The gravity of the situation...

Gravity plays a background role in most of our life.  We take it for granted.  But in some moments, gravity is a vivid force.

Me and gravity have been getting along fine, but sometimes our relationship is a bit strained (though I’m the only one doing the straining).  Roped ascents are a reasonably safe way to get high into trees.  A skill I learned while working for the Mauritius Wildlife Foundation, on the recovery project for the endangered Echo Parakeet.  During the five months of the parakeet breeding season of ’06-’07, I had survived around 200 climbs.  Many of the natural tree-cavities, and artificial nesting boxes were scaled multiple times for various reasons; egg checks, hatching success, ringing, and end of season maintenance (bees, termites, anti-viral spraying, and fresh nesting woodchips).  This skill has been invaluable in recent years for putting up owl nesting boxes, and presently for the Crowned Eagle research.

some examples of climbing in Mauritius. central image by Mia Jessen

and recently at the Victoria Country Club. photos by James Walker

Since arriving here in April to start the research I have also become very keen on rock climbing.  Initially in order to improve flexibility and strength conditioning for the tree-climbing work, and well, it became great to be out on rock faces for fun and the wildlife.  The KZN climbers have produced an excellent route guide, and places like Monteseel, and Rumdoodle in the Kloof Gorge Nature Reserve are stunning areas. Often we are climbing in areas where a Lanner or Peregrine falcon will fly past, and at Umgeni Valley occasionally a Verreaux Eagle too.  When reaching high into a crack of rock the occasional thought of confronting a snake in its hideout creeps into my mind.  With a fascination for snakes, I am looking forward to seeing and identifying species, but face-to-face up a 20 meter wall with a skinny finger-hold – not so much.

Spotted Rock Snake   Lamprophis guttatus   a habitat specialist of rock flakes and crevices

I have attempted to manage the potential dangers of climbing to Crowned Eagle nests.  Of course the rope must be well maintained and checked for weak points.  Whilst climbing, old trees and particularly Eucalypts, create large brittle dead snags, which with a little shake or rope pressure, come crashing through the canopy.  Look up!

 And not least the eagles.  When it comes to eagles nesting - a good offense is the best defense.  There have been many cautionary tales told and I remembered from years back an image in Leslie Brown’s book of deep puncture wounds in his shoulder.  I didn’t know until recently that Ben Hoffman had been to that particular nest several times, but wasn’t there when Leslie was gripped below the ribs – the eagles talons missing his kidneys by a couple of centimeters.  Having spent time with Simon Thomsett also, he told of similar stories, including a Danish volunteer that was struck hard  “She had pushed his teeth through his gums and put a few deep holes in his head. On his way down the trees had broken his fall but had broken his arm too.”
Read the whole story here

Simon has been attacked several times, and on one occasions, remembering Leslies photo, took a similar self-portrait.

Brown, L. 1976. Birds of Prey: Their Biology and Ecology

Simon mimicking Leslie - follow the link in text to Simons blog 

With these tales, I prepared well to face the wrath of a protective mother, and decided on a foam filled backpack with waist straps to protect from attacks from the rear, and a police riot helmet with visor and neck guard.  Going so far as to paint big eyes on the back of my helmet – in the hopes that they will not be so bold as to attack while I’m watching.  There was one very recent incident that presented another danger that I didn't predict.  The wrath of a deeply passionate local who wasn't informed of the research we are doing.  Taking misperceptions to the extreme and not appreciating that our timing and disturbance on the eagles has been carefully considered, with the least disturbance possible, UKZN Animal Ethics approval, landowner permissions, and municipality permits.  Despite these details that we tried to explain, in the heat of the moment and with large pair of kitchen scissors, I found myself 20 meters up a tree with an irate local preparing to cut me down.  Thankfully, Mia saved what was potentially a fall to my death, or in the least, serious injury.  Yet the scissors still found their way to my rope anyhow, and our passionate resident cut off six meters from the free end of a R2,000 rope – as a warning.

Heated exchanges cooled, and over a lovely cup of sweet rooibos, it seems we ended the day on amicable terms.  It was a oversight on my part to not ensure the neighborhood was well informed with the details of the research, this is a lesson well learnt.

First Nest Camera

After a week-long trepidatious build-up to the first instalment of a nest camera, this afternoon I breathe a sigh of relief that I had a wonderful eagle to break the ice with. Since the 2nd of August, when I saw that the two eggs had hatched, I had a red mark on the calendar for this climb.  The eaglet is two weeks old (has killed the second hatched young – as is normal for these eagles), and can tolerate a fair bit of exposure while I fumble around the nest site.

We had two days of terrible wet weather earlier this week, but as the weather cleared yesterday I checked in and found that all was well.  I noticed a piece of meat on the nest, and today discovered it to be the back half of a hyrax.  It was mostly concealed by fresh gum leaves - the only fresh leaves on the nest.  Obviously the eagles are making use of the insecticidal properties and keeping the food stores untainted.

a relief to see that the chick was alive and well after severe weather yesterday (9 Aug 2012)

the sole of a hyrax foot protrudes from concealing gum leaves

the best support team one could ask for

Most gratefully, there was an eager support team to help me out.  No eagles were to be seen on arrival and during the setup, but the female was perched concealed nearby and watching closely – she showed herself within seconds of me starting up the rope and called loudly.  Fortunately she remained in a nearby perch, and even apparently relaxed enough to preen and rouse while I was right at the nest.

There are many, many more climbs to do – this nest will need to be revisited in a three-weekly rotation to collect data and change batteries.  I am intrigued to see how these eagles respond with continued intrusion; do they habituate and calm down as months go by, or get more bold and aggressive as the young eaglet grows?  There should be nine other nests to include over the next two seasons, no doubt the individuals with respond differently.

a concerned eagle watches me closely

circa. 15 day old eaglet

camera installed - now anticipating the first data review in three weeks time

self portrait of concern

I consider there to be three spectacular monkey-eating eagles.  The Crowned Eagle of course; the largest of eagles, the Harpy, in tropical America; and probably the most striking, the Phillipine Eagle of that archipelago in Southeast Asia.  The Crowned is the smaller of these three, but has a reputation for being very powerful, and for defending its eaglet against all-comers. The worst thing would be to expect this every time, to relax and become complacent.

My nerves were already in a ruinous state before sitting back to watch a program on Harpy Eagles yesterday. The BBC filmmakers used stab-proof vests, riot helmets, and rawhide strapping to protect themselves against the Harpy attacks when installing and mending their nest camera.  The best I mustered was a foam stuffed backpack and motorbike helmet.  Investing in riot gear is a wise plan.

Enjoy watching this 6 part program on the Harpy in the Orinoco.

Tick Bite Fever

Yes indeed.  Well it didn’t take long to get, and theres two reasons Im oddly happy.  Firstly it feels like it’s a sure sign Im here – the assurance of contracting a (mild) African illness.  But more importantly, Im chuffed that it was such a mild one.  I’d hear stories, oh yes.  A bogeyman to watch out for, especially after all those pepper-tick bites at Mkambati. Be careful, after a ten day incubation period, you could be in serious discomfort. 

 And so I woke on Sunday morning with a peculiar mosquito bite between the toes that was puffy but not too itchy, and the lymph gland in that side of the groin was tender… getting out of bed and vertical produced a searing headache for just one second, then the blood pressure change seemed to equalize. I made breakfast, and as I lay down to bed again the same instantaneous headache, it passed and I felt comfortable.  I read some journal papers and thought best to take it easy.  The ‘taste of a flu’ was in my mouth and I remembered to keep hydrated.  I’d heard that classic TBF signs are about a purple tick bite site, persistent gnarly headaches, high fevers, and lymph pains, so in typical fashion I thought to myself ‘well its nowhere that bad, lets just see how I feel tomorrow’. (Doctors are scary… they tell you you are diseased!)

So Tomorrow came and went much the same.  Then I got up cheerfully on Wednesday and rolled into university.  Noticing as I walked into the office that I was Lymp(h)ing on that leg, Colleen suggested to see the Student Health Clinic.  After consulting with a few other post-grads in the department who gave me a broader picture of the onset of TBF, particularly the one about ‘that’s how it starts, then it spreads all over and you get relapsing fevers’, I hurried over to the nurses clinic.  I had another laugh when I walked into the consult room, as the nurse sounded much sicker than me!  Having just suffered an asthma attack that morning she could barely speak to me, I thought to myself Im going to be better off keeping away from this cesspool of disease… But 15 minutes later and I walked out of there with some vivid green pills.  Twice a day for a week should limit the intensity and duration of the symptoms.  Later that day the little purple sign at the bite site came to say hello.

The black lesion at the bite is an eschar

Doxycycline destroys Rickettsia africae... bombs away

Today, except for the colour and swelling at the bite, I feel back to normal.  While abseiling and rock-climbing this afternoon, there was none of the feared pain of the harness tight on the groin lymph gland, and none of the headache or fever despite the unseasonal heat and humidity. Lush.  Maybe I’d been exposed a few years back in Kenya, but it could have been suppressed because we were taking Doxy for malaria at the time.  Tick Bite Fever is meant to get milder and milder at subsequent exposures. I’ll be sure to finish this course of antibiotics, now that I’ve just started.  

I learnt many new facts about TBF this week!