Sightings from the new camera trap

Our old friend, Soshangane, enjoying a drink at the bird bath

For some time now we have been wanting to position a camera trap on the waterhole and the bird bath to discover in particular animal sightings that happen after dark. 

Waterbuck males

We felt sure that there were many visitors that we were unaware of, and hoped the camera traps would give us an insight into the noctural world of Leopard's View. 

 Impala male

So far, we have positioned one camera trap at the bird bath and have already been delighted with the results, in particular the civet that was caught on camera a few nights ago. 

civet



A family of warthogs

We will be putting the other camera trap in place in the not too distant future and will be posting the sightings as soon as they arrive.  We are hoping that we will catch on camera the leopard who we know frequents the waterhole, but is very elusive, and usually appears from dusk to dawn. 

Black-backed jackal

Return of the Eles

Ezulwini and three smaller bull elephants emerging from the early morning mist

Regular readers of our blog will remember Soshangane and Ezulwini visited the waterhole a couple of weeks ago.  This week they were back again accompanied by three young bull elephants.  We first became aware of them on Tuesday night as we were sitting around the fire after dinner.  The crack of breaking branches always sounds extra loud in the cool evening air and we were all watching and hoping to see elephants coming into the open area or down at the waterhole. 

One of the smaller elephants

Unfortunately, we were not to see them that evening, but early the next morning, with the mist still hanging in the valley, Ezulwini and three smaller male elephants came to the waterhole and drank.  It was a magical sight. 

They then slowly made their way up the hill towards the lodge and our house. 

  

Ezelwini enjoying a branch from his favourite
marula tree

Soshangane, the other large bull, arrived at the water hole and joined the group.  

Ezulwini has a favourite marula tree on the corner of our house and this is where he was headed. Luckily he only took down one of the small branches and then headed off with the others down to the lodge where they stopped outside Kudu hut and fed on another favourite, a euphorbia plant.  These particular plants receive regular pruning from the elephants, and seem to grow ever bigger because of it. 

Ezulwini outside Kudu hut

The group then turned and headed past our entrance gate, thankfully deciding not to come inside, and then made for the water tanks, where they took a drink from the overflow tank - another favourite stopping point. 

Ezulwini at the gate

 Ezulwini then took another turn around our house, removing several raison bushes whilst the others headed off down the road. 

Bush clearing!

It was another marvellous wildlife encounter for us.  Our final view of the group was on Friday lunch time when they were seen far off on the distant ridge.  We look forward to their return. 

Harrow School Photographic Safari at Leopard's View

Leaving the lodge for an afternoon game drive

Lions - winner of Most Atmospheric Picture
Charlie Biddle                                     Balule Nature Reserve

We have just entertained a party of pupils and staff from Harrow School, England, who were here on a photographic safari.

Red-Headed Weaver - winner of the Best Bird Category
Mark Ridgeway                               Leopard' View Game Lodge

Burchell's Zebra - winner of Best Mammal/Best Overall Shot
Ted Ratcliffe                           Balule Nature Reserve               

In a week of varied activities in and around Balule, they visited Blyde Canyon Dam, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre and The Kruger National Park.  In the course of their drives and walks both here in Balule and in the Kruger Park they had amazing sightings, which included all of the Big 5. At the end of the week we held an informal photographic competition for pupils and staff to enter with their five best photographs.  Prizes were awarded in a range of categories and the winning pictures shown here on the blog page.  

Leopard                                                     Highly Commended
Henry Kenyon                                          Kruger National Park

On their last morning here at Leopard’s View a large herd of buffalo came past and they were able to finish the week with some beautiful misty early-morning shots of the buffalo grazing just below the deck and drinking at the waterhole.   

  

Buffalo in the early-morning mist taken from the deck at Leopard's View

Elephants bath and scratch

We have been treated to a very good elephant sighting in the last few days.  Sitting outside our house a few days ago, we heard the familiar crack of breaking wood and saw a large tree fall over down in the valley.  We quickly went up to the top of the viewing tower and scanned the bush to see if we could see any sign of what we thought must have been elephant activity.  There was nothing to be seen, but as the bush is very thick in places we would not see them unless they were browsing in an open area.  We decided to investigate further and drove down to the waterhole in the game drive vehicle.  Two elephants had arrived before us and had obviously been enjoying a bath as they were very wet and muddy.  We recognised the two big male elephants.  One has a collar and is called Soshangane and the other we knew to be Ezulwini.  They moved away from the waterhole and then spent some time using the trees around as scratching posts – their skin sounded like sandpaper rubbing against the trees.  They then carried on up the slope towards the lodge and passed close by one of the huts before moving off.  We were very pleased to see them as it has been a little while since the elephants have visited the water hole.  
 



Soshangane and a view of the lodge decks

Elezwini enjoys a final scratch

A Tale of Two Impalas



'One-Horn'

Followers of our blog site or newsletter will know about the one-horned impala we have seen around Leopard’s View at regular intervals over the last three years.  Lately it seems that ‘One-Horn’ has teamed up with another impala male with a serious injury and the pair are now seen together often.  This other impala, whom we have named ‘Three-legs’, was first seen in January with a very bad leg injury, which has since quite miraculously healed to a great extent, although as you can see in the photograph the knee joint is very enlarged and the lower leg very thin.  He limps around but is able to run reasonably effectively even with such a damaged leg. 



Injured back leg of 'Three-Legs' 

These two impalas spend a lot of time around about our lodge and house sticking close to the buildings especially at night when the injured male is obviously in danger of being easy prey.  We are always delighted to see them and will keep you posted on their progress. 


'Three-Legs'

Rare visitors at the waterhole

The last ten days or so have seen several visits to our waterhole by rare animals of one sort or another.  Firstly on Saturday 10^th March a leopard drank there at around 8.00 p.m., and soon afterwards a hyena came by as well.  Another (or the same?) leopard spent some 10 minutes near the waterhole just after 6.00 p.m. on Monday 19^th March. 

Leopard - 19 March - hard to photograph as behind tree!

 A white rhino drank at the waterhole, also around 6.00 p.m., on Tuesday 13^th.  Although not common sightings, these are nonetheless animals that we do expect to see from time to time.  However, around midday on Wednesday 21^st a female eland with a calf appeared at the waterhole, drank for some minutes and then moved off.  There have been no sightings of eland in the Reserve for many years and we are at a loss to explain how or why this pair was there.  Our habitat is not really their normal one:  they are generally found in drier parts, and particularly in the western half of South Africa. They may have moved in from Kruger Park, where eland do occur at a low density, especially in the northern parts; or more likely they may have come from a game farm or private reserve bordering Balule.  Whatever the explanation, it is always a treat to see eland in the wild.  They are the largest of the antelope in Southern Africa and live in small family groups, generally with one mature male, several females and their offspring.

Eland female - 21 March

Hot weather, birds and animals

February was an extremely hot month here with the average daily maximum for the month being 33.5^oC: except for a few days, March has been every bit as warm.  The heat and lack of rain have led to the water that was so freely available in the bush after the January floods drying up: as a result we are seeing more and more animals visiting the lodge waterhole, notably impala herds and giraffes.  However, it is the birds that have given us some excellent sightings over the last week or two. 

Long-tailed paradise-whydah (male)

Green-winged pytitlia

A male long-tailed paradise-whydah (Vidua paradisaea) has been resident in the valley behind the waterhole:  these birds, with their bright red and yellow chest and neck, have extraordinarily long tails when in their breeding plumage.  The females are a drab brown and the species is a brood parasite of a small local bird, the green-winged pytilia (Pytilia melba). 

Keeping company with the paradise-whydah was a purple indigo bird (Vidua purpurascens); as the name suggests, it is a uniform dark colour, except for pale wing panels and under-tail, with whitish beak and legs. 

Purple indigo bird (male)

Shikra

Twice in the last week we have had a shikra, formerly known as the little banded goshawk (Accipiter badius), perching in a dead tree just outside the lodge.  This bird has a banded chest and a striking cherry-red eye that contrasts with its yellow cere (the plate at the base of the beak.)  Many other bird species have been active around the lodge as well, notably green wood-hoopoes and arrow-marked babblers.

Escarpment silhouette with setting sun behind clouds, 5th March 2012