Skip to main content

African Hawk Eagle

 



Raptors are pretty darn majestic as predator birds go.  Watching them purposefully soaring over the savannah with wings spread wide in search of a critter for dinner is a stunning sight.  This beauty is an African Hawk Eagle. At least, I think it is an AHE. Identifying species of birds in the bush can take years. And years. 


My friends and I watched this bird for a long time because it looked in distress. Notice the bump in the back of his neck; doesn’t it look a bit malformed.  We watched as the bird hacked and choked and did a little neck stretch dance, and we were concerned it was going to fall off its perch and die. 


After many minutes, we watched in awe as the bird projectile vomited a big bunch of yuck. 


As it turns out, this behavior is normal. Predatory birds gobble down their prey, digest the good stuff, and then regurgitate up the bad stuff - like feathers and fur, and sometimes bones. All the detritus that has no nutrition.  


I wonder how come humans don’t have that capacity to hurl up all the junk we eat. Life would be fantastic if I could upchuck all the chips and chocolate, gooey cheesy noodle dinners, and fatty burgers I love to eat but don’t because these foods are soooo bad for me.  Eating these yummy, rich foods would be fantastic if I also ate nutritional foods like salads and veggies, lean protein, and good fats like olives or avocados. 


Then again, I hate to puke, and I think running to the bathroom to eliminate all the delicious yet non-nutritional food I consume would be a real pain in the buttocks.


Oh well, I guess there’s a reason for this behavior.  Unlike humans, birds and animals only consume what they need to survive.  They don’t indulge in excessive eating or binge eating like many people. 


I have learned a lesson from this bird. 


#personalessays #birdbehavior #writing #womenwritersoverfifty #lastmonthsinsouthafrica #preditorybirds #ilovethebush #tandala #learnfromnature 





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Tragedy of Human Despair

  The Tragedy of Human Despair in South Africa I came across this scene while running errands. The person, a man, I think, sat on the dirty, tar road at a robot, straddling the center and right turn lanes on a busy street. The light had turned red, so I was forced to face the human tragedy of poverty, hunger, and hopelessness.  It’s not like I hadn’t seen people on the streets begging for food, clothes, jobs, or anything to sustain them for another day, but this was different.  He rested in a fetal position, head bowed and covered by a white t-shirt juxtaposed against black clothing. And what about the books? I couldn’t see their titles; maybe one was a bible.   He was as still as a statue and as quiet as the dark before the dawn. He did not flinch or moan, nor did he have pleading hands reaching out for a tidbit of salvation.  The human was simply there, a tableau worthy of a production by the Ontological-Hysterical theatre company in New York City’s lower...

A Baboon Family

  A Baboon Family This baboon family makes me happy. The setting is peaceful, all four calmly sitting on a rock, at rest. Except for the baby looking directly at our game vehicle with curiosity, the other three's eyes gazing elsewhere.  Despite their sharp as daggers canine teeth, nut-crushing jaws, naughty opportunistic foraging of camper's food, and a hierarchy of dominating male bullies, baboons can be quiet and peaceful, going about their daily business in a well-defined social order.  These old-world monkeys thrive in friend and family units; females form strong bonds to raise and protect the kids, forage for food, and stay loyal to the troop for their entire lives. Like human families, they comfort each other, play, and squabble but ultimately come together for the good of the community and protection from predators - for the most part. Yes, there's a bit of infanticide by the males, beating females for the heck of it, violently tossing little ones to the side when ...

Esther Mahlangu - Ndebele Artist

  This beautiful woman is 92-years-old and lives in a small Ndebele village in Mpumalanga. Esther Mahlangu is an Outsider Artist, self-taught from the age of nine, who has achieved great success with her bold, colorful art reflecting traditional Ndebele culture. It’s not clear, but it seems she never went to school and can only write her name on her artwork. However, she has two honorary doctorates for her contributions to the art world. Her success was serendipitous. In 1986, researchers from France were roaming around looking for traditional art forms. One road led them to the artist’s village, where they became enthralled by Mahlangu’s uniquely painted houses. Right time, right road!  They invited her to create murals for an international contemporary art exhibition at the Magiciens de la Terre in France. Her obscurity was soon over and she quickly became a phenomenon in the Pan-African art world. Her resume is awe-inspiring. Look her up, here’s one link - https://www.sahi...