Monday, 12 March 2007

Weekly Report
05-09 March 2007


Wildlife Species Seen this week

BIRDS identified most birds same as last week

Species Name: Dabchick / Tachybaptus ruficollis
: Yellowbillled Duck / Anas undulata
: Paradise Flycathcher / Terpsiphone viridis
: Steppe Buzzard / Buteo buteo
: Thickbilled Weaver / Amblyospiza albifrons
: 3 x Longcrested Eagles (very vocal-in the sky) also 1 juv on tree / Lophaetus occipitalis
: Natal Francolin / Francolinus natalensis
: Arrowmarked Babler / Turdoides jardineii
: Southern Boubou / Laniarius ferrugineus
: Mocking Chat / Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
: Redbacked Shrike / Lanius collurio
: Bronze Mannikin / Spermestes cucullatus
: Cape Vultures / Gyps coprotheres
: Pied Crow / Corvus albus
: Cape Turtle Doves / Streptopelia capicola
: Reed Cormorant / Phalacrocorax africana
: Yelloweyed Canary / Serinus symonsi
: Glossy Starling / Lamprotornis nitens

TRACK SEEN

Black-backed Jackals
Porcupine
Kudu
Giraffe
Impala
Water Mongoose
Spotted-necked Otter
Bushpigs / Warthogs

TREES identified this WEEK

Species Name: Common Cabage Tree / Cussonia spicata
: Natal Bottlebrush

05/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Kudu (female) and 3 calfs at dam near foot of mountain


REPTILES

Species Name: Terrapins and baby terrapin feeding on watergrass


06/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Giraffes - 1 female had a calf during the night, sex unknown, looks healthy
2 calfs in herd now

: Some Zebra seen with the Giraffes


07/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Black-backed Jackal tracks seen and a juvenile in the same area
: 1x Hartebeest near main gate area
: Bachelor herd seem in good health, away from main group today
: Saw only 7 giraffes today


08/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw 1 Hartebeest
: Saw Kudu bull (Biltong) with 2 and a half turns on horn and a Kudu cow on small hill(koppie) at back of house

Spent the whole day looking for the Giraffes, who seem to have dissapeared. We found them in a spot where they're not
usually seen. Could'nt see the two calfs, as the group was split up. We saw 7 in the 1 area and could only see 2 of the others
a bit further along on the other side of the road close on the left hand side of the foot of the mountain.

Cloudy day today, most animals seem to lay low.



09/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Zebras seen today (herd)
: 2 Kudu bulls
: saw the 3 juvenile Black-backed jackals early morning, very cheeky, spent some time with them.
: House Bat

Cloudy today


NIGHT

Species Name: 2 porcupines ( a female with a youngster)
: 2 spotted dikkop
: Zebras down at irrigation fields
: 1 Black-backed jackal
: Hartebeest
: Loads of Scrub hares
: Young Spotted Eagle Owl
: Some Kudus near house (females)



We think we saw a water mongoose, unable to identify, grass too high. Could have been an otter. not sure

Update from UmPhafa

Weekly Report
26-01 February 2007


Wildlife Species Seen this week


BIRDS identified some the same as before

Species Name: Blue Waxbill / Uraeginthus angolensis
: Blackthroated canary / Serinus alario
: Longcrested Eagles / Lophaetus occipitalis
: Groundscraper Thrush / Turdus litsitsirupa
: Fiscal shrike / Lanius collaris
: Cardinal woodpecker / Dendropicos fuscescens
: Redwing Starling / Onychognathus morio
: Cape Wagtail / Motacilla capensis
: Grey Sunbird / Nectarinia veroxii
: Secretary Bird / Sagittarius serpentarius
: Pied Crow / Corvus albus
: Speckled Mousebird / Colius striatus
: Goldenrumped Tinker Barbet / Pogoniulus bilineatus
: Redeyed Dove / Streptopelia semitorquata
: Bronze Mannikin / Spermestes cucullatus
: Reed Cormorant / Phalacrocorax africana
: Yellowthroated Sparrow / Petronia superciliaris
: Blackheaded Herons / Ardea melanocephala


TREES identified this WEEK

Species Name: Wild Laburnum / Calpurnia aurea
: Horsewood / Clausena anisata
: Spike Thorn / Gymnosporia buxifolia


26/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw the Creche this morning and afternoon, all well ( Impala) / Aepyceros melampus
: Saw the main & bachelor Impala groups mix up, quite an old female with them and a male with a broken horn(right)
: Six Blesbok with the Impala main & bachelors / Damaliscus dorcas

Explored the back of the mountain, saw no animals, but beautifull scenery


27/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw 2 Black-backed Jackals this morning halfway on way up to mountain
: Spotted a warthog in the grass near the jackals / Phacochoerus africanus
: The creche (Impala) seem fine / Aepyceros melampus
: Saw 9 Giraffe, baby looks ok, near base of mt ( middle) / Giraffa camelopardalis
: 2 Zebras near the Giraffes / Equus burchelli


28/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Main & bachelor group looks fine, very playfull today ( Impala) / Aepyceros melampus
: Impala Creche fine, grazed at the house on the grass / Aepyceros melampus
: Saw a Slender Mongoose at the dam near base of mountain at about 15:00
: Saw 5 Bull Kudus near the same dam, nice and big bulls / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros

01/03/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw 4 Kudu bulls at the back of mountain near river.Very nice big bull(Biltong)2 and a half turns on horns/Tragelaphus Strepsiceros
: Creche all look fine.
: Saw 3-4 kudu females and a very young calf at back of mountain / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros

Quiet day because of the rain the previous day, everything wet


01/02/2007

NIGHT

Birds

Species Name: Spotted Dikkop / Burhinus capensis
: Saw some nightjars but very difficult to identify / Caprimulgus


MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw 6 Black-backed Jackals ( 3 near house, 3 nearer to the main gate
the 3 near house still very young, curious and unafraid) / Canis mesomelas
: Kudus half asleep / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros
: Impalas also half asleep / Aepyceros melampus
: Saw some Scrub Hares again / Lepus saxatilis

Rained quite a bit, very few animals late night, saw most of these early morning between 4 and 6 am
Weekly Report
19-23 February 2007


Wildlife Species Seen this week

BIRDS identified most birds same as last week

Species Name: Longcrested Eagle / Lophaetus occipitalis
: Common Quail / Coturnix coturnix
: Laughing Dove / Streptopelia senegalensis
: Crested Barbet / Trachyphonus vaillantii
: Egyptian Goose / Alopochen aegyptiacus
: Brubru / Nilaus afer
: Goldenbreasted Bunting / Emberiza flaviventris


TREES identified this WEEK

Species Name: Forest Karree / Rhus Pentheri
: White Stinkwood / Celtis Africana
: Spike Thorn / Gymnosporia Buxifolia
: Mountain Cabbage Tree / Cussonia Paniculata
: Small Knobwood / Zanthoxylum Capense
: Buffalo Thorn (Umphafa) / Ziziphus Mucronata
: Pompom Tree / Dais Continifolia

TRACK SEEN

Black-backed Jackal (+ - 6.5cm) / Canis mesomelas
Porcupine (+ - 8cm) / Hystrix africaeaustralis
Caracal (+ - 5.5cm) / Felis caracal
Watermongoose (+ - 4.5cm) / Atilax paludinosus
Common Duiker (+ - 4cm) / Sylvicapra grimmia

19/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Saw only 3 Giraffes today, others most probably around. 15:00 / Giraffa camelopardalis
: Group of Hartebeest, unable to count them, very jumpy, seem to be 2 calfs. 13:30 / Alcelaphus buselaphus
: Impala groups, saw 3 groups - Bachelor group who seems to mix with the big group often and the Creche(60-70)
: Ichneumon (Egyptian) Mongoose at about 08:30 near main tar road at the fence / Herpestes ichneumon

20/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: 2 Groups of Giraffes - 3 and 8 near base of mountain (middle) / Giraffa camelopardalis
: Impala - bachelor group and big group mixed up. 2 other groups seen at back of house and base of mountain
: 1 lone warthog near kraal at house at 08:00 / Phacochoerus africanus
: Kudu (female) near stream at road, close to creche / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros

21/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Impala creche near house / Aepyceros melampus
: Hartebeest between the trees, hard to count, near base of mountain close to big stream (middle)

REPTILES

Saw a Water Monitor about 1 meter in length.

22/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: 10 Zebra (1 foal about 3 days old) on top of Mountain / Equus burchelli
: 17 Blesbok - got 2 back from other side of fence 17 on top of mountain / Damaliscus dorcas
: saw 4 blesbok near main gate at fence at around 13:00
: Saw whole group of Giraffes together, baby seems fine (11) near road on way down from mountain

REPTILES

Species Name: Found a dead Puffadder about 85cm / Bitis arietans arietans
: Found a dead Brown house snake about 1meter / Lamprophis fuliginosus
: Found a dead Common Night Adder about 30cm / Causus rhombeatus

Massive Hailstorm Thursday - started at about 16:00

23/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: 4 Kudus near the big stream at road - 3 adult females, 1 calf / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros
: 1 Black-backed jackal (quite tame) nea stream, seems to have caught and eaten a hare / Canis mesomelas
: 7 Hartebeest counted ( 2 calfs) near big stream(middle) / Alcelaphus buselaphus
: Full group of Giraffes counted ( the baby is a female)

Update from UmPhafa

Weekly Report
13 - 16 February 2007

Wildlife Species Seen this week

BIRDS identified

Species Name: Black Flycatcher / Melaenornis pammelaina
: Whitewinged Widow / Euplectes albonotatus
: Yellowbilled Duck / Anas undulata
: Greater Doublecollard Sunbird / Nectarinia mariquensis
: Blackeyed Bulbul / Pycnonotus barbatus
: Black Sunbird / Nectarinia olivacea
: Pied Barbet / Lybius leucomelas
: Blackheaded Heron / Ardea melanocephala
: Paradise Flycatcher (male) non mating plumage / Terpsiphone viridis
: Rameron Pigeon / Columba arquatrix
: African Black Duck / Anas sparsa
: Cape Robin / Cossypha caffra
: Spotted Eagle Owl / Bubo africanus
: Groundscraper Thrush / Turdus litsitsirupa
: Hadeda Ibis / Bostrychia hagedash
: Greyheaded Bush Shrike / Malaconotus blanchoti
: Common Waxbill / Estrilda astrild
: Hoopoe / Upupa epops
: Jackal Buzzard / Buteo rufofuscus
: Steppe Buzzard / Buteo buteo
: Cape White-eye / Zosterops pallidus
: Pintailed Wydah / Vidua macroura
: Forktailed Drongo / Dicrurus adsimilis
: Masked Weaver / Ploceus velatus
: Greater Striped Swallow / Hirundo cucullata
: European Swallow / Hirundo rustica
: Red Bishop / Euplectus orix
: Greater Honeyguide / Indicator indicator
: Cape Turtle Dove / Streptopelia capicola

NIGHT BIRDS seen : Spotted Eagle Owl / Bubo africanus
: Spotted Dikkop / Burhinus capensis

TREES identified this WEEK

Species Name: River Climbing Thorn Acacia / Acacia Schweinfurthii
: Paperbark Acacia / Acacia Sieberiana
: Sweet Thorn Acacia / Acaia Karroo
: Scented Thorn Acacia / Acacia Nilotica
: Crow Berry Karree / Rhus Pentheri
: River Bushwillow / Combretum Erythrophyllum

Parasites on some Acacia Trees

13/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Waterbuck (Male) Other side of fence near main gate. Quite aggresive, snorting,
mock charged then took off / Alcelaphus buselaphus
: Impala nursery (Creche) and Bacelor group near house. / Aepyceros melampus
: Lone Kudu (Female) near Impala Creche / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros
: Blesbok on mountain top near border fence / Damaliscus dorcas

14/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Bush or Grey Duiker at stream near river / Sylvicapra grimmia
: Giraffe group of 9 near base of mountain / Giraffa camelopardalis
: Impale Nursery (Creche) near road by stream / Aepyceros melampus
: Kudu (Female) near Creche / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros


Reptiles identified

Species Name: Spotted Bush Snake about 60cm long / Philothamnus semivariegatus semivariegatus

15/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Bush or Grey Duiker at stream near river / Sylvicapra grimmia
: Giraffe group of 9 near base of mountain / Giraffa camelopardalis
: 08:50 5 Zebra near house close to Impala nursery, moved with them till about 11:00

15-16/02/2007

NIGHT

Species Name: Scrub Hare / Lepus saxatilis
: Common Warthog / Phacochoerus africanus
: Impala (male) / Aepyceros melampus
: Calls from 2 groups of Black-backed Jackal / Canis mesomelas

Had to put down an very old female Kudu, her health seem to be failing.


16/02/2007

MAMMALS

Species Name: Lone young Giraffe near road close to farm near stream / Giraffa camelopardalis
: Lone Kudu (female) near giraffe, seems to be the same 1 that hangs around there with the nursery / Tragelaphus Strepsiceros


Strange wormlike thing found in pool of water at stream near river, yet to be identified