Category Archives: Memorable sightings

Greater Painted-Snipe

The Greater Painted-Snipe is not a bird that we get to see very often, much less photograph, so we were thrilled to have several wonderful sightings of this elusive bird along the S90 and S89 roads between Satara and Olifants when we visited the Kruger National Park in December 2021.

Greater Painted Snipe female (photo by Joubert)

Greater Painted Snipe female

Greater Painted Snipe (male)

Greater Painted Snipe female (photo by Joubert)

Rostratula benghalensis

Among Greater Painted-Snipes it is the female which is the dominant sex. She is bigger, boasts the bolder plumage and leaves the incubation of the eggs and rearing of the chicks entirely to the male. Shy birds that inhabit flooded grasslands, marshes and other muddy wetlands where they skulk among the reeds and other emergent vegetation, the Greater Painted-Snipe searches for the insects and other invertebrates that forms the bulk of its diet by probing in the mud with its elongated bill. They are usually seen singly or in pairs, with family groups encountered during and shortly after the breeding season.

Female Greater Painted-Snipes mate with 2-4 males in a breeding season, which spans the period September to March in our part of the world, leaving the males to incubate the clutch of 2-5 eggs over a period of almost 3 weeks. The chicks leave the nest before they’re a day old, moving around with their father who feeds them for the first ten days of their life. The chicks can fly when they’re a month old but remain with their father for another month or two before becoming fully independent. Fully grown Greater Painted-Snipes measure around 25cm in length and weigh approximately 120g.

Greater Painted-Snipes are very sparsely distributed over South Africa, with the Kruger National Park seemingly the most reliable place to find this species in our country and especially so during periods of above-average rainfall. Beyond our borders they’re found over most of Sub-Saharan Africa, in Madagascar, the Nile Delta, and in Asia from the Indian subcontinent to Japan and while the IUCN considers it to be of least concern overall, in South Africa it is listed as Near-Threatened due to the loss of suitable habitat.

Greater Painted Snipe

Satara Summer 2021 – Summer Birding

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We were fortunate to see and identify at least 202 bird species during our December 2021 visit to the Satara area of the Kruger National Park. This gallery features many of them. Over the course of the next few days we’ll be looking more closely at four very special species that made this trip even more memorable, and then on Friday we will showcase the magnificent birds-of-prey that rule the skies of Kruger.

In most browsers you should be able to click on the first image and then work your way through the carousel of pictures:

Acacia Pied Barbet

African Cuckoo

African Green Pigeon

African Hoopoe

African Jacana showing off its very long toes

African Mourning Dove

African Pipit

African Spoonbill

Arrow-marked Babbler

Black Crake

Black Flycatcher

Black Heron

Black Storks

Black-backed Puffback

Black-bellied Bustard

Black-collared Barbet (photo by Joubert)

Black-crowned Night Heron (photo by Joubert)

Black-headed Heron

Black-winged Stilt

Blue Waxbills

Bronze-winged Courser

Brown-crowned Tchagra

Brown-headed Parrot

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Burchell’s Starling

Cardinal Woodpecker

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

Cattle Egrets (photo by Joubert)

Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark

Chinspot Batis

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Collared Sunbird

Common Greenshank

Common Sandpiper

Crested Francolin hen and chicks

Dark-capped Bulbul

Double-banded Sandgrouse

Dwarf Bittern

Egyptian Goose

European Bee-eater

European Roller (photo by Joubert)

Fork-tailed Drongo on its (very exposed) nest

Giant Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)

Great Spotted Cuckoo

Greater Painted Snipe female (photo by Joubert)

Green, or Red-billed, Wood-hoopoe

Green-backed Heron (photo by Joubert)

Green-winged Pytilia (photo by Joubert)

Grey Heron

African Grey Hornbill

Grey Tit-Flycatcher

Grey-headed Bush-shrike

Dustbathing Grey-headed Sparrow

Ground Hornbill

Hamerkop (photo by Joubert)

House Sparrow (photo by Joubert)

Jacobin Cuckoo

Jameson’s Firefinch

Kori Bustard

Male Knob-billed Duck strutting his stuff

Laughing Dove

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Masked Weaver

Lesser Striped Swallow

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Egret

Little Grebe

Little Swift

Long-tailed Paradise Whydahs

Malachite Kingfisher

Marabou (photo by Joubert)

Marsh Sandpiper

Monotonous Lark

Neddicky

Olive-tree Warbler

Orange-breasted Bush Shrike

Ostriches

Pied Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)

Pied Wagtail

Red-backed Shrike

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

Red-billed Firefinch

Red-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

Red-billed Oxpecker

Flock of Red-billed Queleas

Red-breasted Swallow

Red-crested Korhaan

Red-headed Weaver

Reed Cormorant

Rufous-naped Lark

Sabota Lark

Saddle-billed Stork

Southern Black Tit

Southern Masked Weaver

Speckled Mousebird

Spectacled Weaver

Spotted Dikkop

Spotted Flycatcher (photo by Joubert)

Swainson’s Spurfowl

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Three-banded Plover

Village Indigobird male

Village Weaver

Violet-backed Starling male (photo by Joubert)

Water Thick-knees

Wattled Starling

White Storks

White-browed Scrub-Robin

White-crowned Shrike

White-faced Whistling Duck surrounded by Little Grebes

White-fronted Bee-eater

White-winged Widowbird

Wood Sandpiper

Woodland Kingfisher (photo by Joubert)

Woolly-necked Stork

Yellow-billed Hornbill (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – Squirrels, Rats and Bats

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Bats and rodents are not everyone’s cup of tea, but in South Africa’s wild places they’re very much at home and a crucial component of the ecosystem. During our visit to the Kruger National Park in December 2021 we were lucky, though not all equally happy 😉 , to bump into a few of them in and around Satara Rest Camp.

The Red Veld Rat (aka Red Rock Rat) sauntered closer to Marilize while I was busy taking pictures of the Brown-backed Tree Frog one night.

We seem to be more forgiving of rodents that roam during the daylight, like these cute and cuddly Southern African Tree Squirrels.

Southern African Tree Squirrel

Southern African Tree Squirrel sneaking a drink

Squirrel hijacking our car while we were having a picnic

Now Bats again are a different story. I’ve heard them being referred to as the “rats of the air”. If you could look past their appearance, often smelly colonies, and the fact that they are indeed carriers of some pretty serious diseases, they are actually a quite fascinating and diverse group of creatures!

As yet unidentified insect-eating bat that unfortunately grounded itself

The identity of this insect-eating bat, roosting against a tree trunk, has me stumped.

Free-tailed Bat juvenile that fell from the roost (photo by Joubert)

Epauletted Fruit Bats

Mauritian Tomb Bat

Mauritian Tomb Bats (photo by Joubert)

Mauritian Tomb Bats

Clouded Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly

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This wonderful present came my way while I was taking a walk through Satara Rest Camp on Christmas Day last year when we were visiting the Kruger National Park for our summer holiday. Looking this butterfly up in my guide book i thought “What a beautiful name for a beautiful butterfly!”

Clouded Mother-of-Pearl Butterfly

Protogoniomorpha (Salamis) anacardii

The Clouded Mother-of-Pearl is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of up to 7cm. They prefer dense habitats ranging from coastal and montane forests to riverine galleries, and in South Africa are found through coastal Kwazulu-Natal and into the Lowveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. Adults are seen throughout the year though their numbers reach a peak in late summer and early autumn. Their flight may seem ungainly but they’re exceptionally quick when troubled – this one gave me quite the walk-around through camp trying to take its picture. Clouded Mothers-of-Pearl love sitting exposed on prominent perches such as leaves and flowers, apparently basking in the sun – behaviour this one also displayed at least long enough so I could get a few photographs.

While visiting Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in March 2022 we again encountered this beautiful butterfly, though this time a really tattered specimen.

Clouded Mother-of-Pearl

Satara Summer 2021 – Reptilian Encounters

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There’s just something about reptilians that grabs our attention. Maybe it’s the fact that they’re cold-blooded, or covered in scales, or because they remind us of dinosaurs and dragons. Whatever the case might be, if you are as fascinated by reptiles as we are then the Kruger National Park, home to at least 118 species of reptiles, should definitely be on your list of places to visit and perhaps this collection of reptile photos taken during our visit in December 2021 is all that is needed to convince you.

Of course, there’s probably not many people who think of Flap-necked Chameleons as being dangerous. These masters at camouflage whose eyes can move independently to see almost every inch of their surroundings are always a welcome sight. Easy to notice when they cross a road or pathway, they quickly disappear from sight as soon as they reach the vegetation on the verge.

Flap-necked Chameleon

There’s a rich variety of lizards and geckos in Kruger Park, and the best place to see them is undoubtedly inside the rest camps and picnic sites where they’re accustomed to having people around.

Common Dwarf Gecko

Giant Plated Lizard

Male Rainbow Skink

Rainbow Skink female

Variable Skink

Striped Skink

Tropical House Gecko (photo by Joubert)

Tropical House Gecko

Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko

Yellow-throated Plated Lizard

Of course we can’t forget Satara’s show-off Agama King we posted about on the 22nd of January!

Male Tree Agama in breeding colours in Satara Rest Camp

Female Southern Tree Agama (photo by Joubert)

Due to their massive size the two species of monitor lizard that occur in the Park – the Rock and Water Monitors – really are a class apart!

Rock Monitor

Rock Monitor in the process of shedding its old skin

Water Monitor swimming

We were parked at a leopard sighting when Marilize noticed this Western Stripe-bellied Sand Snake in a bush next to our car. For a while we forgot all about the leopard above our heads…

Stripe-bellied Sand Snake (photo by Joubert)

Tortoises and terrapins too are sure to please the crowd. Often seen crossing the road in hot weather their endearing habit of crawling into their shell when you stop next to them never gets old. Seeing two Speke’s Hinged Tortoises mating – the female munching on flowers through the process – was an unexpected highlight of our latest visit.

Speke’s Hinged Tortoise

Mating Hinged Tortoises

Mating Speke’s Hinged Tortoises

Baby Leopard Tortoise

Leopard Tortoise (photo by Joubert)

Marsh Terrapin

To end of this post with, the fearsome Nile Crocodile. Kruger Park is home to some of the biggest specimens of these top predators you could ever imagine seeing.

Baby Nile Crocodile (photo by Marilize)

Nile Crocodile (photo by Joubert)

Nile Crocodile

Big Nile Crocodile (photo by Joubert)

Satara Summer 2021 – Brown-backed Tree Frog

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A very interesting frog that we have never seen before, that is until our December 2021 visit to Satara in the Kruger National Park, is the Brown-backed Tree Frog, and these two individuals might also have remained hidden if they didn’t betray their presence with their call near where we were standing.

Brown-backed Tree Frog

Leptopelis mossambicus

In South Africa, the Brown-backed Tree Frog is found in northern Kwazulu-Natal and the Lowveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo. They’re also found in Eswatini (previously Swaziland), eastern Zimbabwe, central and southern Mozambique and the extreme southern tip of Malawi. The IUCN lists it as being of least concern.

The Brown-backed Tree Frog inhabits moist savannas, coastal forest and mangrove swamps. During the dry season these frogs remain underground for up to 6 months, buried in the soil about a foot deep. With the first rains of summer they emerge to breed. The males then climb into bushes, reeds, shrubs and trees, up to about 1.5m high, and usually close to open water, from where they call to attract females. During this time the males may become involved in fights with one another. During mating the females deposit the fertilised eggs underneath dead leaves near the water’s edge. Here the eggs remain, developing slowly, until the next good spate of rain, during which the tadpoles wriggle out the eggs and to the water, where they then complete their metamorphosis. Adults measure about 6cm in length. Brown-backed Tree Frogs feed on a wide variety of invertebrates.

Satara Summer 2021 – Eastern Olive Toad

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Another amphibian that we regularly encountered during our nocturnal walks though Satara in December 2021 is the Eastern Olive Toad, whose loud calls made it quite easy to find them.

Eastern Olive Toad (photo by Joubert)

Eastern Olive Toad

Sclerophrys (Bufo) garmani

The Eastern Olive Toad occurs patchily from Ethiopia to South Africa and is considered to be of least concern according to the IUCN. It is a savanna species preferring areas with relatively high rainfall, and thus in South Africa is found in northern Kwazulu-Natal, eastern Mpumalanga and most of the Limpopo Province. By day these toads shelter under rocks and logs, in dense vegetation or termite mounds and around houses. They feed on almost any kind of invertebrate.

Females are considerably larger and measure almost 12cm long when fully grown. Breeding usually takes place in temporary pans and marshes, though they’ll also use garden ponds and farm dams, during spring and summer. Females may lay several thousand eggs, which hatch within 24 hours. The tadpoles complete their metamorphosis in 2 to 3 months.

These photographs of Eastern Olive Toads were not taken during our recent visit to the Kruger National Park in December 2021:

Eastern Olive Toad

Satara Summer 2021 – Banded Rubber Frog

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Whenever we experienced a rain shower during our December 2021 visit to the Satara area of the Kruger National Park – and this was a regular occurrence – the high-pitched calls of Banded Rubber Frogs quickly filled the air. Once the rain subsided we’d go looking for them around the camp and usually found at least a few individuals.

Banded Rubber Frog

Phrynomantis bifasciatus

Banded Rubber Frogs occur from southern Somalia to Angola and South Africa. In our country specifically they’re found from northern Kwazulu-Natal, through Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng to the North West Province. The IUCN considers the species to be of least concern.

Banded Rubber Frogs inhabit savanna habitats, where they hide under rocks and logs, inside tree trunks or termite mounds, tunnels dug by other animals and even in and around houses and drains. They feed mainly on ants and termites, but will also include other invertebrates in their diet. They breed in temporary pools and pans and other similarly shallow watery habitats after the first rains have fallen. Females lay between 300 and 1,500 eggs, which hatch after 4 days, in a mass of “jelly” that surrounds each egg, usually attached to emergent vegetation in the water. The tadpoles are gregarious and if they have sufficient food may complete their metamorphosis in 1½ to 3 months. Adults grow to about 6cm long.

Banded Rubber Frogs rarely jump, preferring to walk or run. When threatened they stiffen their legs and inflate their bodies, showing off their bright warning colouration to great effect. These warning colours should be heeded, for the Banded Rubber Frog can secrete cardiotoxic poisons through their skin which, if it gets into the skin or bloodstream in sufficient quantities can cause humans to experience painful swelling, nausea, headaches, and difficulty breathing. The poison can be deadly to smaller creatures.

These photographs of Banded Rubber Frogs were taken during a previous visit to Satara in 2019:

Banded Rubber Frog

Banded Rubber frog

Banded Rubber Frog on the wet tar road

Banded Rubber Frog

Satara Summer 2021 – Frogging

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One of the great pleasures of our summer 2021 holidays at Satara in the Kruger National Park was searching for frogs after dark in the aftermath of the rain showers that passed over the camp regularly.

Brown-backed Tree Frog

Eastern Olive Toad

Foam Nest Frog

Banded Rubber Frog

Sharp-nosed Grass Frog

In the next three installments of de Wets Wild we’ll be taking a closer look at the Banded Rubber Frog, Brown-backed Tree Frog and Eastern Olive Toad. We’ll also feature the Sharp-nosed Grass Frog soon, and have a read here to learn more about the Southern Foam Nest Frog if you’d like.

Mozambique Tilapia

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To the east of Satara, the S41 gravel road crosses several streams as it winds its way over the plains. Three of these – the Mavumbye, Gudzani and Nwanetsi – usually have water, but owing to good summer rains were flowing especially strongly when we visited during December 2021. While flowing water is always a pleasing sight (and sound), crossing these streams during this latest visit was particularly enjoyable for us as it allowed a glimpse into a facet of the Lowveld ecosystem that is pretty difficult to experience while driving around in a vehicle. With the water flowing over the causeways we were able to watch large schools of juvenile Mozambique Tilapia, as well as the occasional adult, swimming around in the pools on either side of the drifts.

Adult Male Mozambique Tilapia

Adult Female Mozambique Tilapia

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia attacking a spider at the water’s surface

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia

School of Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia in the Nwanetsi Spruit

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia (photo by Joubert)

Juvenile Mozambique Tilapia

Mozambique Tilapia

Oreochromis mossambicus

Naturally the Mozambique Tilapia occurs in rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean from the Zambezi River southwards to the Boesmans River and its tributaries in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They have however been introduced to waters outside this range, both in South Africa and elsewhere in the world, as they are a highly regarded aquaculture species. Regrettably their adaptive nature means that they often outcompete indigenous fish species for food and prime breeding locations in places where they were introduced. Ironically the IUCN considers the Mozambique Tilapia to be vulnerable in its native range due to the introduced Nile Tilapia, with which it hybridizes.

Male Mozambique Tilapia are considerably larger than the females. They grow to about 40cm in length and can weigh over 3kg, though around 1kg is more usual.

Mozambique Tilapia are very adapatable and hardy, being able to live in fresh, brackish and sea water, allowing them to exploit estuaries under the influence of the ocean tides, with water temperatures in the range from below 15ºC to 42ºC. They prefer standing or slow-flowing water. These fish have a varied diet ranging from algae and other water plants to invertebrates and even small fish.

Mozambique Tilapia breed in summer, when adult males sport a deep black body colour with a white throat. The male prepares a saucer-shaped nest on a sandy bottom in which he courts the female. After spawning, the female broods the eggs and fry in her mouth until they are more capable of looking after themselves. In this way she can produce a brood every 3-4 weeks. Young Mozambique Tilapia mature rapidly and can breed within a year of hatching. They may live for up to 11 years.

The following photographs of Mozambique Tilapia were not take during the above-mentioned trip to the Kruger National Park: