Secretarybird, do you take notes?

What inspired the unusual common name, Secretarybird, (Afrikaans: Sekretarisvoël) for this bird?

Perhaps we will never know for certain.

It is regularly told in South Africa that the common name of the Secretarybird is due to the dark quill like feathers, resembling a quill pen behind the ear (apparently common practice for an 18th century secretary).

A more recent theory is that “secretary” is a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or “hunter-bird”. Inspiration or after the fact fit?

201012-001-084_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) at Spier, outside Stellenbosh.

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Got a Horse; you’ll need a Horse!

Jousting, specifically ring jousting – a form of mounted skill at arms – became the official sport of the state of Maryland, USA in 1962.

Maryland was the first state to adopt an official sport.

Skill at Arms; Harcourt Park World Invitational Jousting Tournament, Upper Hutt, New Zealand.

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Proud Volcanoes

The North Island of New Zealand has three mountains over 2,000 meters of which all three are volcanoes.

Mt Ruapehu (2,797 metres)
Mt Taranaki or Mt Egmont (2,518 metres)
Mt Ngāuruhoe (2,287 metres)

Because of it’s resemblance to Mount Fuji, Mt Taranaki was used as the backdrop for the film, The Last Samurai.

200912-001_033-JPG_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Mount Taranaki / Mount Egmont, active but quiescent stratovolcano, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand.

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Pestilence and Disease

Off all the diseases in the world only two have been eradicated through human effort, smallpox and rinderpest (cattle-plague).

Rinderpest is an infectious viral disease of cattle and some other species of even-toed ungulates, including buffaloes and large antelopes.

201101-001-523-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) at rest, Addo Elephant Park, South Africa.

In the 1890s a rinderpest epidemic swept through Africa and destroyed large portions of the wild life and domestic cattle. In South Africa alone 2,500,000 head of cattle was lost due to this disease.

201101-001-521-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Partial Kudu skull, Addo Elephant Park, South Africa.

Photos taken in the Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

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The Land Animal with the Largest Eye is …

… the Ostrich

The Ostrich (Struthio camelus) has the largest eye of any land animal, with a diameter of almost 50 mm (in a relatively small head).

It can also carry a rider weighing up to 150 pound (68kg).

201101-001-420-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Ostrich “race” for the benefit of tourists.

This photo was taken at the Safari Ostrich Show Farm, outside Oudtshoorn, South Africa.

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Dangerous Roads we Have!?

The Skippers Canyon road outside Queenstown in the South Island was earlier this year listed as one of the 22 most dangerous in the world. Driving Experiences, a UK based company, gave the road a fear factor of 7 out of 10.

Rental car terms and conditions specifically state that rental vehicles are not allowed on New Zealand beaches and the Skippers Canyon Road.

201004-001_280-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — View, from my passenger seat, Skippers Canyon road to river below.

201004-001_305-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Some sharp turns.

This NZ Harold article has a pretty nice photo (much better than my own).

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Did you know, there are No Snakes in New Zealand?

It is perhaps more accurate to state that there are officially no snakes in New Zealand, neither native nor introduced.

There is however the odd reported sighting (but no trapping) of what appears to be Victorian Copperhead on the West Coast of the South Island.

(Image – not a Copperhead, this fella is better looking.)

201101-001-691-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000 — Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica)

This photo taken at the Addo Raptor and Reptile center. I was unable to find them on the web. The Colonial on Arundel Bed & Breakfast have some information.

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Had a bite of your national symbol lately?

At least 20 nations eat their national animal (several types of fish, deer, elk, alpaca, camel, pheasant, oryx, bison, gazelle , rabbit, kangaroo and cattle).

From time-to-time, a Kiwi (New Zealander) would remark in rather disapproving tone, “they [Australians] are the only nation to eat their national animal” (Kangaroo).

South Africans would know this to be untrue as eating Springbok is even captured in song “… gee my Springbok biltong, gee my boer beskuit, gee my lekker koffie …”.

From commentary on the web it looks like the “boast” of being the only nation to eat their national symbol might be of Australian origin.

Irrespective of the source, nations who eat their national animal is not in short supply.

201101-001-103-CR2 — Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) on alert.

This photo taken at Witzenberg Game Park outside Wolseley, South Africa.

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And the Raptor with the Longest Legs is …

… the Secretarybird.

The Secretarybird (Afrikaans: Sekretarisvoël) has the longest legs of any raptor. It use these long legs to kill pray, including snakes. It’s got a cool “serpent hunter” sounding scientific name Sagittarius serpentarius.

201012-001-093_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius) at Spier, outside Stellenbosh.

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Seven meters of rain a year!

Fiordland, New Zealand’s largest national park, in the south west corner of the south island is one of the highest rainfall areas in the world.

As much as 8,000 mm (average of around 7,000 mm) of rain will fall in a year and rain will fall on more than 200 days of the year.

201004-001_173-CR2_PAWW-DC-ZZ000-P — Rainwater runoff cascading into the ocean below, Doubtful Sound, New Zealand.

Department of conservation (DOC) info on Fiordland.

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