Giants Castle Game Reserve *

[Sharifa]

We were in Giants Castle during the Easter weekend. Are you all ready for a trip to Giants Castle to see the Lammergeyers and Cape Vultures and much more

[Sharifa]

Toko, Mel, Dewi, Flutterby, Amoli, harrys

We were in Giants Castle (GC) Easter 2012 and again Easter 2013 and these photos are a selection from both of those trips. We stayed at GC and the chalets are well priced and well maintained (R900 per night) The main attraction for us was the Lammergeier Hide but there are also the beautiful hikes and like Toko said you could be fortunate to see an Eland and other mammals and birds too.

We booked out the Hide for all the days we were there and spent our mornings at the Hide. The hide charge is R600 a day and maximum of 6 people - even if you are only two it is yours for the day and you can spend the night in the hide if you wish too. This is the hide



You will be provided with bones to scatter around (useful to have a driver to do this for you)



Inside the hide






This year the Rangers had placed a horse carcass while we were there. We saw the Cape Vultures and white necked ravens feeding as we got there in the morning




Setting the surrounding scenery from the hide

[Sharifa]

hey sharifa..........

good to see you again......

does the carcass not give off a bit of a stench ???????



how far is the walk from the lodge to the hide ???

What a stench leachy. You cannot walk to the hide, need a 4x4. If you do not have a 4x4 the Rangers will drop you off at the hide and pick you up again at a pre arranged time.

Wow, I would love to spend a night there

Great pics

We have not spend a night there BC. Did not know we could but found out on this trip. It would bean amazing experience to spend the night in the hide.

[Sharifa]

Hi Bushveld Jock We find GC to be better than GG if you want to see the Bearded Ones. You are guaranteed a sighting at GC, if not an actual landing of one.

First to the bones will be the Jackal Buzzard and the Black Backed Jackal











Living close to the edge



The White necked Ravens and the Cape Crow







Cape rock Thrush and Red winged starling







Buff streaked Chat

[Sharifa]

Thanks Dewi, Toko ( Lammartar), nan, Mel, Bushcraft, Amoli, Pumbaa

Although you are guaranteed to see the Cape and Bearded vultures, there is no guarantee they will land. We were lucky last year in getting this Capie to land





This year we caught them feeding on the horse carcass one morning but going to the hide would have disturbed them, what to do We enjoyed from afar and then slowly made our way to the hide. They moved from the carcass but did not fly away





Some Cape Vultures in flight



White necked raven hitching a ride

[Sharifa]

Thank You nan, Mel, Toko, Amoli, Dewi, Bushcraft, Lisbeth, Penga Ndolvu

As we watched and waited for the vultures to arrive, we were entertained by the white necked ravens that kept landing and taking off. Then we noticed a few ravens bombarding another bird in flight, trying to chase him away. As they came nearer we recognised the enemy as the gymnogene (African Harrier Hawk). The African Harrier Hawk is called the “Blusher Bird” because of its bare cheeks. The cheeks are yellow but turn a bright red during courtship.

This is an amazing bird and we always enjoy watching it when it is in search of a meal. Though it is a bird of prey it is does eat the fruit of the Oil Palm too. The most unusual feature of the Gymnogene is the knee joint, which allows the leg to bend in all directions, unlike all other birds of prey, whose lower legs can move in one direction only. This allows the bird to put his foot in to the nest holes of other birds like the woodpeckers and barbets. A favourite prey is the cape weaver and the gymnogene will hang upside down with wings outstretched and do all kinds of acrobatic moves to get his foot into the nest and grab a fledgeling.

The Gymnogene is a specialist nest raider and appears to be universally hated by other birds. The white necked ravens were not going to tolerate this guy (0)

[Sharifa]

Thanks Toko, Mel, nan, Flutterby, Lisbeth, Buscraft.

Yes the Ravens are large compared to the gymnogene and always ready for a scrap, even with a juvenile lammergeier


and an adult too


Now for the bearded One - random photos from both trips

[Sharifa]

Thank you nan, Lisbeth, Pumbaa, Mel, Bushcraft, Flutterby,

Sharifa
Welcome to the forum.

Great to have a report on Giants Castle.
How old is the driver ? He attracted a lot of vultures ! plus a jackal too !

Thank you General Gump

Oh, he is ancient; I have had him forever

I need to make a plan and get myself there!

A useful tip would be to first book the Hide for the days you want and then book the accommadation around it. The Hide is very popular and gets booked out very quickly, as soon as bookings open.

Sharifa,

Amazing shots of the lammergeyer and gymnogene and love that jackal on the edge. I am sure he must be one of the most photograph jackals in KZN.


The new hide at GG is great for viewing the landscape, but the location of Giants Castle hide is much better and closer to the birds. We only saw cape vulture far-off and overheads but not nearby the different type of birds you saw.

Thanks Bushveld Jock. There are a few jackals in the area and as yet haven't got used to people even though they know we put the bones out, which is very healthy.

Haven't been to the hide at GG as yet but I love this hide for the sole reason that you don't have to share the hide with other, sometimes noisy, visitors

About the photos. I have not been on any photography courses and don't count myself as an expert. I do believe that for birds in flight the equipment does make a difference. I mostly use a canon 7D and Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens and did not get the same quality of photos when using the canon 400D and a canon 75-300 f/4-5.6 kit lens

The canon 500 f/4 L IS USM prime lens on a 1D MK IV camera gives even better results

What does help is lots of practice using on line tutorials. Below are two that helped me:

This one by David Hemmings

and this one by Mike Atkinson

[Sharifa]

Dewi, nan, Lisbeth, Bushcraft

This year the weather was mostly overcast, windy and light rain. Not good for a lammergeier landing. Besides there was a horse carcass, donated by a farmer, and the bearded one apparently will only land when the Cape Vultures and Jackals have stripped the carcass of the flesh and the bones are exposed.

Last year we did get this magic moment when an Immature lammergeier landed, walked around, got his bone, and took off with it

[Sharifa]

Thanks nan, Mel, Toko, pooky, Bushcraft and Flutterby

Strangely enough today I watched a documentary showing how the lammergeier picks up the bone and then finds a a rocky place to drop it. It breaks and the bird can get at the interior of the bone and get it into smaller pieces which it can swallow and the juices of the stomach make digestible. Is this correct also in real nature?

Usual surprising pics

Very true Lisbeth

The Greek playwright Aeschylus was said to have been killed in 456 or 455 BC by a tortoise dropped by an eagle who mistook his bald head for a stone – if this incident did occur, the Bearded Vulture is a likely candidate for the "eagle" (0)

Farmers thought the Bearded Vulture killed lambs and therefore poisoned them. The reasoning was that they were seen to be flying off carrying large bones. Farmers assumed, wrongly, that the Bearded Vultures were killing their lambs (Lammergeyer means lamb killer)

Though a scavenger, 70% of their diet is made up of bone and bone marrow. At a carcass they would wait for the Cape Vultures, ravens, crows and the jackals to reduce the carcass to a skeleton. Then they move in. They swallow the small bones whole; they are able to digest them. To get to the marrow in the larger bones, they fly up high with the bones in their talons and drop them from great height onto large rocks to break them open. Their aim is quite accurate too. Though, when they have young to feed they do need meat as well.