European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

The European Bee-eater is mainly a summer visitor to southern Africa from its breeding grounds in Asia, Europe and Africa’s Mediterranean coast. While visiting in our summer, the European Bee-eater can be found over most of South Africa, being strangely absent from most of Kwazulu Natal and the Eastern Cape though. Their melodious calls are certainly part of the summer soundtrack here in Pretoria. Interestingly there is a breeding population of a few thousand of these birds in our Western Cape Province that appears to migrate only as far as equatorial Africa during our winter months. The IUCN considers it to be of least concern, estimating a population of at least 14-million for the species, of which the vast majority is found in Africa south of the Zambezi during the austral summer.

European Bee-eaters inhabit a variety of habitats, ranging from shrubland to woodland, though it appears they avoid both the driests and wettest extremes. As both its common and Latin names suggest, it feeds primarily on bees and wasps and other flying insects. They’re social birds and almost always encountered in sizable flocks.

Most European Bee-eaters arrive here from about October and depart again by April. These slender, colourful birds nest in tunnels they excavate into sandbanks, usually as small colonies. Pairs are monogamous and incubate clutches of 2-8 eggs. The eggs hatch after 3-4 weeks and the chicks fledge when they’re about a month old.

European Bee-Eater

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eaters

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eaters

European Bee-eater

European Bee-eaters bathing at Kumasinga (photo by Joubert)

European Bee-eater (photo by Joubert)

European Bee-eaters bathing at Kumasinga (photo by Joubert)

European bee-eater

European Bee-eaters

European Bee-eater (photo by Joubert)

Twin Dotted Border

11 Replies

Mylothris rueppellii

The Twin Dotted Border is a butterfly occurring over much of Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa they’re found in the savanna and forest regions stretching from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal and into Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West. Adults are seen throughout the year and have a wingspan of 5-6cm. They usually fly slow and high and are fond of settling on flowers. Females lay eggs in clusters numbering up to 100, usually on the leaves of different kinds of mistletoe which are their major foodplants. The larvae are gregarious and remain together until it is time to pupate.

Twin Dotted Border

Mountain Wheatear

11 Replies

Myrmecocichla monticola

Mountain Wheatears are shy birds, inhabiting rocky and mountainous terrain where they feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates, only occasionally ingesting berries and seeds. They’re also quite at home around abandoned open mines, quarries and old stone-built farmyards.

Mountain Wheatears form monogamous pairs that may last several breeding seasons (spanning spring and summer). While the male defends their territory it is the female that is responsible for building the nest – an untidy cup made of almost any material available – placed in a sheltered spot beneath a boulder, in a cave or in a hole in a cliff face or wall. Clutches of 2-4 eggs are incubated for 2 weeks, also by the female only, and once hatched both parents provide food for the chicks at the nest until they fledge at between 2 and 3 weeks of age. The youngsters will remain with their parents until they’re about 2 months old.

The Mountain Wheatear is a bird restricted to the southern part of Africa, occurring only in Angola, Namibia, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho and South Africa (parts of all provinces). According to the IUCN, the Mountain Wheatear is of least concern.

Mountain Wheatear

Mountain Wheatear (male)

Mountain Wheatear (female)

Mountain Wheatear

African Civet

20 Replies

Civettictis civetta

The African Civet is an animal that we are always thrilled to encounter whenever we get the rare chance. They are quite large, standing up to 40cm high at the shoulder, measuring up to 1.4m in length and weighing up to 20kg. They’re not aggressive but can put up a good defence when cornered. Secretions from their anal glands, a defensive adaptation, is used to a small extent in the perfume industry – a practice that is to be frowned upon in an enlightened world.

Inhabiting a wide range of wooded habitats, provided there is shelter in the form of burrows, thickets or reedbeds, African Civets feed on fruits and seeds, carrion, insects, reptiles, frogs, smaller birds and mammals (even domestic cats and poultry), and they’re among the very few creatures that will eat substantial quantities of foul-tasting millipedes.

African Civets are usually seen alone or in pairs, and frequently travel along well-trodden paths through their home ranges. They’re most active during the night and only rarely venture out in daylight. They’re not adept at climbing and usually stay on the ground, but they are good swimmers. Females give birth to 1-4 pups after a 10 week gestation, The youngsters are weaned at 5 months of age. African Civets live to about 12 years of age in the wild.

In South Africa, the African Civet is found mainly in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, with scattered pockets of occurrence in the North West, Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal. North of our borders, Civets are distributed almost all over sub-Saharan Africa with only a few areas where they have not been recorded. The IUCN considers the African Civet to be of least concern.

African Civet

African Civet caught on our trail cam next to Satara’s fence

African Civet

African Civet (photo by Joubert)

African Civet

Wahlberg’s Eagle

21 Replies

Hieraaetus wahlbergi

Wahlberg’s Eagle is a relatively small eagle, with variable plumage, that inhabits woodland and savannas in higher rainfall areas, showing a marked preference for wooded riversides and their floodplains. These raptors follow a diverse diet, preying on anything from insects, frogs, reptiles and birds to mammals as large as hares.

Wahlberg’s Eagles breed in spring and summer, preferring to nest in tall riparian trees. Pairs are monogamous and both partners work at the construction of the small stick platform, lined with green leaves and often used for several consecutive years, in which a single egg – rarely 2 – will be incubated for almost 7 weeks. The chick leaves the nest when it is 10-11 weeks old. Fully grown, the female of the species is much larger than the male and weighs around 1.3kg.

According to the IUCN, Wahlberg’s Eagle is considered to be of least concern, and it may well be the most numerous of all Africa’s eagles. They’re distributed throughout Africa’s savanna regions, in a band from Senegal to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan and then southwards to Angola and South Africa. Generally they’re found in our country (Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng and North West) only during spring, summer and autumn, moving back to the more northerly regions of its distribution to spend our colder May-July period there.

Wahlberg’s Eagle hunting from a perch near our cottage

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Very wet Wahlberg’s Eagle!

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Sharptooth Catfish

34 Replies

Clarias gariepinus

Distributed naturally over almost all of sub-Saharan Africa and in a few river systems in the Middle East as well, the Sharptooth Catfish is a most adaptable species capable of living in almost any freshwater habitat; adapting even to life in sewerage treatment works or very muddy, drying pools. This is thanks to their ability to breathe air directly and their ability to travel across dry ground, especially in wet weather.

One of the biggest freshwater fish in Africa, Sharptooth Catfish may grow to 1.7m in length and weigh up to 60kg. They’re omnivores and will feed on anything living or dead that will fit in their sizable mouths. In turn they fall victim to many predatory birds, mammals and crocodiles.

Sharptooth Catfish spawn in seasonally inundated areas surrounding their home waters, usually at night following good rains. Males become involved in serious fights for dominance and the right to mate with females. Females are very fertile – even a catfish weighing only 2kg can produce 45,000 eggs! The eggs hatch within 1-3 days of being laid, and the fry develop exceptionally quickly. There is no maternal care for the eggs or newly hatched fry – in fact, cannibalism is very common in this species.

The IUCN lists the Sharptooth Catfish as being of least concern. – it is probably the most widely distributed fish species on the continent of Africa. It is a popular aquaculture species (especially in poorer communities) and has been introduced in various other parts of the world, where escaped populations are a serious danger to indigenous fish and other water-living creatures. In South Africa they occur naturally in all provinces except the Eastern and Western Cape, though they have invaded freshwater systems in these provinces as well thanks to water transfer schemes and stocking by farmers and anglers.

Sharptooth Catfish

Sharptooth Catfish patrolling the water of the Breede River after dark

Sharptooth Catfish in the Sabie River (photo by Joubert)

Sharptooth Catfish (photograph courtesy of Niel de Wet)

Sharptooth Catfish (photo by Joubert)

Sharptooth Catfish swimming upstream

Sharptooth Catfish mating in the shallows

Sharptooth Catfish feeding on duckweed (photo by Joubert)

Sharp-tooth Catfish at Marais Dam

Sharptooth Catfish at Otter Bridge

Wire-tailed Swallow

24 Replies

Hirundo smithii

Named for the two elongated, very thin tail feathers that trails behind it like antennae, the Wire-tailed Swallow is a beautiful bird that occurs over much of Africa and South Asia. Unlike many of their kin, Wire-tailed Swallows are mostly resident in their African home range year-round and do not migrate seasonally. In South Africa they’re to be found across northern Kwazulu-Natal, the Lowveld and Limpopo valley.

Wire-tailed Swallows are always to be found over or near fresh water bodies of any description, seemingly being less concerned with the habitat that surrounds these dams, rivers, streams and floodplains. They feed almost exclusively on insects caught in flight, and often mingle with other kinds of swallows in mixed flocks.

Wire-tailed Swallows breed throughout the year, peaking in spring and autumn. Pairs remain monogamous throughout the breeding season and possibly life-long. Their nests are cups of mud constructed in natural or man-made shelters like under overhanging rocks or under bridges, and usually used repeatedly season after season, being repaired annually before the clutch of 2-4 eggs are laid. The female takes responsibility for incubation over a 2-3 week period, but both parents feed the chicks once they’ve hatched. The chicks fledge when they’re about 3 weeks old but remain with their parents, and usually roost at the nest, for a considerable length of time – even till the next clutch of eggs are laid.

The IUCN considers the Wire-tailed Swallow to be of least concern.

Wire-tailed Swallow

Wire-tailed swallow

Wire-tailed Swallow

Natal Sand Frog

11 Replies

Tomopterna natalensis

A small frog, only about 4cm long, with variable colouration, the Natal Sand Frog occurs in grasslands and savanna habitats, where they usually breed in shallow water – standing or flowing – soon after the first rains of the season. The tadpoles grow exceptionally quickly, completing their metamorphosis in just two to three weeks! They hibernate underground in sandy soils, and dig themselves into the ground backwards with their hind legs.

In South Africa the Natal Sand Frog is distributed from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal and into Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo. They’re also found in Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland) and is considered to be of least concern.

Natal Sand Frogs

Natal Sand Frog

Natal Sand Frogs

Natal Sand Frog

Red-breasted Swallow

9 Replies

Cecropis semirufa

To my mind the most beautiful member of the family, the Red-breasted Swallow (aka Rufous-chested Swallow) is a summer visitor to South Africa, arriving here from equatorial Africa from August and staying until around March or April. While spending the summer months locally these beautiful birds can be seen in the Free State, Kwazulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, inhabiting open grasslands and savanna habitats. They feed mainly on flying insects.

Red-breasted Swallows form monogamous pairs in the breeding season, which starts almost as soon as they arrive here in South Africa. Their nests are built of mud in animal burrows and other cavities in the ground – and even inside man-made structures such as culverts – and comprise a bowl-shaped nesting chamber with a long tunnel leading to it. Both partners work on the construction of the nest, which may take longer than a month! The female is solely responsible for the incubation of the clutch of up to 6 eggs over a 3 week period. Once hatched, both parents provide food for the chicks until they leave the nest 3-4 weeks later. The youngsters remain with their parents for about 2 weeks after fledging. Pairs usually produce a second clutch of eggs 2-4 weeks after the first brood leaves the parents.

The IUCN lists the Red-breasted Swallow as being of least concern, noting that their populations are increasing and their distribution expanding.

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallows

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallows

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallow (photo by Joubert)

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallows (photo by Joubert)

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallow taking off with mud in its mouth

Springtime rejuvenation at Nylsvley

17 Replies

Monday the 1st of November was a declared public holiday in South Africa, to allow for the running of the municipal elections. Of course this little gift of a long weekend was too good to pass up, so the de Wets headed north into the Bushveld for a two night visit to the Nylsvley Nature Reserve – one of our country’s most highly-rated bird watching destinations.

Duck’s Den #3 at Nylsvley Nature Reserve, October 2021

Jacana Hide

Vogelfontein

Giraffe traversing the plains of Nylsvley

Decaying log or natural scuplture?

One of the hides at Vogelfontein in Nylsvley Nature Reserve, with waterbuck in the foreground

Exploring Nylsvley in the early morning

Nylsvley sunset

Nylsvley sunrise

True to its reputation, Nylsvley delivered abundantly on the bird front during our visit, despite the fact that many of the summer regulars haven’t arrived in South Africa yet and despite most of the wetlands being completely dry at the end of the dry season. We managed to tick 82 species of birds without trying very hard.

African Cuckoo

African Stonechat

Arrow-marked Babbler

Black-winged Kite preparing to dive onto its prey

Blacksmith Lapwing

Blue Waxbill

Burchell’s Coucal

Burchell’s Starling

Cardinal Woodpecker

Chinspot Batis (photo by Joubert)

Common Myna – not a species you want to see in a Nature Reserve, being an invasive exotic

Crested Francolins

Crimson-breasted Shrike

Wahlberg’s Eagle

European Bee-eater

Grey-backed Camaroptera

Grey Go-away Bird (photo by Joubert)

Hamerkop

Helmeted Guineafowl

Northern Black Korhaan male in flight

Lilac-breasted Roller

Magpie Shrike

Ostrich (photo by Joubert)

Red-billed Queleas

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-breasted Swallow (photo by Joubert)

Rufous-naped Lark

Immature Saddle-billed Stork

Secretary Bird in flight

Southern Masked Weaver male

Spoonbill

Spotted Flycatcher

Spur-winged Goose (photo by Joubert)

Female Violet-backed Starling

Female Violet-eared Waxbill

Wattled Lapwings

Wattled Lapwing (photo by Joubert)

Wattled Starlings

White-browed Sparrow Weaver

Wood Sandpiper

Yellow-billed Hornbill with a stinkbug

Yellow-billed Storks

Besides the birds, another reason to visit Nylsvley is the sizable populations of three of South Africa’s rarer antelope species that are found here: Southern Reedbuck, Roan Antelope, and Tsessebe.

Southern Reedbuck ram

Southern Reedbuck ewe

Roan Antelope

Roan Antelope bull

Roan Antelope cow and calf

Tsessebe and suckling calf

Tsessebe

These antelope were just some of the 25 kinds of mammals we encountered during the 48 hours or so we spent at Nylsvley, ranging from bats, squirrels and mice to lofty giraffes.