Simon Thomsett

Category: Crowned Eagles | Date: Oct 26 2007 | By: admin

17th Oct 2007

Last night was supposed to be spent listening out in case Duchess got into trouble. She had chosen a lofty tree over some large pools, under which were suspicious tunnels and cleared undergrowth.

Using the logic that lightening never strikes twice the location of the tent was placed on top of elephant flattened area from the night before. But I did have the forethought to place it right on the edge of a 10 ft drop and near a climbable tree full of tangled vines. I ate and got into my flimsy one man tent at about 8.30pm to finish the blog.

My principle fear was Verreaux’s Eagle Owls, who many years ago nearly killed a newly released Crowned Eagle. If these owls called then my plan was……well I wasn’t really too sure. I’d just have to do something, and probably it would be ineffectual. Just when I went to sleep a great commotion and thundering and bellowing meters from the tent woke me up, cold and very sober. One buffalo came within inches smelling the tent entrance. I grabbed my semi (sharp ended machete) slid noiselessly out of my bag and crouched at the back of the tent.

Plan A was to wait until it wandered off.

B, to wait until it stuffed the tent and then calmly slit the back and go down the embankment.

Of course plan A worked, but it did stick its nose on the tent flap and then suddenly spook and run wildly through thick bush. Another group came by, but by then I was up the tree. They milled around well behaved bar an occasional grunt for 2 hours. The baboons barked, and I thought oh oh. I went back to bed when they all left slept well till 5.30am, when they all reappeared.

Duchess was fine, and stared down from above unmoved. Amos came at 7am escorting some plumbers who wanted to fix the water pipe. We checked on Duchess. She had flown over to the spring and was little interested in food.

Around mid morning I confirmed a Bateleur Eagle nest with nearly fledged young in it. Then a male Ayres’s Hawk Eagle bombed Duchess as she sat on an exposed branch. Later a young Augur Buzzard joined in.