A Date at the Dam

There is great exhilaration whenever setting out on safari, as you always want to see something, you might not know what, but the excitement widens your eyes ready to spot even the faintest flinch of any animal. I always enjoy seeing the large mammals of the great wilderness, but there is something inside me that completely admires our awesome feathered friends. Birds are very important in the ecosystem and form great relationships with various animals, whether it is by alerting them to the presence of predators, or relieving them of the parasites sitting on their skin.

During an afternoon drive on Kapama my guests and I came across quite an intriguing situation. We had unintentionally intruded on two Saddle-billed storks on a date at the dam. Yes, these two large, long legged birds were having a romantic day out, looking for fish and frogs, reptiles and even small mammals. They were foraging together at one of the dams in the South-eastern parts of the reserve. It was quite the spectacle to see the male, with his brownish eye and yellow pendant wattles on the face, try and catch the right meal for his beautiful lady using the saddle shaped bill with its stunning red colours. These two birds pair monogamously and live along large river systems and lake margins.

The female was standing tall in the water, not looking too impressed with the efforts of her partner, when suddenly the male dashed across the water, raising his wings slightly in an attempt not to get too wet, and crashed down again dipping his bill into the water in a downward motion. He was determined to make a good impression, and then.. he pulled out an average sized fish, squirming around while being gripped horizontally in his bill. Now there was a change in behaviour of the beautifully coloured female. She quickly made her way over to her knight in shining armour in long strides and, just like any other couple would do on their date, she shared the meal that her successful companion had caught for her.

We were all sitting with smiles, entertained by such a remarkable spectacle. It's always a privilege just to be able to see these black and white feathered giants, as they have been listed as an endangered species in South Africa, but to see them perform so romantically was a sighting endangered on its own.

#Saddlebilledstork