atlassing | Midlands Conservancies Forum

Pamela Kleiman – Connington Farm

A very quiet month as far as creatures and plants go, however, being an atlasser it was great to see the start of the migrant birds coming into the area.

Early in the month I was pleased to see quite a large group of Cape Vultures near the Connington road from Rosetta. They seemed to be feeding on something small hidden under some willow trees in a small gully where they were joined by a Yellow-billed Kite and some Pied Crows.

Cape Vulture

Cape Vultures

There have been a lot of young Jackal Buzzards around, some of them with very confusing colour variations

Jackal Buzzard

Down my end of the valley I usually only see Southern Red Bishops so was nice to see some Yellow Bishops for a change – still in their Winter plumage

Yellow Bishop

Cape Longclaw one of my favourites – just love their kitten-like mewing call

Cape Longclaw

The first signs of Spring

Halleria lucida

Buddleja salvifolia with its gorgeous scent

Two early migrants, Yellow-billed Kite and White-throated Swallow

Yellow-billed Kite

White-throated Swallow

A first record for pentad 2915_2950 was a Squacco Heron

Squacco Heron

Egyptian Geese and Common Moorhen in amongst the water lilies

Egyptian Geese in the foreground and Common Moorhen in the background

The male Village Weavers are suddenly in full summer plumage and looking so dapper

Village Weaver (male)

Hlatikulu Conservancy Area by Pamela Kleiman

The mountains were looking splendid in their covering of snow earlier in the month.

A lucky close sighting of a pair of Oribi

Oribi (female)

The male Oribi silhouetted against the snowy ‘berg

A few early flowers after the fire season

I unexpectedly found this pair of Denham’s Bustards on a recently burnt hill

Denham’s Bustard

A pair of Ground Woodpeckers flew out of holes in the road cutting as I drove past

Ground Woodpeckers

I have come across Sentinel Rock Thrush in a few places now

Sentinel Rock Thrush (female)

Sentinel Rock Thrush (male)

I often see Buff-streaked Chats I the area

Buff-streaked Chat (male)

It’s not too often I get to see a Red-throated Wryneck out in the open, let alone get a reasonable photo of one!

Red-throated Wryneck

Pamela Kleiman of Connington Farm

The month started off with freezing weather and frost to the top of the Oaks the first weekend. After some lovely rain a few weeks later – we recorded 74mms – it was time to burn the veld

We were surprised when the farm dogs found a very young Duiker in the farm hedge. Fortunately it managed to escape and ran into the fields where we later saw a pair of Duiker – he trying to mate and she just not interested.

The only other mammals seen on the farm were a striped Mouse – ? Xeric four-striped Grass Mouse ?

the occasional Reedbuck and Jackal called most early evenings

Not too many insects around, but I did manage to capture a single African White butterfly female.

Early in the month I took a trip to the western area of the conservancy and was happy to discover the Cape Vulture roosting site near Kamberg.

Some of the special birds I encountered:

Drakensberg Prinia,

Drakensberg Prinia

Southern Black Tit that was very active in the garden this month.

Southern Black Tit

A Fork-tailed Drongo that was trying to devour a mouse it had caught – a very unusual sighting.

Fork-tailed Drongo

During the last week of the month the Yellow-billed Egrets started appearing.

Yellow-billed Egret

Purple Heron eyeballing a cow

Purple Heron

A Dark-capped Bulbul discovering the suet I had just put out in my new bird feeder – available from the RNR Conservancy stand at the Rosetta Market.

Dark-capped Bulbul

As an Atlasser based on Connington Farm in the Kamberg Conservancy, I get around to various areas in the district. I discovered the Hlatikhulu Conservancy sign the other day so have decided to add my bit. Unfortunately I am not sure of the boundaries of this conservancy, so I have only incorporated sightings near and west of the sign.

Some of the species I saw were Jackal Buzzard, Southern Red Bishop, a group of about 10 Pin-tailed Whydahs, a distant male Mocking Cliff-chat, Sentinel Rock-thrush,

Male Sentinel Rock-thrush

Red-capped Lark,

Red-capped Lark

Male Anteating Chat showing his white shoulder,

Anteating Chat

2 Secretarybirds in 2 different areas, this is a photograph of a young Secretarybird with a damaged wing,

Young Secretarybird with a damaged wing

Pied Kingfisher,

Pied Kingfisher

African Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Goose, Black-headed Heron, African Stonechat, Pied Starling, Buff-streaked Chat, Cape Vulture and a Barn Owl that must have died an awful death.