A partnership with BirdLife South Africa, Eskom, and SANBI
Most of the photos used here were taken by Les Underhill
We sighted a pair of wattled cranes in the mist
Eskom decided to build a pumped storage scheme at Ingula, a protected high-altitude grassland area on the border between the Freestate and Kwa-Zulu Natal. Ingula is home to several rare bird species and Eskom’s decision was therefore met with resistance from ornithologists. To appease this protest, Eskom entered a partnership with BirdLife South Africa with the goal to minimize the damage to the area and to manage it in a way that will benefit bird populations into the future.
As part of this partnership, BirdLife
SA now has the opportunity to develop a management plan that is based on science and the knowledge of the requirements of the affected birds. To develop such a management plan is the main task of David Maphisa (Left). With at least 4 years left on the contract with Eskom, David decided to work towards a PhD and I was asked to be his supervisor. David’s plan is to develop a quantitative management tool based on adaptive management ideas. David is in the process of registering at UCT, and Professor Les Underhill is his UCT supervisor. 
On 16 – 18 November 2009, Les and I visited David in his field site, Ingula. Unfortunately, it was misty and rainy throughout the three days when we were there. However, we did get a good overview of the area and have a much better idea of the opportunities and challenges David has.
The upper dam is also going to inundate a colony of the rare southern bald ibis. Eskom is planning to build an artificial ‘cliff’ with nesting ledges into the dam wall, and we hope the birds will take to their new homes.
Also as part of the partnership with Eskom, BirdLife’s Kate Henderson (pictured on the left) is studying the population ecology of bald ibis throughout their range in southern Africa. I got the rare opportunity to help her ring two nestlings at Ingula.
We had been planning to abseil to the colony, but Eskom offered to give us a ‘lift’ on one of their huge construction cranes.
Construction works pretty much stopped at the site as everybody watched us being lowered down into the cliff face.
I was a bit nervous handling these endangered birds under the eyes of so many spectators, but everything went well and we safely replaced the two birds onto their ledge after having ringed and measured them.
David informs me that they have fledged now and he sees them flying around.
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