7th May
Weather - Cool in morning, sunny
7.45
Near 2 ponds - Impalas
Mountain side of pond - We have not seen the 2 Egyptian Geese with the 6 remaining goslings since the Mongoose attacked the goslings last week
We went to the woods today to do some road clearning for the Gameviewer. We did not see many animals
Kittlitz's Plover
As the bush lodge - 1Dabchick, 1 Blackheaded Heron, 2 African Black Ducks, 8 Yellowbilled Ducks, 2 Egyptian Geese. Impala on hillside
Way back from lodge - Grey Duiker under an Acacia
Way up mountian - 3 Kudu cows
Way back from top - Greenspotted Wood-Dove
Near big stream near house - Only 1 Giraffe
Near pond by house - Impalas
On pond by house - 1 Hammerkop, 1 Giant Kingfisher, 1 Reed Cormorant
13.25
Near house - Young Warthog
On our way back - Redbilled Oxpecker
Planted Fields - nothing but some Pied Crows and Hadeda Ibis
Base of mountain near gate - lone Giraffe from earlier. Not too far off Hartebeest - but unable to count them
Road towards mountain - Lone Kudu by the Donga
Base of mountain - 5 Kudu
Way back - 1 Duiker (female)
8th May
Weather - Cool in the morning, sunny
Spent the day with Charles and a representitive from KZN Wildlife. They discussed wildlife releases on UmPhafa, especially the Rhino that AFTW want to release on Elworthy. We took them on a gamedrive in the Gameviewer around Elworthy and had 3 sightings of Kudu, 2 Duikers, 10 of the Giraffes, lone Hartebeest that is always in this area, with a group of Impala. Richard Hazelgrove arrived at UmPhafa and we took him grocery shopping
Night Drive
21.00
Other side of main gate - First sighting of Aardvark, but unfortunately it was the other side of main gate
Fields near house - Small Impala group (9), 4 Grey Duikers. Took Richard and went looking for Chameleons
Fields near house - found first and only Chameleon
Big stream - 2 Giraffes
Spent the rest of the night looking for more Chameleons but could nto find any. The Jackals were very vocal at about midnight
9th May
Weather - Cool in the morning, sunny
Spent the morning trying again to get video footage on CD
Dam near base - Water Monitor
Identified a Blackcrowned Tchagra
Planted fields - Impala group with 1 ram, 2 young rams close to the as well, they are constantly being chased off by the big ram
Base of mountain - 7 Giraffes at base
Big stream to Tugela - 1 Agama (lizard)
At Tugela- biggest Water Monitor we have seen so far. About 1.4 m
Other side of Tugela - 2 Water Monitors
Near the house - 1 Red Sided Skink and an Impala group
10th May
Weather - Cool in the morning, sunny
8.00
Went to near base of mountain and took a walk up. 3 Giraffes and not far from them 5 Zebras
Road to mountain - 1 Slender Mongoose
On top of mountain - 5 Blesbok, 2 Blesbok on other side of fence as well as 1 Hartebeest
On top of mountain - 3 Mountain Reedbuck
In sky over N3 tar road - 3 Cape Vultures
Unidentified Snake seen
Blackheaded Centipede eater or Cape Centipede eater
Actually managed to get the video footage to CD and can now be sent to Colchester Zoo
11th May
Weather - Cool in the morning, sunny
8.00
Pond near house - lots of Yelloweyed Canaries in the long grass
Near house other side of pond - Impala group with 1 single ram
Planted fields - 2 Egyptian Geese
Just left of planted fields - 1 Warthog boar eating long grass and a Longcrested Eagle in a tree
In grass next to road - Lots of Common Waxbills
2 ponds near main gate - 1 Brownhooded Kingfisher, Kudu cow
Spent some time at 2 ponds - Fiscal Shrike fighting a Blackcrowned Tchagra, Streakyheaded Canaries, Cape Wagtails, Cape Turtle Doves
2 ponds near main gate - Impala group (3) with one ram
Walk back from 2 ponds near road in a dead tree- 2 Cardinal Woodpeckers
Near planted fields closer to road - Impala group (2) 1 ram
Big stream towards mountain - 1 big Warthog boar. Most of the usual birds but nothing else in the stream
Near house - Juv. Fortailed Drongo
Road towards back of mountain - Ground Agama Lizard and Wolf Spider
Near N3 highway - Baboon Spider
Further towards back of mountain - Lesser Dwarf Shrew
Near show lodge - Longcrested Eagle
Near road on way to farm house - Blackbacked Puffback and a Redface Mousebird
Indentifed the following insects: Dotted Veld Antlion, Yellow Pansy, Green Milkwood Locust, Vinegar Flies, Paper Wasps, Broad-bordered Grass Yellow, Bagwork, African Monarch, Spotted Joker, Topaz Blue, Cockroach Family
12th May
Weather - Cool in the morning, sunny
8.30
Planted fields - Check progress of reygrass. Saw Impalas on field testing the grass
Dam near base of mountain - Saw the residing Monitor Lizard and 2 African Black Ducks
Put the pump off at the field and on the way back saw a Blackheaded Heron and a Reed Cormaornat
2 Ponds near gate - Blackcollard Barbet
Near house by pond - Brownhooded Kingfisher
Near base of mountain - 7 Hartebeest, could not see the 2 calves
Fencing : By Wednesday the fencing team had finished to the Geluk/Vertrek boundary, a distance of just over a kilometer. The rest of the week was spent stripping down the old cattle fence, cutting down trees and starting to neaten up between the fence and the districk road.
RAINFALL - No rainfall all this week
NUMBER OF BIRDS IDENTIFIED SO FAR: 123
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