The first two weeks of March was a good period for the
Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. We had participant,
Steffi Krause from Gießen, Germany helping out with biodiversity research and
conservation.
The climate during the two weeks was hot and dry, the
drought is still on in the area. Last year this time there were floods due to
all the rain and this year it has not rained properly in a month. We are
probably in for a tough winter ahead.
 |
| A nice coloured chafer beetle (Leucocelis) |
 |
| Verreaux's Eagle patrolling the parched landscape. |
The late summer reptile peak has begun and we have had some
nice reptile sightings. Including three Mozambique Spitting Cobras in two
weeks. But because of the dry weather there are not as many as their would be
had it been raining.
During the two weeks we concentrated on butterflies for our
biodiversity research and made some good observations (Butterfly List coming
soon). We also managed to get three new birds for the SCBC bird list these were
the White-fronted Bee-eater, Goliath Heron and Wire-tailed Swallow.
 |
| Bush Scarlet (Axiocerses amanga amanga) |
 |
| Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades pisistratus) |
Conservation work during the period included alien invasive
clearing along the Sand River, identification of sites to be cleared,
collection of snares and horticulture.
The two weeks were good for the development of the
Soutpansberg Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation. The process of getting
solar power for data entry has been initiated and certain parts of the
programme have been refined.
Thank you to Steffi Krause for your hard work, input and participation
in the project.
 |
| Narina Trogon (Apaloderma narina narina) a beautiful forest bird. |
Natal Spurfowl; Crested Francolin; Crested Guineafowl; Golden-tailed
Woodpecker; Bearded Woodpecker; Black-collared Barbet; Yellow-fronted
Tinkerbird; African Grey Hornbill; African Hoopoe; Green Wood-hoopoe; Malachite
Kingfisher; Giant Kingfisher; Pied Kingfisher; White-fronted Bee-eater; European
Bee-eater; Narina Trogon; Red-faced Mousebird; Speckled Mousebird; Burchell's
Coucal; Alpine Swift; Little Swift; Purple-crested Turaco; Barn Owl; Cape Eagle
Owl; Fiery-necked Nightjar; Freckled Nightjar; Speckled Pigeon; Laughing Dove; Red-eyed
Dove; Tambourine Dove; African Fish Eagle; Little Sparrowhawk; Black
Sparrowhawk; African Goshawk; Steppe Buzzard; Verreaux's Eagle; Rock Kestrel; Goliath
Heron; Green-backed Heron; Hammerkop; Hadeda Ibis; Black-headed Oriole; African
Paradise Flycatcher; Fork-tailed Drongo; Brown-crowned Tchagra; Black-back
Puffback; Southern Boubou; Tropical Boubou; Orange-breasted Bushshrike; Grey-headed
Bushshrike; Retz's Helmet-shrike; White-crowned Helmet-shrike; Chinspot Batis; Black
Cuckooshrike; Southern Black Tit; Wire-tailed Swallow; Barn Swallow; Rock
Martin; Dark-capped Bulbul; Sombre Greenbul; Yellow-bellied Greenbul; Long-billed
Crombec; Cape White-eye; Rattling Cisticola; Tawny-flanked Prinia; Bar-throated
Apalis; Grey-backed Cameroptera; Kurrichane Thrush; Spotted Flycatcher; Grey
Tit-Flycatcher; White-throated Robin-chat; Red-capped Robin-chat; White-browed
Robin-chat; White-browed Scrub-robin; Familiar Chat; Mocking Cliff-chat; Red-winged
Starling; Violet-backed Starling; Collared Sunbird; White-bellied Sunbird; Red-billed
Quelea; Common Waxbill; Blue Waxbill; Jameson's Firefinch; Village Indigobird; SouthernGrey-headed
Sparrow; African Pied Wagtail; Cape Wagtail; Yellow-fronted Canary;
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting; Golden-breasted Bunting
 |
| A curious group of Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus subsp. griseipes). |
Mammal List
Thick-tailed Bushbaby; Chacma Baboon; Vervet Monkey; Tree
Squirrel; Spiny Mouse; Leopard; Slender Mongoose; Dwarf Mongoose; Water
Mongoose; Large-spotted Genet; African Civet; Rock Hyrax; Bush Pig; Sharpe's
Grysbok; Klipspringer; Bush Buck
Reptile List
Stigmochelys pardalis Leopard
Tortoise
Afroedura sp.
Chondrodactylus turneri Turner’s
Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia Common
Tropical House Gecko
Homopholis wahlbergii Wahlberg’s
Velvet Gecko
Lygodactylus capensis capensis Common Dwarf Gecko
Smaug warreni depressus Flat
Dragon Lizard
Platysaurus relictus Soutpansberg
Flat Lizard
Broadleysaurus major Rough-scaled
Plated Lizard
Gerrhosaurus flavigularis Yellow-throated
Plated Lizard
Matobosaurus validus Common
Giant Plated Lizard
Afroablepharus maculicollis Spotted-Necked
Snake-Eyed Skink
Trachylepis margaritifer Rainbow
Skink
Trachylepis varia Variable
Skink
Varanus niloticus Nile
Monitor
Chamaeleo dilepis dilepis Flap-Necked
Chameleon
Agama armata Northern
Ground Agama
Psammophis subtaeniatus Stripe-bellied
Sand Snake
Naja mossambica Mozambique
Spitting-Cobra
 |
| Mozambique Spitting-Cobra (Naja mossambica). Very common in the area. |
