Weekly Report 20th - 24th August 2007

20/08/2007
Weather : Sunny
Max Temp : 26*C Min Temp : 07*C

On Sunday morning we saw 9 x Hartebeest on the Ryefield

07:30 Did the reports

08:30 We went into Ladysmith to get the quotes for the radios and some quotes for glass for the windows.

08:35 At the pond near the house we saw a Kudu bull

12:00 We went to the dam near the base of the mountain. We saw a Grey headed Heron and some Egyptian Geese. There was also a female duiker that came down for a drink

12:45 We went round the back and came back over the road by the lodge. Near the big dip we saw a lone Giraffe.

12:55 On our way from the lodge we came across a group of Impala's. About 24 + a ram on the right hand side of the road.

13:00 Near the big stream we saw a secretary bird. Just past the Ryefield we saw 2 x Warthogs in the grass

13:05 Near the Weenen Geluk border we saw 3 x Warthogs and 3 more near the entrance to Geluk

13:10 Near the Geluk Vertrek border we saw a female Duiker

14:00 The new road on Vertrek to Geluk on the mountain we went to get some Photos of the Blue wildebeest tracks and dung

14:05 We went to Vertrek and checked on the fence. The workers were packing rocks at the bottom of the fence for the animals not to underneath the fence

14:30 Ryefield, about 50 guinea fowls and 2 x Grey winged Francolin. 3 groups of Impala's, 6 Zebra's and 4 x Warthogs

14:45 There was a warthog digging for roots just next to the road on the Ryefield.

14:55 At the ponds near the house we saw 2 x Kudu cows enjoying aloe flowers.

15:45 We headed up towards the mountain to see if we could spot the rest of the Giraffes but we could not see them. On our way up though we did see a tree Agama and it is a sign that the weather is warming up.

16:15 We headed back home.


21/08/2007
Weather : Sunny
Max Temp : 27*C Min Temp : 09*C

02:30 In the early hours of the morning I was awaken by a strange noise. At first I thought the Impala's were in the garden again but when I had a look I saw instead a porcupine outside my bedroom window.

07:30 Did yesterday's report

08:00 We headed to the Ryefield to pump the tyre of the centre pivot and started the pump. There were 6 x Warthogs, about 40 blue cranes, some hadeda ibis and 2 groups of Impala's

08:40 There was a small group of Impala's having a drink at the ponds near the house.

08:55 There was also a group of Impala's and the 3 Blesbok heading towards the Ryefield

09:00 We headed up the mountain to check on the rest of the blesbok up top.

09:30 They were on the right hand side of the mountain enjoying the new growth after the fire burnt a little corner at the top.

09:45 Just heading down the mountain at the back we saw 3 Kudu cows near the fence

09:55 A little further down a duiker

10:15 At the back of the mountain we saw a Red-faced Mousebird (Urocolius indicus)

10:25 At the back of the mountain we saw 7 x Kudu bulls enjoying the aloe flowers. There were also 6 x Mountain Reedbuck near them.

10:35 Near the rocky valley where we always see the dassies we saw a year old Kudu bull eating aloe flowers

10:45 On our way to the lodge from the back we saw another group of Kudu cows (4) with a year old calf.

10:55 Near the big dip towards the lodge we spotted Vera and Bossie and 2 more adult Giraffes.

11:00 At the plateau near the lodge we saw another female Giraffe

12:10 On the Ryefield the Zebra's had moved down to graze.

12:35 There were 6 x Zebras on Geluk as well near the lodge

12:55 3 x Duikers on Geluk near lodge

13:00 Saw some Shelley's francolin on the mountain

13:20 On the koppie near the lodge on Geluk a Rock monitor

13:25 On the same koppie near the lodge on Geluk we found some more pottery. It looks the same as the previous ones we found

13:30 Same koppie we saw some Hyrax as well

14:15 In the stream we saw a Slender Mongoose

15:00 3 Banded Plover


12:00 I took a hike towards the giraffes to see if I could see the rest.

12:30 On the plateau near the lodge I saw the same female as earlier and also spotted Dogtertjie lying in the grass. Looking over the field towards the mountain from the plateau I saw 4 x Zebra's.

12:45 While looking for the rest of the giraffes I came across a black-backed Jackal in the road. It ran off when it saw me.

13:45 I spotted Vera and Bossie again near the big dip

15:30 Got back home and sorted out some Photo's




22/08/2007
Weather : Sunny
Max Temp : 24*C Min Temp : 10*C

07:30 Did yesterday's report

08:25 We headed up to the mountain and near the base saw a duiker female in the grass

08:35 Just on top of the mountain saw 2 x Kudu cows eating aloe

08:45 On the right hand side of the mountain top we saw 3 x Mountain Reedbuck

08:50 Right hand side mountain top the 15 usual blesbok looking good

09:15 Back of the mountain near base a duiker

09:25 Back of mountain near the 4th dam another duiker

09:30 Back of mountain near the N3 2 x Duikers, 1 male and 1 female

09:40 Near 1st dam by the rocky valley another Duiker

10:05 At the big dip towards the show lodge we saw Dogtertjie and Stompie with their moms

10:25 On the main road from the lodge we saw 8 x Mountain Reedbuck

11:45 Close to the pond near the house we saw the 6 Zebras (3 foal, 2 mares, 1 stallion)

11:50 Ryefield - 2 families of warthogs (3 and 5), 3 x Blesbok, the usual 3 groups of Impala's and some Hadeda Ibis

12:00 Geluk Vertrek border near the fence by the main road we saw 8 x Kudu's (1 bull, 3 x calves and 4 cows)

14:00 We took a hike towards the mountain and came down the big stream from the top. We did not see anything of interest.

16:20 While walking down the dry bed we did come across 2 x Duikers and a Scrub hare

15:00 Hannes headed up to Geluk to have a look around but did not find anything of interest. He took a new road that needs some clearing up before we take the vehicle on it. We will do that tomorrow.

17:00 We headed back home.



23/08/2007
Weather : Sunny, little windy
Max Temp : 28*C Min Temp : 09*C

07:30 Did yesterday's report

08:15 On the left hand side of the main road near the Ryefield we saw a group of Impala's still lying in the long grass

08:25 We headed to Geluk to clear the road and near the entrance saw 4 x Kudu's, 2 cows and two 2 year old bulls

08:30 A little further down the road we spotted a duiker

10:00 We were done clearing the road and headed back. We then saw a small group of Impala's, 5 x ewe's, 1 ram and a year old ram

10:30 Near the entrance to Geluk we saw a small bachelor group of Impala's

10:40 There was a lone warthog at the 2 ponds near the main gate

10:45 Near the road opposite the Ryefield we saw a another warthog

12:00 -14:00 We fixed the fence near the N3 at the back of the mountain

14:20 We saw a Kudu cow and her calf near the big dip towards the show lodge

14:50 We went to Geluk and up the mountain to get a photo of an old rock that has been written on in the boer war.

15:30 There were a big group guinea fowl near the entrance to Geluk

16:00 We headed to the Ryefield and saw 9 x Hartebeest, 3 Blesbok, the usual 3 groups of Impala's, about 6 Warthogs and a group of Blue cranes

16:30 Got back home.



24/08/2007
Weather : Cloudy
Max Temp : 20*C Min Temp : 11*C

07:30 Filled the bakkie with diesel and pumped the wheels. Did yesterday's report

08:00 Saw a Waterbuck cow in the plains near the donga at the base of the mountain

08:30 We headed up the mountain

09:00 We spotted 4 x Giraffes on top of the mountain in the middle area. They were browsing on the Acacia. We saw their tracks when we headed up the mountain

09:10 We saw a some Common quail, orange throated long claws and some Natal francolin

09:20 On the right hand side of the mountain we saw the 15 Blesbok and 3 Crowned Plovers on the burned area.

10:30 Just at the base of the mountain we saw 4 x young Kudu Bulls.

10:50 At the back of the mountain 1 x Blackheaded Heron. We are seeing much more frequently now.

12:10 We headed to the dam at the base of the mountain. We saw a Duiker there having a drink

12:30 At the ponds near the house there was a group of Impala's having a drink

13:00 We headed up to Cloustons to check on the progress of the road.

13:50 From the Vertrek/Geluk border they have done 1.2 km

14:30 We headed to the Ryefield. There were 9 Hartebeest, 3 Blesbok and 2 groups of Impala on the Ryefield

15:30 We headed to the show lodge to see if we could spot the rest of the Giraffes. They were up near the Plateau. We could not however see them all. We did see Bossie and Stompie.

16:00 Headed back home