Here is archival information on the 2007 breeding cycle and a little info from 2006

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BREEDING CYCLE 2007

The Black Eagle Project & our sub committee the Sisulu Urban Wildlife Reserve have lodged a legal review against the Mec of GDACE and the HoD of GD the developers of Sugarbush Estate. Should this development go ahead it will be the end of the last intact eco-system in Gauteng, and a matter of time before other developments destroy high conservational habitat. It will also mean the end of the Black Eagles of Roodekrans and most of the fauna and flora in the area.
We are appealing to all our sponsors and supporters to please support our on-going battle by donating towards the legal process.

13th April 2007 The eagles have been busy nest building for the last six weeks - it is truly fasinatinating to watch them build a high rim around the crevice at the back of the nest. This is a sure sign that they are trying to shut out the noise from around the nest. On the 11th April 2007 Emoyeni laid her first egg - it still amazes me that she lays nearly to the minute the same time as last year. The second egg is due on Sunday the 15th April. Thulani once again has been successful in catching prey this year and delivered a guinea fowl to the nest on 12th to thank his missus for producing a perfect creamy white egg.

15th April 2007 The second egg was laid late on the 15th April.

23 MAY 2007 - Emoyeni has been patiently incubating her clutch, through all sorts of weather conditions. The eggs are due to hatch on the 25th & 29th May respectively this year. Thulani has not caught much prey over the last month, which is strange as we know there is alot of prey available. Maybe he does not like to hunt on his own and needs his mate to assist.

12th June 2007- The young chick is 17 days old today and it is remarkable how the little thing suddenly is not a little thing any more. No more, aah cute, as it doubles it weight every few days and its legs and talons seem to look out of proportion to its body. As usual Emoyeni is an outstanding mother and that special bond between her and her chick is something amazing to watch. Tulani should have been a female as he would much prefer to sit on the nest in the sun and care take the young eaglet instead of hunting for much needed sustenance for his family - bet he would change his mind if he had to lay the eggs!! Ouch.

25th June 2007 - Hey, all you guys out there - a little bit of humour hurts no one! It certainly seems a good man has an even better woman behind him and this also happens with eagle couples too!! Now that Emoyeni does not have to spend so much time in the nursery she can assist Tulani with the hunting. Shame we must give Tulani (and all you guys) your due, as he has managed to catch a few guinea fowls last week. On the other hand Emoyeni came into the nest with a brute of a dassie that she had caught on the ridge - Tulani was in close pursuit hoping he would get a taste- but not a chance- Emoyeni mantled the dassie and in no uncertain terms told him to buzz off! Hunting may be somewhat difficult after a monster of a fire raged over the ridges and destroyed valuable hunting habitat. We need a name for our young eaglet-if you out there have any ideas email them to me from the contact page. The youngster is certainly growing radically - you notice it after you have not seen it for a week or so - now at four weeks old the sheaths of the secondary and primary feathers can be felt under the thick down along the edge of the wings. These will emerge rapidly and by the fifth week you will notice a thin line of dark feathers along the lower wing. Till next time.

24th July 2007 - Very little down feathers are left on the juvenile as its handsome dark brown plumage rapidly appears. Unfortunately, some fierce fighting between the adults has taken place on the nest over the last few weeks due to prey stress. We know that there are plenty dassie's resident on the ridge and cannot understand why the adults are finding it so difficult to catch them. We will have to monitor them very closely and if the aggression continues the project will have to step in and assist them with prey. We do not want the young juvenile knocked from the nest as it could be disastrous. The very point is that unless we save the eagles hunting territory from development these birds will not be able to survive here without supplementation and that is not the road we want to go. Please donate to this project so we can protect what is left of this beautiful ridge - as you know we are already in litigation with one of the developers and believe we have an exceedingly good case. Please, please go to our sponsorship page and help us now before it is too late!

11th August 2007 - After saying that there were plenty of dassies on the ridge some disgusting person set the veld alight - the end of the dassies and other small mammals and invertebrates. Do we have no compassion for anything except ourselves! Yeah, you are right I am mad. At least the eagles can still fly and will have to fly vast distances now to catch prey. Now that they are out on their hunting sorties together they seemed to be finding enough guinea fowls and the occasional hare to sustain themselves and the juvenile. The good news is that from intensive research by our colleague and friend, Bo van der Lecq, of the Urban Raptor Research Program (EWT) the Roodekrans Eagles are no longer the only breeding pair of eagles in an urban area - it seem that there are another two pairs of verreaux's eagles nesting in precarious situations. Also a pair of African Fish Eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer). Well done Bo, and to your team, we salute the wonderful work you are doing out in the field! Getting back to Roodekrans - the juvenile is looking so handsome with its golden brown feathers and is quite a proud little raptor. He is flapping those wings like crazy, getting ready for the maiden flight at the end of August. Now is the time to enjoy watching him on the live cam as once he fledges it is exceedingly difficult to find him amidst the brush and bushes.

Monday the 20th August 2007 - Sally, Craig, our mountain climber - Luke, and myself put a ring on the left tarsus and drew blood from the eaglet. Unfortunately, the rope snagged on a rock and when released it spooked the juvenile, who was most intrigued at this creature approaching the nest. The juvenile spread its wings and glided over the waterfall to land clumsily in a nearby treetop, poor thing was most relieved when Craig and the guys retrieved it. We were then able to do the wing and tail measurements and fit the ring and bleed the bird quietly at the bottom of the waterfall. A blanket was placed over the eaglet and Luke then returned it to the nest site with no adverse reaction from the bird  as Sally said -  I had a dream I was flying. The juvenile relaxed for the remainder of the afternoon while the adult eagles went out on a hunting sortie. Once again this year the adults were parked off in the  V tree checking out the scene while we were busy with their offspring. We have decided to name the juvenile, Nkosi. It will be interesting to see how long it does stay on the nest for now  the under wing penne sheaths have started to split showing pale feathers, this tells us that fledging ideally should only take place after these are all present.
Ring Number: G22032  left tarsus

29th August 2007 - Nkosi spent a week on the nest contemplating whether to leave or not after his unexpected escapade last week - after much wing flapping and jumping on and off the rocks by the nest he looked down spread his wings and took to the sky at 3 o'clock on Monday 27th August. Not sure if he had done the right thing he returned to the nest the next day in the hope the adults would bring him some lunch, unfortunately that desire didn't happen and once again he left the nest site to land on a tree nearby. It is time for Nkosi to perfect his flying and hunting skills over the next three months before he will be have to leave the nesting gorge.
14th September 2007 - Nkosi spent a week back on the nest - hopping up onto the rocks around the nest and having a jolly good look around. On the 2sd September it decided that it was completely bored with sitting around and finally left the nest site for good. What a sight it is to watch this young eaglet catch the thermals and soar with the adults.