As we begin to move into spring, the landscape has started to change. The knobthorns and weeping boer-beans are beginning to flower, bringing a splash of colour back into the bush. At this time of year, many of our migratory bird species have also started returning, preparing themselves for the summer breeding season.
Every year at the end of winter, Knobthorn trees break out into a dazzle of yellow as their flowers blossom. The flowers emerge before the leaves.
With this in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about one of our local resident bird species that is a prominent feature here at Londolozi, particularly around our waterholes and wetland areas.
The grey heron is a large water bird, standing just under a metre tall, and they have a presence at almost every major waterhole here at Londolozi. These quiet watchers of the water are a fairly common sight, but one that often catches the eye of anyone driving past. At this time of year they begin establishing their nesting colonies, and it is quite common to see these birds perched on their nests in the trees and reeds surrounding the waterholes.
This makes it a particularly interesting time of year to observe grey herons, as the breeding season is now well underway and many have eggs tucked safely beneath them. These colonial nesting areas are known as heronries, and they become a real hive of activity in certain parts of the reserve, particularly around the Causeway, Vomba Dam, and Trogon Dam.
Grey herons are monogamous breeders, although they may choose a different mate in subsequent breeding seasons. There is also a fairly equal division of labour between the pair when it comes to raising their young. The male is responsible for collecting nesting material, which he brings back to the nest and hands over to the female, who then carefully incorporates it into the structure. They generally build platform-like nests in trees surrounding a waterhole or within prominent clumps of reeds.
Once the nest is complete, the real business begins. Grey herons lay between one and four eggs, which have a beautiful pale bluish-green colour. Both parents take turns incubating them for around 23 to 28 days. Eventually, and almost imperceptibly at first, new life begins to emerge as small, hungry heron chicks hatch. From that moment onwards they waste little time making their presence known, eagerly competing for the attention of their parents as they return from hunting.
After capturing this grey heron standing over its pale blue eggs, I will be keeping an eye out to see when the chicks hatch! The incubation period is normally between 23 to 28 days.
What strikes me as particularly unique about a heronry is the contrast it presents to the normal lifestyle of a grey heron. These are generally solitary hunters, and outside of the breeding season, fairly solitary birds. Yet when the heronries form, there is a complete change in atmosphere. Drive past one, and you are met with a bustle of activity, loud, unmistakable heron calls filling the air, accompanied by the much squeakier sounds of hungry chicks.
It is no easy task for the parents to raise their young, with every chick representing another hungry mouth to feed. Both parents play a role in hunting and bringing food back to the nest, while also keeping a watchful eye over their offspring. There are plenty of dangers that threaten these helpless chicks, with fish eagles and other raptors among the most significant. Not every chick will make it to adulthood, but that is simply the reality of life out here.
As the chicks develop and grow older, they gradually become more adventurous, eventually venturing beyond the safety of the nest. Before long, the season changes, the young herons disperse, and the waterholes slowly return to their quieter ways. It will be another year before these heronries once again fill the bush with the same noise and activity.
For me, this is one of those things out here that may not necessarily be what you originally set out to see on safari, but it is one of the smaller details that can make a trip all the more enjoyable. Watching this abundance of life unfold around the waterholes, birds coming and going, chicks calling from the safety of their nests, can be an incredibly rewarding part of a game drive.
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on Grey Herons: When the Watchers Gather