Black eagle Update: Breeding pair not affected by storms

The recent violent storms may have uprooted trees and washed away cars, but the black eagles of Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens are seemingly untouched.
Chairman of the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans, Gerald Draper said, “As far as the storms are concerned, the current nest has held up well and there is no visible damage.”
Besides not being bothered by the storm, since the new pair’s breeding cycle has not started what would have been an exceptionally busy and crucial time for the eagle pair has been carefree without any juvenile eagles to look after.
“We are still not sure what the female (Makatsa) will do regarding breeding next year. She has been seen starting a possible new nest, but is also showing a bit of interest in the existing one,” Draper added.
According to Draper, under normal circumstances at this time of the year, the juveniles would have fledged and would be in the company of the adults in the immediate vicinity of the nest. The juveniles would still need to be fed, and be taught how to fly and other skills they will need to survive when they are on their own.
Usually, early December marks the period where the male eagle and then the female start showing aggression towards the juvenile, pushing it further and further away from the waterfall area. This continues for about two weeks until the juvenile stays away but still remains in the home range. Feeding will gradually be reduced until it eventually leaves to find its own territory.
The parent eagles then go into a rest period for about two to three months before they start refurbishing the nest in preparation for another breeding cycle.