October sightings, wildlife monitoring and interesting research projects.`
Sightings of the month
Thank you to all who recorded their sightings in the book this month!
Here is the number of recorded sightings of a few species during the month of October:
Highlights:
- With 186 recorded sightings in the book, there was an average of six sightings per day. Within this total, leopards were the most recorded species, followed by lion, wild dog, buffalo and Southern Ground Hornbill!
- A female leopard was seen regularly in camp, particularly in the vicinity of Reception and the bungalows along the river confluence. Wild dog sightings in camp were a wonderful treat, as the pack with the pups have been travelling large distances and entered camp multiple times, with many spotted hyenas in tow!
- During one evening, there was an aardvark, caracal, leopard and two lionesses seen, all between the Vuka Ingwe turnoff on the tar road and Goedehoop Dam! There were also seven hippos seen together at Sibon Dam for two days!
- Mating lions and mating giraffes were more unusual sightings during the month, while the more regular buffalo herds once again moved through Ingwelala throughout.
- Mammalian species recorded: Aardvark, Leopard, Lion, Wild Dog, Caracal, Spotted Hyena, Honey Badger, Black-backed Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, Large-spotted Genet, African Wild Cat, White-tailed Mongoose, Elephant, Buffalo, Impala, Kudu, Blue 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, Springhare, Dwarf Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, and Slender Mongoose.
- Birding highlights from September included a newly fledged African Hawk-eagle perched above the nest, an African Jacana seen at Motswari Corner, and a Great Egret also at Motswari Corner. Southern Ground Hornbill sightings were regular as we approach the upcoming breeding season. A new artificial nest was installed for Southern Ground Hornbills on Buffelsbed, near Mermaid Crossing. A Marabou Stork was seen fishing at Main Road Dam. An African Openbill was seen opening and eating freshwater mussels! It used the sharp lower bill to pry them open, forcing the mussel shells apart (see sequence below).
- Reptilian species recorded: Water Monitor, Nile Crocodile, Flap-necked Chameleon, Leopard Tortoise, Marsh Terrapin, Southern African Python, Rainbow Skink and Serrated Hinged Terrapin.
- Bird species recorded: Arrow-marked Babbler, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Barbet, Bateleur, Chinspot Batis, Little Bee-eater, Grey Go-Away Bird, Dark-capped Bulbul, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Kori Bustard, Rattling Cisticola, Burchell’s Coucal, Long-billed Crombec, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Laughing Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Fish Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Great Egret, Little Egret, African Firefinch, Jameson’s Firefinch, 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, African Grey Hornbill, Southern Ground Hornbill, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill , Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Pied 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, White-browed Robin-Chat, White-throated Robin-Chat, Lilac-breasted Roller, Purple Roller, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Common Scimitarbill, White-browed Scrub-robin, Magpie 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, Black Stork, Marabou Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Amethyst Sunbird, White-bellied Sunbird, Lesser Striped Swallow, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Water Thick-knee, Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Tit, White-backed Vulture, White-headed Vulture, Blue Waxbill, Lesser Masked Weaver, Red-headed Weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Long-tailed Paradise Whydah, Green Wood-hoopoe, Golden-tailed Woodpecker and Stierling’s Wren-Warbler.
Bird species recorded during the month: Arrow-marked Babbler, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Barbet, Bateleur, Chinspot Batis, European Bee-eater, Little Bee-eater, Grey Go-Away Bird, Little Bittern, Dark-capped Bulbul, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Golden-breasted Bunting, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Kori Bustard, Rattling Cisticola, Burchell’s Coucal, Long-billed Crombec, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Laughing Dove, Ring-necked Dove, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Fish Eagle, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Martial Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Spotted Eagle-Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Great Egret, African Firefinch, Jameson’s Firefinch, 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, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Pied 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, White-browed Robin-Chat, White-throated Robin-Chat, Lilac-breasted Roller, Purple Roller, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Common Scimitarbill, White-browed Scrub-robin, Shikra, Magpie 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, Black Stork, Marabou Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Amethyst Sunbird, White-bellied Sunbird, Barn Swallow, Lesser Striped Swallow, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Water Thick-knee, Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Tit, White-backed Vulture, Blue Waxbill, Violet-eared Waxbill, Lesser Masked Weaver, Red-headed 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 Terry Pickard and as notated on individual photos.