Our stay in Johannesburg had the aim of recovering from jet lag and beginning to acclimatise to the heat of a Southern African spring from a New Zealand winter, before starting our exploration of Botswana’s Okavango.

I had long wanted to visit Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens but the opportunity has not quite worked in the past. The big draw are the Verraux’s eagles that have bred there for years but botanical gardens are always lovely habitats for a range of birds. In addition Walter Sisulu hosts a large collection of sculptures in the garden.

The day was hot and bright. The brightness helping burn away jet lag and the heat an uncomfortable foreboding of worse to come. We initially stuck to some riverine bush for shade and enjoyed encounters with nesting weavers and francolin families.

Approaching the escarpment that the eagles inhabit we found Peregrine falcons hunting and mating but could not escape the climb through heat and dust looking for the eyrie.

Approaching the summit we met a couple of other photographers on a similar mission who pointed out the distant nest site with a juvenile in situ.

Shortly after our arrival the adult pair flew over trying the encourage the youngster from the nest. This enabled a sequence of flight shots for the memory bank. We staked out the area for some time chatting with one of the photographers who was a visitor from Norway.

I suspect the heat had the birds resting in shade as there was little activity other than the Blue-headed lizards (Southern rock agama) displaying on the rocks around us.

Descending back to the valley we met up with family at the cafe where I enjoyed what was labelled a “hadeda” on the menu (savoury mince on toast) and a light beer for what seemed a ridiculously cheap price in New Zealand terms. Refreshed by the shade and fluid we explored further but the heat was keeping most things quiet and still, a hunting dabchick and Bronze mannikins dropping in for a drink the only activity in the pond at the hide.

Overtaken by heat and jet lag we headed for the car envying a Cape robin-chat enjoying a sprinkler in the shade before retreating to our oasis in a Johannesburg garden.

Photos with Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3