The Cape Bird Club

The ups and downs of Raptor research by  Jo Hobbs.
an extract article from Promerops No 285. Feb 2011

The dramatic implosion of the two Athlone Cooling Towers as seen on television on 22 August last year provided a brief distraction from gloomier news events, as did a small newspaper item which many of you may have read.

Briefly, three Peregrine Falcon nesting boxes had been installed on the towers in 1989 by Dr. Andrew Jenkins as part of his doctorial studies to provide them with a safe place to breed, and one breeding pair was still in occupation. A rescue strategy was obviously called for, with no time to waste. A plan had to be hatched, or no peregrines would be.

So in June, with the help of rope access specialists, Andrew erected specially designed platforms and nesting boxes on the western chimney stack of the new Athlone Power Station and at the eastern end of the building. To everyone’s enormous relief the peregrine pair took an instant liking to their newly furbished accommodation. By mid September, a mere 3 weeks after the implosion of the Cooling Towers, they were already incubating a clutch of eggs in the chimney stack’s nest box. Three healthy chicks duly hatched and were colour ringed and their photos appeared in the press.

A nice story for Promerops? Well yes, but the peregrine chicks which hatched in October 2010 will be aerial bullets by the time we publish in February 2011 and no longer hot news. So I thought we would make a little diversion and have a look at the tremendous lengths (and heights) to which researchers go to carry out their tasks.

Andrew Jenkins is well known to us for his many articles and talks on Peregrine Falcons and his passion for these “pocket rockets”. In recent issues of Africa - Birds & Birding he vividly described his visits to some of the 50 nesting sites he has monitored over the years. Many of these are on cliffs and quarry faces, and others on old commercial buildings, modern high rises, hospitals, silos, fire stations, churches … all requiring skill, daring and steady nerves to access.

Another intrepid climber is researcher Anthony van Zyl who co-ordinates the Migrating Kestrel Project. As those who have visited the pylons in Wellington in January each year already know, his particular interest is in tracking the Lesser Kestrels, and also Amur and Red-footed Falcons.

Raptor monitors Lucia Rodrigues and Ann Koeslag are among our most active and dedicated amateur researchers, also well known to us through talks and articles in Promerops. Did you know that Lucia learnt to abseil in order to carry out her work and has since become a competent rock climber? From slides shown at a recent presentation I know she is equally at home on the tops of tall buildings reached by daunting ladders and walkways.

photograph by Ann Koeslag

Lucia Rodrigues descending down a granite cliffside. 

Ann Koeslag has sent me a selection of photos to share with you. She says she is afraid of heights and does not do her own climbing - and who can blame her? Her work with Black Sparrowhawks involves climbing forest trees and this is done by Mark Cowan, a skilled rock climber. Mark is unfailingly cheerful and good at handling the chicks which are placed in a bag and gently lowered to the forest floor for Ann’s attention, and then hoisted back up. As tree climbing in plantations cannot be done with boots with spikes which would damage the wood, he has devised a system of nylon straps to secure himself to the tree at various points. Fortunately he is very safety conscious, which is reassuring for onlookers as some of the nests are in awkward positions and some are at considerable heights, the highest being 56 metres above ground!

photograph by Ann Koeslag

Mark Cowan inching up the branch towards the nest, the branch becomes
decidedly thinner towards the nest.

photograph by Ann Koeslag

Then this fluffball is waiting to bite the hands put out to reach it.

photograph by Ann Koeslag

Mark coming down slowly, look at the broken dried
branches that the climbing loop has to go over.

photograph by Ann Koeslag

Mark having some fun after the strenuous climb.

I think it’s good for us to be reminded that much grit and determination goes into research work of this kind, as we sit cosily at home and flick over the pages of our favourite birding magazine.