November sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month!
There were 145 recorded sightings in the sightings book during November. Here is the number of recorded sightings of a few highlight species during the month:
Highlights:
- Leopard sightings were once again the most reported species in the sightings book. Following this, Southern Ground Hornbill sightings were the next most frequent! This is fantastic news, as it is prime breeding season now, so we are hopeful the birds may be nesting in the area.
- There was an interaction recorded between a leopard and a troop of baboons, during which the baboons cornered a leopard on the porch of a bungalow. During the interaction, the leopard repeatedly attempted to escape but was continuously cornered by the baboons. Eventually the leopard managed to escape, with injuries unknown!
- A journey of fourteen giraffes has been seen regularly on the reserve, as well as a pod of four hippos seen at Sibon Dam. The impala lambs have come earlier this year than the previous year, with lambs seen regularly from fairly early in the month. A wildebeest was also seen giving birth!
- Four lions were seen on a zebra kill, while a leopard with a cub was seen in camp at bungalow 180. Please be reminded to be cautious of the presence of wild animals, especially lions, leopards, hyenas and buffaloes, in camp - particularly during the busy holiday season!
- Mammalian species recorded during November: Leopard, Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena, Side-striped Jackal, Honey Badger, African Wild Cat, Large Spotted Genet, Small Spotted Genet, White-tailed Mongoose, Impala, Kudu, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hippo, Nyala, Bushbuck, Klipspringer, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Duiker, Steenbok, Warthog, Chacma Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Lesser Galago, Scrub Hare, Tree Squirrel, Dwarf Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, and Slender Mongoose.
- Birding highlights from November included frequent sightings of Southern Ground Hornbills between camp and Tamboti Crossing, various Flycatcher species, and various migratory species observed throughout the month. Other highlights included sightings of Little Bitterns, Squacco Herons, Great Egrets and various Cuckoo species.
- A Velvet Mite was also seen in camp! See image by Nico Ras below.
- Reptilian species recorded: Rock Monitor, Nile Crocodile, Flap-necked Chameleon, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Rainbow Skink, Peter’s Thread Snake, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Black Mamba, Giant Plated Lizard and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- Bird species recorded: Arrow-marked Babbler, Acacia Pied Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Barbet, Bateleur, Chinspot Batis, European Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Grey Go-Away Bird, Little Bittern, Brubru, Dark-capped Bulbul, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Kori Bustard, Rattling Cisticola, Burchell’s Coucal, Black Crake, Long-billed Crombec, Black Cuckoo, Diederik Cuckoo, Greater Spotted Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Fish Eagle, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Cattle Egret, Great Egret, Cut-throat Finch, African Firefinch, Jameson’s Firefinch, African Paradise Flycatcher, Grey-tit Flycatcher, Marico Flycatcher, Crested Francolin, Egyptian Goose, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Helmeted Guineafowl, Hamerkop, African Harrier-Hawk, African Hawk-eagle, Retz’s Helmet-shrike, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Green-backed Heron, Grey Heron, Squacco Heron, African Grey Hornbill, Southern Ground Hornbill, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill , Hadeda Ibis, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Woodland Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kite, Red-crested Korhaan, African Jacana, Blacksmith Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Sabota Lark, Red-faced Mousebird, African Openbill, Black-headed Oriole, African Scops Owl, African Barred Owlet, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Red-billed Oxpecker, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Brown-headed Parrot, Three-banded Plover, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-backed Puffback, Red-billed Quelea, White-browed Robin-Chat, White-throated Robin-Chat, European Roller, Lilac-breasted Roller, Purple Roller, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Common Scimitarbill, White-browed Scrub-robin, Shikra, Magpie Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Cape Sparrow, Natal Spurfowl, Swainson’s Spurfowl, Burchell’s Starling, Cape Starling, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Violet-backed Starling, Wattled Starling, Black Stork, Marabou Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Amethyst Sunbird, White-bellied Sunbird, Barn Swallow, Lesser Striped Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, African Palm Swift, Little Swift, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Spotted Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Groundscraper Thrush, Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Tit, Cape Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-backed Vulture, Blue Waxbill, Violet-eared Waxbill, Lesser Masked Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Southern Masked Weaver, Village Weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Green Wood-hoopoe, Golden-tailed Woodpecker and Stierling’s Wren-Warbler.
Words by Tess Woollgar, images courtesy of Caroline Culbert and as notated on individual photos.