2009/09/02
NEVER mind the pigeons, says Chiel reader Therèsa Cockeram, what about the hadedas? “Is it only me, or does anyone else also feel the utmost dislike for our haa-haa-ing hadedas of late,” she asks.
Therèsa moved to East London 24 years ago from Bloemfontein. She says she never saw a hadeda ibis in the Free State.
She reckons East London’s hadeda population has grown in leaps and bounds since she arrived here. Considering they’re monogamous, breeding in solitary pairs, unlike other types of ibis, it must have something to do with enjoying our environment.
“They are so cheeky,” Therèsa continues. She tries to chase them when they’re on the seemingly constant mission of eating the food from her dog’s bowl “and then leaving all their droppings at my back door”.
“Then it’s time for their bath in his water bowl – I can’t keep up with cleaning and refilling it. They also enjoy sitting at the shallow side of the pool drinking water there and again leaving evidence of their visit.” She can’t even get away from them at her place of work, she writes. “We have tinted doors, so from the outside it looks like a mirror and daily I have a hadeda coming to kiss him/herself at the door – leaving a big mess on the welcome mat.
“Try to chase them and they simply fly off a small distance and glare at you … no sooner have you turned your back, they return.” Are there any statistics on their population growth, she asks.
I’m hoping to hear back from the folks who run Cape Town University’s ongoing hadeda population count, but if any readers can assist, let me know.
Hadedas have also been on Gonubie reader Deidre Kelly’s mind. A few days after Theresa’s note dropped into my inbox, by strange coincidence Deidre wrote to say that one of the hadedas in her garden sounds just like a seagull! She swears it’s true.
“You see five hadedas flying over your house or plodding along your garden and only one has a seagull call. Anyone know about this or is it a fluke of nature,” she asks.
Can’t explain that, Deidre – do hadedas get laryngitis, I wonder.
Talking of their raucous racket, there’s a ringtone company that sells the sound for your cellphone. I can’t work out if it’s for sadists or masochists. “This bird’s call must rouse more people from their slumber than any alarm clock,” says Rhino Ringtones’ website. “The deafening cries heralding dawn beats the domestic cockerel hands down and could wake the dead!”
That’s for sure.
And can you believe that just one day after I received Therèsa’s e-mail, I saw a hadeda on a patch of grassland just around the corner from my house with a half-metre long black snake in its beak? I kicked myself for not having my camera with me as it shook the wriggling serpent for several minutes before swallowing it.
In my book, that more than makes up for the noise that drives most of us scatty – they’re now welcome in my garden any time (except dawn). Today’s Chiel is Stevie Godson. E-mail her at stevieg@dispatch.co.za
Tailpiece
FOREIGN holiday notice:
Please leave your values at the front desk.
|