Raptors of Kruger

It was just three days, but feels like there is so much to say about Kruger. As the ZSSA symposium was at Kruger’s doorstep, 11 of the UKZN contingent arranged to take three days after the conference to do a top-to-bottom roadtrip through the Kruger National Park. That plan changed slightly when on the first night of the conference I met Rowan van Eeden.  On the second day, Rowan presented about the causes for widespread declines in the Martial Eagle populations - now uplisted to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

This has compelled Martial Eagle Conservation research to identify the causes of decline of the Martial in even such a vast natural area as Kruger.  I was ecstatic when Rowan suggested I might provide assistance with his project.  To capture and fit transmitters to the Martial Eagle … so called for its rapaciousness. The largest eagle in Africa and a very active and agile predator – that appears to prefer game birds, particularly guineafowl and francolins, as well as small buck and large monitors.

So with my humble apologies skipping out on our UKZN convoy, at 3am Rowan and I dashed straight to the south end of the park.  As we drove south the unseasonal gloom of a very wet raining front loomed.  Several hours of light rain drenched the southern park, and shortly after entering Orpen gate we stopped to check an active nest. Sighting were good when the rain cleared, as many raptors were perch-bound, and the little critters were seen drying out on the road verges.

Arriving mid-morning we set up at our digs in the N'Waswitshaka Research Camp adjacent to Skukuza, and set out again for the afternoon.  Aiming to drive around and between all the known Martial territories looking for a bird in a trappable position, all the while we would conduct game counts, tallying all potential Martial prey (Helmeted Guineafowl, Swainsons, Crested and Natal Francolin), and record the locations of all other raptors as well. Sparse, active, and covering enormous savannah home ranges, the martial sightings were few and far between, with all five birds seen on the wing. There were exactly Zero trapping opportunities.  However, travelling 550km over three days, collecting some great game count data and counting 111 raptors of 16 species was some consolation.

drenched immature bateleur

damp black sparrowhawk

sunny lizard buzzard

the typical sighting of a martial, a.e.v with full crop

Guineafowl

Returning each night to the research camp, we'd braai and chat with other researchers and volunteers, occasionally glancing into the darkness over the meager fence, with lions, hyena, and hippo just outside the compound. In contrast, the public facilities and campsite areas at Skukuza must be the largest and most vulgar of the National Park ‘camps’. At dawn each morning queues of vehicles would line up for the 6am gate opening.  On the public roads traffic was obscene, and yet Rowan remarked that it was 80% better than during the busy school holiday season.  I’d never imagine how this research could be done on the public access roads.  Fortunately we didn’t have to, with permits and section clearance to travel the firebreak roads and utility service roads we got out and away from the mobile hoards – definitely the best time of the three days was travelling the remote and powerline between Lower Sabie and Crocodile Bride, not a car single car was seen for hours.

It is quite a familiar perspective - to be focused on the sky and tree tops for raptors while on safari, and I am sure we drove past many terrestrial mammals without a glimpse. All the while I was eavesdropping on the group messages of the UKZN convoy.  Five leopards had been sighted in three days… a major void that I have longed for so long to see.  On the last day, saying farewell to Rowan and regrouping with the UKZN crew, we set off for a last morning game drive.  With leopard in my hopes, I could search for other wildlife (“see that tower over there, …yes that’s a nice parade”). Then, taking a side road to a waterfall … low and behold, an incredibly confiding kitty.  We may have been about the third vehicle on the scene.  Before long though, totally blocked in by the masses of vehicles piling in to get their view and photos.

within a short while a complete traffic jam, that is just what was behind us, similar jam infront!

smiles homeward bound after a brilliant few days

some hours later

...and more hours later

The long drive back to Pietermaritzburg was challenging after such an eventful week, especially while my passengers filled the car with the aura of sleep.