8 Mar 2013 - Batty

Esther is getting quite adventurous now, spending her days exploring,
gliding tree to tree and flitting among the branches.
She has found a new trick - hanging up-side-down from a branch
and viewing the world beneath from a different perspective.
Apparently this is typical  of a youngster at this age and a useful marker in her development. Great fun... (5MB)

23 Feb 2013 - Wings of eagles

Those amazing wings are still very young - but already quite magnificent...

23 Feb 2013 - Playing with food

Like most young animals, Esther plays with her food while eating. 

Here she is tossing a Dassie head around...(5 MB)

Then Mother arrives to restore a bit of discipline...(4 MB)

03 Feb 2013 - 3 Meals a day

Esther has a voracious appetite - ordering in her meals 3 times a day.
Here the food courier (aka Mother), has just delivered and readies herself to launch for the next hunt...

Esther sometimes bites of more than she can chew...

Actually, this is just the skin and fur left in one piece after she has consumed all the flesh and bone.
Now she attempts to swallow the whole piece at once - not a simple task!
After much effort, she gets it half-way down, finds she can't take in any more, regurgitates it, picks at it a bit, and starts again, repeating the whole process a few times until she finally somehow manages to put it all away.

Satisfied with her accomplishment, she looks around for a suitable perch on which to chill while her digestive system does its work...

Notice how well camouflaged she is up in the gum tree.
She's already thinking about her next meal...

22 Jan 2013 - Flying!

Esther has been flying for about a week now.
Here she is - trying to get a grip of things.

Being a girl - cleaning her toe nails is important ...

26 Dec 2012 - Mistress of the nest

2 weeks after being ringed, Esther has taken charge of the nest.
Though not yet flying, here she sits on high, keenly surveying her all beneath her.

13 Dec 2012 - Bagged & Ringed

At about 13 weeks of age, the young eagle bravely submitted itself to the UKZN Crowned Eagle research programme. 

Going where no man has dared go before, Shane hauled himself up to the nest, while keeping a wary watch  for defensive parents and threatening neighbours.

Gently bagged and lowered to the ground, the eaglet was weighed, measured and ringed by Shane, assisted by fearless Patrick.

 Careful as he was to avoid those fierce talons, Patrick suffered one puncture.

 Returned to the nest in half an hour, with only a few ruffled feathers, Esther settled down and by next morning the whole episode was put in the past as she got on with her next meal.

Data gathered by Shane for his research programme will help in the conservation and protection of this magnificent bird.