Experience nature’s wonders at the Koppies
A gentle stroll on Melville Koppies can bring peace and quiet to walkers but up in the air, life is a little more pressured for our feathered friends.
Friends of Melville Koppies chairperson Wendy Carstens recently while walking on the Koppies witnessed a black-winged kite being harassed by a pied crow. Undaunted by the crow’s size, the kite turned on the crow.
“The chicken-hearted crow, cawing loudly, tried to get away from the determined kite,” said Carstens.
“Two marauding crows heard the frantic cawing and swooped in for a combined three-Crow attack. The canny Kite quickly dropped down into the safety of the forest.”
The crows gave up their attack leaving the kite to resume its static aerial hovering followed by a steep dive onto the prey it had observed in the grassland.
Experience more
Come and visit Melville Koppies on a Sunday morning from 08:00 to 11:30. Bring your binoculars and maybe you’ll also be able to marvel at the black-winged kite’s mastery of the air. There are other options too. Book your own guided tour (phone 079 532 0083) for your group or, if you’re on your own, be there by 08:30 to join a tour.
Challenge yourself to the 5km hike, self-guide yourselves on the heritage trail or just meander along the many different paths that criss-cross the Koppies.
Cost is R80 for adutls, R40 for children and season tickets at R500 per year per adult is available. These are not transferable. Income used for maintenance of the Koppies. Security on the Koppies is provided; park in secure parking opposite the entrance at Marks Park in Judith Road, Emmarentia.
Contact wendavid@mweb.co.za or call 079 532 0083 or visit www.mk.org.za for more detailed information about the history and what you can see on Facebook.
