Tag Archives: nature

Mid-week Bird Photography outing to Marievale

Wednesday last week, in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography, we headed to the Marievale Bird Sanctuary for a wonderful morning of bird watching and photography in one of Gauteng Province’s prime locations for these pursuits. If you’d like to join Hannes and me on our next trip to Marievale, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Marievale’s entrance

Map of Marievale

Ruff and Reed Cormorant

Marievale is covered by wetlands

Reed Cormorant

Southern Masked Weaver

Lesser Swamp Warbler

Red-knobbed Coot

Blue-billed Teal

Red-knobbed Coot

Yellow-billed Duck

White-throated Swallow

White-throated Swallow with a feather ir collected

White-throated Swallow

Whiskered Tern

Goliath Heron

African Darter

Blacksmith Lapwing

Reed Cormorant

Black Heron

Yellow-billed Stork

Squacco Heron

Spur-winged Goose

Large, hairy caterpillar (exact identity not certain)

Red Bishop

White-faced Whistling Ducks

Tasman’s Girdled Lizard

7 Replies

Cordylus tasmani

Tasman’s Girdled Lizard occurs only in a limited area of the Eastern Cape, around (and on islands in) Algoa Bay. Here it lives in dead aloes and trees and on rocky outcrops and subsists on a diet of insects and other invertebrates. These are small lizards, growing to only about 7cm (tail excluded). Tasman’s Girdled Lizard is considered by some authorities, including the IUCN, to be a form of the more widely spread Cape Girdled Lizard.

Tasman’s Girdled Lizard

World Wildlife Day 2025

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In celebration of World Wildlife Day we take a look back at the 53 species of Southern African wildlife we featured in detail here at DeWetsWild through the past twelve months.

Zitting Cisticola

Large Striped Swordtail

Cape Teal

Natal Plum / Large Num-num

Blue-billed Teal

Perennial Glasswort

Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko

African Reed Warbler

Marsh Owl

Sandman Butterfly

Southern Pochard (photo by Joubert)

Pea Blue butterflies

Willow Warbler (photo by Joubert)

Caspian Tern

Purple Roller (photo by Joubert)

Broad-billed Roller

Large-leaved Dragon Plant

Streaky-headed Seedeater

Little Bittern

African death’s-head hawkmoth

Freshwater Crab

Chimpanzee

Little Blenny fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks

Common Tree Euphorbia in fruit

Bushveld Candelabra Euphorbia

Wild Date Palm blowing in the wind

Barn Swallow

Marico Flycatcher

Veined Tip

Red-sided Skink

Ground Pangolin

Red-capped Lark

Black-striped Hairtail

Spotted-necked Otter

Knob Thorn

Millipede

Striped Skaapsteker

Red-billed Spurfowl

African Veined White slurping nectar from an Impala Lily flower

Flat-crown Tree

Common Scimitarbill

Gemsbok walking through Wild Rosemary (aka Kapokbos) in seed

Star Lily (Hypoxis) flowers

Bradfield’s Hornbill

Chocolate Bells

Common Brown Water Snake

Buff-streaked Chat

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins

Fairy Flycatcher

Karoo Toad

Ludwig’s Bustard

Common Milkweed Locust

Barn Owl

February ’25 update from Rietvlei Nature Reserve

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We’ve been having loads of rain in Pretoria since mid-December and our local Rietvlei Nature Reserve has turned into a lush green paradise where even rhinos and buffalo can disappear among the tall grass, in striking contrast to the fire-ravaged veld in early spring. The reserve was even closed due to flooding for a few days in February! Nature’s resilience is remarkable! The month of February marks a year since I started guiding guests on drives and walks through this special reserve on a freelance basis, and in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography we presented another “introduction to wildlife photography” workshop for aspirant wildlife photographers from Gauteng at the reserve in February as well.

Early morning at Rietvlei, on my way to meet my guests for the morning drive

Sunrise at Rietvlei

Sooty Blue butterfly pair

Speckled Rock Skink

Mosquito Fish

Common Diadem butterfly

Swainson’s Spurfowl landing on a dead branch

Storm building over Rietvlei

Heading home in the evening

The young Black-chested Snake Eagle is venturing further afield of the nest in which it was raised, though still returning to it regularly. I haven’t seen its parents at the nest at all during January and February, and suspect they’re probably coaxing the youngster to roam more widely by feeding it at other places.

Adult Black-chested Snake Eagle

Juvenile Black-chested Snake Eagle

Aside from the Black-chested Snake Eagles, Rietvlei’s grasslands, thorny thickets and wetlands are positively bursting at the seams with a wide-variety of other birds, several of them in enormous numbers.

African Black Duck

African Darter

African Quail Finch

African Stonechat

Amur Falcon

Banded Martin

Black-chested Prinia

Bokmakierie

Cape Grassbird

Cape Longclaw

Cattle Egret

Crowned Lapwing

Diederik Cuckoo

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Giant Kingfisher

Hamerkop

Orange-breasted Waxbills

Ostriches dustbathing

Ostriches

Ostriches females in a tiff

Pin-tailed Whydah male displaying to the female

Pin-tailed Whydah

Red Bishop

Red-billed Quelea

Red-collared Widowbird

Red-throated Wryneck

Reed Cormorant

Rufous-naped Lark

Southern Masked weaver

Spotted Thick-knee

Wattled Lapwing

Willow Warbler

Yellow-billed Duck

Yellow-fronted Canary

Zitting Cisticola

List of birds seen at Rietvlei in January and February 2025:

Scientific	Afrikaans	English
Coturnix coturnix	Afrikaanse Kwartel	Common Quail
Gallinago nigripennis	Afrikaanse Snip	African Snipe
Fulica cristata	Bleshoender	Red-knobbed Coot
Elanus caeruleus	Blouvalk	Black-winged Kite
Telophorus zeylonus	Bokmakierie	Bokmakierie
Tricholaema leucomelas	Bonthoutkapper	Acacia Pied Barbet
Vanellus armatus	Bontkiewiet	Blacksmith Lapwing
Pternistis swainsonii	Bosveldfisant	Swainson’s Spurfowl
Buteo buteo	Bruinjakkalsvoel	Common Buzzard
Prinia subflava	Bruinsylangstertjie	Tawny-flanked Prinia
Chrysococcyx caprius	Diederikkie	Diederik Cuckoo
Jynx ruficollis	Draaihals	Red-throated Wryneck
Merops apiaster	Europese Byvreter	European Bee-eater
Hirundo rustica	Europese Swael	Barn Swallow
Muscicapa striata	Europese Vlieevanger	Spotted Flycatcher
Apus apus	Europese Windswael	Common Swift
Lanius collaris	Fiskaallaksman	Common Fiscal
Sigelus silens	Fiskaalvlieevanger	Fiscal Flycatcher
Neophedina cincta	Gebande Oewerswael	Banded Martin
Anas undulata	Geelbekeend	Yellow-billed Duck
Turdus smithi	Geelbeklyster	Karoo Thrush
Crithagra mozambica	Geeloogkanarie	Yellow-fronted Canary
Colius striatus	Gevlekte Muisvoel	Speckled Mousebird
Saxicola torquatus	Gewone Bontrokkie	African Stonechat
Burhinus capensis	Gewone Dikkop	Spotted Thick-knee
Dessonornis caffer	Gewone Janfrederik	Cape Robin-Chat
Anthus cinnamomeus	Gewone Koester	African Pipit
Ortygospiza atricollis	Gewone Kwartelvinkie	African Quail Finch
Motacilla capensis	Gewone Kwikkie	Cape Wagtail
Passer melanurus	Gewone Mossie	Cape Sparrow
Tringa hypoleucos	Gewone Ruiter	Common Sandpiper
Numida meleagris	Gewone Tarentaal	Helmeted Guineafowl
Streptopelia capicola	Gewone Tortelduif	Cape Turtle Dove
Centropus burchellii	Gewone Vleiloerie	Burchell’s Coucal
Plegadis falcinellus	Glansibis	Glossy Ibis
Sphenoeacus afer	Grasvoel	Cape Grassbird
Streptopelia semitorquata	Grootringduif	Red-eyed Dove
Cecropis cucullata	Grootstreepswael	Greater Striped Swallow
Gallinula chloropus	Grootwaterhoender	Common Moorhen
Passer diffusus	Gryskopmossie	Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Lophoceros nasutus	Grysneushoringvoel	African Grey Hornbill
Bostrychia hagedash	Hadeda	Hadeda Ibis
Scopus umbretta	Hamerkop	Hamerkop
Upupa africana	Hoephoep	African Hoopoe
Phylloscopus trochilus	Hofsanger	Willow Warbler
Acridotheres tristis	Indiese Spreeu	Common Myna
Zosterops virens	Kaapse Glasogie	Cape White-eye
Acrocephalus gracilirostris	Kaapse Rietsanger	Lesser Swamp Warbler
Ploceus capensis	Kaapse Wewer	Cape Weaver
Scleroptila gutturalis	Kalaharipatrys	Orange River Francolin
Tachybaptus ruficollis	Kleindobbertjie	Little Grebe
Lamprotornis nitens	Kleinglansspreeu	Cape Glossy Starling
Alopochen aegyptiaca	Kolgans	Egyptian Goose
Vidua macroura	Koningrooibekkie	Pin-tailed Whydah
Euplectes axillaris	Kortstertflap	Fan-tailed Whydah
Vanellus coronatus	Kroonkiewiet	Crowned Lapwing
Trachyphonus vaillantii	Kuifkophoutkapper	Crested Barbet
Corythornis cristatus	Kuifkopvisvanger	Malachite Kingfisher
Crinifer concolor	Kwevoel	Grey Go-Away Bird
Cisticola juncidis	Landeryklopkloppie	Zitting Cisticola
Euplectes progne	Langstertflap	Longtailed Widowbird
Vanellus senegallus	Lelkiewiet	Wattled Lapwing
Dicrurus adsimilis	Mikstertbyvanger	Fork-tailed Drongo
Falco amurensis	Oostelike Rooipootvalk	Amur Falcon
Macronyx capensis	Oranjekeel Kalkoentjie	Cape Longclaw
Cypsiurus parvus	Palmwindswael	African Palm Swift
Turdoides jardineii	Pylvlekkatlagter	Arrow-marked Babbler
Microcarbo africanus	Rietduiker	Reed Cormorant
Amandava subflava	Rooiassie	Orange-breasted Waxbill
Anas erythrorhyncha	Rooibekeend	Red-billed Teal
Phoeniculus purpureus	Rooibekkakelaar	Green Wood-hoopoe
Quelea quelea	Rooibekkwelea	Red-billed Quelea
Estrilda astrild	Rooibeksysie	Common Waxbill
Spilopelia senegalensis	Rooiborsduifie	Laughing Dove
Laniarius atrococcineus	Rooiborslaksman	Crimson-breasted Shrike
Euplectes ardens	Rooikeelflap	Red-collared Widowbird
Amadina erythrocephala	Rooikopvink	Red-headed Finch
Mirafra africana	Rooineklewerik	Rufous-naped Lark
Euplectes orix	Rooivink	Southern Red Bishop
Urocolius indicus	Rooiwangmuisvoel	Red-faced Mousebird
Threskiornis aethiopicus	Skoorsteenveer	African Sacred Ibis
Anhinga rufa	Slanghalsvoel	African Darter
Laniarius ferrugineus	Suidelike Waterfiskaal	Southern Boubou
Prinia flavicans	Swartbandlangstertjie	Black-chested Prinia
Circaetus pectoralis	Swartborsslangarend	Black-chested Snake Eagle
Anas sparsa	Swarteend	African Black Duck
Ploceus velatus	Swartkeelgeelvink	Southern Masked Weaver
Ardea melanocephala	Swartkopreier	Black-headed Heron
Pycnonotus tricolor	Swartoogtiptol	Dark-capped Bulbul
Chalcomitra amethystina	Swartsuikerbekkie	Amethyst Sunbird
Apus barbatus	Swartwindswael	African Black Swift
Bubulcus ibis	Veereier	Western Cattle Egret
Icthyophaga vocifer	Visarend	Fish Eagle
Cisticola tinniens	Vleitinktinkie	Levaillant’s Cisticola
Asio capensis	Vlei-uil	Marsh Owl
Struthio camelus	Volstruis	Common Ostrich
Phalacrocorax lucidus	Witborsduiker	White-breasted Cormorant
Corvus albus	Witborskraai	Pied Cow
Lamprotornis bicolor	Witgatspreeu	Pied Starling
Hirundo albigularis	Witkeelswael	White-throated Swallow
Apus caffer	Witkruiswindswael	White-rumped Swift
Euplectes albonotatus	Witvlerkflap	White-winged Widowbird
Afrotis afraoides	Witvlerkkorhaan	Northern Black Korhaan

The tall grass and lush vegetation is making it very difficult to see most of the mammals and especially the smaller kinds. One exception is the zebras, seeming to now prefer the reserve’s roads for walking from one grazing area to the next and giving me and my guests wonderful up-close encounters with these beautiful animals.

Black-backed Jackal with a bullfrog

Black Wildebeest

Blesbok

Buffalo

Plains Zebras

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebra female and foal

Plains Zebra foal getting a tail in the face

Plains Zebra

Plains Zebras

Red Hartebeest calf

Eland running across the road

List of mammals seen at Rietvlei in January and February 2025:

Scientific	Afrikaans	English
Damaliscus pygargus	Blesbok	Blesbuck
Equus quagga	Bontsebra	Plains Zebra
Syncerus caffer	Buffel	Cape Buffalo
Taurotragus oryx	Eland	Eland
Sylvicapra grimmia	Grysduiker	Common Duiker
Suricata suricatta	Meerkat	Suricate
Alcelaphus buselaphus	Rooihartbees	Red Hartebeest
Canis mesomelas	Rooijakkals	Black-backed Jackal
Hippopotamus amphibius	Seekoei	Hippopotamus
Antidorcas marsupialis	Springbok	Springbuck
Connochaetes gnou	Swartwildebees	Black Wildebeest
Leptailurus serval	Tierboskat	Serval
Kobus ellipsyprymnus	Waterbok	Waterbuck
Cynictis penicillata	Witkwasmuishond	Yellow Mongoose
Ceratotherium simum	Witrenoster	White Rhinoceros

If you’d like to join me on a guided tour of Rietvlei – on a hike or on an open vehicle drive – you can book through melanie@rietvleicoffee.co.za / +27(0)74-820-9926.

Barn Owl

7 Replies

Tyto alba

The species of owl with the widest distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica, the Barn Owl is also found throughout South Africa and often in close association with human habitation. While it may roost in mine shafts and on buildings in towns and cities, in natural environments Barn Owls roost in trees and caves in any habitat with suitable numbers of prey. Barn Owls are almost completely nocturnal and feed on an extremely wide variety of creatures, ranging from insects and other invertebrates, small reptiles and birds to mammals the size of hares and rabbits.

Barn Owls nest at any time of year, using roost sites in building, hollows in trees or caves in which the female incubate clutches of about 6 eggs for approximately a month while the male provides her with food. When food is scarce chicks that hatch earlier may sometimes cannibalise their younger siblings. The chicks may stay in the nest for up to 2 months before taking their first flight, and usually start hunting for themselves at about 3 months of age.

With a worldwide population estimated at as many as 10 million, the IUCN considers the Barn Owl to be of least concern.

Barn Owl

Barn Owl fast asleep at Fish Eagle Picnic Spot

Barn Owl

Barn Owl in flight (photo by Joubert)

Common Milkweed Locust

18 Replies

Phymateus morbillosus

The vibrant colours of the Common Milkweed Locust, both in the adults and in the nymphs, serves as a warning to any would-be predators that these insects are not only foul-tasting but also potentially lethally toxic. They feed on poisonous plants, incorporating the toxins into their own tissues. The females lay their eggs in late summer with the nymphs then appearing the following spring and maturing slowly over the next 2 years. They’re found in open habitats over most of South Africa and usually in groups congregating on their favourite food plants.

Common Milkweed Locust nymphs

Common Milkweed Locust

Common Milkweed Locusts

Common Milkweed Locust

Ludwig’s Bustard

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Neotis ludwigii

Ludwig’s Bustard occurs only in the southern and western provinces of South Africa, Namibia and a corner of southern Angola. The IUCN considers it to be an endangered species, sadly indicating that, mainly due to in-flight collisions with telephone and power lines and wind turbines, their population has declined by at least 50% in the past 30 years.

The Ludwig’s Bustard inhabits open, arid scrubland in the Karoo, Kalahari and Namib, migrating considerable distances over these areas as it follows the rains and the resultant proliferation of seeds, rodents, insects and other invertebrates (it is an omnivore) that follows. They’re usually seen either singly or in small groups though congregations of up to 80 individuals have been recorded.

Male Ludwig’s Bustards are territorial, defending a small patch in which they try to keep and mate with as many females as possible during the breeding season that spans the spring and summer months, and playing no further role in the rearing of the precocial chicks. The female nests in a shallow scrape in the ground, usually surrounded by vegetation, incubating a clutch of 1-3 eggs. Fully grown they stand approximately 85cm tall, with a wingspan of up to 1.8m and weighing between 2.5kg and 4.5kg, males being considerably larger than females.

Ludwig’s Bustard

Ludwig’s Bustards

Ludwig’s Bustard

Ludwig’s Bustard coming in for a landing

Ludwig’s Bustards

Ludwig’s Bustard

Karoo Toad

7 Replies

Vandijkophrynus gariepensis

The Karoo Toad is a medium-sized toad found in the dry Karoo, fynbos and moist mountain grassland from the Drakensberg on the border of the Free State and Kwazulu-Natal to the Atlantic coast of the Northern Cape. It is remarkably well adapted to both the extreme winter cold in the mountains and the high temperatures and dry climate of the West Coast. Adults are only about 7-9cm long, the females being larger than the males by a considerable margin. Like most other toads the Karoo Toad feeds mainly on worms and insects.

Karoo Toad

Karoo Toad in the road

Karoo Toad

(Presumed) Karoo Toad

Fairy Flycatcher

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Stenostira scita

The tiny Fairy Flycatcher occurs only in South Africa and Lesotho and marginally into neighbouring Namibia and Botswana. Their distribution in our winter months is much wider than in the rest of the year. Fairy Flycatchers live in the more arid and open regions of the country, preferring areas of thorny shrubland and grasslands with pockets of thorn trees, though they have become increasingly numerous in suburban gardens and plantations. Their diet is restricted to invertebrates, including insects and spiders, and they are usually seen singly or in pairs but only very rarely in small groups.

At the start of the nesting period in our spring season the female constructs a cup-shaped nest using very fine materials in a dense shrub. She also takes sole responsibility for incubating the clutch of 2 or 3 eggs which hatch within 3 weeks of being laid, though the male will provide her with food while she is on the nest. Fully grown Fairy Flycatchers weigh only about 6g and measure approximately 11cm in length.

According to the IUCN the Fairy Flycatcher is not at risk of extinction.

Fairy Flycatcher

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin

14 Replies

Tursiops aduncus

The Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin has a wide distribution in the coastal waters off Australia, Asia and Africa’s eastern seaboard. Locally they’re found as far west as Table Bay, living on a diet of fish and squid.

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins live in pods numbering between 20 and 2,000 individuals. Females give birth to a single baby at 2-6 year intervals, following a 12-month long gestation. Fully grown, these dolphins measure about 2.6m in length and weigh between 150-230kg, and have a life expectancy of up to 40 years in the wild.

The IUCN considers the Indian Ocean Bottlenose Dolphin to be near-threatened, citing the species’ coastal occurrence which brings them into contact with many negative human-induced factors but also indicating that there’s been insufficient research on their population numbers and trends on a global scale.