The Scavenger Hide

The next morning we head off for our (in my case, at least) long-awaited session at The Scavenger’s Hill Hide. As the name suggests, this is designed to attract the reserve’s less glamourous occupants, those who depend on the kills of others. The hide is designed with two large metal grills just below our sight line, under which the staff have trapped meat and offal which can be clawed or pecked to extract chunks of food.

We arrive just before dawn, but the sky is lightening well before there’s any activity. As this is not typical we wonder for a while if there’s been some mistake, such as no food being put out, but after a while things get going, albeit slowly.

First to arrive are a few pied crows, followed soon by a Marabou stork. This scruffy fellow is much larger than the other birds, and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s a real bully. He could easily monopolise one of the grills and leave the other to the smaller birds, but instead he seems to want total control of both, hopping between them to scare off any bird who has dared to try his luck at the opposite grill. As a serious peck from his long, sharp beak would be fatal for a smaller bird, the others put up with this behaviour, but instead play a game of hopping to the other grill each time he moves.

Things really get going with the arrival of the white-backed vultures. While not conventionally pretty – none is going to win a beauty contest with a lilac-breasted roller – I think they have their own sort of elegance, with a majestic cloak of feathers.

Static appearance aside, the vultures also entertain with a variety of behaviours. There is a very real and literal "pecking order" at the hide. Top is the marabou stork, courtesy of its size and bullying behaviour. Next are a handful of the vultures who get prime access to the grills, and only have to dramatically spread their wings to get others to back down.

Then there’s the jostling between the other groups, which regularly results in one hopping into the air to drive his rivals away. Finally there are the crows, who readily give way to the vultures although one or two are occasionally prepared to retaliate. In reality they feed mainly by waiting for a squabble between larger birds and then stealing the prize during the confusion.

Even though activity tails off well before we’re collected, there’s arguably more "action" in the peak hour or so than we’ve seen over the rest of the week. The early morning golden light is wonderful, and the subject suits my style and equipment, benefitting from the extra reach and depth of field I get with micro four-thirds. We’re also helped by the somewhat lower than usual attendance: the common complaint about the scavenger hide is that the field is too crowded making subject separation a challenge, we don’t seem to have that issue.

A thoroughly excellent experience.