The vast majority of bird species prefer to breed during the more plentiful summer months. There’s more food around during this time of year which provides the adults with more energy to breed and raise their young as quickly as possible. The fact that they are breeding isn’t always obvious though as the birds construct their nests in hidden places, sometimes high up in the branches of trees and usually use a great deal of camouflage so as to give their offspring the best chance of surviving.
A number of starlings congregate down near a water hole early one morning
Unfortunately, for a pair of greater blue eared starlings who were nesting in the cavity of a branch of a weeping boerbean tree, their disguise was blown when a rarely seen African rock python discovered the nest, early one recent morning.
We were drawn into the area by the panicked alarm calls of a herd of impala quite close to camp. We circled the area to see if we could find any signs of a predator but, because of the thick vegetation, couldn’t see much. We switched the vehicle off to reassess whether the impalas were still alarming and immediately noticed a flock of greater blue eared starlings clearly also distressed about something in the tree alongside us.
Greater Blue Eared Starlings are one of the many bird species that enjoy nesting during the plentiful summer months.
They were dive-bombing in the direction of the one branch and frantically calling at the same time. It was then that we spotted the python wrapped around the branch with its head dangling below. Pythons are not often seen and this was only the second time I had laid eyes on one at Londolozi.
Glossy Starling
As we raised our binoculars to have a closer look we saw that the python was in fact finishing off a small meal and still had a few small down-feathers stuck to the side of its mouth. Slowly, it lifted its head back onto the branch and into a natural cavity from which it had already come, based on the fact that its tail-end was still inside. Knowing that the starling’s peak nesting period is in the early summer months and that they build their nests in tree cavities; we pieced the evidence together and figured that the python had just raided the starling’s nest.
The python exits the tree cavity in which the starling’s nest had been and begins to head for the higher branches. While this clutch of chicks did not survive, the starlings will likely lay another set of eggs in the coming weeks.
We sat for a few moments longer as the python explored the inside of the nest before it re-emerged again, this time with no catch. Presumably, the starling chicks that were inside had all been devoured. The python slowly began to move on, up the branch still seemingly undisturbed by the adult starlings who were continuing to mob it. With that, we received a call on the radio that tracker Terrence Mhlaba who had been assisting us in investigating the impala alarm calls from earlier had successfully found the Ximungwe Female leopard with a fresh impala ewe kill in the thicket just in front of us. We finished watching the python disappear into the higher branches and moved on to join Terrence and ranger Alfie Mathebula and their guests with the Ximungwe female. A morning not t0 be forgotten!
Having been viewed by vehicles from an early age, this leopard is supremely relaxed around Land Rovers.
Had not previously heard any discussion of the African python on the property.
Hi Vin, yes they are rarely seen, as most snakes tend to be rather secretive and scared of humans. Their camouflage also helps a great deal in keeping them hidden!
Wow what an amazing sighting, a real double whammy! Python is my favourite snake, Leopard a fave cat. Thank you for sharing this awesome scene
Such beautiful birds and a beautiful snake!
The snakes markings are quite incredible!
What an unusual sighting Chris! Interesting that they are now rare. When I was a child growing up in the Lowveld, my brother was very keen on capturing snakes and we had an array of captives around the house, some of which would escape from time to time and hide under sofas, in grandfather clocks etc. At the bottom of our property was the White River, which was more soap stone rock than River and it was a favorite place for snakes to sunbathe. My brother, together with some of our staff, managed to capture a sizeable Python one day and proceeded to carry him up to the house. By now my Mother had had quite enough of his hobby and promptly called the Parks Board who came to collect the python as even then, they were a protected species. Naturally my brother was devastated and the rest of the family…very relieved 😌
Poor starlings, losing their chick’s so early and with no success. Absolutely stunning birds. Phytons are not often photographed it is quite a rare view, a different sight this time. The Ximungwe female is always a welcomed subject!
Gruesome but Mother Nature in action. Quite a drive!
Nice shots of the Python Chris. In all our trips to South Africa, the only Python we saw was one crossing the road. Prof and Kyle jumped out and gave chase but it moved into heavy undergrowth but not before Prof got good video on our iPhone But not as good a picture as the one in the beginning of your blog!
What an exciting morning, Chris! I remember very well the python we saw nearly exactly one year ago devouring a spurfowl on the ground in the southwest of Londolozi near a waterhole.
Poor starling chicks and parents.
Wow Chris you had a good morning watching the rock python and then also seeing the Ximungwe female with a fresh kill. Shame I felt heartbroken for the Starling parents, knowing their chick’s are all gone. Beautiful python and it is mind boggling how they climb those trees and branches. Ximungwe female a gorgeous leopardess.
Amazing Chris, talk about right place, right time and experience to have found this sighting. Good images of the python as well. Then, if the marauding python wasn’t enough, you also had the good fortune to view the Ximungwe female as well. Your guests must have been over the moon!
While snakes are not my favorite creatures they play an important ecological role. Glad the starlings will lay another clutch in the near future. Thanks for sharing Chris.