Weekly Report 7th January - 11th January 2008

07/01/2008
Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 20*C
Max temp: 32*C
Weekend rainfall: 38mm

06:30 Fed Squirt

07:30 Did report and emails

08:30 Headed for the lodge for a check up after the weekend. Saw 2 x Kudu cows and a calf on on the way up.

11:20 Headed towards the big dip at the back from the lodge. Got some photos.

11:40 Headed for the Ryefield. Lone bachelor Impala on the Ryefield.

12:15 Went back home to try and sort the ordering of books from FGASA.

13:45 Took a quick hike to the dam at the base of the mountain. Saw some Zebras on the way there, but nothing at the dam.

14:30 Came back home and worked on FGASA some more.

16:30 Got some things sorted and will continue tomorrow.


HANNES DAY

08:00 Greased TLB for work.

08:30 Left for Geluk to take out alien trees for practice with TLB.

12:30 Lunch

13:15 Cleaned up the trees taken out by TLB.

14:20 Went to dig up shale for roads with the TLB

16:15 Back home.


08/01/2008
Weather: overcast
Min temp: 17*C
Max temp: 24*C

06:30 Fed Squirt.

07:30 Did report

08:00 Took the guys to the back near the N3 for spraying.

08:40 Headed for the lodge and Ryefield for a check up.

10:00 Got back and fed lamb. Got some things sorted for the books from FGASA

11:00 A local farmer brought a wildebeest calf in. She was apparently trapped in a dam.
She had some water in her ears and we think in her lungs. Also a bad wound o
Her gums at the two front lower teeth. She was not taking any milk and seemed a
bit unstable on her legs. I spent the next 2 days looking after her and trying to get
some milk into her. She only had about 200ml in the end. By Wednesday
morning she was unable to stand without support and unfortunately at about
15:00 she collapsed and died. The stress and injuries was too much for her.


HANNES DAY

07:30 Took TLB to dig up shale for fixing loading ramp and to load tractor with shale.

12:00 Lunch

13:00 Getting more shale to fix the loading ramp with.

16:15 Back home



09/01/2008
Weather: Overcast
Min temp: 14*C
Max temp: 21*C

Looking after Squirt and the Wildebeest Calf that unfortunately did not survive.



HANNES DAY

08:00 Took the sprayers to the back of the mountain near the N3 to spray fence.

10:00 Did some grass ID – Ratstail Dropseed
- Common Bristle Grass
- Eragrostis (Broad) curly leaf.
- Iron Grass
- Pintail Grass
- Signal Grass
- Saw-toothed love Grass
- Turpentine Grass

14:00 3 x Kudus and a group of Impalas near the gate. They have been around for
about 2 days now.

15:00 Went to fetch the sprayers

16:20 Back home.


10/01/2008
Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 15*C
Max temp: 24*C

06:30 Fed Squirt.

07:30 Did the last 2 days reports.

08:00 Spent the day doing the fact file on insects and trying to id some new ones.




11/01/2008
Weather: Overcast
Min temp: 19*C
Max temp: 27*C

06:30 Fed Squirt

07:30 Did report

08:00 Also worked on the fact file most of the day.

08:00 Took sprayers to the top of the mountain.

08:30 Halfway there – group of zebras with 5 foals.
- group of bachelor Impalas. 3 x Blesbok (Les, Bes and Sean)

08:45 Top of the mountain 8 x Kudu bulls, 3 x cows and 15 Blesbok with the 7 lambs.

09:00 Headed back down.

09:05 Pintailed Whydah cross indigo bird hybrid male.

09:30 At the 2 ponds near the main gate – 2 x Yellowbilled ducks and 2 x Hammerkops.

10:30 Big stream leading to Tugela, took a hike down towards river.

11:00 2 x African black ducks at Tugela.

12:20 Cape Vultures over the Ryefield.

13:30 Left for the dam at the base of the mountain.

13:50 Nothing at the dam except Cape Weavers, Red Bishops, Pintailed Whydah and thickbilled weavers.

14:05 At the lodge there were 9 x Giraffes and a group of Impalas.

14:20 Back valley near the lodge – 5 x Hartebeest, a group of Impalas and 1 x

Kudu bull

14:30 Near the N3 at the back, 7 Impala rams and 2 Kudu cows

14:40 7 x Kudu (5 cows, 2 bulls) near the Tugela.

14:45 Along the Tugela on the mountain side, 3 x Mountain Reedbuck.

15:30 Went to Estcourt to fetch the lawnmower.

17:00 Back home.