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)