior chicks have hid in the ravine and were difficult to locate. Soon after fledging the juvenile black eagle was soaring with the adult eagles and would often follow the adults in flight. The juvenile would even sit in the three trees perching area near the public which was very uncommon.

We were however still surprised at how early the juvenile left the nesting area. There was not even the aggression from the parents as in the past. The young eaglet was seen in the last week of November 2003 and returned several times before leaving the territory mid December. The prior juveniles were often in the nesting area for 12 weeks, 17 weeks in 2001. This juvenile black eagle was only in the nesting area for 9 weeks. Little has been written about the Black Eagle post nesting period which makes it difficult to explain this unusually short period.

Urban Development
The development in the last year(2006/2007) has been immense and the eagles are certainly finding this very disturbing. The northern and southern borders of the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden have residential developments with no green belt available for migration paths for small mammals. With the future developments in the pipeline it will not be long before the Botanical Garden will be the only green space left in this immediate area. The project has observed adverse behavioural pattern for the latter part of 2003 and it is certainly man who is now the eagles main adversary. It is really surprising these tolerant birds stay in what has become a very unsuitable territory for eagles of their stature.


Waterfall with Black Eagles' nest to the left, identified by the white droppings left on the cliffs - Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Roodepoort, Gauteng, South Africa