Tag Archives: travel

There’s a feast of birds to be seen in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

More than 500 bird species have been recorded within the borders of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, making it one of the country’s most rewarding bird-watching destinations – a fact that was once again proven to be undeniable during my latest tour of “The Place of Miracles and Wonders”. Even if I hadn’t ticked the Lesser Moorhen for the first time this would still have been a bumper birding trip! Lets start the birdwatching off with a few videos.

African Pygmy Kingfishers are little winged jewels and in our experience iSimangaliso is one of the best possible places to search for them during summer.

Another bird that you are more likely to see in iSimangaliso than probably anywhere else in South Africa is the Crested Guineafowl.

Grey-headed Gulls are the most commonly observed of their family on the beaches of iSimangaliso. This one found a dead fish but is struggling to gulp it down!

There were so many Hamerkops to be seen all over the Park – they’re obviously enjoying the inundated conditions and the boom in fish and frog numbers associated with it!

Of course, with so much of the Park under water now it’s hardly a surprise that waterfowl are to be seen in exceptional numbers, but what was especially gratifying to me was the plentiful sightings of African Pygmy Geese and White-backed Ducks – elusive species I’ve only rarely seen previously.

At the KwaMalibala-hide this flock of White-faced Whistling Ducks dabbling and diving for food were great entertainment. In the hot weather their splashing seemed quite refreshing!

Altogether we managed to see and identify 174 different species of birds in the 10 days that we spent in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on this latest tour that included the town of St. Lucia and its surrounds, the Eastern and Western shores sections and the uMkhuze Game Reserve.

African Darter

African Pied Wagtail

African Pygmy Geese among Blue Water Lilies

African Pygmy Kingfisher

African Swamphen

African Wattled Lapwing at her nest with eggs

African Wattled Lapwing nest with eggs

Bearded Scrub Robin

Black Crake

Black Heron

Black-bellied Bustard

Broad-billed Roller

Brown Snake Eagle

Cape Cormorant

Cattle Egrets in flight over the sea at the estuary of Lake St. Lucia

Collared Pratincole

Common Buzzard

Common Ringed Plover

Common Sandpiper

Common (left) and Swift (right) Terns

Crested Guineafowls

Dark-backed Weaver

Fan-tailed Widowbird

Giant Kingfisher

Glossy Ibis

Great Egret

Green-backed Heron

Grey Heron

Grey-headed Gull

Hamerkop

Immature Kelp Gull

Laughing Dove

Female Lesser Masked Weaver

Little Bee-eaters

Little Egret

Long-crested Eagle

Little Grebe

Malachite Kingfisher

Narina Trogon

Purple Heron

Rattling Cisticola

Red-billed Teal

Reed Cormorants

Ruddy Turnstone

Saddle-billed Storks

Sanderlings

Secretary Bird

Spectacled Weaver

Squacco Heron

Southern Banded Snake Eagle

Swift Tern

Trumpeter Hornbill

Village Weaver

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Water Thick-knee

Whimbrel

White-backed Duck

White-backed Duck diving

White-faced Whistling Ducks

White-fronted Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Woolly-necked Storks

Yellow Weaver

Yellow-billed Egret

Yellow-billed Storks

Eastern Nicator

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

Encounters with Elephants at uMkhuze Game Reserve

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We had some excellent sightings of African Elephants in the uMkhuze Game Reserve section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park when we toured the reserve earlier in November.

Elephant bull at uMkhuze

Elephant bull on a walk about

Elephant bull at uMkhuze

There were some adorable babies in this big breeding herd – at least 50 individuals strong – that crossed the road in front of us in a hurry past the eThaleni Picnic Spot.

Elephant bulls are always a thrill to encounter.

We were trapped behind this big Elephant bull in musth – a period of heightened reproductive urges accompanied by aggressive behaviour – while heading back to camp on our first evening at uMkhuze. Luckily he gave way just in time for us to make the gate closing time of 19h00.

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

Humpback Whale

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One of the most memorable sightings of my recent tour of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park was of a small pod of Humpback Whales playing just offshore of the St. Lucia estuary one overcast morning.

Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia

Humpbacked Whale fin-slapping off St. Lucia

Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia

Humpbacked Whale fin-slapping off St. Lucia

Megaptera novaeangliae

Humpback Whales occur throughout the world’s oceans at different times of the year. Locally they migrate past our shores from about June to overwinter in the tropical waters off both Africa’s Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines, returning to their Antarctic feeding grounds from about November at the start of the austral summer and covering as much as 16,000km on these journeys. Humpback Whales feed mainly on krill, other plankton and schools of fish, gulped down in enormous quantities after being encircled by “curtains” of bubbles released from the blowholes of the circling whales. These whales are well known for their spectacular breaches out of the water as well as their playful tail-slamming and fin-slapping behaviour (as captured in the above video). They may dive up to 150m deep and stay underwater for up to 15 minutes. While usually seen in small groups and even as single cows with their latest calf, Humpback Whales may at times congregate in pods up to 200 strong in good feeding grounds.

While in the more tropical climes the females give birth to single calves after an almost year-long gestation. The calves will suckle for up to a year, though they start eating at about 6 months of age. Females calf every two years and mating also takes place in the tropical latitudes during winter. At birth the calves weigh about a metric ton and measure more than 4 metres in length; fully grown they will weigh approximately 40,000kg and reach up to 18m in length! It is estimated that Humpback Whales live to at least 50 years of age.

Citing an increasing population estimated at approximately 84,000 mature animals (of a total of 135,000) worldwide, the IUCN lists the Humpback Whale as being of least concern. When whaling was banned in 1966 there was probably only 5,000 Humpback Whales left.

Over the years we’ve been fortunate to see these enigmatic creatures a number of times while visiting some of South Africa’s wild places, most notably the Garden Route National Park and, of course, iSimangaliso. DeWetsWild will assist you with reservations and guided tours of these places and even arrange whale watching excursions with experienced skippers if you are interested in seeing Humpback Whales up close.

Humpback Whale

iSimangaliso’s Marine Gems

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The iSimangaliso Wetland Park does not only conserve some of the most magnificent terrestrial environments in our country, but it also has a grand marine component extending along the coastline and many nautical miles out into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Several pristine beaches are accessible to visitors for sunbathing, fishing (with permits strictly required), snorkeling, scuba-diving, canoeing and boating.

An enormous jellyfish that drifted out of a rough sea on the beach at St. Lucia

Mission Rocks

Natal Rock Crab

Cape Vidal at low tide

Swift Tern

Cattle Egrets in flight over the sea at the estuary of Lake St. Lucia

Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia

The beach at the estuary of Lake Saint Lucia

Large-spot Pompano

Fishermen heading out to sea

Sunrise at the St. Lucia estuary

Cape Vidal beach

Blennies in a rock pool

Marine Crab (species unknown)

Natal Rock Crab

I know that many of DeWetsWild’s readers are very fond of spending time at the beach, so I made a few videos especially for you!

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

All the water has turned iSimangaliso into frog heaven!

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A wonderful consequence of the water wonderland that is the iSimangaliso Wetland Park now, is the incredible numbers of amphibians evident throughout the Park. I’m featuring just a few of them here.

Driving around the Park you cannot escape the calls of the Painted Reed Frogs, though they’re almost impossible to see without stepping out of your vehicle and searching for them (which isn’t allowed, due to the presence of dangerous animals). I was therefore very impressed with myself when I saw this Painted Reed Frog as I was driving by. See how small it is!

Can you spot the Painted Reed Frog?

Painted Reed Frog at a temporary pan on the eastern shores of Lake Saint Lucia

While using the facilities at one of the stopping points on the Western Shores of Lake Saint Lucia I noticed this Peeping Tom hiding in a corner. It is a Red Toad and I left him there to amuse the next visitor as well…

Red Toad in an ablution block in the Western Shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Platannas seem to have quickly colonized all the newly formed stretches of water in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, but usually quickly dive under water at the slightest disturbance. It was pleasing to find one that wasn’t too shy to pose for a few photo’s.

Platanna

It would be better if it cultivated a more apprehensive disposition though, because Platannas are on the menu of many waterbirds and in the 10 days I spent in iSimangaliso on this latest trip I saw many a Platanna disappearing down a gullet.

Reed Cormorant with a Platanna

After dark, hundreds of immature African Bull Frogs emerged onto the roads, especially following rainy days.

Immature African Bull Frog on a road in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Kumasinga Hide at uMkhuze Game Reserve has turned into a paradise for Southern Foam Nest Frogs, with dozens of the cute little creatures clinging to the hide’s framework, with a few foam nests already constructed over the water and a few still in the making (allowing me to make a video of the process).

The toes of a Foam Nest Frog

Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide

Foam Nest Frogs mating

Foam Nest Frog nests

Foam Nest Frogs mating

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

iSimangaliso is a very wet Wetland Park at the moment

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I mentioned in my previous post about my latest tour of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park that I have never seen the Park so wet. There seemed to be water everywhere, and in enormous quantities. And the most astounding thing about that is that we are only at the start of the rainy season (over 150mm of rain fell just in just 2 days during our trip). It is amazing how resiliently nature is rebounding in a part of the country that, not even a generation ago, was almost completely covered by thirsty plantations of exotic pine and bluegum trees.

Sunrise over the wetlands

A stretch of the vastly expanded Lake Bhangazi

Mfabeni Swamp

A quiet corner of the Mfabeni Swamp

Banded Tilapia. The newly formed ponds have quickly been populated by fish and tadpoles.

Mfabeni Swamp

I took this video from the Mziki viewpoint near Mission Rocks, to show just a portion of the extent of the wetlands on the eastern shores of Lake Saint Lucia. The bird songs coming from the forest in the foreground is rather special as well.

Lake Bhangazi is a beautiful freshwater lake near Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

I just can’t stay away from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

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I’m fresh back from a 10 day tour through the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, visiting the Eastern and Western Shores of Lake Saint Lucia, the estuary, beaches and trails around the town of Saint Lucia as well as the uMkhuze section of the Park. Regular readers will know that this is one of my favourite South African wild places to visit and take guests to, but in almost thirty years of visiting I have never seen the Park live up to the “Wetland” part of its moniker as wonderfully as I have on this latest trip. Of course there’s a lot of photographs and videos in store for you in the weeks to come, but here’s a little appetizer to tide you over while I get down to the business of sorting and editing hundreds more.

An enormous jellyfish that drifted out of a rough sea on the beach at St. Lucia

Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia

Cattle Egrets in flight over the sea at the estuary of Lake St. Lucia

Common Bush Brown butterfly

Spotted Buff butterfly

The bright flowers of the Canary Creeper

Mushrooms thriving in the damp coastal forest

Blue Pansy butterfly

African Piedspot Dragonfly

Mating Common Blue butterflies

Yellow Weaver

Kudu calf

Bushbuck ram

Crested Guineafowl

African Pygmy Geese among Blue Water Lilies

Immature Kelp Gull

Collared Pratincole

Lesser Moorhen

Sunrise over the wetlands

Narina Trogon

Road through the swamp forest near Cape Vidal

Squacco Heron

A stretch of the vastly expanded Lake Bhangazi

Huge Nile Crocodile slipping into the Mfabeni swamp

Reed Cormorant with a Platanna

Mission Rocks

Natal Rock Crab

Blue Water Lilies

African Buffalo

Sunrise over the wetlands

Spotted Hyena

African Buffalo

This leucistic Samango Monkey is a familiar inhabitant of Cape Vidal

Mfabeni Swamp

Secretary Bird

Plains Zebras

Platanna

Cape Vidal at low tide

Swift Tern

Samango Monkeys

Little Bee-eaters

African Swamphen

Kudu couple

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Purple Heron

Hippopotamus

The toes of a Foam Nest Frog

Flatface Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopezus longimanus), identified with the kind assistance of the “Insects only – Southern Africa” facebook page.

Marsh Terrapins

Slug close-up

Foam Nest Frogs mating

Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide

Foam Nest Frogs mating

Elephant bull on a walk about

Elephant bull at uMkhuze

Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.

Incognito Thread Snake

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Leptotyphlops incognitus

Joubert and I have just returned from a “Dads & Lads” weekend with good friends at the Kudu Private Nature Reserve outside Lydenburg in the Mpumalanga Province. While looking for crickets to use as fishing bait I came across this tiny Incognito Thread Snake underneath a rock.

The Incognito Thread Snake is a harmless and tiny reptile that lives almost exclusively underground, sometimes emerging on the surface during wet weather and then easily confused with an earthworm. They feed on invertebrates, especially termites.

Incognito Thread Snakes grow to about 15cm in length and are thinner than a matchstick. Females lay 3-4 rice-sized eggs that hatch in late summer.

In South Africa the Incognito Thread Snake occurs in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province, and beyond our borders as far as Zambia, Malawi and southern Mozambique. The IUCN considers it to be of least concern.

A few minutes at Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary

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Earlier this week Joubert and I quickly popped into the hide at the Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary while we were whiling away a few minutes before attending to some other (more boring) chores. Despite the cold and overcast weather the little reserve was alive with birds of all description (as it always is!) and again we were amazed that such a precious place still exists inside one of the capital city’s oldest neighbourhoods.

Southern Masked Weaver (photo by Joubert)

Grey Crowned Crane (photo by Joubert)

Yellow-billed Duck (photo by Joubert)

Village Weaver (photo by Joubert)

Yellow-billed Duck (photo by Joubert)

Common Arum Lily (photo by Joubert)

Little Egret (photo by Joubert)

Yellow-billed Duck (photo by Joubert)

Egyptian Goose (photo by Joubert)

The photographs are all courtesy of Joubert, while I was responsible for the videos.

Getting REALLY up close with Leopards in Manyeleti

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One of our very first sightings in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve – shortly after settling in at Ndzhaka Camp – was of two young Leopards. Their mother had caught an antelope for each of them and hoisted these into different trees so that the two cubs could eat in peace. One had a bushbuck, the other an impala. It was amazing being so close to the feeding leopards. They truly are beautiful animals.

Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve

The next afternoon while enjoying our drive from Buffelshoek Camp we eventually found ourselves back at the Leopard sighting just after sunset. Both the cubs were still there – in separate trees – and their mother joined them, snacking on the leftovers of the bushbuck. Below two Spotted Hyenas were waiting for scraps falling from the tree above.

Leopard Cub in Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Female Leopard feeding on a bushbuck carcass in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Spotted Hyena, Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Getting up close to feeding leopards in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Female Leopard feeding on a bushbuck carcass in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

In the fading light I eventually had to switch to video. The female would stop feeding every now and then, growling ferociously at something unseen in the dense undergrowth. Minutes later the source of her irritation revealed itself as a male Leopard, in all likelihood the father of the cubs. He climbed into the other tree to feed on the remains of the Impala carcass. In 45 years of frequent visits to our wild places I have never seen four leopards in the same spot. An incredible experience, and I hope this video gives you a sense of that!