A Stunning Eagle and an Ancient Goose… On Safari 12

/ Curt Mekemson
This stunning bird is an African sea eagle. Not surprisingly, it is the national bird of Malawi, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Its national status, white head, and diet of fish immediately reminded us of America’s bald eagle. We had one that lived near our home in Oregon that flew by on occasion, looking for breakfast along the Applegate River. We watched it vary its diet one day, dive, and take a snake out of our yard, a very unhappy snake. The African fish eagle goes for reptiles on occasion as well. It has a taste for baby crocodiles. It also eats carrion like the bald eagle, but not with the same passion. When I lived in Alaska, I watched bald eagles tear into dead (very smelly) salmon with delight. I found it amusing that Ben Franklin felt that the eagle’s dining behavior gave it ‘bad character,’ and argued that the turkey should be the national bird of the fledgling nation.
Another perspective on the African fish eagle. The chestnut color on its wings adds to its beauty.
Sea eagles are thought to mate for life. We watched one in the distance as it added sticks to its nest. They tend to use the same nest year after year, adding on to it each time creating bigger and bigger homes that can reach over 6 feet in diameter.
It then provided us with an opportunity for an iconic photo. We thanked it.
We caught this photo of a juvenile fish eagle perched on a rock next to Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe.
We have a copy of an Egyptian Goose painting on our wall that I brought back from our trip up the Nile a year ago. The original is in the Egyptian National Museum and came from a temple where it was painted over 4000 years ago. It was considered a sacred bird. I doubt this goose (which is actually a duck) is aware of its ancient history, but it does seem to be aware that it is a ‘pretty bird.’
While the Egyptian Goose’s natural home is on the Nile and throughout sub-Saharan Africa, its striking good looks have led it to be imported into England and a number of other nations where it is now found in the wild.
Egyptian Geese form strong bonds and mate for life. We saw a number of couples. These two on the edge of Lake Kariba seem to be marching in unison.
We were in a park in Cape Town, South Africa when we came upon a gaggle Egyptian Geese.
A lone goose was perched above the gaggle, possibly on guard duty.
I snapped his photo. That’s it for today. On Wednesday we are going to feature the Naples’ Florida Botanical Gardens. On Friday, it will be all about crocodiles! We will be deep in the Everglades for the next few days and without an internet connection. I should be back online Thursday.

16 thoughts on “A Stunning Eagle and an Ancient Goose… On Safari 12”

  1. Well, I didn’t need to go on safari to see Egyptian geese. They’ve come to Texas. Apparently they’re somewhat common around San Antonio, and there’s a pair that hangs out in one of the marinas where I work. Last year, I watched them happily pull palm fronds out of a palapa and fly off with them: perhaps to build a nest. By the time they stopped pulling, the palapa looked like it had a bad case of mange.

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  2. I wonder how many people become interested in all wildlife because they have stopped to pay attention to the birds they see where they live! (Especially if the birds are eagles or hawks!)

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  5. The African Sea Eagle is stunning indeed, and your photo with its wings spread is magazine material, Curt. Wow. The geese are also pretty fellows and you got some great shots. Thanks for the beautiful view of these birds. 🙂

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