Off The Beaten Track - December 2009

The first year in our new home in South Africa has been both different and exciting. Whilst we no longer have large mammals such as lion and elephant on our doorstep, the wildlife estate that we live on has plenty to offer with giraffe peering into our bedroom window and tree top birds feeding immediately opposite the office windows (a great distraction when trying to work). A pair of Crested Barbets have dug out the top of a nest box (rather than the official side entry) in the tree just outside the window - unfortunately not only have they not moved in but also refuse to allow any other species to do so - it has been unsuccessfully investigated by Southern Black Tits, Violet-backed Starling and Cape Glossy Starlings


Long-billed Crombec	Cardinal Woodpecker	(moulting) Black-headed Oriole

Despite the above normal rains in January and February it didn't take long for the bush to dry out and by September there was limited graze and browse available for the mammals to feed on. The estate therefore implemented a supplementary feeding program with interested home owners putting out lucerne (alfalfa) hay each day to help keep the animals alive. We had a constant parade of them in front of our deck ranging from zebra and wildebeest to waterbuck, impala and nyala, the latter often pushing us around as we carried the hay to the feeding point. The giraffe were wary of a hay net placed high in a tree so this didn't work but a large male waterbuck did his best to hook it out of the tree with his long horns.

We placed a fence around the front garden with the hope of protecting our budding plants but the nyala simply hopped over it and proceeded to demolish them. A large succulent in an earthenware pot at the front door was dug up and eaten by the resident porcupine who came back three nights in a row to make sure that there was nothing left.

This same plant thief has discovered he can squeeze under the courtyard gate and feast on the pot plants there - it appears he is very partial to daisy flower heads!

Over last Christmas a pack of wild dogs left a large private game reserve on the edge of Kruger National Park and stopped over at the conservancy next door to us (having safely crossed 2 busy tar roads) before coming under the fence (holes made with compliments of the many warthogs that come the same way) and spending the festive season with us. They had a field day as most of the animals had little experience of predators. Then in April they returned to the conservancy where they denned down and raised 11 pups. I tried to record some of their vocalizations but during the few hours that the microphone was placed some distance from the entrance to the den the alpha female and pups refused to come out and make any sound so we decided to leave them in peace.

Our most exciting sighting was an aardvark seen close to our house one evening on our way back from dinner at a local restaurant - of course we did not have our camera with us! The estate manager has recently completed a new walking trail on the property, aptly named the aardvark trail as there is always plenty of evidence of their nocturnal activities so maybe one evening we will be lucky to get a photo.

It was fascinating to watch the trees come into flower well before the rains started with the knob-thorns in full bloom in early September, more than two months before the first rains fell. Within days of the first downpour the bush turned bright green and new grass seemed to appear from nowhere. Immediately the antelope and zebra stopped coming to the lucerne feeding station.


African Wattle	Knobthorn	Impala Lilly

The many Palaearctic migrants have now arrived and the trees outside the office window are alive with birds feeding on the many insects and flowers in the trees. The resident Yellow-billed Hornbill still hammers on the spare room window throughout the day giving visitors little chance to sleep late as it starts its window bashing well before the sun comes up. Other regular window bashers include a White-crested Helmet-Shrike, a Kurrichane Thrush and a Natal Spurfowl.

Hundreds of Comb (Knob-billed) Ducks have suddenly decided to spend their days around the edge of the main dam on the estate. One wonders where they go to feed at night and will they be moving soon into the mopani areas in Kruger National Park to breed once the heavy rains start?

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