Monthly Archives: November 2013

Rare Asclepias in Flower

On the regular Beacon Hill walk on the last Sunday of November, Eve Hughes was thrilled to discover eight Asclepias woodii plants in flower. “I spotted them some distance away and wasn’t sure, but on closer investigation, Molly Perret and I were convinced.” She called Gareth Boothway, Biodiversity Stewardship Manager for Midlands Conservancies Forum, to let him know. He went up to see the plants and took this photo.

Asclepias woodii (Wood’s Asclepias), a member of the Milkweed family, is listed as Vulnerable in the SANBI Red Data List. It is a KZN Midlands endemic which reappeared on the hill recently after not being seen for nearly 100 years.

Kate Fennell, Friends of Beacon Hill committee member said “It’s always such a treat to find new things flowering on the Hill, especially a rarity such as Asclepias woodii“

This is an extract from a presentation Kate did on the plant recently:

How do Asclepiads attract pollinators? Floral scent – Asclepiads produce a number of volatile compounds. A recent study identified between 15 – 57 compounds and a distinct scent profile for each species. Nectar is produced in small to moderate quantities.

How are the flowers adapted for pollination? Inflorescences are dense and mechanically strong. Coronas are fat and fleshy and store nectar. Inside the cups are hairs (papilla) which are thought to secrete nectar. Pollinaria produce pollen in compact masses called pollinia. These have mechanical clips which attach them to pollinators.

What pollinates the plants? Chafer beetles. The beetles are agile, fast-flying and hairy. Importantly, they do not damage the flowers when feeding. Asclepiads with similar features share chafer pollinators. Because bees are uncommon in grasslands, chafers fulfil the role of large bees.

Join the regular Beacon Hill walk on the last Sunday of each month to see some of the 106 species of plants which flower in this special piece of grassland.

Contact Eve Hughes 082 872 4333

Investing in Nature

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This article, written by Kevan Zunckel, first appeared on the Verdant Life blog.

For many nature lovers, and especially those who dedicate their lives to the conservation of nature, it is clear that the fight to ensure that precious natural areas and the species that survive within them persist is an on-going battle. It is also clear that although there may be victories along the way, we seem to be losing the war. This may sound like a pessimistic outlook but it is unfortunately the reality that we face. In KwaZulu Natal we are losing natural land cover at a rate of approximately 1% per annum, and with almost 50% of the province’s natural land surface already lost to various forms of development and transformation, all will be gone by approximately 2050 if our business as usual approach to life is allowed to continue unchecked.

One of the lessons that many conservationists are learning from this is that while the traditional arguments in favour of nature conservation are valid in their own right, they are not finding traction with most of society and most of our decision-makers. In response to this conservationists are increasingly embracing the need to ‘package’ nature in a way that demonstrates its value to society and the economy. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has embarked on a journey of doing just this by using resource economic techniques to put a value on the province’s natural areas to try and convince the Provincial Treasury that they are worthy of budget support. This journey was launched a few years ago with figures that put the value of the Province’s biodiversity at approximately R150 billion. The success of this campaign still needs to be seen, but this direct approach of placing a monetary value on nature has drawn criticism from many quarters.

However, there are other ways of ‘packaging’ nature so that more and more people begin to see and appreciate its value, and this is to acknowledge that nature produces and provides a wide range of goods and services upon which humanity’s survival is hugely dependent. It is unfortunate that in our fast pace, throw-away, convenience-oriented way of life; many have lost touch with the fact that without these natural goods and services, provided to us by nature free of charge; we end up carrying the cost of the consequences of our neglect.

A classic example of this was the massive impact of the storm surge that was experienced along the KwaZulu Natal coast in March 2007 where homes and infrastructure along the coast were badly damaged, while further down along the untransformed Wild Coast, the only evidence of the unusually high seas was foam way up on the grasslands above the rocky coast line. Nature had endured the storm with no cost, but where nature had been replaced and encroached on, the cost was extremely high.

Moving away from the coast and further inland, but still in KZN, an increasing awareness of the inability of the uMngeni River system to meet the demand for water in Pietermaritzburg and Durban has seen authorities investing large amounts in engineering projects designed to alleviate the situation such as bringing water from the adjacent Mooi River catchment into the uMngeni. First the Mearn’s Weir and now the Spring Grove Dam are in place to do just this, but the projected demand is already close to what these investments can manage to supply. Consequently more dams are planned on the Mkomazi River, also at significant cost. What has not been factored into these supply – demand strategies is that relatively little is being invested into making sure that the land surfaces upon which the rain falls, infiltrates the ground, recharges the water tables and feeds these rivers; are in prime condition and able to function optimally.

What are being referred to here are the natural water catchment services that the grasslands, wetlands and forests of the high and middle altitude areas of KZN offer to society. All one needs to do is experience a thunder storm in the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site and see the swollen rivers full of water that is still clean and free of sediment; and then to experience the same not far from the boundary of the Park where there are settlements and/or farming to see how different the situation is. Worse still is to look at the water quality data that is regularly captured and reported on by Umgeni Water that shows us that the upper reaches of the uMngeni River are heavily polluted and that the good quality water of the Midmar Dam that hosts the world’s largest open water swimming event, is under threat of becoming as bad as the Hartebeespoort Dam.

Fortunately the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has embarked on a campaign to aggressively ‘market’ the value of nature to decision-makers, and they have succeeded to do this in the uMngeni River catchment by showing authorities that by investing in the natural areas of the catchment, it is possible to significantly increase the efficiency of both the existing and planned water supply and treatment services of the relevant authorities. Such investments will entail the management of natural land cover in the catchment so as to retain their optimal capacity to deliver water catchment services, to restore degraded and drained wetlands, to reinstate riparian areas that have been encroached on by agriculture and urban development, and to integrate natural areas back into the urban environment so that rainfall runoff can be better managed and delivered into the stream and rivers of the catchment.

Where nature is maintained in a catchment situation it will help to reduce the risk of floods and flood damage, it will act as a natural filter to trap sediments and other impurities thus ensuring that water quality does not decrease to the current levels that prevail in the whole of the uMngeni River system, it will ensure that rainfall is optimally absorbed into the system such that flow rates in the dry season are sustained at levels much greater than they are today. This will also ensure that there is a greater volume of water in the system which will help to dilute impurities and reduce the risks of water-borne disease. The converse of each of these benefits bring about costs to society, many of which most of us are unaware of, unless you are not privileged enough to have treated water piped to your home and you have to draw it directly out the river. Or if you have to cross a swollen river to get to school, or have nowhere else to build your home but in a flood plain and live in fear of the next flood.

Currently the city of Durban spends in excess of R100 million a month to treat water to a potable standard. SANBI have spent approximately the same amount of money over the last 10 years working on the restoration of wetlands in the catchment. A more direct illustration of the value of such work is to be found below the Albert Falls Dam where the Working for Water programme has invested in the restoration of the riparian zone of the uMngeni River. Upstream of this restored area is an intensive livestock production facility which is responsible for reducing the quality of the water in the river to a very poor level. However, 20km below this facility the water quality is back to a natural standard with no other intervention but the restoration of the riparian zone through alien plant clearing. Based on this illustration and the costs of the restoration it is possible to say that for 10% of Durban City’s monthly water treatment spend, almost the entire length of the uMngeni River could be restored and maintained. If such an investment could be secured on a long term basis, the natural, social and economic benefits for KZN would be enormous.

In recognition of these benefits SANBI, in partnership with the Department of Water Affairs, Umgeni Water, and the water service authorities of eThekwini, Msunduzi and uMgungundlovu; as well as a host of other relevant stakeholders; have established the uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership. This partnership aims to enhance water security in the greater uMngeni River catchment, i.e. including the upper Mooi and Mkomazi River catchments, by facilitating and coordinating investments into what has come to be known as ‘ecological infrastructure’, which SANBI defines as ‘functioning ecosystems that produce and deliver services that are of value to society’.

Above: Signatories to the uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership MoU representing the City of Durban, SANBI, Wildlands Conservation Trust, Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust, Msinsi Holdings, UKZN, SAPPI, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, WWF-SA, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Umgeni Water, uMgungundlovu District Municipality, Msunduzi Local Municipality, WESSA and Water Research Commission.

The uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership was launched at a function at the mouth of the river on 20 November 2013 where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by 17 of the partners. It is expected that many more partners will still sign the MoU and commit to working together to enhance nature’s ability to deliver vital life supporting services to the people and economy of the region. At the same time it is possible that the conservationists involved in the battle for the region’s biodiversity may be getting closer to winning the war and that in future, we will start to see business UNusual being practiced as a matter of course.

Above: The high-level panel discussion on the value of ecological infrastructure for water security at the launch of the uMngeni Ecological Infrastructure Partnership in Durban on 20 November 2013 with panellists Neil Macleod of eThekwini Water and Sanitation, Kristal Maze of SANBI, Cyril Gumede of Umgeni Water, and Sbu Kozwayo of uMgungundlovu District Municipality.

If the partners to this MoU can commit to investing in the ecological infrastructure of the greater catchment, the question begs as to what can be done at the individual and household level. One of the first of the strategies identified by the water service authorities has been to enhance water use efficiencies, and while it is easy to complain about leaking pipes and water mains; there is much that can be done at home. Without going into the long list of usual water saving tips perhaps an illustration of what rainwater harvesting can do may be more effective. Records show that if rainwater harvesting systems are installed and optimally used by approximately a million middle income households in the catchment, the equivalent volume of water that is stored in Midmar Dam could be saved. Expressed in another way, this could negate the need for the development of the dams that are planned in the Mkomazi River.

Working on the Dargle River

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The Dargle River rises on Dargle Farm and meanders through the valley for a few kilometres before joining the uMngeni River near the Petrusstroom bridge.

The Dargle/Impendle road crosses the river on Benn Meadhon about 8kms from the R103. The Dargle Conservancy recently began to clear some of the invasive vegetation which was smothering the banks in the area near the bridge.

The main negative impact of invasive alien plants is that they supplant naturally occurring species and subsequently cause the loss of bio-diversity, and excessive water consumption. As we are custodians of the water supply of millions of downstream users, it is important that we do our best to ensure good, clean water leaves the valley. We contracted one of the well trained DUCT River Care teams, lead by Alfred Zuma to work for eight days in the area.

Over the past five years DUCT has significantly reduced the riverside infestations of bugweed, balloon vine, mulberry trees, Mauritius thorn, water lettuce, water hyacinth, lantana, syringa, wattles and gums along the ‘Duzi and uMgeni rivers using a combination of physical removal, herbicides and biological control. Their funding has reduced substantially this year, so Mr Zuma and others no longer have regular contracts.

On our first visit to the site, we could hardly see the river at all because of the American Bramble along the banks. It was taller than the men!

Paths had to be hacked through to reach it and they had to wade in the water to get to the canes that were on the river side.

The dead bramble is the most obvious difference now. We plan a follow up later in the summer to check if there is any which escaped the treatment. Look, we can see the river!

Canes/stems of American bramble only live for 18 months. New stem growth (primocanes) push through soil surface from Oct. In the first season, this stem does not produce fruit, only leaves. In the next growing season, the primocane becomes a floricane which produces flowers from September and then fruit. Once the fruit has ripened the floricane dies. Primocanes generally arise close to floricanes and are seen as replacement stems. Seeds are spread by birds however do not germinate easily and most spread is vegetative from an extensive root system with fine lateral roots.

Treatment should be focused on methods that will kill the root and the dormant buds below ground as spread is predominately from roots and the above ground stem dies naturally after 18 months. This means spaying the primocanes when they are >0.75m high as there is then sufficient leaf area to take up the herbicide.

There were plenty of wattle trees too. Some of the bigger ones had been treated before and were already dead. The rest were frilled or cut and treated with herbicide.

Wattle is easily controlled with herbicide, however its vigorous growth from seed and the length of time the seed remains viable means that wattle control requires a long term commitment as follow up operations could continue for many years depending on the soil seedbank.

There was plenty of everyone’s favourite – Bugweed! Once again, there had been attempts to clear previously, which was not done properly.

Despite its ability to grow vigorously, bugweed is easily controlled with herbicide and regular followups are necessary. It is particularly important to control young or coppicing bugweed before it sets seed. Bugweed in particular needs a low, smooth, level cut, as provided by a pruning saw. With a calemba cut, the multiple blows ‘pop’ the bark away from the stem which affects the herbicide efficacy. Herbicide needs to be applied within five minutes otherwise it is not effective. Once clearing started we found lots of lovely indigenous trees and shrubs – Clausena anisata and Maytenus heterophylla in particular. There are some tree ferns on the banks.

Poppies and Ranunculus multifidus in the sunshine, Scadoxus and Thunbergia natalensis in the shade of the trees.

It will be really interesting to observe what else pops up when the treated vegetation had completely died.

Mr Zuma’s team thoroughly enjoyed working on the Dargle River as they are passionate about river health. They are keen to return and see the difference that their efforts have made. The water in the stream is really murky, which is disappointing. Run off from intensive farming operations along the banks? We will conduct miniSASS tests there soon to see what sort of condition the water is in and hopefully, over time will see some real improvement.

Unfortunately the Dargle Conservancy do not have many thousands of rand required to continue clearing the length of the river. We will do as much as we can with funds available (particularly follow ups), but hope that landowners along the banks will also work to improve the riverine areas of which they are custodians.

Iain Sinclair, who owns the land adjacent to the river, is keen to see it become a “Dargle Picnic Site” – what a wonderful idea! We can already imagine adding a Dargle River Ramble to the schedule of regular, inspiring Midlands Walks. Taking care of the fields, forest and rivers is the rent we pay for living in this wonderful valley. Thank you Iain for paying for the herbicide to clear the river banks and Lion’s River Club for their contribution to the herbicide used to clear their verges.

The details on IAP control described in this post are from the excellent Mondi Guides: Best Operating Practice – IAP Treatment Specifications. View them all here: http://www.midlandsconservancies.org.za/invasiveplants.php

Hunting in Worlds View

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Hugh Temple writes:

Whilst conducting a grassland and indigenous forest inspection yesterday morning with Gareth Boothway of the Midlands Conservancy Forum, we came across an area of the indigenous forest which is obviously used by bushpig, bushbuck, duiker etc. On closer examination we found that the place is also being used by humans as a hunting spot for bushpig, bushbuck, duiker etc. A large area has been baited with maize seed and pecan nuts to attract the animals to the area, from where they are shot from a tree nearby, which has been set up with a ladder and a platform of poles about 10 metres up.

I have spoken to NCT and they have not authorised any hunting in this area and would not. Jeremy Dixon has agreed to send an e-mail to that effect, so we can commence a follow up and possible prosecution. The suspects have been identified as two white males driving a white 4×4 bakkie, who placed the bait at the hide yesterday. We will follow this up with vigour!

The picture of the tree hide:

At about 05:55 this morning I was contacted by one of our Worlds View Conservancy members to advise that he had just seen a large group of men hunting with dogs in the grassland section of the Worlds View Conservancy, within a couple of 100 metres of the top end of Tanner Road in Wembley, Pietermaritzburg. Having been a member of SA Can for some time now, at about 06:03 I contacted the National Call Centre, to arrange co-ordinated assistance. I also contacted Mr Linda Zondi of the Msunduzi Municipality Environmental Department.

Whilst waiting for this assistance, I commenced a search for the suspects and found a group of about 8 to 10 men together with more than 15 dogs quite obviously hunting in the area where they had been reported. When they saw my vehicle they scattered in all directions, but I managed to engage in a brief long-distance discussion with them, during which it became obvious that their leader was quite aggressive and confrontational. However, when they realised that I had called for backup and was talking on the cellphone to that backup, they all ran off again towards the thick bush at the top of Tanner Road. It is of interest to note that when this group of poachers is confronted, they run off into as thick a bush as possible and lie down, holding their dogs down and by the muzzle so they don’t make any noise. I carried out a search of the area, but couldn’t find them. Shortly afterwards I was contacted by Constable Barnard of SAPS Prestbury, who was responding to the call from SA Can and was picking his way through the plantation roads (a difficult exercise) to meet up with me. I then made my way to an agreed rendezvous point to meet with Mr Zondi from Msunduzi Municipality ( Cell no: 0837424789) and the SAPS. Throughout this I was in contact with the SA Can Call Centre, co-ordinating the response.

On my way to the rendezvous point I came across one of the dogs, which had obviously been left behind by the group of poachers. On watching him I saw that he was actually tracking the main group. From his behaviour I deduced that the group were now heading in the direction of Sweetwaters. I then met up with the support team of the SAPS and Municipality and agreed on a course of action to continue with patrols of the area to see if the group could be located en route to Sweetwaters. About half an hour later I was advised by Mr Zondi that he had encountered a couple of the group, with two or three dogs, but again they had managed to elude him by scattering into the thick bush. The SAPS team also carried out a thorough search of the route the poachers were likely to follow, without success. In spite of not having managed to apprehend anyone, I am comforted by the fact that the reaction today will provide a deterrent to this type of activity.

This incident serves to illustrate to me how well operations like this can be co-ordinated by a central body, such as SA Can. It ensures that someone like myself, often alone in my interaction with these criminals, has a reassuring, knowledgeable and supportive presence to turn to when assistance is urgently needed. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Constable Barnard and Warrant Officer Moodley, of Prestbury SAPS, who provided unstinting support, in spite of not being sure they were even in their area of operation, to try and apprehend these criminals. Last, but not least, I would like to thank Mr Linda Zondi, of the Municipal Environmental Department, who never fails to respond quickly to my regular calls for help to deal with these issues, and Doug Burden, a fellow Honorary Officer from the Thurlow Group, who happened to be in the area and responded quickly to my call.

Remains of a previous poaching incident in the area:

Dargle Wildlife Sightings October 2013

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Dargle is very, very green already and we are delighted with the rainfall we have received. Cuckoos are all back – wonderful to hear them calling – the sounds of summer.

Nikki Brighton – Old Kilgobbin Farm Mammals: Bush buck male and female, plenty of reedbuck (8 on one occasion), including this one who simply lay in the grass as I drove by and one dead male, r reed buck 3 oribi, plenty of Samamgo monkeys – one hangs out in my garden eating lemons or raiding the birdfeeder. He even pops into my kitchen occasionally to help himself to an apple or pear from the fruit bowl! Birds: Both the Red Chested Cuckoo and the African Cuckoo arrived on 9 October. I also saw Orange throated Longclaw, Yellow billed kites, Amethyst sunbird, Swallows, Cape batis, Drakensberg Prinia, Thickbilled weavers, masked Weavers, Southern Boubou, Olive Thrush, Ring-necked dove, Chorister Robin Chat, Cape Robin Chat, Mousebirds, White Eyes, Sombre bulbuls, Bulbuls, Cape Parrots, collared and double collared Sunbirds, Stone chat, fiscal shrike, Jackal Buzzards, Egyptian geese, Rock pigeons, Bronze Mannekins, pin tailed Whydah. Heard – Crowned Cranes, Wood Owl Flowers: Cyrtanthus contractus, Clausena anisata, Nemesia denticulate, Kouhoutia amatymbica, Apodolirion buchananii, Tulbaghia leucantha, Cyrtanthus breviflorus, Canthium mundianum, Oxalis sp, Ursinia tenuiloba, Veronia hirsuta, Senecio speciosus, Pentanisia prunelloides, Eriosema kraussianum, Eriosema distinctum, Acalypha penduncularis, Dierama luteoalbidum Gerbera, Everlastings, Acalypha penduncularis, Gladiolus longicaulis, Hypoxis sp, Tulbaghia natalensis, Asclepias cucullata Hemizigia teucrifolia, Ledebouria, Aster bakeriana, Pelagonium luridum, Raphionacme hirsute, Gladiolus papilio, Watsonia pilansii, Asipodonepsis diploglossa Other things: Common river frogs, gazillions of tiny black grasshoppers and Collared Earthstar Vaughan Koopman – River Front Farm After being on River Front Farm for nearly 8 years I spotted a black crake scrambling amongst rocks and vegetation on the islands in the uMngeni river. I was doing some alien plant control follow-up work on the island before the summer high waters arrive when I spotted it. What makes it a surprise is that it took so long to see one and also that they are typically found in more wetland type habitat. I like to think it’s because the islands are in a better shape since most of the wattle and mulberry have been cleared.

Dennis Sokhela – Old Kilgobbin Farm Four oribi, lots of bushbuck and a friendly dassie From Mike and Anne Weeden – River Run Had a first for us last week with a baboon in the veggie garden. Another unusual sighting was of a fully grown male reedbuck being chased along the river bank by two black backed jackal at seven in the morning. The buck eventually escaped by jumping into and crossing the river onto our side. The swallows that returned to last years nest have now hatched three youngsters.

Kathy and Wayne Lourens – Aloe Ridge Farm Back on Aloe Ridge Farm and Hopedale Mistbelt Sanctuary, after both our vehicles failing us expensively, we lost a stunning new-born Nguni-X heifer calf overnight to jackals, the day I was discharged from hospital after the nose op, which meant I never even saw it. Kathy thinks it was one of the best heifers she’s seen, so jackals dropped off our “favoured” list for a day or two. There’s been a beautiful caracal sighted over the past few months on different parts of Hopedale, mainly by staff, but Kathy had a glimpse of it shortly before our Botswana trip, on the top of the hill above our indigenous forest. In the first week of October, two Blue Cranes circles over the Aloe Ridge paddocks & sand arena, calling distinctively even before they came into view. I sent a staff member running for Kathy, who was able to get a good sighting before they flew off up the Umgeni Valley. This month also saw the return of the swallows, and our resident pair of Lesser Striped Swallows began building on the lintel over the alcove on the Aloe Ridge front verandah. It’s been interesting watching them build their mud nest from the inside, looking as though they’re dimensioning it to their body length & width. Last week, Mike & Anne Weeden found a lone male baboon in their vegetable garden & asked it to kindly leave. The following morning (Friday), we heard it shouting in our indigenous forest, but an urgent trip to PMB was needed, and by the time we returned in the late afternoon, we could no longer hear it. David, our Manager, almost stepped on a small but very vocal puff adder near the Hopedale Mistbelt Sanctuary main dam on his way home from work earlier in the month. He stopped to take a few photos of it, when it calmed down & realised he wasn’t about to disrupt its afternoon siesta. Pat McKrill tells us: The snake in the photo is actually a rhombic night adder, Causus rhombeatus which is, as reported, equally as vocal as the puff adder, Bitis arietans – often leading to misidentification – but it’s nowhere near as venomous. The arrow on the head and the ‘rhomboid’ (hence the name) markings down the body are diagnostic. It is actually a very even tempered snake and calms down quickly – rather like a spoilt child who shuts up if you just ignore it. After our August block burn of Hopedale Mistbelt Sanctuary (to clear 5 years worth of vegetative fire-hazard fuel load), we saw little of the 12 to 15 strong population of Reed Buck. However, this morning (Monday) there were 3 nearly together just north of the Hopedale Mistbelt Sanctuary main dam. Kathy came back after riding her quadbike up to Hopedale Mistbelt Sanctuary on Sunday morning, very excited. What we thought were ducks on the main dam, she saw had goose characteristics, and looking them up, saw that they are Pigmy Geese. We managed to get a distant photo of one this morning. In closing, on a semi-wild note, our flock of domestic guinea fowl have been very vociferous throughout the night over the past few months, and were roosting in the tree in front of the house. We started talking to them quite sternly, and eventually after chasing them away from their roost, I suggested they relocate to the trees around the water-storage tank. Blow me if they didn’t go straight there to roost, and have been there ever since!!! Barry and Rose Downard – Oak Tree Cottage Seen: Bokmakierie, Redbilled Woodhoopoe, Longbilled Crombec, Yellowbilled Kites, Black Kites, flocks of Guineafowl and Redbilled Queleas, Grey Herons, Egyptian Geese, Lesser Doublecollared Sunbirds, Amethyst Sunbirds, Cardinal Woodpecker, Crowned Cranes. Lots of flying ants, including a huge swarm along the Dargle Road near D17 on Monday 28th. Carpenter bees, butterflies, beetles, ladybirds, millipedes, frogs, skinks. Heard: Fish Eagles, Buffspotted Flufftails, “Piet-my-Vrou” (Red-chested Cuckoo – Cuculus solitarius), Jackals. Ashley Crookes – Copperleigh Farm Simon Hayes – Hambledon I think this is a brown house snake which my dogs found in our flower bed. Sadly it didn’t make it. Sandra and Pat Merrick – Albury Farm There have been a number of male reedbuck in our garden this month. One lay on the grass burn and watched me watering my garden all morning. On the 9th October I awoke early as I was flying off to Israel, and on the front lawn was a gymnogene hopping around and on top of the rocks, trying to catch lizzards and rodents. It was fun watching him flap his wings trying to get whatever out of its hiding place. On the other side of the house was a male reed buck looking at the beef cattle on the other side of the rock wall. Watched a hammerkop walking in our garden next to the stream. Pat made a note of animals and birds while I was away. His contribution: Secretary bird walking the hills every few days. Common quail are back. Spurwing geese back now that we have had some rain and water in the dam once again. Heard Piet my vrou on the 10th Oct. Swallows struggling to find mud to build nests, but now, with all the rain, they are building double storeys! (Pats joke). Blue crane and crowned crane on the farm again. A few days ago on my return, we heard flapping one evening on the door of our study next to verandah and found a disorientated male Diederichs cuckoo. We put him safely in a container for the night and next morning I asked my maid to hold him so I could take a picture before releasing him. We have had 159ml rain this month up till 27th Oct. Our prayers have been answered and our dam is rapidly filling.

Winterskloof Forest Walk

New Vulture Hide

Flower Hunting in Fort Nottingham

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The second Midlands CREW (Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers) fieldtrip for the 2013 season took place on Saturday 9 November at Lake Lyndhurst in Fort Nottingham. There were lots of flowers on the road verges. After meeting at Els Amics in the village, we headed through New Forest where the uMngeni river spills down from uMngeni Vlei, up to Lake Lyndhurst. Evert joined us having ridden his bike through Ivanhoe from the Dargle side. Ayanda and Nkanyiso admired the wetland and the views. The plateau was covered with Festuca costata – a grass usually found at higher altitudes. It appears to be moving down and increasing in places not previously abundant. The vegetation was typical of Mooi river Highland Grassland – part of the Highland Sourveld. Didn’t take long before the photographers were down on their knees getting up close to little floral treasures. Experts and amateur botanists decided to head towards a rocky outcrop to see what they could find. Hypoxis filiformis, Graderia scabra, Eriosema distinctum, Helichrysum aureonitis which is also used as imphepho although Helichrysum cynosum is the more classic imphepho species. We were amazed at all the Delopspermum (probably sutherlandii). Eve commented that she didn’t really expect to find them here – they seemed to belong in the Karoo. There was lots and lots of yellow Morea flowering. Is it alticola? graminicola? Most likely spathulata. Interesting we found it was far more abundant in the areas where there were cattle and not apparent in the area cattle were excluded from. Senecio erubescens – very sticky, Gerbera kraussia (sometimes called ambigua) Eriosema kraussianum, Schizoglossum flavum, Buchnera simplex – gorgeous deep blue, Gladiolus parvula had most of us fooled as we thought it was a Dierama Nkanyiso spotted a rinkhals on a rock which quickly slithered into a hole nearby when all the cameras were focussed on him. Amongst the rocks we found Maytenus acuminata, Myrsine Africana, Veronia hirsute, Tulbaghia leucantha, Cineraria with soft grey leaves One of the nicest things about CREW fieldtrips is that everyone helps everyone else to learn something new. We disturbed a common quail, saw lots of Rhodohypoxis baurii – mostly white but a patch of pink near a stream, Chlorophytum cooperii, Hebenstretia dura Helichrysum pilosellum, Polygala gracilenta – dark pinky purple, Aster perfoliatus with leaves that clasp the stem Psammotropha myriantha, Dierama florifirum (an educated guess), Osteospermum juncundi – gorgeous bright pink, Alepidea natalensis (not flowering yet), Protea simplex – new leaves sprouting from what is essentially an underground tree. We found Thesium natalense, Xysmalobium parviflorum, Sue spotted Eulophia aculiatum – tucked next to a rock, a very unusual find and pretty exciting Hypoxis sp maybe argentia, Ledebouria cooperi, Ledebouria sandersonia, and Ledebouria monophylla (which is not known in this location, so pretty exciting), Gerbera piloselloides – a wonderful yellow. We sploshed across a wetland (sensible Nkanyiso wore gumboots), where we found Eriocaulom dregei, Aponogetom junceus, Anthericum sp and Ranunculus multifidus (Zulu name appropriately uxaphozi, which means wetland), Acalypha penduncularis, Pelagonium luridum with gorgeous spidery leaves edged in red, Eucomis (not flowering yet), Coccinea hirtella, Diclis reptans, Nemesia caerulea, Watsonia – was it lepidea? Some discussion about our altitude which would help with identifying the species – we were at 1900m above sea level. Aloe, Peucodanum caffrum, Senecio speciosa, Hirpircium armeroides with Peter announced had “fearsome bracts”,

Drosera, Unidentified Erica – Isabel took a piece home to identify), Pentanisia prunelloides, Scilla nervosa – not flowering, Jamesbritennia breviflora, Tulbaghia natalensis. We had been puzzled by something as we crossed the wetland and hoped to find it on the way back with a few of the experts in tow. Astonishingly, Gina lead us right to it. res Lake Lyndhurst 118 Peter guessed Veronia and Sue searched through the book until we decided on Veronia thodii. Much to our delight Isabel confirmed it and Barbara explained how it should be pronounced (a German name).

As we left Lake Lyndhurst, we spotted two secretary birds on the hillside. On the way back down we stopped to admire the fresh, clean water tumbling over the rocks, feeling sad about the state of the uMngeni river just a little further down the valley. Thanks to Roy and Val Tabernor for their assistance in accessing Lake Lyndhurst. If you are keen to join CREW and help search for special plants, contact info@midlandsconservancies.org.za

Peter Warren has posted some of the plants we found onto iSpot where interesting discussions have followed. Do have a look here: http://www.ispot.org.za/search/node/lake%20lyndhurst – make a comment or post some of your own observations.

No Till Farming

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As part of their farm visits programme, Dargle Conservancy arranged a morning at Gartmore farm in Karkloof to learn more about the No-Till method of growing crops. Charlie McGillivray welcomed everyone at the Karkloof Conservation Centre and explained the concepts. In Charlie’s experience, this method of growing crops builds soil, increases biodiversity and reduces costs – illustrating that farming and conservation can co-exist. Everyone walked through one of the newly fields and went to see how the planter was working. Kevin Barnsley said “Attendees were able to get a better understanding of the wisdom behind No Till that has been accrued over many years at a commercial level along with the principal of finding a happy medium between successful commercial production and being good custodians of the land from a long term conservation perspective.” The areas that are wetlands, are kept untouched and host many different bird species. After tea, Charlie showed a presentation that he and Ren Stubbs had put together. An interesting and enjoyable morning. If you missed it, learn more about No Till farming here.

Snakes in Sweetwaters

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Sharon Gilbert, Mia Baker and the Winterskloof Green Bobbies Siphiwe Mofokeng, Tom Mncwabe and Mboneni Bhengu attended the Snake Talk by Pat McKrill at the Mountain Home School in Sweetwaters. This is what Sharon had to say:

Snake expert Pat McKrill gave an informative talk in the Sweetwaters area near Winterskloof, Hilton on the 30th October 2013 as part of the Eco-Schools portfolio sharing day. Present were teachers and pupils from several disadvantaged schools in Sweetwaters, as well as the Winterskloof Conservancy’s alien invasive plant clearing team comprising our three “Green Bobbies”.

The objective of the talk was to introduce listeners to the need for the conservation of snakes, and dispel some of the myths and fears surrounding these creatures. Pat did an excellent job of encouraging adults and children to engage in the talk, and asked for volunteers to come up and handle the selection of non-venomous snakes that he had brought along. He used understandable and locally-appropriate examples to teach why we shouldn’t kill or target snakes. One such reason which seemed to resound with the audience was that they go a long way to keeping the very unpopular frog population in check!

The audience was given valuable information on what to do when encountering snakes, with a clear message that they have a right to exist as much as humans do and in most instances would move away from people should they be given the chance to. The talk was given in an informal way and the snakes were presented to us in a manner that was not at all threatening (even for those of us whose snake fears border on phobias!). The experience was a first for many of the people in the room and was received with much enthusiasm and interest. Many thanks to the Midlands Conservancies Forum and WESSA Eco-Schools KZN for funding and organising the talk, and for Mountain Home School for hosting us.

The photos tell the story:

Pat showing the kids how to hold a snake

Pat explaining about snakes, how they live, what they eat and how to avoid a confrontation. The children look dubious!

Mia showing her daughter a snake, while Tom and Mboneni look on in horror! Siphiwe is showing Pat a photo of a long, black snake the Green Bobbies encountered in the Valley