Tag Archives: view sites

A month of monochrome memories: Pied Pair

A pair of Pied Kingfishers hunting from a shared perch at the Mankwe Hide in the Pilanesberg National Park Pilanesberg 29122015 (13)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Mud, Glorious Mud!

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A warthog finding respite from the heat in a pool of mud at the Mankwe Hide in Pilanesberg National Park.
Pilanesberg 29122015 (12)

Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve

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Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is one of the largest and most popular wild places in Gauteng, South Africa’s most urbanised province, providing vital environmental education and outdoor recreation to thousands of overworked city dwellers.

Proclaimed in 1974 and substantially enlarged in 2003, Suikerbosrand is managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Today it protects 220km² of scenic highveld grassland, rich in flowering plants and grasses, interspersed with areas of thorny bushveld, aloe forests, wooded gorges and marshland. The reserve is named after the Suikerbosrand range of hills (1,545 to 1,917m above sea level), which in turn is named for the Sugarbush (Protea caffra) that’s quite common in the area.

Aloes large and small abound at Suikerbosrand

Suikerbosrand scenery

Aloes large and small abound at Suikerbosrand

Suikerbosrand scenery

More than 250 bird species have been recorded at Suikerbosrand, and several species of non-threatening indigenous large game animals have been introduced. There is also an abundance of smaller mammals and reptiles, including a few venomous snakes, that find protection here.

Meerkat family

African Red-eyed Bulbul fledgling

Red hartebeest

Plains zebra

Lesser Kestrel

Eland herd on the move

Cape Rock-Thrush (male)

Red Hartebeest

Kudu and baboons

Southern Rock agama

Baboon

Hidden eland

Red hartbeest

Hiking is a big attraction at Suikerbosrand, with day trails ranging from the 800m long Toktokkie trail, accessible in wheelchairs, and the 4km long Cheetah Trail to the 10 or 17km Bokmakierie Trail, while overnight hikes that take up to 6 days to complete along a 66km network of trails, with basic huts to sleep in, can also be undertaken. The reserve is immensely popular with the cycling fraternity, especially so on weekends and holidays, and due care is required wherever vehicles and cyclists have to share the roads. The reserve has a network of approximately 60km good tar road that traverses most of the area’s habitats, allowing good game- and bird viewing. Two picnic areas cater to the needs of day visitors. At the time of our last visit (December 2015), the Kareekloof Resort, which used to offer options to overnight in the reserve in addition to the usual holiday resort amenities, was closed with no indication as to when, or if, it will reopen. Sadly, the same applied to the information centre at Diepkloof, the reserve headquarters.

Holhoek Picnic Site

The road through Suierbosrand

The Diepkloof Visitor Centre seen from atop the Suikerbosrand

Suikerbosrand is easily accessible from the N3 highway, just north of the town of Heidelberg, south-east of sprawling Johannesburg.

Summer heat at Shingwedzi

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After three enjoyable nights in Olifants‘ spectacularly situated unit 14, we had only a third of our December holiday in the Kruger National Park left. Happily that didn’t depress our mood too much, as we would be spending the last three nights in our beloved Shingwedzi Rest Camp.

Soon after leaving Olifants, we came across a cantankerous hippo bull blocking the road to the north. While waiting for him to get out of the way, in his own time of course, a rustle in the dry mopane leaves beside the roads alerted us to a hyena that was also waiting for the traffic to clear…

The hippo, the hyena and the waiting tourists

Our plan was to stop at Mopani for brunch, so we only had a quick cup of coffee and a rusk or two at Letaba, no snakes in sight this time! On the way we couldn’t resist making a quick detour to marvelous Mooiplaas waterhole, as there is always something interesting to see there, and were handsomely rewarded with a couple of tsessebe sightings as well as a blue wildebeest that was having far too much fun rolling around in elephant dung to be considered sane…

Woodland Kingfisher in Letaba

African Fish Eagle on the Letaba River

Kudu bull

Tsessebe in mopane vegetation in Northern Kruger National Park

Plains zebra foal

Perhaps dung doesn’t stick to a rolling wildebeest…

Tsessebes at Mooiplaas

Mopani was a delight of feathered friends, with there even being a pair of African Paradise Flycatchers nesting in a tree right between the shop and the Tindlovu restaurant (which serves delicious mince-meat jaffles by the way!)

Marabou Storks

African Paradise Flycatcher (male)

White-crested Helmetshrike

The final stretch to Shingwedzi delivered special sightings of yet more mating lions, unfortunately spoiled by an idiot who got out of his car to try and get a better photo, as well as a beautiful old tusker.

More mating lions

The female glancing back after the male was startled by a dumb human getting out of his vehicle

Big old tusker

Whenever we stay at Shingwedzi, there’s only one road we take for our first afternoon drive – a slow drive along the S50 gravel road that follows the river, offering ample opportunity to appreciate the diverse and abundant wildlife that congregate on the river bank. That’s exactly where we pointed the Jazz’s nose after checking into our cottage, number 29, donated by the Wildlife Society in the 1950’s.

Shingwedzi Cottage 29, December 2015

Young waterbuck

Woodland Kingfisher

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Playful hippos

Bushbuck ewe

Western Osprey

Buffalo drinking from a pool in the Shingwedzi

Around Shingwedzi the best viewing is usually along the watercourses, which is why we decided on the S56-route along the Mphongolo River for our first morning drive from Shingwedzi.

Lion at the Sirheni turnoff

Big Buffalo Bull

Protective elephant herd

And off they go!

That afternoon, Red Rocks and Tshange viewpoints to the southwest of camp beckoned.

Lone elephant drinking from a pool at Red Rocks

Tiny elephant calf

Warthog family enjoying the mud

Lazy giraffe

The view from Tshange

Waterbuck

Sharpe’s Grysbok

This little elephant was probably less than a day old and very unsteady on his feet

Slightly older calf

Buffalo and oxpecker in discussion

One last guided nightdrive in search of nocturnal wildlife delivered much better sightings than the windy nightdrive we undertook from Lower Sabie a few days earlier.

Roosting marabou

Large-spotted Genet

African Scops Owl

By the time the sun rose over the horizon on our last full day in the Park, we were already travelling along the S50-route enjoying the Shingwedzi River’s abundant wildlife and awesome scenery before returning to camp and a late breakfast.

Sunrise over the Shingwedzi River

Buffalo bull

Another Grey-headed Kingfisher

Waterbuck youngster

Alert nyala ewe

Shingwedzi was nice and quiet in the early morning, as most guests were still out on the road searching for game, giving us an excellent opportunity to amble through the camp.

Broad-billed Roller

Yellow-billed Hornbill

Rock monitor

With such a wide variety of bird and animal life around Shingwedzi it was a rather difficult decision which area we’d drive to on our final afternoon. In the end we opted for the Mphongolo Loop (S56) again, and what a great choice that was! We’ve already shown you pictures of the waterhole meeting between large herds of elephants and buffaloes we witnessed that day. Dodging a couple more elephant and buffalo herds along the way, navigating through several herds of antelope and scanning the landscape for new species of birds to add to our ticklist, we were thrilled that our afternoon was concluded with a leopard lying in wait at a small waterhole.

Another beautiful tusker

Nyala lamb

African Openbills

Saddle-billed Stork

Waterhole meeting

Leopard lying in wait at a waterhole

Male Double-banded Sandgrouse

And so, our time at Kruger National Park has come to an end, for this visit at least as, of course, the next trip has already been booked. All that remained was to drive down to Phalaborwa Gate, from where Pretoria lay a hot six-hour drive away.

Elephant enjoying a mud bath

Buffalo catching a smell on the breeze

Those trunks are so dexterous!

Female Mocking Cliff Chat

Summer heat at Olifants

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After three nights at Lower Sabie it was time to move northwards to the central regions of the Kruger National Park. Just as we set off, a light drizzle started falling, and kept falling for the entire 50km or so distance between Lower Sabie and Tshokwane picnic site. While the low clouds meant that we could not enjoy the magnificent view from the top of Nkumbe mountain, we did not mind having a break from the previous few days’ oppressive heat! Pretty soon little puddles were forming on rocks and in the road, and while the shower would not have broken the drought, it would have brought a little bit of relief to the parched veld.

Giraffe under heavy skies

Zebra crossing a very wet road

Klipspringer ewe enjoying the drizzle

Wet waterbuck

Klipspringer ram on Nkumbe

Bushbuck ewe at Tshokwane

This trusting Golden-tailed Woodpecker distracted us from our breakfast at Tshokwane

Young kudu bull

Mazithi Dam was little more than a drying mud puddle crammed with tired hippos and flayling barbel

Grey duiker

Elephant cow in the dry bed of the Nwaswitsontso

Towering giraffe

Pair of Little Bee-Eaters

Between Tshokwane and Satara we encountered two more pairs of mating lions. While one couple moved away from the road for more privacy, the other was a lot more relaxed in the company of the few cars that had gathered to watch them. The prevailing drought makes catching prey much easier, and the way the lions are going on there will soon be many more young and hungry mouths to feed.

The loving couple

“All this attention is so boring”!

“Look at me posing”

“Come on, you’ve seen enough!”

Praying that we’ll leave them in peace

After lunch (take-away pizzas enjoyed in Satara‘s day visitors area) we tackled the final stretch of the long drive from Lower Sabie to Olifants Rest Camp. The plains between Satara and the Olifants River were positively teeming with wildlife of all descriptions.

Buffalo looking for fresh grass on the side of the road

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver in Satara

Big bull on the way to Olifants

At times Satara’s plains are reminiscent of the Serengeti

Ostrich siblings

Pod of hippos in the bed of the Olifants

Young kudu bull

Two tiny warthogs in a big, scary world

Checking in at Olifants Rest Camp, we were given the keys to our cottage, number 14, one of the most popular units in the camp, and for good reason. The view of the wide bend of the Olifants River with its pods of hippos and lurking crocodiles far below, the endless wild plains beyond and the continuous stream of game and birds arriving to slake their thirst, is almost unrivaled anywhere on the continent, and you can take it all in from the comfort of a sofa on the wide veranda!

Olifants Rest Camp, unit 14, December 2015

There aren’t many places with a view like this!

With the area around Olifants suffering from an extreme drought and intense heat, we thought it best to stick to the routes along the Olifants River and some of its tributaries that still held water for our afternoon drive. The high bridge and low-level causeway crossing the Olifants, and the weir at the Ngotso-crossing (on the S89 route) proved to be hot-beds of wildlife activity, though in the areas in between, away from the water, there were few animals to be found.

Hippos from N’wamanzi Viewpoint

Yellow-billed Kite in low level flypast

Another pod of hippos at the Ngotso weir

Martial Eagle surveying his landscape

Waterbuck close-up

Showing just how the waterbuck got its name!

Egyptian Geese at the Balule causeway

Wood Sandpiper

This Free-tailed Bat came visiting after dark

Next morning we were already waiting, with a few other cars, at Olifants’ gate for the 04:30AM opening – that’s the way to maximise your chances of encountering large predators on the prowl in the hot summer and we didn’t have to drive far before encountering two spotted hyenas just as first light started painting the African morning. Our drive took us along the Olifants and Letaba rivers, an area of rugged beauty, to Letaba Rest Camp, where we planned on enjoying our picnic breakfast. We didn’t however bargain that we’d be joined by a snake, even if only a slightly venomous Olive Grass Snake. Happily the snake was very well behaved and totally relaxed, and so he enjoyed the warm morning sun while we enjoyed our rusks and coffee…

Spotted hyena close up

Hyenas always seem to be on the way to somewhere…

View over the Olifants River back towards the camp

Two kudu bulls in the bed of the Letaba

Letaba is well-known for the buchbuck in camp

Letaba’s relaxed bushbuck give excellent photo opportunities!

Our friendly breakfast Olive Grass Snake

Here elephants have right of way!

Baby impala in the mopane scrub

Seeing as the Olifants river delivered such enjoyable sightings to us the previous day, we again focussed on the H1-5 tar road and the connecting S90, S91 and S92 gravel roads the following afternoon. This time we worked a quick detour to Bangu waterhole, some distance to the south of the river, into our drive as well – a well rewarded decision as we found a pair of black-backed jackals and flock of Temminck’s Coursers at the Xipembane stream, which still held a bit of water.

Grey Heron

Yellow-billed Stork

Another old timer at Olifants

Black-backed jackal

Temminck’s Courser

Three-banded Plover

Driving up to Olifants two days earlier, the tremendous concentrations of game around Satara really drew our attention, and we decided that we had to explore that area a bit more on our final full day at Olifants. With the tarred road between Olifants and Satara carrying most of the tourist traffic, we opted to rather follow the gravel S90 “old main road”, past Bangu and Gudzani waterholes, to Satara, and then return to our lovely cottage at Olifants along the tar route when the day starts hotting up. Ticking excellent sightings along the way; a large pack of hyenas, showboating hippos, a rarely seen honey badger, two regal lions, more jackals and a quick view of a pair of cheetahs surrendering their kill to descending vultures, not to mention a huge number of more commonly seen birds and animals, and despite heavy cloud cover, a howling wind and the irritation of a punctured tire (quickly fixed at Satara’s car wash), you’ll appreciate that we were a very happy group when we arrived back at Olifants that morning!

Two very coy young hyenas

It’s been a long night…

Hippo posturing at the Balule causeway

Another lone old tusker

Just a sliver of light at the back of these kudus

Ostrich female being blown all over the place by the strong wind

Old buffalo

Honey badger on the hunt

Windblown Kings

Towering over the plains

Playful jackal pups

After spending the hot midday hours in camp appreciating the enchanting view and the accompanying birdlife, it was time for our final leisurely afternoon drive along the Olifants and Letaba Rivers. While the drive wasn’t anywhere as exhilarating as our drive that morning, it did give us another opportunity to enjoy the rugged scenery of the valleys these rivers have carved over aeons through the Lebombo foothills.

Female Red-winged Starling on her nest at our cottage

Wahlberg’s Eagle hunting from a perch near our cottage

Zebra grazing on new growth next to the Letaba

Giraffe in the mopane

We still had three nights left at Shingwedzi Rest Camp after our time at Olifants, and we’ll be telling you all about those next week. We’ll also be telling you more about Olifants and its environs in an upcoming edition of de Wets Wild.

Summer heat at Lower Sabie

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We knew our December 2015 visit to the Kruger National Park was going to test our personal thresholds for high temperatures. It is general knowledge that South Africa’s Lowveld region has sweltering summers, confirmed by the weather forecasts in the week before our departure. On our early morning way, descending into the Lowveld along Schoemanskloof on the N4-highway, we were amazed at how quickly the outside temperature our car was registering was climbing upwards. By the time we arrived at Malelane Gate just after 08:00, we had reached 33°C, with the sun blazing down relentlessly. And yet, we couldn’t think of any place we’d rather be; we were back in South Africa’s flagship National Park, one of our favourite wild places, and we had ten days to explore the length and breadth of it to look forward to!

We were heading to Lower Sabie, and instead of following the tar roads via Skukuza we opted for the more direct route, along the gravel S25 and H5, from Malelane. Of course we had wonderful sightings along the way, most especially of some sleepy elephants! Early December is lambing season for the impalas, and each herd we passed had a few new members, all ears and long legs, to broaden our smiles.

December is the time for baby impalas!

Sleepy elephants

African Hawk-Eagle

Impala ewe quenching her thirst

Steenbok

By the time we checked in at Lower Sabie Rest Camp for our 3 night stay, the temperature had soared to a searing 43°C. Our cottage (unit 93), with a lovely view of the Sabie River in front of the camp and surrounded by huge, shady trees, provided welcome respite!

Grey Go-away-bird hiding from the heat in a shady Lower Sabie tree

Lower Sabie cottage 93, December 2015

But of course no amount of heat was going to keep us indoors for long when there’s Big-5 country to explore outside! Our afternoon drive took in Gomondwane, Duke’s waterhole and a section of the Nhlowa-road to the south of Lower Sabie, after a quick visit to Sunset Dam just outside camp. Highlights of the drive included an unusually relaxed black rhinoceros, our best sighting ever of a side-striped jackal, and the cutest little warthog piglets you could imagine!

Yellow-billed Stork at Sunset Dam

Wood Sandpiper at Sunset Dam

Elephant bull on the Gomondwane Loop

White Rhino lazing in a cool mud pool

Steenbok

Magpie Shrike

Side-striped Jackal

Cute warthog piglets

This little piggy…

Relaxed Black Rhino

The itinerary planned for Sunday 13 December meant that we would be out of camp all day: a slow early morning drive (the camp gates open at 04:30 in high summer) to Skukuza along the Sabie River, visit with good friends at Skukuza over lunch, and then back to Lower Sabie via the Sand River, the Salitje road, Muntshe Mountain and Mlondozi Picnic Site. Covering that big an area is sure to deliver some unusual sightings; apart from a skittish leopard and all the more commonly seen game animals, we even found an African Rock Python along the way. Our final wildlife encounter of the day was with a pair of mating lions, within sight of Lower Sabie, resulting in sightings of all the Big-5 on a single day!

Water Monitor at Nkuhlu

Sleepy Spotted Hyena

Marabou Stork

Banded mongoose troop at Skukuza

Crocodile at the Sabie Bridge

Epauletted Fruit Bat at Skukuza Airport

White Rhinoceros

African Rock Python just north of Muntshe Mountain

Plains zebra

Pearl-spotted Owlet at Mlondozi

Black-bellied Bustard

Lion love at Lower Sabie

That wasn’t the end of the day however, as we were booked for a guided night drive after supper. Unfortunately strong winds sent the nocturnal animals into hiding, and the drive did not yield much more than a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl and enormous scorpion to get excited about.

Verreaux’s Eagle Owl

Night drive scorpion

We had one more day to explore the Lower Sabie area, and headed for Crocodile Bridge along the Nhlowa Road as soon as the camp’s gates opened. About halfway we met a large pack of hyenas at their den, and after spending some time with them our grumbling tummies told us that it was time to go enjoy our picnic breakfast at Croc Bridge. More great sightings on our way back to Lower Sabie along the Gomondwane Road, including a herd of elephants coming to drink from the Sabie River. We also noticed a male lion lying on the river bank and after slaking their thirst, the elephants started crossing the river. This was the lion’s cue to vacate his spot, and we were thrilled that he chose to head into the bush straight past our vehicle!

Scrub hares are often seen in the early morning

Spotted hyena cub

Spotted hyena mother

Elephant bull in musth

Woodland Kingfisher – the sound of summer!

African Openbill

Impala trying to strike a pose…

Sleepy kudu

Swainson’s Spurfowl

African Green Pigeon

The heat taking its toll – a chameleon burned to death on the road

Crested Francolin chick

Bushbuck ewe

Thirsty herd of elephants rushing to the water

Slaking their thirst

Lion lying on the river bank

On his way

Passing close-by!

Lower Sabie is a wonderful place to while away the hot midday hours as there’s a constant stream of animals coming to drink from the river and birdlife abounds in the camp grounds!

White-Browed Robin-Chat

Blue waxbill

Elephant passing right in front of our cottage

Spectacled Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver

There’s no better way to spend your last afternoon at Lower Sabie than slowly driving along the river, and spending some time at Sunset Dam. So that’s exactly what we did!

Hippo on the bank of the Sabie

Making waves!

Yellow-billed Stork

White-faced Whistling Ducks

Ruff

Three Banded Plover

White-faced Whistling Duck

Kudu bull

Baboon

Curious giraffe

Bushbuck ewe

Lurking crocodile

With that, our final night at Lower Sabie had arrived. Next morning we’d depart for Olifants Rest Camp, further north in the central regions of the Kruger National Park. We’ll share more about our time at Olifants next week, and will dedicate a special post in which we’ll tell you all about Lower Sabie and surrounds in an upcoming edition of de Wets Wild.

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A new treasure unveiled in Kruger; the Pafuri Border Camp

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An omnipresent sense of history permeates the grounds and buildings of Pafuri Border Camp, with the call of a wild frontier on your doorstep clarion clear and impossible to refuse.

Here at Pafuri in the Far North of the Kruger National Park, Harold and Tiny Mockford built their lives, raised a family, grew old. From 1938 to 1985, Mockford was the recruiting agent and administrative officer at the labour recruitment station established at Pafuri by the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WNLA, colloquially simply “Wenela”, later TEBA – The Employment Bureau of Africa) to provide migrant workers for the mushrooming gold mines at Johannesburg.

Comprising the beautifully restored and period-furnished residences inhabited by the Mockfords and other WNLA / TEBA staff, the Pafuri Border Camp will offer overnight accommodation in three very spacious self-catering units: the one-bedroom (4-sleeper) Mockford Cottage, the three-bedroom (6-sleeper) Doctor’s House, and the four-bedroom (8-sleeper) Mockford House. Relaxing on the wide verandas that wrap around the houses, enclosed by mosquito gauze just as they were when their original inhabitants lived there, it is hard not to imagine what daily life entailed for those who lived and worked here all those years ago. The camp’s deep swimming pool will be a delight on hot summer days, as it was no doubt for the family Mockford. A small room next to the tiny reception office will be dedicated as a museum in which Pafuri’s fascinating history can be regaled. More “modern” amenities, such as a fuel station, shop and restaurant, is available at Punda Maria Rest Camp, approximately 65km to the South-West.

Arriving at Pafuri Border Camp

The reception building

Mockford Cottage, Pafuri Border Camp

Doctor’s House

Mockford House

Southern Foam Nest Frog in Pafuri Border Camp

Pafuri Border Camp nightlife

One of the biggest highlights of the new Pafuri Border Camp is its proximity to Crooks Corner, the Luvuvhu River and Pafuri Picnic Site. Being first to arrive at the river viewpoints in the morning and the last to have to leave those serenely beautiful scenes in the evening is a privilege not to be underestimated. Crooks Corner, so named because the borders of South Africa, Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) and Mozambique (then Portuguese East Africa) meet here and allowed scoundrels of all description to escape the long arm of the law, has a very special allure in the golden light of sunrise and dusk. Spending time along the Luvuvhu as the riverine forest slowly awakes in the morning delivers a serenity to the human spirit that must be experienced to be truly appreciated.

Buffalo river crossing at sunset

Pafuri’s fever tree forest

Pafuri serenity

Pafuri Picnic Site

Baobab flower

Baobabs in spring

Pafuri’s fever tree forest

Pafuri sunset

Sunrise over Crooks Corner

You can bet that the birdwatching fraternity will be ecstatic at the news of Pafuri Border Camp’s opening. Pafuri is South Africa’s bird-watching mecca; the diversity of its feathered inhabitants simply astounding.

African Hawk-Eagle

White-backed Vulture

Southern Ground hornbill

Common Ostrich in northern Kruger

Lilac-breasted Roller

White-fronted Bee-eater

Meves’s Starling

African Jacana

Martial Eagle

Immature Crowned Eagle

White-crowned Lapwing

White-fronted Bee-eater

Black-chested Snake-Eagle

Broad-billed Roller

White-crested Helmet-Shrike

Kurrichane Thrush

African Fish Eagle

Wire-tailed Swallow

Red-crested Korhaan

Mammalian wildlife abounds in the Luvuvhu’s riverine bush, with nyala, impala, warthog, baboon and vervet monkey occurring in exceptional numbers. Several other species, including elephant, buffalo, hippo, waterbuck, kudu, blue wildebeest, zebra, and seldomly-seen predators, add to the show. An astonishing number of Nile crocodiles, some in excess of 5 meters in length and probably weighing more than a ton, rule the murky waters of the Luvuvhu.

Vervet monkey

Nile crocodile

Plains zebra

Blue wildebeest

Baboons

Buffalo

Young nyala ram

Nyala female

Buffalo

Nile crocodile

Warthog

Buffalo bull

Nyala bull

Water monitor

Hippos

Plains zebra

Where there’s this much life, death is never far away

Come 1 November 2015, this new destination, hard not to describe in superlatives and quite literally a stone’s throw away from the border post into Mozambique, will open to its first official guests. We recently had the immense pleasure and privilege to spend two nights at Pafuri Border Camp while the finishing touches were being made to the accommodation. It is sure to prove very popular with nature lovers and history buffs from all over the world. Bookings for Pafuri Border Camp is through South African National Parks. Via the N1 highway and Kruger’s most northern entrance, Pafuri Gate, the camp is located approximately 620km from Pretoria.

(Google maps)

Marievale’s for the birds (and birdwatchers)!

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This past Sunday, my brother introduced Joubert and me to the Marievale Bird Sanctuary, a popular destination for birdwatchers and photographers in Gauteng’s Far East Rand.

Marievale protects 1012 hectares of the much larger Blesbokspruit RAMSAR wetland, surrounded by mine dumps and other development. Facilities include two 4-bed chalets overlooking the wetland for overnight visitors, a conference centre, picnic sites, walking trails and several photographic hides. The roads in the reserve are rough gravel, for the most part easily traversed in a normal sedan.

The reserve’s vegetation comprises extensive stands of reedbeds (about 70% of its surface area) and flooded grasslands, interspersed with areas of open water and, during drier periods, mud flats frequented by impressive concentrations of wading birds. The area can hardly be described as pristine however, as the wetland itself owes its existence to the altered flow of the river caused by mining, railways and roadworks, inundating what would otherwise have been grasslands. Pollution from the mines and industries surrounding it, and upstream, is now threatening Marievale’s man-made wetlands.

Nevertheless, the list of bird species recorded at Marievale has around 280 entries; during the extremely enjoyable six hours we spent in the reserve on Sunday we managed to tick 70 of those. Many of the birds are quite accustomed to the steady flow of human visitors and offer excellent photographic opportunities from the hides or while walking and driving around.

Yellow mongoose on burnt veld

Whiskered Tern

Ruff

African Sacred Ibis

Blue-billed Teals

Red-knobbed Coot

Grey Heron

Crab crossing a road

Little Egret

Glossy Ibis

Pied Avocet

African Spoonbill

Great Crested Grebe

Little Grebe / Dabchick

White-throated Swallow

Goliath Heron

Reed Cormorant

Swainson’s Spurfowl

African Snipe

Long-tailed Widowbird

African Stonechat (Female)

African Stonechat (Male)

Egyptian Geese

Cape Shovelers

Cape Grassbird

Squacco Heron

African Purple Swamphen

Southern Masked Weaver

Cape wagtail

Marievale Bird Sanctuary is controlled by the Gauteng Province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and is easily accessed from the R42 to Delmas, just 4km outside the town of Nigel (map drawn with Google Maps).

The joys of spring at Ithala

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We’ve been singing Ithala Game Reserve‘s praises on this blog for a long time and our recent Heritage Day long weekend visit to this South African treasure further cemented our belief that Ithala is one of our country’s prime conservation areas.

Colourful spring flower displays were in evidence all over the reserve, despite not receiving much rainfall yet. With over 900 plant species at Ithala, including some extreme rarities like the pepper-bark tree and Lebombo cycad, Ithala is a botanist’s delight. Unfortunately we don’t know the names of most, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the show just the same!

Ithala in full bloom

Ithala in full bloom (Hypoxis flower)

Ithala in full bloom

The giraffe is Ithala’s emblem, and we were lucky to enjoy several encounters with these curious animals.

The giraffe is Ithala’s emblem

Most large game species were eradicated from the area before the reserve was proclaimed in 1972, and Ithala therefore had to be restocked. Today it is home to all the species that occurred here historically, with the exception of lion, and all-in-all provides sanctuary to 83 mammal species.

Impala sprint

Mountain reedbuck

Plains zebra

White rhinos dwarfed by Ithala’s grandeur

Impala ewes

Impala ram portrait

White rhinos in long grass

Kudu cow and calves

Well-hidden kudu bull

Curious Kudu

Plains zebra profile

Plains zebras are so photogenic!

Vervet monkey

Warthog

Dusty zebra

Blue wildebeest

Warthogs on the run

Nah nah nah nah nah!

“Lean on me”

Black rhino sunset

Ithala’s a bird-watcher’s paradise, with a list of 318 species recorded in the reserve. While we didn’t tick quite that many species during our visit – most of the summer migrants have not yet arrived – we were very thrilled with our close-up sighting of a pair of blue cranes shortly after arriving. Being South Africa’s national bird, it seemed a particularly special treat for Heritage Day!

Golden-breasted Bunting

Blue Cranes

African Pipit

Rufous-naped Lark

Black-winged Kite

Red-billed Oxpecker climbing into a zebra’s ear

Bar-throated Apalis

Southern Black Flycatcher

Martial Eagle

Cape Rock-Thrush (female)

Cape Batis (female)

Golden-tailed Woodpecker

Ant-eating Chat

Little Bee-eater

Secretary Bird

Ithala’s not only about the big and obvious birds and animals, and closer inspection will reveal a multitude of insects, arachnids, amphibians and reptiles. We even encountered three of the reserve’s 41 snake species while walking around Ntshondwe Camp; they pose no danger as long as you don’t threaten them and true to form all three moved away very quickly and quietly.

African Monarch – With so many flowers in bloom, the abundance of butterflies is no surprise

Barberton Girdled Lizard

Natal Flat Lizard female

Solifuge a.k.a. Sun Spider

Talking about Ntshondwe, we just have to mention again how beautifully the accommodation units are placed into the natural vegetation, offering privacy and a really intimate nature experience.

Ntshondwe Unit 15, Ithala Game Reserve, September 2015

Its faunal and floral diversity aside, Ithala is richly blessed with amazingly diverse scenery. The reserve extends over 30,000 hectares, its area ranging in altitude between the 1,450m peak of Ngotshe Mountain to 400m above sea level along the Pongola River. The reserve’s vegetation ranges from grasslands to woodlands to dense riverine forest.