Fish Trap Provides Easy Meal. - 12:30 pm
10 Mar 2010
Our afternoon was spent on Dead Tree Island. We were hoping to find the female leopard (Panthera pardus) who has made Dead Tree part of her territory. We filmed this leopard mating in September last year (see the video clip) and she should have given birth by now. It was not to be as we did not find any signs of recent leopard activity.
The summer rains have now ceased and the once overflowing pans are beginning to dry out. This creates natural fish traps which attract many different bird species, who are after the relatively easy meals hidden in the shrinking waters.
This pan was a calm scene with not much squabbling between the birds. It was interesting to see the different techniques employed by the different species.
The yellow-billed storks (Mycteria ibis) would slowly move through the water chasing a potential meal towards the edge of the pan.
While the lone african spoonbill (Platalea alba) was more vigorous, frantically combing the water for prey. Both species rely on their sensitive bills rather than their eyesight to locate the prey.
A little egret (Egretta garzetta) stayed on the periphery. This small bird seemed more interested in feasting on the many insects on the water’s surface, but did manage to capture some of the smaller fish.
The storks had the most success, with one stork managing to catch 3 common platanna (Xenopus laevis) in only half an hour.
Moremi will continue though this drying process until the floodwaters arrive in about 2 months’ time, the bird activity becoming more manic and the creatures trapped in the remaining pans will stand less and less chance of surviving.
- Jason Loughran
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