A gift of Black Eagles
Yes, I know that they are now officially known as Verreaux’s Eagles but I never liked words with too many vowels and anyway I’ve always known them as Black Eagles. Be that as it may, we were walking along enjoying the beauty of the mountains and I had just commented on how it was ages since I last saw a Black Eagle in the area – when they appeared above us.
These magnificent Eagles with their wingspan reaching up to 2.2metres have always been one of my favourites. They occur in hilly and mountainous areas and their favoured prey is the hyrax.
They are magnificent flyers and seem to simply float on the air. They are almost always seen in pairs and it has been a commonly held belief that they pair for life, however Megan Murgatroyd, who has being studying these eagles recently discredited that belief. Have a look at her wonderful blog at: http://www.blackeagleproject.blogspot.com/
About two weeks ago in the Cederberg, I saw a very recently fledged youngster being encouraged by its parents to fly but this pair seemed to be just getting around to building or renovating a nest:
