Re: South Africa diary
Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2023 1:18 pm
Hello everyone,
I arrived back at the farm a couple of weeks ago, (a few more weeks have passed since I wrote this) after leaving behind a cold and wet UK. Since departing I’ve heard temperatures have dropped even more back in England, so timing seemed to be pretty perfect. Here in South Africa, in Limpopo province, it seems to be the polar opposite – we are experiencing a heat wave, and since arriving day time temperatures have been consistently in the high thirties and there has been a distinct lack of rain for the season so far. The bush is looking very green, although the understory is struggling and over the last few days the new spring grass is starting to frazzle. We’ve had a good few years of high rainfall so perhaps this will be different, and the start of a drought period. Only time will tell, and I’m hopeful as always that soon good rains will fall. (subsequently we had 80mm fall during one night which really brought the place to life)
The other marked difference between UK and here at this time of the year is the amount of ‘life’. Despite the lack of rain over the last two months the bush is absolutely buzzing with insects and other creatures. The birds are very busy nesting and a few of the nest boxes I put up before leaving have been occupied, one by Plum Coloured Starlings and the other by Glossy Starlings.
And the main topic of interest hasn’t disappointed either! There are not the numbers of butterflies out compared to when we left in the South African autumn but there is a large variety and I’m notching up quite a substantial tally already. Most of the common species such as guineafowl, common leopard and yellow pansies are present in numbers and I’ve noticed this last week some hatches happening, and everyday a few new individuals in and around the garden.
With the heat at the moment I’m keeping an area of earth wet next to the vegetable patch to attract any passing mud puddlers, and so far I’ve been kept busy with various species stopping by. Lots of lycaenids are always present, and this morning I was extremely surprised to see the largest resident blue here – the Patrician Blue sucking at the wet earth. I’ve very rarely seen these butterflies at wet ground so I was very pleased to see a fresh female, followed a few minutes later by a male in somewhat poorer condition. Then a highlight a few minutes later was a beautiful Large Striped Swordtail. Yesterday, just by chance, I spotted one sitting low down in a thorn tree and managed to get a couple of pictures. And then earlier today I spotted two separate individuals passing through the garden so wasn’t surprised when one settled at the mud for a few minutes before continuing on its way. I only saw one of these butterflies last season so to see four already is quite exciting. (since these early sightings the tally is up around 30 which is a particularly high number compared to previous years)
Other highlights include the third ever Velvet Spotted Paradise Skipper I have seen (correction - for some reason I wrote veined skipper here, which I hadn't ever recorded on the farm... but it turned out I would be lucky enough to see two specimens some months later). This one wasn’t hanging around and only stayed long enough for a positive identification to be made. Then earlier today while walking back from the Wifi, I saw one of it’s close relatives; the white cloaked skipper. Again, it wasn’t planning to stop, but its bright white colour and flight pattern meant ID was easy and I watched it pass along the road for at least 60-70 metres before I losing sight of it round a corner. During the walk I also checked some Buffalo Thorn trees in flower. These are a magnet to many species of insect and a few butterflies have a particular affinity for them. On one I found a cluster of about 15 Eastern Scarlets which were so busy nectaring that any amount of disturbance wouldn't cause them to fly. Interestingly, all of these were concentrated on one part of one tree, and on five or six other trees I checked, I only saw the odd butterfly.
There are also a good number of Barber,'s Acraeas around, both male and female. This species is only found in this area of the country so it’s always a pleasure to see a good number of them – the male is a striking red and is very hard to miss. During the first week there were many common diadems, more females than males and most were of an extremely large size. Judging by most of the individual's conditions they had been flying already for a while, and now a week later numbers have dropped off considerably, only to be replaced by their model, the African Plain Tiger. A few Charaxes are around but not large numbers - I think the fire which burnt many key areas of the farm is the reason there are so few. I’ve seen four species so far and was pleased to find a female Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes this morning, which is perhaps the rarest Charaxes to see here. The males of this species are plentiful but the females are very scarce. Because this female is very old I’ve kept her in a mating cage and hope she may lay some eggs. Talking of eggs, a few days ago I found a cluster of around 100 large (1mm+) moth eggs stuck to the side of my uncle’s house. It looked like the moth had been attracted to an outside light and then was overcome with the need to oviposit. I carefully removed them but with low expectations for them to hatch. I needn’t have been concerned because this morning when I checked around 10 very small yellowish larvae had just emerged. I have absolutely no idea what species of moth they are and what the food plant is, so there is no guarantee of them surviving. I’ve provided a few options of various trees and will see what occurs. They are surely some sort of large emperor so if they do survive soon enough I’ll have my work cut out providing them with enough feed. (I've since discovered they are Mopane moth larvae and they are quickly developing huge appetites) Going back to the Charaxes, a few days ago a good few were collected on the carcase of a dead Mt. Reedbuck. I spotted this a few days before and already not much was left although quite a few butterflies were imbibing from the remains. During one night a few mm of rain fell and the next morning, while the ground was still wet I took a walk and had a look at the carcase. The spot was alive with butterflies and around 15 species were scattered over the Reedbuck. The most numerous were Yellow pansies, around 15 fresh individuals giving the scene a splash of bright colour. Common leopards, Purple Brown Hairstreaks and Eastern Scarlets were also in attendance along with a variety of other lycaenids. Three Charaxes were also present – Pearl Spotted, Bushveld and Foxy Charaxes as well as a couple of species of skipper. The spot was an absolute hive of activity but the smell was the deciding factor for me to leave, after having a good look at what was going on.
Like last year around this time the jacaranda trees which surround the house are in flower, and again every evening hundreds of hawk moths can be heard and seen buzzing around the high flowers. This year the little sparrow hawk is hunting them once again, and joining are a pair of fork tailed Drongos who can usually be heard before they are seen. These birds are adept at mimicking other species’ calls so it’s interesting to listen to their repertoire – yesterday I heard one impersonating a squirrel’s alarm call. I’ve also put the moth trap out for a number of nights, or at least for a few hours before going to bed. The activity has been incredible with vast amounts of moths and other insects coming to the light. After 10 or 15 minutes there is a 2 metre cloud of flying insects buzzing around the light and it’s difficult to take a close look of what species are present without getting absolutely covered. I’m reluctant to leave it out all night because usually the area is invaded after a while by large ants and once this happens a massacre ensues. And unfortunately the ants find the activity wherever I put the light. Some of the highlights so far have been a White-ringed Atlas, Cat's Eyed Emperors, a Mopane Moth and a few absolutely beautiful Hampson’s Salads. Hundreds more species have come to the light but so far I’m yet to identify most and probably won’t have time anytime soon. Other highlights so far include finding a huge baboon spider at the mouth of her burrow. I failed to get a photo but will try again another night. This is the largest spider here and is basically a large tarantula the size of one’s hand (not a small hand!). I also saw an oriental bee hawk dipping for water over puddles after rain, which is a first to see this behaviour. While I was writing I heard the Plum Coloured Starlings sounding very unhappy near their nest box and suspected a snake but found a juvenile Rock Monitor about to enter and eat the young birds. Lucky for the birds, the monitor was scared off by my approach. The first snake to put in an appearance was while my girlfriend was reading on the bed at midday – she spotted a Mozambica Spitting Cobra entering the room, which then proceeded to recline on her yoga mat which was near the door. I managed to catch the snake, a juvenile, and release it a little distance from the house.
There's a lot more to write and after Christmas when things have quietened down will be the next instalment. I'm very pleased to already have seen two new species since I arrived, a Veined Swordtail and a Lilac Tip. The great butterfly enthusiast Swanepoel, who probably covered more ground than any of the other early butterfly collectors, searched for seven years until he found a Lilac Tip. So to see one sitting on a thorn tree flower in the garden was a particularly exciting moment. By the time I had collected a ladder and returned to take a photo of the butterfly it was too late! Just as I started climbing the Lilac Tip stretched its wings and was off to the north. Luckily the Veined Swordtail was a bit more amenable and posed for some images!
Regards and Happy Christmas to those of you who are celebrating, Scott
I arrived back at the farm a couple of weeks ago, (a few more weeks have passed since I wrote this) after leaving behind a cold and wet UK. Since departing I’ve heard temperatures have dropped even more back in England, so timing seemed to be pretty perfect. Here in South Africa, in Limpopo province, it seems to be the polar opposite – we are experiencing a heat wave, and since arriving day time temperatures have been consistently in the high thirties and there has been a distinct lack of rain for the season so far. The bush is looking very green, although the understory is struggling and over the last few days the new spring grass is starting to frazzle. We’ve had a good few years of high rainfall so perhaps this will be different, and the start of a drought period. Only time will tell, and I’m hopeful as always that soon good rains will fall. (subsequently we had 80mm fall during one night which really brought the place to life)
The other marked difference between UK and here at this time of the year is the amount of ‘life’. Despite the lack of rain over the last two months the bush is absolutely buzzing with insects and other creatures. The birds are very busy nesting and a few of the nest boxes I put up before leaving have been occupied, one by Plum Coloured Starlings and the other by Glossy Starlings.
And the main topic of interest hasn’t disappointed either! There are not the numbers of butterflies out compared to when we left in the South African autumn but there is a large variety and I’m notching up quite a substantial tally already. Most of the common species such as guineafowl, common leopard and yellow pansies are present in numbers and I’ve noticed this last week some hatches happening, and everyday a few new individuals in and around the garden.
With the heat at the moment I’m keeping an area of earth wet next to the vegetable patch to attract any passing mud puddlers, and so far I’ve been kept busy with various species stopping by. Lots of lycaenids are always present, and this morning I was extremely surprised to see the largest resident blue here – the Patrician Blue sucking at the wet earth. I’ve very rarely seen these butterflies at wet ground so I was very pleased to see a fresh female, followed a few minutes later by a male in somewhat poorer condition. Then a highlight a few minutes later was a beautiful Large Striped Swordtail. Yesterday, just by chance, I spotted one sitting low down in a thorn tree and managed to get a couple of pictures. And then earlier today I spotted two separate individuals passing through the garden so wasn’t surprised when one settled at the mud for a few minutes before continuing on its way. I only saw one of these butterflies last season so to see four already is quite exciting. (since these early sightings the tally is up around 30 which is a particularly high number compared to previous years)
Other highlights include the third ever Velvet Spotted Paradise Skipper I have seen (correction - for some reason I wrote veined skipper here, which I hadn't ever recorded on the farm... but it turned out I would be lucky enough to see two specimens some months later). This one wasn’t hanging around and only stayed long enough for a positive identification to be made. Then earlier today while walking back from the Wifi, I saw one of it’s close relatives; the white cloaked skipper. Again, it wasn’t planning to stop, but its bright white colour and flight pattern meant ID was easy and I watched it pass along the road for at least 60-70 metres before I losing sight of it round a corner. During the walk I also checked some Buffalo Thorn trees in flower. These are a magnet to many species of insect and a few butterflies have a particular affinity for them. On one I found a cluster of about 15 Eastern Scarlets which were so busy nectaring that any amount of disturbance wouldn't cause them to fly. Interestingly, all of these were concentrated on one part of one tree, and on five or six other trees I checked, I only saw the odd butterfly.
There are also a good number of Barber,'s Acraeas around, both male and female. This species is only found in this area of the country so it’s always a pleasure to see a good number of them – the male is a striking red and is very hard to miss. During the first week there were many common diadems, more females than males and most were of an extremely large size. Judging by most of the individual's conditions they had been flying already for a while, and now a week later numbers have dropped off considerably, only to be replaced by their model, the African Plain Tiger. A few Charaxes are around but not large numbers - I think the fire which burnt many key areas of the farm is the reason there are so few. I’ve seen four species so far and was pleased to find a female Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes this morning, which is perhaps the rarest Charaxes to see here. The males of this species are plentiful but the females are very scarce. Because this female is very old I’ve kept her in a mating cage and hope she may lay some eggs. Talking of eggs, a few days ago I found a cluster of around 100 large (1mm+) moth eggs stuck to the side of my uncle’s house. It looked like the moth had been attracted to an outside light and then was overcome with the need to oviposit. I carefully removed them but with low expectations for them to hatch. I needn’t have been concerned because this morning when I checked around 10 very small yellowish larvae had just emerged. I have absolutely no idea what species of moth they are and what the food plant is, so there is no guarantee of them surviving. I’ve provided a few options of various trees and will see what occurs. They are surely some sort of large emperor so if they do survive soon enough I’ll have my work cut out providing them with enough feed. (I've since discovered they are Mopane moth larvae and they are quickly developing huge appetites) Going back to the Charaxes, a few days ago a good few were collected on the carcase of a dead Mt. Reedbuck. I spotted this a few days before and already not much was left although quite a few butterflies were imbibing from the remains. During one night a few mm of rain fell and the next morning, while the ground was still wet I took a walk and had a look at the carcase. The spot was alive with butterflies and around 15 species were scattered over the Reedbuck. The most numerous were Yellow pansies, around 15 fresh individuals giving the scene a splash of bright colour. Common leopards, Purple Brown Hairstreaks and Eastern Scarlets were also in attendance along with a variety of other lycaenids. Three Charaxes were also present – Pearl Spotted, Bushveld and Foxy Charaxes as well as a couple of species of skipper. The spot was an absolute hive of activity but the smell was the deciding factor for me to leave, after having a good look at what was going on.
Like last year around this time the jacaranda trees which surround the house are in flower, and again every evening hundreds of hawk moths can be heard and seen buzzing around the high flowers. This year the little sparrow hawk is hunting them once again, and joining are a pair of fork tailed Drongos who can usually be heard before they are seen. These birds are adept at mimicking other species’ calls so it’s interesting to listen to their repertoire – yesterday I heard one impersonating a squirrel’s alarm call. I’ve also put the moth trap out for a number of nights, or at least for a few hours before going to bed. The activity has been incredible with vast amounts of moths and other insects coming to the light. After 10 or 15 minutes there is a 2 metre cloud of flying insects buzzing around the light and it’s difficult to take a close look of what species are present without getting absolutely covered. I’m reluctant to leave it out all night because usually the area is invaded after a while by large ants and once this happens a massacre ensues. And unfortunately the ants find the activity wherever I put the light. Some of the highlights so far have been a White-ringed Atlas, Cat's Eyed Emperors, a Mopane Moth and a few absolutely beautiful Hampson’s Salads. Hundreds more species have come to the light but so far I’m yet to identify most and probably won’t have time anytime soon. Other highlights so far include finding a huge baboon spider at the mouth of her burrow. I failed to get a photo but will try again another night. This is the largest spider here and is basically a large tarantula the size of one’s hand (not a small hand!). I also saw an oriental bee hawk dipping for water over puddles after rain, which is a first to see this behaviour. While I was writing I heard the Plum Coloured Starlings sounding very unhappy near their nest box and suspected a snake but found a juvenile Rock Monitor about to enter and eat the young birds. Lucky for the birds, the monitor was scared off by my approach. The first snake to put in an appearance was while my girlfriend was reading on the bed at midday – she spotted a Mozambica Spitting Cobra entering the room, which then proceeded to recline on her yoga mat which was near the door. I managed to catch the snake, a juvenile, and release it a little distance from the house.
There's a lot more to write and after Christmas when things have quietened down will be the next instalment. I'm very pleased to already have seen two new species since I arrived, a Veined Swordtail and a Lilac Tip. The great butterfly enthusiast Swanepoel, who probably covered more ground than any of the other early butterfly collectors, searched for seven years until he found a Lilac Tip. So to see one sitting on a thorn tree flower in the garden was a particularly exciting moment. By the time I had collected a ladder and returned to take a photo of the butterfly it was too late! Just as I started climbing the Lilac Tip stretched its wings and was off to the north. Luckily the Veined Swordtail was a bit more amenable and posed for some images!
Regards and Happy Christmas to those of you who are celebrating, Scott