Today we moved base southwards, transferring from Satara Rest Camp to Skukuza Rest Camp in the Kruger National Park. Aside from some wonderful wildlife sightings we also drove through some of the worst fires currently sweeping through the area.
Hannes, Irving and I are still having a wonderful time with our guests here at Satara in the Kruger National Park – so much so that I totally forgot to post a blog update last night, so today’s covers 2 days!
We spent most of yesterday exploring the area between Satara and Tshokwane, and today between Satara and Letaba. Over the two days we’ve seen all of the famed “Big 5” as well as many other interesting animals, birds and plants.
This morning we caught the Airlink flight from Cape Town direct to Skukuza, where Hannes Rossouw and Irving Knight joined our party, intent on touring the Kruger National Park for the next 6 days.
We spent most of our day today exploring the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, the crags atop Table Mountain and the twists and turns of Chapman’s Peak Drive.
I am currently touring some of South Africa’s most beautiful spots with someone who has been a great friend of DeWetsWild for many years, and what a privilege it is! We’re currently on the Cape Peninsula where we’ve based ourselves at the Quayside Hotel in Simon’s Town and today made excursions to the Boulders Penguin Colony and the Cape of Good Hope.
Except for one horrific cold front moving over the country over the Heritage Day long weekend we’ve enjoyed pleasant Spring weather and scenery at the Rietvlei Nature Reserve this September. Many plants are already in bloom and a green tinge is flushing over the moister parts of the reserve.
I expected that we might see some different birds at Rietvlei following the fires last month, as well as some early summer migrants, and on both scores I was not disappointed. The number of species I’ve now recorded at Rietvlei since February has swollen to 148.
I recorded 19 species of mammals during the month of September, most of any month since I joined the reserve’s guiding staff on a freelance basis. No doubt the denuded state of the vegetation so long after the rainy season and the areas opened up by veld fires have aided this. It was also nice to see some reptiles again, the warm spring weather must have woken them from their slumber.
Our inaugural “introduction to wildlife photography” course presented in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography early in the month was another highlight and we hope to offer another session before the year is done. Let me know if you’d be interested in receiving more information!
List of mammals seen at Rietvlei in September 2024:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Alcelaphus buselaphus | Rooihartbees | Red Hartebeest |
| Antidorcas marsupialis | Springbok | Springbuck |
| Canis mesomelas | Rooijakkals | Black-backed Jackal |
| Ceratotherium simum | Witrenoster | White Rhinoceros |
| Connochaetes gnou | Swartwildebees | Black Wildebeest |
| Cynictis penicillata | Witkwasmuishond | Yellow Mongoose |
| Damaliscus pygargus | Blesbok | Blesbuck |
| Equus quagga | Bontsebra | Plains Zebra |
| Herpestes sanguineus | Swartkwasmuishond | Slender Mongoose |
| Hippopotamus amphibius | Seekoei | Hippopotamus |
| Hydrictis maculicollis | Kleinotter | Spotted-necked Otter |
| Kobus ellipsyprymnus | Waterbok | Waterbuck |
| Microchiroptera | Insekvretende vlermuis (spesie onbekend) |
Insect-eating bat (species unknown) |
| Potamochoerus larvatus | Bosvark | Bushpig |
| Raphicerus campestris | Steenbok | Steenbok |
| Suricata suricatta | Meerkat | Suricate |
| Sylvicapra grimmia | Grysduiker | Common Duiker |
| Syncerus caffer | Buffel | Cape Buffalo |
| Taurotragus oryx | Eland | Eland |
List of birds seen at Rietvlei during September 2024:
| Scientific | Afrikaans | English |
| Acridotheres tristis | Indiese Spreeu | Common Myna |
| Acrocephalus gracilirostris | Kaapse Rietsanger | Lesser Swamp Warbler |
| Afrotis afraoides | Witvlerkkorhaan | Northern Black Korhaan |
| Alopochen aegyptiaca | Kolgans | Egyptian Goose |
| Amblyospiza albifrons | Dikbekwewer | Thick-billed Weaver |
| Anas sparsa | Swarteend | African Black Duck |
| Anas undulata | Geelbekeend | Yellow-billed Duck |
| Anthus cinnamomeus | Gewone Koester | African Pipit |
| Apus barbatus | Swartwindswael | African Black Swift |
| Ardea melanocephala | Swartkopreier | Black-headed Heron |
| Batis molitor | Witliesbosbontrokkie | Chinspot Batis |
| Bostrychia hagedash | Hadeda | Hadeda Ibis |
| Bubulcus ibis | Veereier | Western Cattle Egret |
| Burhinus capensis | Gewone Dikkop | Spotted Thick-knee |
| Butorides striata | Groenrugreier | Green-backed Heron |
| Cecropis cucullata | Grootstreepswael | Greater Striped Swallow |
| Centropus burchellii | Gewone Vleiloerie | Burchell’s Coucal |
| Charadrius tricollaris | Driebandstrandkiewiet | Three-banded Plover |
| Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus | Gryskopmeeu | Grey-headed Gull |
| Cisticola juncidis | Landeryklopkloppie | Zitting Cisticola |
| Cisticola tinniens | Vleitinktinkie | Levaillant’s Cisticola |
| Colius striatus | Gevlekte Muisvoel | Speckled Mousebird |
| Columba guinea | Kransduif | Speckled Pigeon |
| Corvus albus | Witborskraai | Pied Cow |
| Crinifer concolor | Kwevoel | Grey Go-Away Bird |
| Crithagra gularis | Streepkopkanarie | Streaky-headed Seedeater |
| Cypsiurus parvus | Palmwindswael | African Palm Swift |
| Dendropicos fuscescens | Kardinaalspeg | Cardinal Woodpecker |
| Dessonornis caffer | Gewone Janfrederik | Cape Robin-Chat |
| Dicrurus adsimilis | Mikstertbyvanger | Fork-tailed Drongo |
| Elanus caeruleus | Blouvalk | Black-winged Kite |
| Estrilda astrild | Rooibeksysie | Common Waxbill |
| Euplectes ardens | Rooikeelflap | Red-collared Widowbird |
| Euplectes orix | Rooivink | Southern Red Bishop |
| Euplectes progne | Langstertflap | Longtailed Widowbird |
| Fulica cristata | Bleshoender | Red-knobbed Coot |
| Gallinago nigripennis | Afrikaanse Snip | African Snipe |
| Gallinula chloropus | Grootwaterhoender | Common Moorhen |
| Hirundo albigularis | Witkeelswael | White-throated Swallow |
| Icthyophaga vocifer | Visarend | Fish Eagle |
| Jynx ruficollis | Draaihals | Red-throated Wryneck |
| Lamprotornis bicolor | Witgatspreeu | Pied Starling |
| Lamprotornis nitens | Kleinglansspreeu | Cape Glossy Starling |
| Laniarius atrococcineus | Rooiborslaksman | Crimson-breasted Shrike |
| Laniarius ferrugineus | Suidelike Waterfiskaal | Southern Boubou |
| Lanius collaris | Fiskaallaksman | Common Fiscal |
| Lybius torquatus | Rooikophoutkapper | Black-collared Barbet |
| Macronyx capensis | Oranjekeel Kalkoentjie | Cape Longclaw |
| Microcarbo africanus | Rietduiker | Reed Cormorant |
| Mirafra africana | Rooineklewerik | Rufous-naped Lark |
| Motacilla capensis | Gewone Kwikkie | Cape Wagtail |
| Netta erythrophthalma | Bruineend | Southern Pochard |
| Numida meleagris | Gewone Tarentaal | Helmeted Guineafowl |
| Oenanthe pileata | Hoeveldskaapwagter | Capped Wheatear |
| Passer diffusus | Gryskopmossie | Southern Grey-headed Sparrow |
| Passer melanurus | Gewone Mossie | Cape Sparrow |
| Phalacrocorax lucidus | Witborsduiker | White-breasted Cormorant |
| Phoeniculus purpureus | Rooibekkakelaar | Green Wood-hoopoe |
| Platalea alba | Lepelaar | African Spoonbill |
| Plectropterus gambensis | Wildemakou | Spur-winged Goose |
| Plegadis falcinellus | Glansibis | Glossy Ibis |
| Ploceus velatus | Swartkeelgeelvink | Southern Masked Weaver |
| Prinia subflava | Bruinsylangstertjie | Tawny-flanked Prinia |
| Psittacula krameri | Ringnekparkiet | Rose-ringed Parakeet |
| Pternistis swainsonii | Bosveldfisant | Swainson’s Spurfowl |
| Pycnonotus tricolor | Swartoogtiptol | Dark-capped Bulbul |
| Quelea quelea | Rooibekkwelea | Red-billed Quelea |
| Saxicola torquatus | Gewone Bontrokkie | African Stonechat |
| Scleroptila gutturalis | Kalaharipatrys | Orange River Francolin |
| Scopus umbretta | Hamerkop | Hamerkop |
| Sigelus silens | Fiskaalvlieevanger | Fiscal Flycatcher |
| Spatula hottentota | Gevlekte Eend | Blue-billed Teal |
| Spilopelia senegalensis | Rooiborsduifie | Laughing Dove |
| Streptopelia capicola | Gewone Tortelduif | Cape Turtle Dove |
| Streptopelia semitorquata | Grootringduif | Red-eyed Dove |
| Struthio camelus | Volstruis | Common Ostrich |
| Tachybaptus ruficollis | Kleindobbertjie | Little Grebe |
| Tadorna cana | Kopereend | South African Shelduck |
| Telophorus zeylonus | Bokmakierie | Bokmakierie |
| Threskiornis aethiopicus | Skoorsteenveer | African Sacred Ibis |
| Turdoides jardineii | Pylvlekkatlagter | Arrow-marked Babbler |
| Turdus smithi | Geelbeklyster | Karoo Thrush |
| Upupa africana | Hoephoep | African Hoopoe |
| Vanellus armatus | Bontkiewiet | Blacksmith Lapwing |
| Vanellus coronatus | Kroonkiewiet | Crowned Lapwing |
| Vanellus senegallus | Lelkiewiet | Wattled Lapwing |
| Vidua macroura | Koningrooibekkie | Pin-tailed Whydah |
| Zosterops virens | Kaapse Glasogie | Cape White-eye |
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.
Our Wild Rosemary, known in Afrikaans as Kapokbos (“snow bush”) because of its appearance when covered by masses of fluffy white seeds mid-winter, is an evergreen shrub that grows to about 1m tall and wide. The fragrant leaves can be used in perfume or to freshen rooms in homes, though it also taints the milk of goats that feed on it. It can be used in cooking instead of traditional rosemary and a tea made of it can be used to treat cold symptoms and stomach ailments. It can even be used to wash your hair! The Wild Rosemary is a beautiful and easy to care for addition to indigenous gardens. Naturally it grows best in rocky soil in the drier parts of our Eastern, Western and Northern Cape Provinces.
The Common Scimitarbill feeds almost entirely on insects and other invertebrates scrounged from behind the bark of trees, a task that its characteristic bill is well adapted to perform. These restless birds inhabit open, dry woodlands and are usually encountered singly, in pairs or small family groups.
Common Scimitarbills form territorial pairs and breed in spring and summer, nesting in cavities in tree trunks and often using the same nest for several consecutive years. The female is solely responsible for incubating the clutch of 2-4 eggs for a 2 week period, with the male providing her with food on the nest , and the chicks take their first short flights around 3 weeks after hatching. The chicks may remain with their parents for up to 6 months. Adults weigh about 35g and measure approximately 26cm in length.
In South Africa the Common Scimitarbill is found in all provinces with the exception of the Western Cape. They’re also found as far north as Angola on the African west coast and up to Kenya and Somalia on the eastern seaboard of the continent. Despite suspecting their populations to be decreasing due to habitat loss (and in particular the removal of trees with holes for breeding) the IUCN lists the Common Scimitarbill as being of least concern.
The Flat-crown is a large tree occurring in coastal and mountain forests, in South Africa restricted to the subtropical coast of Kwazulu-Natal and an apparently isolated population in north-eastern Limpopo Province. It usually grows to about 25m tall with exceptional specimens towering to 40m high.
Elephants love browsing on the leaves and pods of the Flat-crown and several kinds of butterfly raise their caterpillars on it. While the bark is poisonous in sufficient quantities it is used in traditional medicine to treat intestinal parasites. Due to its interesting growth form the Flat-crown is often found in large gardens in frost-free parts of the country.
The African Veined White is a commonly encountered butterfly species occurring in the savanna-bushveld habitats stretching from the Eastern Cape through Kwazulu-Natal to the Lowveld and Limpopo Valley in the north of the country. Adults are on the wing throughout the year and have a wingspan of around 5cm. The widespread wild caper bush (Capparis sepiaria) is an important food plant for the larvae of these butterflies.
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