Safari holds the unexpected and it’s what keeps the excitement levels high when heading out on game drive every day. One afternoon drive was just that.
We set out to find a large herd of buffalo that had frequented the southern parts of Londolozi over the previous few days. It was a very large herd and provided quite a spectacle.
Far in the distance, tracker Lucky Shabangu saw the hundreds of black shapes huddled in a clearing. As we approached we were surprised by a single female ostrich sitting in the middle of the masses of buffalo. She blended in perfectly with the surrounds.
One closer inspection we saw an egg that poked out from her underside! Could this be? Surely not. Finding her was literally like finding a needle in a haystack, so camouflaged was she, but she was on a nest as well? A single ostrich immersed in a sea of buffalo… We were a good couple of hundred metres from the nearest road and never would have found her had we not been going to view the herd.
We had no way of knowing how many eggs she was sitting on until an inquisitive group of buffalo strolled nearby. The ostrich hissed at the intruders (a sound I had never heard before). As they investigated the strange-looking bird she suddenly exploded off the nest, wings out, scattering the massed herd and forcing their attendant oxpeckers into the air. There revealed, lay 8 eggs in the sunlight.
Immersed in hundreds of Cape buffalo, the single ostrich lay motionless in hope that the large animals would move off. Take note of how well blended in she is for such a large bird.
Three years ago to the month we celebrated the first Ostrich nest on Londolozi. For some employees it was a lifetime first.
Now a new clutch of 8 eggs lies in the sand and it’s a first for many new rangers at Londolozi once again. We don’t know how many the hen (a female ostrich is a hen) started with or when they were laid, but signs on the ground around the nest suggest that no eggs have been broken or eaten by predators in the vicinity.
Ostriches will incubate eggs for around 50 days. As incubation progresses, eggs may turn a creamier colour. For now they look pure white and she may still be on the nest for a good few weeks. There was no male in the general area we could see, even though ostrich eggs are usually incubated by both sexes; the female by day and the male by night. The scrape-like nest is initially made by the male. Both birds will protect the nest aggressively, so most likely the male was off feeding and would return to the nest at dusk to take over his duties.
The buffalo gained confidence when the large bird refused to move, and so investigated closer. Hisses from the ostrich didn’t deter them until she resorted to a bolder approach…
Bursting up from her nest with a hiss, wings out and chasing the intruders, was the only way of getting the buffalo to move off and not crush any eggs.
8 white eggs are what we counted. How long ago were they laid? How many will she still lay? Multiple questions go through our mind as to what happens next.
The last view we had of the female was this before moving off on our drive. What an amazing discovery, and we all eagerly wait to see what the future holds.
See the hatched chicks from these eggs here: Ostrich Chicks Hatch!
Wonderful news. What a great sighting of all the buffalo and the ostrich.
Wonderful news! Very best wishes to this brave female ostrich for the 5 weeks to come… And to the chicks of course.
What a wonderful discovery! Best wishes to that mama ostrich. She obviously is a bold lady! Loved the photos, Alex.
So cool!!!
Unusual but amazing photos Alex! Maternal protection at its best. Thank you.
Alex what a great find. In November of 2017 I saw the Ostrich pair with no babies in sight. Hopefully there will not be any attention brought to them as she incubates the eggs. How wonderful it would be to see families of Ostrich making Londolozi their home. All of you who care for this wonderful land do an amazing job
Glad to see this. We never saw any ostriches when we were in Londolozi last September.
How exciting! I love that she scared the buffalo away. Here’s hoping they’re able to raise a few of the eggs to adulthood. Is this the same female who laid the first nest?
The picture of the buffaloes finding the ostrich is hilarious! They look completely hornswoggled. How great to possibly have more ostriches. Great pictures! Victoria
How exciting! Is this the same female ostrich that had the last clutch or a different one? I hope she’s able to incubate the eggs safely!
What wonderful news coupled with descriptive photos. Just goes to illustrate, because you’re small, does not prevent a threatening presence. Hopefully this location will not attract predators!
Hoping the pair tend carefully to these eggs….imagine…8 new ostriches on Londolozi. What a great sight that would be!
Is it Jenny or her daughter?
Holding thumbs a male ostrich encountered her before the eggs were laid! Do you know where the ostrich gets its name from…?
Great sighting!!! Another magical sighting by talented trackers! Hopefully some will survive. It’s a long incubation on such an open nesting location.
This is Great News. Hopefully she will be successful again and a few if not all, will hatch. was so glad to see 3 years ago that she finally had found a mate and here she is again preparing for a new family. Thanks for this post and keeping us updated on her progress.
What wonderful news! LOVED the image of the herd being scared away from the nest. One could feel the action!
Who says you need predators for fantastic viewing?
Fantastic, what a find!!! Hopefully you’ll soon be seing baby ostriches on Londolozi again!!