A day in Pilanesberg: Hour 5

We’ve just been commenting on the scarcity of giraffe sightings so far into our day at the Pilanesberg National Park when we find ourselves in the middle of a giraffe roadblock on Tlou Drive.

Giraffe

Giraffe roadblock

It takes a bit of patient waiting before the giraffes clear the road for us. We turn off into Tshukudu e Ntsho Road to go and see what Makorwane Dam has in store for us. There’s a huge crocodile and a pod of hippos in the water, but a group of very noisy humans in the hide are spoiling the experience for everyone else and we don’t stick around for longer than necessary to use the ablutions. The view from the bridge over the stream feeding the dam is much more serene.

Back on Tlou Drive and then right on the Nare Link, there’s more wildebeest, red hartebeest and giraffes to see, and then…

“There they are! There they are!” Joubert sees the cheetahs first, some distance away from the road but thankfully out in the open and clearly visible despite the pouring rain. A female cheetah known, fittingly, as “Rain” and her three almost fully-grown cubs. We last saw Rain about 5 years ago, when she was still the only adult female cheetah in the Pilanesberg and already raising a litter of cubs. Since then the Park’s cheetah population has grown considerably, in no small part due to Rain’s success as a mother.

The Cheetah female Rain and her latest cubs

As we are watching the distant cheetahs this very wet black-shouldered kite is keeping an eye on us:

Soppy Black-shouldered Kite

If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Tlou Drive to Nare Link via Makorwane Hide

If you need to catch up on our drive through the Pilanesberg National Park, you can read all the previous posts here.

To be continued tomorrow.

A day in Pilanesberg: Hour 4

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Mankwe Dam, a large man-made impoundment that holds water throughout the year and that’s a veritable magnet for wildlife, is located in the heart of the Pilanesberg National Park. On its banks you’ll find the Mankwe Hide, very popular with photographers and recently rebuilt after being destroyed in a veld fire. That is where we are headed next.

African Pipit just outside Mankwe Hide

We weren’t exactly thrilled to see this exotic invader, a Common Myna, at Mankwe Dam

Warthog and Mankwe Hide

View over Mankwe Dam from Mankwe Hide

Yellow-billed Stork at Mankwe Dam

Back in the hide’s parking area this southern masked weaver is enjoying a bath in a small puddle- as if he is too scared to go swimming in the big pool on the other side!

Southern Masked Weaver enjoying a muddy puddle at Mankwe Dam

Almost immediately after driving out of the parking area at the hide, we come across a pair of lions – our second lion sighting of the day and less than 200 steps from where we were standing outside our vehicle just a few seconds ago! Luckily, being a mating pair, their attentions are focused on satisfying other base instincts than finding food. Our day just keeps getting better!

Mating lions at Mankwe Hide

Leaving the lions to their honeymoon, we head north along Kgabo Drive and take a left into Tlou. Along the way we add further to our list of birds seen, including this rufous-naped lark singing its lungs out from a prominent perch.

Rufous-naped Lark

Just as we get to the junction of Tlou and Thuthlwa drives we find another brown hyena, walking quite purposefully away from an old elephant carcass with a large chunk of bone in its jaws. We follow alongside until it disappears into a thicket, its destination remaining a mystery to us but we like to think that it is headed to a den with hungry youngsters waiting.

Brown Hyena at the junction of Thuthlwa and Tlou drives in Pilanesberg

If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Mankwe Hide to Tlou Drive

If you need to catch up on our drive through the Pilanesberg National Park, you can read all the previous posts here.

To be continued tomorrow.

A day in Pilanesberg: Hour 3

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As we’re driving away from the sight, and smell, of Mavuso’s carcass we find ourselves on Mankwe Way, one of the most productive game-viewing routes in the Pilanesberg National Park. And today this scenic road certainly lives up to its reputation. What is it that Joubert has in his sights?

What is Joubert photographing?

Yes, our first lion encounter of the day. Why exactly this female chooses to lazily lie down out in the pouring rain is anyone’s guess. At one point she gets up and we’re relieved that finally she had some sense infused, but she only wants to turn around… Perhaps she thought it rude to be lying with her back to us?

Lioness along Mankwe Way

Eventually we move off again, leaving the lioness to her shower. It continues to rain softly as we drive along Mankwe Way and Letsha Drive, spying kudu, zebra, wildebeest, impala and several kinds of birds on our way towards Mankwe Dam in the centre of the Park.

Female Chinspot Batis

Wildebeest and zebras under heavy skies

Blue Wildebeest in the rain

A very wet White-throated Robin Chat

If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Mankwe Way and Letsha Drive

If you need to catch up on our drive through the Pilanesberg National Park, you can read all the previous posts here.

To be continued tomorrow.

A day in Pilanesberg: Hour 2

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We pick up our recollections of our day trip through Pilanesberg National Park at the the junction of Kwalata Road and Mankwe Way which was, on the 28th of August 2020, the scene of a deadly battle between two elephant bulls. Sadly Mavuso – a dominant bull that was brought to Pilanesberg National Park from the Kruger National Park back in 1999 and estimated to be around the mid-50’s in age – was killed in the fight. We were fortunate to have seen the gentle giant during a previous visit in November 2018.

Pilanesberg’s late tusker Mavuso, seen in November 2018

Mavuso’s massive carcass has been a magnet for scavengers since the unfortunate end to the fight, and it is amazing to think that even now six weeks later there’s still ample carrion available to attract the attention of black-backed jackals and brown hyenas. Apart from quickly popping in at the Fish Eagle Picnic Site for a body-break and a freshly made mug of coffee we spend almost an hour at the carcass watching the fascinating interaction between the scavengers. The pictures are gory, but trust me when I say that the smell is even more so!

Black-backed Jackals fighting over scraps

Black-backed Jackals at Mavuso’s carcass

King of the castle: Black-backed Jackal at Mavuso’s carcass

Brown Hyena carefully approaching Mavuso’s carcass

Brown Hyena carefully approaching Mavuso’s carcass and being irritated by the jackals

Brown Hyena and Black-backed Jackals at Mavuso’s carcass

Mavuso’s carcass on 06/10/2020 (photo by Joubert)

If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Kwalata to Fish Eagle and back

If you need to catch up on our drive through the Pilanesberg National Park, you can read yesterday’s post covering the stretch from Kwa Maritane Gate to Kwalata Road here.

To be continued tomorrow.

A day in Pilanesberg: Hour 1

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We’ve just entered the Pilanesberg National Park through the Kwa Maritane Gate and following Tshepe Drive deeper into the Park.

As happens more often than not, the first animals we encounter are impala, followed soon after by a small herd of blue wildebeest. We notice that the winter fire season burned large tracts of land, but take heart from the flush of new green shoots poking through the blackened earth, and have no doubt that the continued drizzle we were driving through would boost the new growth enormously. Next sighting is the first of Africa’s “Big Five“: a nice big elephant bull and, not half-a-kilometre further, three more. Before we reach the junction of Tshepe Drive with the Nkakane road, 10km from the gate, a small herd of plains zebra, mixing with more impala, is our next “tick” before seeing yet another elephant, this one scaling a rocky hillside some distance from the road.

Elephant along Tshepe Drive

Wet Impalas

Plains Zebra close-up

Elephant climbing a rocky hill, seen along Tshepe Drive

It’s a further 3km to the left turn into the Kwalata road, during which we’re not only excited by beautiful scenery (despite the gloomy weather), lots of birds beginning to appear and the sight of a small herd of rare tsessebe but also by fresh lion tracks appearing in the wet sand on the road every so often. This particular lion however did not want to be seen…

Crossing the Mankwe stream along Tshepe Drive

Egyptian Goose at the Mankwe stream crossing

Scenery along Tshepe Drive

Rufous-naped Lark on a prominent perch

Grazing Tsessebes on Tshepe Drive (photo by Joubert)

Grazing Tsessebe on Tshepe Drive

As we’re merrily driving along Kwalata road, enjoying each other’s company and regular sightings of more impala, we’re flagged down by the driver of a safari vehicle with some very wet tourists in the back. He wants to know whether we’ve come from Kwa Maritane’s side. “Yes”, we answer. “Any cats?” he asks, obviously desperate to make his shivering clients’ ordeal worth their while (and money). “Not yet!”, we answer. Turns out all he should have done was to follow Joubert and me around the rest of the day…

Scenery at the junction of Tshepe and Kwalata

Impala ram on Kwalata road

If you’d like to follow along as we explore the Pilanesberg, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Kwa Maritane Gate to Mankwe Way via Tshepe and Kwalata

To be continued tomorrow.

A day in Pilanesberg: Before we set out.

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Our day trip to Pilanesberg National Park on Tuesday (06 October, 2020) was just so full of exciting and beautiful sights and experiences that we’ve decided to do a series of posts over the next two weeks to tell you all about it.

The trip has been a few weeks in the planning, and finally a week or so ago we identified an opportunity to visit the Park on the 6th of October. As the date got closer and closer the weather forecasts for the day grew ever more rainy, until the evening before it was clear and certain that the first decent rainfall of spring arrived in northern South Africa – very welcome indeed. Not being the sort to let a little wet weather dampen our exploring spirits we were not deterred, although wet weather usually doesn’t bode well for good sightings of animals or birds.

Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, South Africans are not presently allowed on the roads before 04:00 am unless to provide or receive an “essential service”. This meant that we couldn’t leave Pretoria earlier, which we would’ve preferred to do given the 160km of wet roads ahead following good overnight rainfall. Thankfully there was very little traffic on the road, and with ten minutes left before the gates opened at 06:00 am, we pulled into the parking area at Kwa Maritane Gate on the south-east border of the Pilanesberg National Park. That’s just enough time to fit lenses to cameras and pay our entrance fee.

It is 06:02 when we drive through the gate into the Park along the gravel Tshepe Drive.

If you’d like to follow along over the next few days, a map may come in handy (for a large format version click here)

Oh, before we drive further and I forget: Pilanesberg National Park is home to healthy populations of both black and white rhinos, but due to the continued threat posed by armed poachers we are sharing the photos we got of them on this trip to Pilanesberg here in the opening post, so that we don’t give away the location of our sightings (even if their horns have been removed by rangers to deter the poachers).

White Rhinoceros in Pilanesberg National Park (Joubert’s photo)

White Rhinoceros in Pilanesberg National Park

White Rhinos in Pilanesberg National Park

White Rhinoceros in Pilanesberg National Park

Pilanesberg for a day

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Yesterday, Joubert and I slipped away for a day visit to the Pilanesberg National Park. We’ll soon be telling you all about our amazing day in the bushveld, but until then we’ll share this little teaser of what’s in store.

Lions preying on buffalo in the Pilanesberg National Park

Little Swift

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Apus affinis

In South Africa, the Little Swift is a resident bird that has actually experienced a population boom and rapid range expansion in the last century, thanks to its propensity to use buildings and other human-made structures for breeding. As a result, the IUCN considers it to be of least concern. It occurs all over South Africa, and also most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. pockets of the Middle East and much of India.

Little Swifts are not at all picky about their habitat though they do require easy access to a water supply and usually avoid high altitude terrain. Little Swifts will often form mixed flocks with other swifts and swallows, hunting for a wide range of flying insects.

As mentioned already, Little Swifts build their nests, often in colonies of up to 30 monogamous pairs, in shelter provided by man-made structures like buildings, bridges and silos, though naturally they would utilise rocky overhangs and cliffs for the purpose. These nests are untidy conglomerations of feathers and plant material glued together with saliva and often used for several consecutive years. They breed in spring and summer, with both parents sharing the duty of incubating the clutch of 1-4 eggs over a 3-4 week period. The chicks stay in the nest until they’re almost 6 weeks old, but become independent very quickly thereafter. Fully grown Little Swifts weigh around 25g and measure only about 13cm in length.

As beautifully elegant as they are in the air, Little Swifts are almost entirely helpless when they are unfortunate enough to end up on the ground, which seems to happen surprisingly often when they swoop after prey close to the ground; their short legs and long wings make it almost impossible to launch from the ground.

Little Swifts

Little Swift hanging upside down at its nest

Little Swift that dove too low and then struggled to get airborne again

Little Swift reinforcing a nest

Little Swift

Little Swift nests in the roof of the gate building at Nylsvley

Little Swift

Little Swift nests

Little Swift

Little Swift (photo by Joubert)

Dung Beetles

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Family Scarabaeidae

It is estimated that South Africa is home to almost 800 species of Dung Beetles, varying in both size and colour. As manure is the chief source of food for both adults and larvae (some also feed on carrion), Dung Beetles perform a vital ecological function by clearing away the droppings of large animals and at the same time fertilizing the ground, planting seeds contained in the dung and keeping pest and parasite populations under control.

When it comes to breeding, Dung Beetles employ one of four strategies. Best known are those that roll the manure into perfect balls (sometimes 50 times their own weight!), roll it to a suitable location using the hind legs (with the female often sitting comically atop the ball), lay eggs inside and then bury the ball. Other kinds “steal” the ball after it was meticulously formed and deposited. Yet another strategy involves burrowing beneath a dung-pile, depositing some of it at the end of the tunnel and then covering it after the eggs are laid inside. The final option is to live and breed in the dung just where it fell. In South Africa, Dung Beetles are most active in the warmer and wetter months with most spending the winter in hibernation. They may live for up to 3 years.

Elephant and dung beetle

Dung beetle with his bounty

Dung beetles

Dung beetle at work

Dung Beetles

Dung Beetle

Dung Beetles hard at work

Dung Beetle

Dung Beetles hard at work

Dung Beetle

The Addo Flightless Dung Beetle (Circellium bacchus) is a large beetle found only in and around the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province and one of only a few Dung Beetle species incapable of flight. If it wasn’t for the proclamation of the national park this species would have become extinct, as it feeds on and breeds in only the dung of elephants and buffaloes, both of which were almost exterminated from the Eastern Cape before the national park was proclaimed. It is a slow breeder, females lying a single egg on each dung ball and breeding but once annually. The Addo Flightless Dung Beetle is still considered vulnerable.

Taking care of dung beetles at Addo Elephant National Park

Flightless Dung Beetle

Addo Flightless Dung Beetle

Black-winged Stilt

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Himantopus himantopus

The very elegant Black-winged Stilt is one of the most widespread birds on the planet, occurring on every continent except Antarctica (though some authorities consider it to actually be as many as five different species). As a result it is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN. It is also widely distributed over all of South Africa, even occurring in the arid west of the country where its habitat requirements are met – basically any open wetland habitat, whether fresh or brackish, natural or man-made (even sewerage plants and salt works), is to their liking. They are nomadic birds, regularly moving from one body of water to the next. As is probably to be expected, Black-winged Stilts feed on aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, frogs, small fish and fish- and frog-eggs.

Pairs of Black-winged Stilts are monogamous and usually nest alone, though occasionally up to 10 pairs may nest in close proximity. Their nests are mounds of mud and plantmaterial built by both partners at the edge of the water. They breed at anytime of year, but there’s a distinct peak in nesting behaviour in the spring months in our part of the world. The female is responsible for incubating the clutch of up to 5 eggs for almost 4 weeks. The chicks leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching to follow the parents around and feed themselves. By the age of a month they start flying and become fully independent by the time they are two months old. Black-winged Stilts are active both by day and during the night.

With probably the longest legs in relation to its body of any bird, adult Black-winged Stilts weigh in at about 165g and measure 38cm from tip-to-tip.