It was a bumpy climb up through the beautiful Waterberg range to the top of a stunning gorge, through which the Mokolo river has carved out it’s path for many a century. We where headed for lunch in a spectacular setting perched over one of the many breathtaking cliffs. There under a beautifully built lapa with showers and a toilet to boot, we enjoyed what was one of the more memorable lunches of my life.
After enthusiastically quenching my thirst with the first of a few cold beers (It was 39 degrees), we were greeted by what was to be my highlight of Nungu. A juvenile Black Eagle soared gracefully past by, not more than 10 meters from where we sat. I leapt to my feet and quickly moved to the edge for a better view of this most elegant of Eagles. After a few extended cries for Mom and Dad they quickly appeared from behind an outcrop, effortlessly gliding past us on numerous occasions. By this time I had my camera in hand and with hyper drive in full swing my memory card was quickly being depleted. It turns out that Nungu and its Black Eagles are a well-guarded secret, the lodge has beautiful decks from which to view the birds and my experience of them was just beginning. That evening we were treated to yet another feast under the stars on the main lodge deck. The food complemented the setting and we enthusiastically discussed the morning’s plans. A 06:00 departure from the lodge was agreed and Black Eagles where our priority for the morning.
I was up at 05:30 and enjoyed a quick cup of coffee on my private deck. The morning was beautiful and the birds were already in full song. After meeting up with Roelof (the head guide) we headed out for a spot of bird watching. We found fresh signs of a large male leopard close to the river and from there we slowly ascended back up to the dizzying heights of the eagle. Roelof, ever prepared, had coffee ready for us on the 2nd viewing deck. Right on cue ,and with the sun starting to make it’s impact on the day, our Black Eagles appeared. This time it was the adults and they where most certainly hunting. Once again we viewed the Birds from every angle possible. The fly-bys and areal displays kept us captivated and before long we had spent a good hour and a half with them. My eyes always transfixed to the White Angel so prominently displayed on their backs. Once again my camera was put to extended use hoping to capture a small piece of this wonderful sight. One thing I am certain of, there cannot be many other places in the world from which one can view Wild Black Eagles in such proximity and privacy. It really was a treat I am hoping to repeat.
Nungu is a 5 star luxury lodge situated roughly 3 hours from Pretoria on the way to Lephalale.. The lodge offers unbelievable luxury as well as exclusivity and you will be waited on hand and foot from the time you arrive to the time you leave. Each room has it’s own private plunge pool and privacy is guaranteed. The reserve has a healthy population of Buffalo, White Rhino, Leopard, as well as a programme in place for the rarer species such as Sable. It is most certainly a birders paradise so I was in my element. The Black Eagles for me was the highlight of the trip and I can highly recommend a visit to Nungu to see them and the lodge for yourself. For more details go to www.nungugamelodge.co.za or give us a call.
A big thank you must go to Rhona, Roelof and the friendly staff at Nungu for a memorable weekend.
For more picture please visit www.kikuyuafrica.com
* Other interesting info: Named after Jules Verreaux (1807 - 1873) who accompanied his uncle, Pierre Antoine Delalande of the Paris museum to South Africa in 1818 when only 11 years old. He returned in 1825 to the Cape where he worked in part preparing specimens for Andrew SMith and in part for himself. He also bought up large collections and in 1830 brought his brother Edouard to the Cape.
Edouard returned to Paris with many specimens for the family business at Maison Verreaux, at that time the most important shop in the world dealing in natural history specimens.
Jules stayed in Cape Town until 1838 and then returned to Paris and ran the family business with his brother until 1864. He was appointed assistant naturalist , then later director at the Paris museum. he died in paris 1873
