Simon Thomsett

Category: Raptor Expedition, Uncategorized | Date: Oct 13 2009 | By: Laila Bahaa-el-din

For a whole year while we were on the expedition, Sheryl Bottner posted all our blogs, updated our Facebook group, Twittered and generally supported us. Without her, we would not have been able to maintain our online presence and for that, Simon and I are extremely grateful.

Not only did she help with technological aspects, but was of constant moral support. People reading the blogs at home might not realise how important it is for bloggers to receive feedback, but Sheryl was always there with an encouraging comment.

So, Sheryl, Thank You.

Tags: Sheryl, Thank You

5 responses so far

Category: Cataract Operation for Rosy, Crowned Eagles, Rosy and Girl in Naivasha, Uncategorized | Date: Sep 29 2008 | By: Laila Bahaa-el-din

From Sarah Higgins:

At 1.45 this afternoon, Rosy laid claim to his new territory!

This is the first time that he has used his territorial call since he has been in Naivasha. It was also the first time that I have ever heard a Crowned Eagle’s full cry and I was momentarily confused by this unknown sound. But then my heart swelled with joy - Rosy is feeling at home enough to start laying claim to his new patch. So - another milestone is passed, and I am sure that Girl too will be taking comfort from her male’s warrior cry.

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 12 2008 | By: simonthomsett

Rosy sits outside right now eating contentedly on the lawn. He is not alone as Tim the Lanneret has come back after a few days out on his own, and sits on his perch about 10m away. Things are looking bright and fresh.

The rains broke 3 days ago, and with it came an end to the dry season. It is a harsh time, extenuated by the sudden prevalence of many hundreds of starved cattle that have been settled near to my house. They flatten the land and turned it within weeks into a dust bowl. The wildlife scattered and the water resources were limited only to the livestock. I will never be convinced, no matter how indoctrinated that livestock is good for wildlife conservation.

With the dry season comes irritability. As the drought proceeds, people become fractious. In truth, the immediate environment so dictates peoples lives that moods can swing from day to day because a lot depends upon the weather. At no other time is there more social unrest than when there is a drought. As if to prove the point, I was raided again by two thugs a few weeks ago who approached Jonathan and I armed with clubs and machetes. They turned away only when faced with a greater adversity. The pattern is obvious. I have learned through experience to associate cattle with insecurity.

The dry season is not, as many people think, the warmest. Tourists and film crews come specifically for the dry season assuming it to be warm with blue skies. But it is usually cool with grey days, but latterly there has been high winds and dust with a few clear skies. Suddenly the afternoons fell quite, and the temperature shot up. Heat and humidity rose to a point that made all on edge. Lone wildebeest stood staring at the ground for hours in the heat haze. Zebra herds stood still, chins on the back of friends. Vultures circled each noon over dead animals. We have seen droughts that kill thousands of animals. The birds sang, especially the Hildebrant’s Starlings. Stupid birds! Groups of birds formed and sat in the tops of trees and sang. Idiots! There was no way it was going to rain.

At mid day and in the afternoons, we sought out the shade. In the bird sheds, the temperature could have cooked bread. Girl (Rosy’s mate) and Mutt the Lammergeyer sit in enclosed sheds now. The temperature made them very quiet.

Would it end, or would it be another severe drought?

Over the last two weeks, the clouds gathered each day and threatened to burst. They were black and turgid with rain. The flat bottoms of rain clouds seem perfect and solid. Above them curl mounds of clouds that shoot over 20,000ft into the sky. The temperature soared and we all prayed. It never came. The wind blew it all away and the birds stopped singing.

But 3 days ago the rain started. Not a huge dramatic downpour, but light. That is good because hard rain on denuded soil destroys the land. Immediately all our moods changed. The birds sang again. They have only a few weeks to build nests and breed. Most do not succeed as this is the short rains, but they will try.

I heard my first Eurasian Bee Eaters this week, high up out of sight. They call in the new year. As soon as they arrive, I start looking out for other migratory birds. I saw my first 2 Eurasian Hobbies too, flying low against the high wind that carried rain. I would have overlooked them had Tim not been feeding on my fist and looked up. They look like him and the local small bird community let out a warning cry thinking they are in danger. Soon though, after they have seen a few dozen more, they will cease their warning cries as Hobbies at this time of the year are harmless. Eating only airborne insects in and near rain fronts.

As soon as the grass turns green, the cattle will go and with them the noisy herders. Their nightly shrieking and yelling has subsided too. Things will return to normal and the cheetahs will come back to hunt near my windmill on the hill.

I wonder what this house will look like when we have all left. But I am not that sad now and anxious to get out and away. I do love these plains but things have changed. Rosy is now the principle thing holding me back. It is ironic that it was he who started it all 30 years ago, and it is with him that this big chapter of my life will soon end. I do hope one day to pick up again with him and his mate Girl. Meanwhile I do not have the means to give them what they deserve.

Tags: Cattle, Drought, Migration, Rain

One response so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 02 2008 | By: simonthomsett

Paula Kahumbu came over with her son Josh over the weekend and sat me down in front of the computer for an intense course. She used a new cell phone modem that cut through the fog and finally I was able to see the Wildlife Direct web site in the comfort of my own computer!

I noted with delight that I have been given quite a bit of money. Some $400 has been donated by three people. It is all the more  generous as I have never specified what I need money for, and to be honest I never thought I would get donations. Now that I have, I must first acknowledge how grateful I am, and also confide in those that support this work that I have had to make a lot of changes of late.

I am grateful to Fineley, Teresa and Antonio and can tell you all that I shall probably put this money into saving the sight of Rosy the male Crowned Eagle. I shall have to post this particular story soon, but in short,Rosy now 32 years old has cataracts in both eyes. He now sits on his shed floor with his mate occasionally descending from the nest tree above to help feed him. He must have an operation that can restore his sight to near normal. Frustratingly, the very laws put in place to help protect wildlife, instead of assisting and expediating the process have conspired to thwart his emergency export to the only animal eye hospital in Africa. I have a quote for the operation at some 14,797 Rand(about $2140) info@animaleyehospital.co.za (without airfare). I shall now try to raise funds for this project, perhaps through this blog.

In the last year there have been many changes in the life of my raptor collection due to necessary changes in how I live and support myself financially. I have not earned any money for this last year, having asked my former employer that I retire in order to re-evaluate my priorities. The reasons were mostly due to a domestic personal down-turn of events but inflation and increasing lack of security in the immediate area were additional factors.

This entails closing down all operations at Game Ranching Athi River where the birds and I live. I have actively tried to get the collection to its lowest for some years now, recognising that I cannot work, meet expectations and keep a menagerie of wild animals at the same time. The birds down from some 20, to 9 in the last year to now only 6. Most have been released (as is the objective) and others will be given new homes. I plan to be able to return to this former life, with some of my old collection of birds if possible once I am more secure and better able to manage them to a standard they deserve.

Far from backing out I hope to become more effective and better able to financially support these animals. I intend to get some important data regarding the status of raptors throughout Africa and ultimately earning some revenue.

I will be driving throughout Africa with Laila gathering material for a series of reports and books on raptors. Laila Bahaa-el-din is as passionate about raptors and conservation of wildlife as I.  She is a highly talented stills photographer and travelled widely working with monkeys, cheetah, tigers, vultures on three continents. She also knows how to organise and most importantly how to run a computer with all its unintelligble communication problems that so inhibit me. She will soon be writing on this blog, introducing the across Africa Raptor Expedition.

Thanks again to all of those that check in from time to time and especially to those who have donated.

Tags: Cataract, Crowned Eagle, Operation, thanks

One response so far