Trap camera confirms that there is at least one egg in the nest

The Black Eagles Project Roodekrans (BEPR) monitors can confirm that there is definitely an egg in the nest.

Members of the BEPR will once again start spending endless hours observing each and every move that is made by the eagles.

Makatsa chose a very private and upmarket location three years ago to build her nest and that has proven to be privacy on a higher level. On Sunday, 28 April the monitors observed that the nest was not left unattended for more than 20 minutes throughout the day, and they started getting that glint in the eye. The smiles were from ear to ear, and the general feeling was that there must be an egg in the nest.

The monitors continued to observe on 29 and 30 April, seeing that there was no change in the eagles’ pattern. The nest was not left unattended for long periods of time at all. Finally, photographer Garth Heydenrych sent a picture taken by his trap camera on 2 May, which confirmed that there was at least one egg in the nest.

Since then things have been normal, with Thulane bringing in food, allowing Makatsa to eat while he incubates the egg, and as soon as she has finished eating and has done a bit of flying around, she returns to the nest to allow the impatient Thulane to do his own thing.

Photographer and observer, Johann van den Berg said, “We have done our calculations, and from about 9 June we will be on guard again to monitor when the first food is taken to the nest, which will give us a clear indication that the first chick has hatched”.