Weekly Report 24th - 28th December 2007

24/12/2007
Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 17*C
Max temp: 25*C

06:30 Fed Squirt and took him outside. He was very playful today. He is also on the normal strength milk solution.

07:30 Did report.

08:00 Tried taking some photos of insects and to ID them.

10:30 Found a Lesser Striped swallow chick on the ground and stuck it back in the nest. About half an hour later Hannes found another chick outside the nest and we put it back again. The third time it happened I took the chick in. About an hour later we found another chick out of the nest and kept it out as well. By this time I had realised that a Sparrow was attacking the chicks in the nest and throwing them out. I found the 3rd chick half an hour later. 2 of the Chicks were badly injured and one died shortly after. The other one was eating, but also had a badly injured leg and died on the 26th. I had a look at the nest on Wednesday again and the swallows were still hanging around the nest. I could not see the sparrows anywhere so I popped the 3rd chick back. The parents immediately started feeding it again and it was not thrown out of the nest again that day.

27/12/2007
Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 14*C
Max temp: 31*C
Rainfall : 12mm

06:30 Fed Squirt and took him outside.

07:30 Did the report.

08:00 Checked up on the swallow nest and everything still looked fine.

08:30 Just waited a while, for the roads to dry out a bit as it rained last night. Did some fact file.

13:45 Had a drive around Gevonden. Headed to the mountain. Could not go up the mountain as the roads were too wet still.

14:15 Near the Donga saw 6 x Zebras and a crèche Impala group with more than 20 lambs. A little further on 3 x Blesbok (Lez,Bez, Sean) another group of Zebras and the 5 Giraffe calves. The road to the mountain seemed to be very busy today as there were loads of animals. Also saw 3 x Zebras with foals

14:45 Headed to the dam at the base of the mountain.

15:00 There were only some Egyptian Geese.

15:15 Went to the lodge for a checkup. All ok. Headed towards the back and back along the Tugela river.

15:30 Saw a Kudu bull on the way to the back.

15:45 Another 3 x Kudu bulls along the Tugela.

16:00 Back home.



28/12/2007
Weather : Sunny
Min temp : 18*C
Max temp: 30*C

06:30 Fed Squirt

07:30 Did report.

08:00 Took the guys to the back near the N3 to spray fence line.

08:40 Kudu Bull at the back of mountain near N3

08:50 Went back via the lodge, but did not see anything. Took some photos

10:00 Fed Squirt

10:30 Downloaded some photos from camera.

11:30 Headed to the mountain.

11:40 The giraffes, a group of zebras and some kudus the way to mountain.

12:15 Top right hand side of the mountain saw 4 x Kudu bulls and 13 x zebra

12:20 Also saw a Black-backed Jackal nearby and 2 x Steppe Buzzards.

12:30 Saw 14 x Kudu bulls on the top left hand side of the mountain. All adult. The Blesbok also close by and saw all 7 lambs. The zebras had moved to the left side.

13:25 On the way back saw 3 x young Kudu bulls, 2 of last year’s calves and 4 cows

14:20 Headed for the Ryefield for a check up.

14:30 Impala crèche near the Ryefield with 12 lambs.

15:00 Headed back.