More Than a Tick: A Moment with a Cape Eagle Owl

Entering Pringle Bay

On the last night of our December/January Cape Town trip, we decided to try and see the resident Cape Eagle Owls in Pringle Bay. This was our final attempt at a target bird after what had been an absolutely incredible trip that had exceeded expectations, and I had even managed to crack the 600 mark on my life list with the vagrant Wilson's Phalarope.

The Cape Eagle Owl had been a dream of mine to see but had always felt a little out of reach, especially living in Gauteng. So, after hearing of the pair that had raised 3 chicks in Pringle Bay earlier in the season, we had to give it a try while we were in the Cape. So, after spending some time with the Cape Rockjumpers of Rooi-Els, we headed to the start of the Hangklip Trail in the early evening.

From Left to Right: Entering th conservation area - Following the Trail - The Magnificent Views

Up we trekked about a kilometre and a half to around the area where the chicks had been raised and people had reported sightings. We were told to scan the rocks carefully and listen out for their calls. We all took up seating positions on rocks and scanned different areas of the mountainsides. The anticipation was building as we sat in the quiet valley and listened to the birdlife around us in the pristine mountain fynbos along the Hangklip trail. It truly is a beautiful spot.

From Left to Right: Patiently waiting to catcha glimpse

Seconds turned to minutes which eventually turned to hours, and still no sign of a Cape Eagle Owl. Even though I told myself before that the chances of finding them were small and I would be content even if we didn't find one (especially due to the success of the trip up to that point), I began to think that I really didn't want to leave without seeing them. Those that know me will know how stubborn of a birder I can be and what lengths I will go to see a bird I really want to see, including but not limited to lots of patience. So as the light started fading quickly, I started walking down the trail vut towards the car park and scanning as I went, as something told me that they may be lower down in the valley.

A few minutes later I heard a very fast, rasping screech come from somewhere that sounded like it was behind the mountain to my left. I wasn't really sure of what it could be, but in the back of my head I thought that maybe this is one of the juvenile birds screeching, which juvenile owls often do. I carried on walking slowly and shortly after heard the same screech again, louder now. It sounded like it was coming from behind a rocky ledge to my left.

Reaching the top

With the light and hopes of a Cape Eagle Owl sighting fading fast, I decided to climb up the ledge to see if I could get a view over the other side to where I thought the screech was coming from. So off I went, camera in one hand and binos in the other, somehow managing to scramble up to the top of this high ledge. Once at the top, I sat on a rock and listened, hoping for another clue. Suddenly another screech, which sounded like it was coming from right below me in the direction I had come from! In that moment I thought that maybe this wasn't an Owl and rather some other creature and I had done this climb for nothing.

Then another screech, and as I looked down I made eye contact with a Cape Eagle Owl staring right at me from not even 10 meters below me, perched on a rock! I was in utter disbelief and frozen on the spot. It must have flown in just as I had sat down. After taking a second or two to compose myself, I ever so slowly lifted my camera and attempted a photo while trying my best to keep a steady hand in the low light situation.

Cape Eagle Owl

Words cannot describe the emotions I felt in that moment, but the best I can describe it as is pure joy. I quickly got on the phone and whispered to Gabby and her parents to quickly come down the trail and look up to their left. The bird didn't seem to mind my presence and in fact seemed quite curious. The moment got even wilder when the Owl flew up to another rock even closer to where I was sitting, completely filling the frame of my 400mm lens, and I managed to capture what will remain one of my favorite images for many years to come. My heart was working overtime and I was trying my best not to make any sudden movements, although the bird seemed not at all fazed with my presence. I really could not believe the situation I had found myself in, especially since Cape Eagle Owl has a reputation for being a very tough and elusive bird for the most part.

Gabby, her parents and two other birders with whom they had met up with in the meantime came running down the trail and got visuals of the Owl after struggling to spot me camouflaged on the mountainside. The bird finally flew over the valley after jumping between rocks all around me, and I could climb back down to the trail. This bird must have been one of the young ones (now in full adult plumage) and had become used to seeing many birders from a young age. To put a cherry on the top, we managed to see the other juveniles and an adult flying over the valley on our way back down to the carpark.

I left with the biggest smile on my face knowing how privileged I was to be able to experience what I did. I felt a much deeper connection to that bird and the mountain landscape, and in that moment was reminded of my true passion for connecting with wild spaces.

From Left to Right: The Beauty of Pringle Bay - Celebratory late night pizzas

It was a moment I will never forget and reminded me that birding rewards those who have the patience and desire to attempt to truly understand birds, their behaviour and the wild spaces they call home. Birding is not just about ticking birds off a list, for me it is about understanding the birds and slowingdown to truly appreciate the moments you get to spend with them in nature.