The Cape Bird Club

Western Cape Raptor Research Programme – Zandvlei's Fish Eagles

photograph by Ann Koeslag

02/03/2007 – Ann Koeslag reports " The juvenile Fiah Eagle was at Zandvlei in February 2007. It was also reported on 3 occasions in January 2007. The wing tag is visible. It was grooming its feathers and the tag was pushed up into this position".

28/09/2006 – Ann Koeslag reports " Adam Weltz decided to have a go at our FE nest and so we went this morning.  His expert climber made good time getting up and the chick was lowered to have a tag and rings attached.

All photographs by Ann Koeslag

The 2006 chick having its vitals recorded.

He and his two helpers were most impressed with the size of the tree and height of nest. 44 metres from the ground to the nest.

Adam Weltz and his helpers doing all the checks and measurements when ringing and tagging this years juvenile which has recently fledged. Its plumage is much darker than the chick that fledged two years ago".

photograph by Ann Koeslag

13/09/2006 – Ann Koeslag reports "To my delight the Fish Eagles on the Constantiaberg have a chick in the nest. We caught our first sight of it this morning. Because the nest is so  deep and very high in a tree the only way to see the chick is when it does its wing exercises. By the look of the wing we saw, we don't think it will be too long before it fledges.

We are so relieved as the nest failed last year. Just at the time the  birds were busy with nesting, trees were cut down and cleared to within 60 meters of the nest. As a result the birds deserted the area and the nest died".

photograph by Ann Koeslag

See the reports and  pictures of the 2004 juvenile. 

If anyone sees him/her, please report it on the CapeBirdNet or contact Western Cape Raptor Research Programme, Fitzpatrick Institute, UCT.
We would be most grateful.