Vulture-Safari-Weekend in Belgium II

With one week delay I finally post my article about the wonderful 2nd Vulture-Safari-Weekend in Belgium. Last weekend I visited my vulture-friend Katja the second time after half a year to admire the fascinating vultures in the Zoo of Antwerp and Zoo of Planckendael together.
Friday morning I got a wonderful message: The beautiful couple of Eurasian Black Vultures, that was brought together just few months ago, laid an egg!!! Congratulations!!!
Right after arriving in Antwerp Friday afternoon we went to the Zoo to congratulate the proud vultures on their egg.
"Snowflake" was proudly sitting in her nest, while the "Sir" made himself comfortable on a perch.
On Saturday we watched the Eurasian Black Vultures changing their position on the nest and were able to take a look at the egg. But all in all it's well-protected inside the nest behind some rocks. The vultures started building their nest just few days before egg deposition, that's why they are still completing their nest. First of all the female vulture, who is collecting branches and clumps of grass whenever she leaves her nest heavy-hearted to let her partner sit on the egg. When collecting nesting material she seemed to be very stressed, running criss-cross through the enclosure her beak stuffed with branches and hastening back to her nest. Her partner tryed to impress her with nesting material, too, but he wasn't able to satisfy her. Branch too small, too big, wrong position... poor guy! But I am sure they both love each other very much, otherwise they would not have laid an egg after such a short relationship.
The Andean Condors in the neighbour-enclosure are deeply in love, too! Nonstop ensnaring and drooling over each other. Watching these cute couple in love I sadly remembered the lonely Andean Condor at VulPro. I really would love to set him up with a lovely female Condor so he will not be lonely anymore. At lunchtime the vultures of Antwerp got some tasty spareribs and fat white rats. Carrion go!Half an hour later the Andean Condors started copulating while many visitors were watching them. Before arriving at the Zoo of Antwerp I hoped to be able watching them copulating, 'cause at this time I did not know you can set your watch to this. There are special noises and situations that really make the Condors horny and they suddenly start making love ;-)Compared to Old World Vultures (like Cape Vultures and Eurasian Black Vultures) the New World Vultures (like Andean Condors) don't have a glottis. When copulating they cannot make such funny donkey-like noises like the cute Cape Vultures of South Africa, but just can hiss. Well, but the Condors copulation took a much longer time!
In one enclosure a couple of Hooded Vultures laid their egg some weeks ago. They build their nest on a wooden platform with a mirror fixed above the nest. Our timing was perfect, 'cause we were able to take a look at the egg (thanks to the mirror), when the vultures changed their position. Hopefully a cute Hooded Vulture chick will hatch this year!!!
In another, very drearily enclosure two Turkey Vultures are living. It's not surprising that the two of them are ignored all the time or even the visitors give a sniff at them :-( Their enclosure is just too small and uncomfortable, so noone can acknowledge the beauty of the residents. Most of the people might not like their red, naked head, but to me they awake my protective instinct! I like this sympathetic guys!!!
Next to the Eurasian Black Vultures enclosure there is a new wall chart of the wingspan of different birds. Nice to look at, but unfortunately some mistakes in translation and spelling. Next to this wall chart there is another sign with a stuffed Thanksgiving Turkey (in protest to this I will not put a picture on my blog). Very macabre, 'cause all the living birds in the enclosures around have to watch their grilled colleague now. There's no accounting for taste...
After watching the vultures of Antwerp Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday morning I said goodbye to them, 'cause Katja and me wanted to visit the vultures of the Zoo of Planckendael where a new "Vultures-Dating-Enclosure" opened two weeks ago. The Dating-enclosure is placed next to the parking area and at the moment you can go there for free, because it's not inside the zoo! There are four Eurasian Black Vultures and three Eurasian Griffon Vultures living on 870 m² with a maximum hight of 24 m to meet their life partners. Probably some more vultures will join this enclosure soon to bring together as many vulture couples as possible for breeding.
Unfortunately like in August 2011 is was raining again, but wet vultures are looking very funny...
All chimneys and roofs of the zoo were populated by Storks, which were sometimes walking next to the visitors, too. Like the vultures they felt frisky... This raises the question: How will bring the baby Storks???
While taking a wander through the zoo we met two Vulturine Guineafowls in their tiny, inconspicuous enclosure, where noone gets aware of them. It's a shame!
I guess noone would see the beautiful Secretary Birds, too, if you would not know they are living in Planckendael. Hiding somewhere behind the scenes, not possible to go close to their enclosure. And the couple of Secretary Birds, that was living in a "normal" enclosure last August, has moved somewhere we don't know.
Tucked away behind some trees, bushed and a ditch we saw an enclosure of a Eurasian Black Vulture breeding pair. Hopefully they will have a better chance to get vulture chick when no visitors can disturb them.
Oh, by the way the old "Vulture-Dating-Enclosure" is occupied by a probably injured Stork and couple of Storks is nesting on top of the roof.But the television with information about vultures and the annoying song "I believe, I can flyyyyyyyyyy" is still working...
Before leaving Planckendael we said farewell to the amazing vultures in the new Dating-Enclosure. Because I parked my car infront of the enclosure we were able to admire our beloved vultures one more time... it was a very long and hard goodbye...
Katja, thank you very much for this wonderful, vulturous weekend in Belgium!!! It's great to know there are two of the same ilk!!! ;-)