Its Spring !!

Year after year, yellow-billed kites arrive in the kzn region during the first week of August.  This year proved that rule yet again.  Although I heard of first-sighting from several friends for three days prior to mine on the 9th of August.  And then during the week of 12-17 August, spent surveying the Durban reserves and their eagle nests, the influx of yellow-billed kites has been notably frustrating.  With so many raptors in the sky I have glanced at each on incase of crowned eagles - this has been a bit of a traffic hazard perhaps!  As well as the abundant kites, this week has also been the first sightings for wahlbergs eagles and steppe buzzards.

The migrants have started to arrive, and the crowned eagles are already well underway with this years breeding attempts. 

even the best vantage points for most nests leave much of the detail obscured 

this enormous nest has been built onto for over a month, now lined with many leafy sprigs

the pair at the Kranzkloof gorge are also doing well with their construction. And last years juvenile is not far from home

this nest failed around hatching time last year, and now has been occupied by egyptian geese

thats what we like to see !

and another happily incubating her clutch

Spring comes early for crowned eagles.  In the southern limits of their range, this population may be taking seasonal cues such as the lengthening days to establish a breeding season.  Perhaps over the years they have also synchronized a breeding season to make use of hadeda nestlings and young dassies come November, when the chicks are most demanding for food.  In any case many nests are well prepared, built up large and lined with soft leafy sprigs, while others are already incubating.  As yet it seems none have hatched. 

Whilst surveying, I had a chance to test my camera’s abilities – and it have proven that my binoculars are pretty much obsolete.  In December last year the lastest Canon PowerShot hit the stores.  The SX50HS.  50x optical zoom and then 4x digital multipliers pulls distance objects in to 200x zoom… my 10x42 Shirstone binoculars pale in comparison.  Indeed on two occasions (photos below), I glassed the nests and didn’t see anything obvious there - only to take a photo and confirm the eagles head glancing over the lip of the nest!!!

no better way to get an accurate laying date than visiting the nest between 1st and 2nd egg laying !