Tag Archives: outdoors

Summertide Diary: Butterfly Bonanza (and a few other insects too)

When we first walked to the KuMfazana hide on our recent visit to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, we didn’t quite find what we expected. Normally, if the pans in front of the hide holds water, there are hippos and crocodiles and a myriad of water-dependent birds to keep visitors entertained for hours. This time however it was the walkway through the swamp forest to the hide that held us enthralled for hours, and not because of some “hairy and scary” creatures either…

We dubbed this stretch of the walkway to the hide at kuMfazana “Butterfly Glen”

It was thanks to the sheer numbers and diversity of butterflies to be seen along this short walk that we visited kuMfazana almost daily for the week that we were at Cape Vidal in January 2021. Last time I saw anything like it was during a solitary autumn visit to the Kruger National Park in 2019. iSimangaliso’s rich plantlife and habitats supports an extraordinary list of butterfly species, each seemingly more beautiful than the one you’ve seen just before. Other spots in the Park, most notably at Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks, also contributed to the bounty but none so richly as kuMfazana. I really hope this gallery gives you an idea of what we experienced that week.

Green-banded Swallowtail butterflies

Novice butterflies

Novice butterfly

Natal Tree Nymph butterfly

Small Orange Tip

Small Orange Tip butterfly

African Monarch

African Common White

African Migrant

African Monarchs mating

African Monarch

Female Mocker Swallowtail mimicking the Layman butterfly

Variable Diadem

Female Mocker Swallowtail mimicking the Layman butterfly

False Dotted Border

Common Bush Browns in flight

Blue Pansy

Wanderer butterfly

Female Mocker Swallowtail mimicking the Novice butterfly

Natal Acraea

Female Mocker Swallowtail mimicking the Friar butterfly

Female Mocker Swallowtaill mimicking the Friar butterfly

Forest Leopard butterfly

False Dotted Border

African Migrant

Chief butterfly

Wanderer butterfly

Novice butterfly

Chief butterfly

Novice butterfly

Common Diadem (female) mimicking African Monarch

Green-banded Swallowtail

Natal Blue butterfly

Forest Leopard butterfly

Streaked Sailer butterfly

An unidentified member of the Tip-family of butterflies

Novice butterflies

Citrus Swallowtail

Streaked Sailer

A Flying Handkerchief – the male Mocker Swallowtail

Streaked Sailer

Spotted Hairtail

African Wood White

Novice butterflies (photo by Joubert)

African Monarch

Citrus Swallowtail

False Swift butterfly

A Flying Handkerchief – the male Mocker Swallowtail

Boisduval’s Tree Nymph (female)

Boisduval’s Tree Nymph (male)

Natal Tree Nymph

Golden Piper butterfly

Small-striped Swordtail

Small-striped Swordtail (photo by Joubert)

Common Bush Brown

Novice (Amauris ochlea)

While not nearly as conspicuous as their butterfly cousins there also was a few eye-catching moths to be found.

Sundowner Moth

Unidentified moth species

Unidentified caterpillar, probably of a moth species

The diversity of dragonflies on the eastern shores of Lake St. Lucia almost matches that of the butterflies, and I was frustrated at not being able to identify the species most of them belonged to. Realising how little I actually know about these often seen insects I’m determined to remedy that as soon as possible.

Violet Dropwing Dragonfly female (photo by Joubert)

Violet Dropwing Dragonfly (female)

Common Tigertail Dragonfly

Jaunty Dropwing Dragonfly

Jaunty Dropwing Dragonfly (female)

Violet Dropwing Dragonfly

African Piedspot Dragonfly

Violet Dropwing Dragonfly (female)

Julia Skimmer Dragonfly

Unidentified Dragonfly (photo by Joubert)

Broad Scarlet Dragonfly

Insects of all kinds thrive in iSimangaliso’s sub-tropical climate. Regrettably that includes mosquitoes…

Wasp of the genus Stizus

Carpenter Bee Robber Fly

Dung Beetle with his bounty

Dung Beetle

Adult Antlion

Unidentified Flightless Wasp

Elegant Grasshopper

When we saw a spider-hunting wasp dragging a paralysed sac spider to its nest I must admit to getting a large dose of pleasure from the hapless spider’s predicament. Sac spiders are among the most venomous spiders in South Africa and responsible for most of the serious spider bites suffered in our country. They deliver a nasty bite of cytotoxic venom and the bite-site is prone to secondary infection. The reason for my schadenfreude? A sac spider bit a then infant Joubert resulting in a visit to the emergency room late night on a New Years eve a few years ago…

Wasp with Sac Spider prey

Wasp and Sac Spider prey

Summertide Diary: Exploring iSimangaliso (part one)

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17 January 2021

It’s a cloudy start to the day at Cape Vidal and the route for our morning drive takes us along the Grassland Loop and then to the viewpoint at Catalina Bay on the shores of Lake St. Lucia. Recent rains have swelled the lake to proportions I don’t think we’ve seen on any of our numerous previous visits to the area.

Little Bee-eater

Youngish Waterbuck bull

Cheeky Kudu calf

Catalina Bay, Lake St. Lucia

Adult Antlion

We’re slowly making our way to the picnic site at Mission Rocks for breakfast.

Waterbuck with oddly shaped horns

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Dominant male Vervet Monkey

On arrival at Mission Rocks we delay our breakfast of coffee-and-rusks just a little to first walk down to the rocky beach and look out over the ocean. But its windy and drizzly so we don’t stay at the seaside too long before going to hide in the forest, where the picnic tables are also frequented by some colourful birds with the same aching for something to eat that we had.

Spotted Hyena track at Mission Rocks

Mission Rocks

Common Whimbrel

Large crab of unknown species at Mission Rocks

Natal Rock Crab

Red-capped Robin Chat

African Pygmy Kingfisher

Driving further south the sun finally puts in appearance and the bush becomes alive as birds and animals come out of hiding.

Barn Swallows

Rufous-winged Cisticola

Warthog

Vervet Monkey

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

We turn for camp at Amazibu Pan, where the hippos are kept from their sleep by a raucous assortment of birdlife.

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Spur-winged Goose (photo by Joubert)

Spur-winged Goose

White-faced Whistling Duck

Hippos lazing at Amazibu Pan

Heading back to Cape Vidal there’s three short loop roads that offer an alternative to the busier tarred main road, and each of them offers a glimpse into a different ecosystem. The first of these is the Vlei Loop that passes several open pans where animals congregate to drink.

Dung Beetle with his bounty

Herd of buffaloes

Steppe Buzzard

Water Thick-knee (photo by Joubert)

The Forest Loop passes the kuMfazana Hide, where we discover a butterfly paradise – more about that tomorrow!

Eastern Coastal Skink

Novice butterfly

Common Tigertail Dragonfly

Unidentified moth species

A turnoff from the Dune Loop leads to the Kwasheleni Tower – a new facility opened after our previous visit to iSimangaliso that we were very curious to see – but a sour old buffalo bull tried his best to keep us from reaching it.

Wild Date Palms

Water Monitor lizard

Buffalo road block

Our patience paid off when the buffalo eventually relented and we could reach the viewing tower without further hindrance (unless you see the climbing up the dune and then the tower as an obstacle). The views afforded over Lake St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park from up the top of the tower was amazing.

Kwasheleni Tower

Kwasheleni Tower and view

The view southwards from the Kwasheleni Tower

Arriving back at Cape Vidal around the same time the clouds did, we nevertheless didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to explore the rock pools at low tide.

Cape Vidal beach

Rock pools at Cape Vidal

Intertidal rock pools at Cape Vidal

Little fish in an intertidal rock pool at Cape Vidal

Having lunch on the deck of our log cabin we were visited by a variety of the local wildlife.

Greying old bushbuck ewe

Black-bellied Starling

African Monarch

We didn’t take a very long afternoon drive, just a two-hour excursion along the Grassland and Dune Loops and back to camp.

Shy European Honey Buzzard

European Roller

Warthog

Two of the “Big Five” in the same frame

Brown Snake Eagle (photo by Joubert)

Fan-tailed Widowbird

African Pygmy Kingfisher

Wasp of the genus Stizus

Map of the eastern shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (from https://isimangaliso.com/)

Ghost Crabs

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Subfamily Ocypodinae

The beach at Cape Vidal is alive with Ghost Crabs, a good indication as to the health of the intertidal ecosystem thanks to minimal human impact on this stretch of coast.

Ghost Crabs on the beach at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crabs at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crabs

Ghost Crabs on the beach at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crabs are omnivorous scavengers, living on any carrion, debris, and even small living creatures up to the size of turtle hatchlings that gets washed onto the beach.

Ghost Crab with a piece of seaweed

Being semi-terrestrial and living in burrows they dig for themselves in moist sand, Ghost Crabs can breathe oxygen from the air through their gills, provided they can keep them wet which requires the crabs to scuttle into the waves every so often. However, they can’t stay in the water too long or they’ll drown.

Ghost Crab outside its hole

Ghost Crab going into its hole

Ghost Crab tunnel – note the crab’s tracks leading to and from the hole

Ghost Crab on the beach at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crabs

Ghost Crab scavenging at the water’s edge

This necessity for the Ghost Crabs to go into the water at regular intervals had us quite amused during our recent visit to Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The crabs would run towards the approaching wave, stand their ground, get pounded, and then re-appear when the wave retreats, still standing in the same spot. Not once did we see one of the crabs loose its footing and get tossed around by the wave action!

Daredevil Surfing Ghost Crab

Ghost Crab engulfed by the wave (spot the eyes?)

Ghost Crab emerging above the retreating wave

Ghost Crab in the surf

Ghost Crabs in the surf at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crab in the surf at Cape Vidal

Ghost Crabs in the surf at Cape Vidal

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Cape Vidal

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16 January 2021

Thankfully our government didn’t opt to impose even stricter lockdown regulations following the festive season spike in covid-infections and so, after 13 days at home in Pretoria we could recommence our summertide rambles, this time heading to Cape Vidal on the eastern shores of Lake St. Lucia, in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. After 7-and-a-half hours on the road we finally arrived in the holiday town of St Lucia and, after filling up on fuel and stocking up on eats and drinks we couldn’t wait to enter Bhangazi Gate for the 30km drive to Cape Vidal.

The Bhangazi gate into the Eastern Shores of Lake Saint Lucia lies roughly 610km South-East of Pretoria.
(Drawn using Google Maps)

This is one of our favourite destinations and sadly in the midst of South Africa’s first wave of the pandemic a booking we had to come to Cape Vidal in the winter holidays of 2020 had to be postponed. We were so grateful to be back now.

Hippos

Buffalo wading in deep mud

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

Reedbuck ewe

Brown Snake Eagle

Brimstone Canary

Red Duiker

We were allocated log cabin #1 at Cape Vidal – although it’s the first unit as you drive into the accommodation area of the camp it was still very privately situated and surrounded by bush.

Cape Vidal – the direction the trees are leaning gives you an indication of the direction and strength of the prevailing winds

Log Cabin #1 at Cape Vidal

After settling into our accommodation there was only one place we wanted to go – the beach – even if by then some heavy cloud cover had started to move in from the Indian Ocean.

Heavy skies above the beach at Cape Vidal

Curious Yellow-billed Kite flying overhead

Daredevil Surfing Ghost Crab

Map of the eastern shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (from https://isimangaliso.com/)

Summertide Diary: Departing Mountain Zebra

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3 January 2021

Today we had to leave Mountain Zebra National Park early, for we had a long way to get back home to Pretoria and had to beat the government-imposed curfew at that. It may have been only 12km from the camp to the gate, but still there was loads to see!

Yellow Mongoose

Buffalo bull

African buffalo

Very near the gate there’s a nice waterhole where even this early in the morning a procession of game was already congregating. The serenity of the scene was shattered when a mountain zebra love triangle got out of hand, but calm soon settled again.

Mountain Zebras congregating at a waterhole

Two Mountain Zebra stallions chasing a mare

The winner takes it all!

Cape Mountain Zebra and Eland congregating at a waterhole

During our time in Mountain Zebra National Park we were very lucky to come across a Black Rhinoceros cow and calf. For their protection I won’t be able to share where or when it was that we saw them, but being able to see more of these magnificent creatures was a privilege we were very grateful for.

Black Rhinos at Mountain Zebra National Park

And with that our summertide ramble came to a halt, if temporarily, as I had important start-of-the-year work to attend to back in Pretoria. As it would be some weeks still before the schools were due to reopen we did have another reservation in the offing, but with South Africa in the midst of a serious second wave of COVID-19 infections we weren’t at all certain that we would be able to take it up…

We posted a special feature about Mountain Zebra National Park following a previous visit, if you’d like to learn more about this special destination.

Map of Mountain Zebra National Park from the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/images/parks/mountain_zebra/mznp-map.jpg)

Summertide Diary: Exploring Mountain Zebra (part two)

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2 January 2021

When dawn found the Mountain Zebra National Park under heavy skies this morning we were already underway along the Kranskop Loop.

Black-backed Jackal

The view westwards from the western leg of the Kranskop Loop

Grey Rhebok

The view eastwards (towards the camp) from the western leg of the Kranskop Loop

When we arrived at the start of Rooiplaat Loop we found a male lion lying there, flat on its right-side. We sat there as the minutes passed, studying it through cameras and binoculars and finally coming to the sad conclusion that this lion was dead – there wasn’t even a twitch of an ear or any movement of its stomach to indicate a breath being taken. Disheartened, I started the car to drive off.

King Roy, fast asleep

The sound of the Duster’s engine had a miraculous effect. The lion lifted his head, sleepily. He rested his head on his paws for a while, then gave a mighty yawn before getting up, stretching his legs and then lying down again to look at us in irritation. He is magnificent, known as Roy, and despite his advanced age one of the ruling coalition of lion males here at Mountain Zebra National Park, along with Nomad whom we saw at a distance the day before .

King Roy, awoken

King Roy, in repose

King Roy, yawning

Male lion at Mountain Zebra National Park

King Roy, contemplative

Male lion at Mountain Zebra National Park

When the next vehicle arrived at the lion sighting we moved of so that those visitors too could have a private audience with The King. The skies have cleared and it’s turning into a glorious day. On our way back to camp we passed Roy again, and he was fast asleep again.

Springbok dot the Rooiplaat Plateau

Young Springbok

Black Harrier

Black-winged Kite

Mountain Wheatear

Red Hartebeest trio

Eland cow

Red-billed Quelea

Blue Cranes in flight

Meerkat

River crossing in Mountain Zebra National Park

South African Shelduck

Southern Rock Agama

Steppe Buzzard

King Roy, asleep again…

With it being our last afternoon at Mountain Zebra we opted to visit all our favourite spots along the Ubejane and Rooiplaat Loops and the Link road between them again. There’s just something so indescribably peaceful about driving around wild Africa as dusk approaches.

Young Springbok rams testing their strength (photo by Joubert)

Blue Crane

Cape Mountain Zebra

Thirsty Secretarybird

Mountain Zebras

Cape Longclaw

Kopieva

Springbok on the wide open plains of the Mountain Zebra National Park

We posted a special feature about Mountain Zebra National Park following a previous visit, if you’d like to learn more about this special destination.

Map of Mountain Zebra National Park from the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/images/parks/mountain_zebra/mznp-map.jpg)

Summertide Diary: Bat-eared Fox puppies

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Our new year got off to a great start when we encountered this lovely family of Bat-eared Foxes along the Link Road in the Mountain Zebra National Park on the 1st of January. At the den there were three very lively puppies and four adults who did everything they could to get the pups to hide away from the enamoured humans, without much success!

Bat-eared Fox pups (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox family (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox family

Bat-eared Fox pups

Bat-eared Fox pups (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox pups

Bat-eared Fox family

Bat-eared Fox family (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox family

Bat-eared Fox pups

Bat-eared Fox pups (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox pups

Bat-eared Fox pups (photo by Joubert)

Bat-eared Fox family

Bat-eared Fox pups

Summertide Diary: Exploring Mountain Zebra (part one)

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1 January 2021

As soon as the gates opened on New Year’s Day we headed for the Rooiplaat Loop, the sightings board at reception having indicated that Lions and Cheetahs were seen there the previous day. And we did not wait long – right where the road skirts the Park’s boundary fence we came across a big male lion, known as Nomad, patrolling his territory.

We supposed that it was the proximity of the big predator that made these Black Wildebeest so jittery!

Black Wildebeest (photo by Joubert)

Black Wildebeest

Black Wildebeest (photo by Joubert)

Black Wildebeest

Black Wildebeest (photo by Joubert)

It’s early morning in the Mountain Zebra National Park and there’s so much to be seen!

Kopieva bloom

Blesbok ewes and lambs

Blesbok lamb

Blesbok ewe and lamb

Grey-winged Francolin

Windpump along a stream in the Mountain Zebra National Park

Red-billed Teal

Wide open spaces in the Mountain Zebra National Park

Cape Sparrow (male)

Jackal Buzzard

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Scaly-feathered Finch

African Pipit

It was on the link road between Rooiplaat and Ubejane Loops that we happened upon these cute little Bat-eared Fox pups and their elders. More photos of them tomorrow!

Bat-eared Fox pups

Along the main road, between the two junctions with the Ubejane Loop, we saw this pair of unusually tolerant Secretarybirds – they’re normally quite nervous and move away from the road the moment a vehicle approaches, so this was a great opportunity to watch them in action.

Secretarybird (photo by Joubert)

Secretarybird

Wind-blown Secretarybird

Secretarybird

Secretarybirds

At the southern junction of Ubejane Loop with the main road there’s a small earth dam filled with rainwater. By the time we arrived there at mid-morning Cape Mountain Zebra families were arriving from all corners, along with some other wildlife, to slake their thirst and it was wonderful to watch their social interactions before heading back to camp.

Cape Mountain Zebras

Cape Mountain Zebra

Cape Mountain Zebras

Red Hartebeest

Cape Mountain Zebras

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Cape Mountain Zebras

Back at camp there was time to kill either side of lunchtime, and thankfully there’s very much of interest around the accommodation and camping area.

Vervet Monkey

Cross-berry

White-browed Sparrow Weaver

Red-eyed Bulbul

Four-striped Grass Mouse

Western Rock Skink

Cardinal Woodpecker

Laughing Dove

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Neddicky

Familiar Chat

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Red-headed Finches

Imposing Sweet Thorn thorns

Seeroogblom

Chestnut-vented Warbler

Black-throated Canary

Snake Aloe

Southern Rock Agama

Vygie

African Grass Blue butterfly

Gazania

Pied Starling

Bar-throated Apalis

Neddicky

Sweet Thorn tree

Southern Rock Agama

White-necked Ravens that caught a Red-winged Starling chick

White-necked Raven that caught a Red-winged Starling chick

Grey-headed Sparrow

Familiar Chat

Red-eyed Bulbul

Neddicky

Southern Masked Weaver

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Cape White-eye

Karoo Scrub Robin

Our route for the afternoon would first take us into the mountains along the Kranskop Loop before taking another jaunt around the Rooiplaat Loop.

Doornhoek Guest House overlooks the Doornhoek Dam and is a national monument

Highveld Cabbage Tree

Rocky outcrop

South African Shelduck

Hyrax

Southern Rock Agama

Amazing scenery along the Kranskop Loop

Black Harrier

Scale-feathered Finch

Namaqua Dove

Red-billed Quelea

Rock Monitor

Black-backed Jackal

Eland

Gemsbok

Wide open spaces at Mountain Zebra National Park

Steppe Buzzard

The Rest Camp at Mountain Zebra National Park blends in beautifully with the surroundings

A real highlight of our afternoon drive was an encounter with a group of three Cheetahs – one adult and two youngsters – on the Rooiplaat Plateau, just half-an-hour before we had to be back in camp.

Cheetah

Cheetah (photo by Joubert)

Cheetah

We posted a special feature about Mountain Zebra National Park following a previous visit, if you’d like to learn more about this special destination.

Map of Mountain Zebra National Park from the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/images/parks/mountain_zebra/mznp-map.jpg)

Summertide Diary: Arriving at Mountain Zebra

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31 December 2020

It’s a 210km drive from Addo‘s Main Rest Camp to the gates of the Mountain Zebra National park, and we arrive just after 13:00. The rest camp lies about 12km into the Park, but it’s hot and most animals are hiding from the midday summer sun and we don’t see much of them before reaching the camp.

Entrance to Mountain Zebra National Park

Salpeterkop

Sickle-winged Chat

Very hot Pied Crow

After checking in we make our way to our allotted unit, cottage 20, and while Marilize and I unpack the car and settle into our accommodation Joubert is already out exploring and enjoying the birdlife in camp.

Chalet 20 at Mountain Zebra National Park

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting (photo by Joubert)

Karoo Prinia (photo by Joubert)

Time to go exploring as a family, and off we go to the Rooiplaat and Ubejane Loops before returning to camp three hours later.

Doornhoek Dam nestles among the foothills of the Bankberg

Mountain Zebra National Park’s wide open spaces

Blesbok

Blesbok eyeing a Black-backed Jackal with some suspicion

Southern African Ground Squirrel

Mountain Zebra National Park’s wide open spaces

Marsh Terrapin

Common Fiscal

Sweet Thorn tree with Sparrow-Weaver nests

Red-billed Quelea

Southern African Ground Squirrel

Meerkat (photo by Joubert)

Meerkats

Meerkat (photo by Joubert)

African Spoonbill

Mountain Zebras

Red Hartebeest

Spike-heeled Lark

Wind-blown Secretary Bird

Pale Chanting Goshawk

Clouds hanging over the hills of Mountain Zebra National Park

We’ve not often seen Warthogs at Mountain Zebra National Park on previous visits

Arriving back at camp

2020 draws to a close with a beautiful sunset over the hills of the Mountain Zebra National Park

The last sighting of the year: a Raucous Toad next to the swimming pool in camp.

We posted a special feature about Mountain Zebra National Park following a previous visit, if you’d like to learn more about this special destination.

Map of Mountain Zebra National Park from the SANParks website (https://www.sanparks.org/images/parks/mountain_zebra/mznp-map.jpg)

Summertide Diary: Elephant Processions at Addo

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One of the most wonderful experiences one could hope to have in the Addo Elephant National Park is to sit at a waterhole while a herd of elephants arrive, often passing so close to your vehicle that it will take your breath away.