Africam.com, in partnership with the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans, will again be watching as Emoyeni (Upon the wind) and her 3rd husband Thulani (The shy one) prepare for the upcoming nesting season - 2012 - and we will again be bringing the camera to you on our Live Cams page.
www.africam.com
www.blackeagles.co.za

Click HERE for the CAM
The time there is GMT (UTC)
This year we have made major upgrades including a new camera, night vision and sound.
The time in Johannesburg has been put above the cam - for easy reference!

Be aware that these birds practise Cainism - or Siblicide!
Excellent Article to be found HERE


Join the Africam Twitter Alert and get up to the minute real time alerts - www.twitter.com/africam will alert you when the eggs start hatching so you don’t miss the hatchings LIVE
For more information on the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans go to www.facebook.com/blackeagleproject
# # #
Contact May 18, 2010
Jon Oliver - Africam CEO
+27 (0) 83 6000 719
jono@africam.com
May 18, 2010

This pair laid two eggs in 2010, and 2011.
(Link to the 2010 thread.)
(Link to the 2011 thread)

2012 Timeline

• Cam On: Cam back on May 24th
  
• eggs laid: Not sure - no cam
  
• hatched: June 6, 7:32 am; June 9, 10:38 am
  
• sad (but not unexpected) news: the younger chick died June 16 (we so hoped this would be the one-in-a-million exception to the "only one survives" rule for these eagles, but sadly that was not to be)
  
• fledged: September 12, 7:35 am (99 days, or about 14 weeks)
  

Africam.com, who was the first to bring you live streaming full motion video of African
wildlife over the internet (lions, rhinos, giraffes etc.) is set to bring you another first. In
partnership with the Black Eagle Project Roodekrans, they are proud to announce the
launch of the new Black Eagle live streaming webcam at www.africam.com
Which has night vision for the 2012 season.


A Black Eagle coming in to land

We wish to thank and acknowledge Garth Heydenrych - BEPR photographer
for his wonderful photographs.

The brainchild of Project Coordinator, Libby Woodcock and her team at Black Eagle Project, they are dedicated to the conservation of these threatened raptors and will use the live streaming webcam to view the hatching of the chicks in real time.
The first egg is expected to hatch around the 22nd of May. The second egg should follow four to five days after.
The project will also monitor and obtain vital research on their breeding cycle, which in conjunction with Wits Zoology Department, will help to conserve the Eagles within their habitat and educate viewers worldwide.

So A Very Warm Welcome, For The Third Year, to the Black Eagle Project - Roodekrans

About the Project:

The Black Eagle Cam is situated in the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The camera is a joint project supported by a number of sponsors including Africam.
The project's aims are to create awareness and support for the Black Eagle Project, which was set up in 1998 as an affiliate to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden and was registered as an independent, Section 21, non-profit organization.
The project consists of a 7 member committee and approximately 30 dedicated volunteer members.
What is so significant about this project is that these eagles are the last of a once much larger population that inhabited the mountain ridges of Johannesburg. Due to the expansion of the city of Johannesburg their habitat and food source has come under threat.
This specific nesting site has been documented as far back as the early 1940’s and it is estimated that the current mating pair are the third or fourth descendants from the first documented nesting pair.

The Black Eagle is the finest of the genus Aquilla - a truly magnificent coal black bird with a white back and V on the shoulders.
The handsome plumage is enhanced by consummate grace in flight ... When perched, the small head and tapering neck gives the eagle an almost regal appearance.
The juvenile Black Eagle, unlike the adult, is cryptically coloured and its plumage blends with broken rock, bush and trees of the surroundings.
Feathered nestlings and juveniles are mottled brown, with a pale gold crown and nape, russet - brown mantle and neck, black cheeks and throat, cream forehead variously flecked with brown; the feathered legs, cream with light brown flecks; cere and toes, creamy yellow; bill grey, darker at tip; eye brown.
Rump feathers are cream, edged brown; tail and flight feathers barred light and dark brown and with light fawn tips.
In flight the young eagle shows the emerging pattern of ‘windows’ in the wing, the characteristic but less pronounced leaf - shaped wing and an indistinctly margined light rump.

There is some excellent information on these eagles - their history - their nest and where the cam is at Hedgiesjoy Blogspot

Visit The project's website for more fascinating details about the eagles - photos of the area - breeding history etc.

And Click Here For a good report on Bafana, the eaglet from 2010. And more on their Facebook page.

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden

Malcolm Rd, Poortview
Nr Johannesburg

Using the natural terrain as well as some landscaped areas, the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden (formerly the Witwatersrand Botanical Garden) features indigenous plants, rare species and themed displays for visitors to enjoy.

Set in the picturesque foothills of the Witwatersrand range, this botanical garden unites native species with rare and beautiful ones. A semi-wild area replicates the rocky Highveld grassland terrain of the Witwatersrand, complete with a small pond. This is especially beautiful in late spring and early summer when the wild flowers are in full bloom.

Other areas include a herb garden, a succulent garden and a "waterwise garden", which shows visitors how to make the most of their gardens without using excess water (a bonus in an area where it can be rare).

Although only designated a National Botanical Garden in July 1982 - the youngest of the South Africa National Botanical Garden's eight gardens throughout the country - and first opened to the public five years' later, it took its current name from Walter Sisulu (1912-2003), one of the leaders of South Africa's democratic struggle.

The gardens also attract a variety of wildlife and feature the only known nesting place in Gauteng of the endangered Black Eagle (aka Verreaux's Eagle), by the dramatic Witpoortjie waterfall.
Article

Reserved

This was just posted a few minutes ago on Facebook by Africam...

How tough was the Black Eagle 2012 install? Well, you need full mountain climbing gear.
The launch of the Black Eagle Live Cam is only days away. This year we have made major upgrades including a new camera, night vision and sound. As you can see from this pic upgrades to this site are especially challenging because of its "unique" location. Stay tuned for details on the cam's launch and when you will be able to watch the Black Eagles attempt to bring a new chick into the world, live 24X7.

© Africam

Posted on Facebook by Africam...

Here's another pic from the upcoming Black Eagle Cam's install. It's our version of "Extreme Conservation". Stay tuned for more updates, launch day is right around the corner.

© Africam

Looking forward to the cam starting back up again. Thanks for the great pictures of the new cam placement and nest location Nightowl! See you here soon!