Giraffe kill – the lions move on

4 of the males & 3 of the females

During the night of Sunday 27^th/Monday 28^th November, the six males lions that had killed an adult giraffe about 150 m from Leopard’s View’s waterhole 48 hours previously had been joined by four females. 











 
As with the males alone on the previous two days, they fed in the relative cool of the early morning and then moved off into the shade to rest during the heat of the day.  At intervals they drank at the waterhole or returned to the carcass to feed. 

During the evening of Monday they continued this pattern, feeding, drinking and resting, either adjacent to the carcass (or in the odd case, on part of the carcass!) or in the open between the waterhole and the kill site.  

White-backed vulture

Tuesday and Wednesday saw similar behaviour, although by now there was relatively little meat left to be gleaned from the remains and the lions finally moved off to the north during the early evening of Wednesday 30^th.

Now it was down to the vultures to pick the carcass clean and by Sunday 4^th all bar a couple of vultures had gone. 

As of Monday 5^th, there is no sign at the carcass of hyena activity but a hyena did drink at the waterhole during the evening.

Giraffe kill - the lions feed on

After bringing down an adult giraffe during the night of the 25^th/26^th November, the six male lions that were at the carcass at the end of the day on Saturday 26^th were still there, as expected, at dawn on Sunday 27^th.  Their bellies were full and they were spending as much time resting as feeding.  

As the day heated up so they spent more and more time away from the kill and close to our waterhole, where they drank frequently or slept in the thick shade of the adjacent trees and bushes.  From the Lodge we had regular views of one or more drinking.  

During the early part of the morning large numbers of vultures began to fly in, mainly white-backed vultures but a few hooded vultures as well, settling in dead trees anything up to several hundred metres from the kill site:  there they sat, patiently waiting, but since there was always at least one lion at the carcass the vultures didn’t get a look in…… yet!

As evening fell, the lions drifted back to the carcass where some returned to eating.  By now all of the easily accessible meat had gone and so the lions had to tear back the skin from the lower neck, the legs and the back and use their carnassial side teeth to cut through connective tissue and tendons to get small scraps of muscle. 

It was clearly hard work and even in the cool of the evening and the night left the lions panting from the effort.  They made frequent trips to the waterhole to drink. 

 
At one stage, when it was almost dark and when all six lions were at or near the carcass, another adult giraffe approached the waterhole.  As soon as they detected this, four of the lions moved towards it in stalking mode:  after a tense few minutes the giraffe moved off, away from the lions, which slowly drifted back to the kill.

Giraffe kill

Between 8.00 and 9.00 p.m. on the evening of Friday 25^th November, five giraffes (one male and four females) visited our waterhole and spent some time there.  Later on in the night the male was caught and killed by 7 male lions in the dry river bed around 150m away. 

The first indication we had of this was two male lions drinking at the waterhole around 6.15 a.m. on the Saturday morning.  When we drove down to investigate we discovered the carcass and the 7 lions, some feeding, some drinking and some lying in the shade nearby. 

About an hour later, four of the young males suddenly stood up and moved away to the north:  we followed and found the four teasing a large white rhino bull.  The lions approached, the rhino came at them, they ran off and so it went on until the rhino moved off past the carcass to the waterhole and drank.

No sooner were we back watching three of the lions sleeping in the shade than jackals harassing an impala doe and fawn caused the impalas to run along the river bed veering away from the giraffe carcass, up the river bank and between our vehicle and the three lions sleeping some 8m away.  Despite very full stomachs, instinct took over and several of the lions chased the impalas, coming close to catching the fawn.  We caught up with the impalas a little while later. 

During the hotter part of the day the lions spent most of the time in the shade, several resting in the bushes adjacent to our waterhole, appearing at intervals to drink. 

As dusk approached and the temperatures cooled all the lions returned to the carcass and continued feeding or rested next to it.  There were now six lions – one of the big pride males, looking very weak and walking with a pronounced limp in his back left leg, and five sub-adult males (although these five are getting quite large and their manes and are starting to develop.) 

Given the size of a giraffe, we knew the lions would be there for a considerable time to come, so…………………..:  to be continued!

Any pillow will do

“One-horn” is back



The one-horned male impala

As mentioned in a previous blog, most impala look alike and once they reach adult size cannot easily be identified, other than as male or female.  However, there is one male in our area with only one horn and he has been around for over three years now.  We were pleased to see him again late in the afternoon of the 12^th November, moving past the stoep of our house with several other males.  It’s good to know he is still alive.  Like all the herbivores he will undoubtedly be very happy at the moment:  after unusually early rains (with the crazy hailstones!) in early October we have had several good downpours since and the bush is extraordinarily lush and green for this time of year. 



Our waterhole now, surrounded by green

We only hope that the rain will continue and that we don’t end up later on paying the penalty with a big gap when everything dries up and dies back.

Elephants!

The knobthorn tree below our deck,
next to the birdpool before the elephant.

Leopard’s View birdpool is a magnet for many species of birds and some mammals as well.  Visiting birds make use of a couple of knobthorn trees and a Y-thorn torchwood bush for perches and for cover.  On Thursday 20th, mid-way through the afternoon, two elephants appeared at the Lodge, the Reserve’s biggest bull, "Ezulwini", and a much smaller companion.  The large one proceeded to push over the big knobthorn just to the left of the birdpool, snapping the trunk completely -  no mean feat given that the diameter at that point was 40 cm, although there were signs of rot inside. 

The big bull and the felled tree

However, we were not pleased since this tree was important visually and also for the birds.

The big bull behind Kudu Hut

The two elephants then browsed on the fresh foliage (since the rain of two weeks previously) before doing a tour right round the Lodge and our house, eating fresh grasses and raisin bush leaves and stems. 

Who needs building inspectors?  "Ezulwini" checks
out work on our new septic tank for the kitchens.

They returned the following morning and at least had the decency to eat much of the remaining foliage from the knocked-down tree (elephants often push over a tree, eat a couple of mouthfuls and then move off.) 

The big bull below the decks:  waterhole in the background

The same pair reappeared on Tuesday 25^th, again doing a tour right round the camp.  The smaller bull is relatively nervous but the large one is very relaxed around buildings, fences and the people inside them, and will feed very close by without showing any signs of tension unless one makes a sudden loud noise or sharp movement. 

The young bull or "askari" that goes round
with the big one.

"Ezulwini" outside Duiker Hut

Wonderful viewing but one beautiful, mature tree less!

Hail storm

 We wouldn’t normally expect to get any serious rain here until late October or even into November. 

Mid-storm: hail, rain and run-off

Hail stones:  the wall is 24 cm wide
and the vertical post 15cm  in diameter

However, on 3^rd October we had an unusually early storm:  dark clouds gathered, thunder rolled ever nearer, and then came a noise like an approaching train as the wind came closer and hit with a vengeance.  We had torrential rain for about 30 minutes plus hail on a grand scale!  Hail is common on the highveld but is far less frequent here in the lowveld.  The noise of the hail-stones hitting the roofs and the windows was incredible.  We measured the stones afterwards and the biggest were over 5 cm in diameter so we were lucky to have only one window broken.  Trees and shrubs in leaf were shredded and there was debris everywhere:  four days later, we are still clearing it up.  As usual with heavy rain, there has been much erosion of paths and tracks. 

The river in our valley flowing more strongly than ever

While we were clearing up immediately after the storm we became aware of a rushing sound from the valley below the lodge:  our dry river was in spate, flowing fuller and faster than we have seen in our three years here.  It was the first time that this river has flowed since April-May 2010.  Many of the dams in the reserve that have been relatively empty have benefitted greatly from the run-off.

With further rain later in the day (mercifully gentle!) we had a total of 32 mm, and another couple since.  By next morning the lawns in the lodge had greened up beautifully.  The grass out in the bush is turning green too and no doubt the trees will produce leaves (again, in the case of those that lost them to the hail.)  Given the early nature of this rain, we hope that there will be more before too long and that all the new growth will not burn up in the heat if we have to wait many weeks.

Birds and bushbabies

Our waterhole is a magnet for a variety of larger birds that are often associated with water:  we see various storks, herons and Egyptian geese there on a regular basis.  During the last few weeks we have heard fish eagles (Haliaeetus vocifer) calling frequently in the vicinity but they have always been in flight.  We were therefore pleased to see one perched in a tree near the waterhole on 23^rd September and to be able to photograph it.  This one is a juvenile (as indicated by the black streaking on the chest, the poorly developed rufous belly colouration) and the lack of yellow in the cere, the coloured plate just above the beak) and we wonder whether the calls we have heard came from a breeding pair of adults.  As their name suggests, fish eagles catch and eat fish, and so are generally found along rivers or close to large dams, but they also take any other small animals and birds that they can.  .

One of the smaller birds we see and hear often is the long-billed crombec (Sylvietta rufescens).  They are insect eaters and feed by searching for prey along the branches of trees and amongst the leaves, darting about and making themselves difficult to photograph.  One pair recently spent some time in the tree outside the office and provided good photo opportunities.  The distinctive feature of the crombecs is the very short tail.

By way of a progress report, the bushbabies that spend their days in the office veranda roof are still there, five in all, and have provided some excellent viewing for us and for guests.

Acacias in bloom



Knobthorn blossom

 One of the annual signs that spring is here and summer on its way is the flowering of the acacias, especially the knobthorns (Acacia nigrescens).  These produce a mass of white blossom with a smell not unlike that of orange blossom.  The flowers attract many insects and so the trees buzz, while giraffes also enjoy browsing on the blooms.  Other acacias such as the blue-thorn (Acacia erubescens) flower at this time too.  Last year the display across the bush was phenomenal:  this year it looks as though it is going to be rather more restrained.

Giraffe browing on knobthorn flowers

Blue-thorn acacia in bloom in the lodge gardens

New collar for favourite elephant

Soshangane with new satellite tracking collar visible

There are two elephant bulls that we regularly see together in our section of Balule Nature Reserve:  they are very relaxed close to habitation and vehicles. One, known as “Ezulwini”, has targeted the marula trees close to our house this winter.  The other, “Soshangane”, is the oldest bull in the area and the only one so far to have completed his musth cycle here since the fences came down between Balule and Kruger Park.  Soshangane has a satellite tracking collar but for the last couple of years the device has not been working.  On the 30^th August, all the necessary logistics and admin requirements came together and he was darted and a new collar fitted.  The hope is that his data will now be available along with data from other collared elephants in Greater Kruger Park. 

Ezulwini - destroyer of trees!

 These two bulls often team up with other younger ones, the older two acting as mentors.  The groups come together and then go their separate ways as time goes by.  This winter some seven or eight other bulls have accompanied Ezulwini and Soshangane and have been seen often, most recently as a group of nine coming past our house on the morning of 6^th September.  This was the first time we had seen Soshangane since the re-collaring exercise and he seemed none the worse for his experience.  His buddy Ezulwini insisted on taking a branch off a now almost denuded marula tree and would not be coaxed into moving on until he had the branch and could walk off with it, eating it some 30 m away:  just a like a naughty dog with some tit-bit from the table!

One of the younger bulls in Soshangane's group, 6.9.2011

Office Bushbabies Back

The Leopard's View bushbabies provide us with our own wildlife soap opera.  For a long time we had two groups of bushbabies in residence, one in the roof of the viewing tower and one in the roof of the office veranda.  Then the tower group disappeared and we did not see them for ages:  however, we were pleased when they reappeared a few months ago.  Next the office group vanished and we neither saw nor heard them for at least the last 10 weeks, that is until a couple of days ago.  Initially we heard noises from their den and then on Wednesday 24th August saw one and heard at least one more we could not see.  The next day we saw them again and as I write, they can be heard getting ready to leave at dusk.  This new office group (or the same ones back again?) are relatively accepting of our presence and when they emerge in the evening they always sit in the adjacent acacia giving anyone watching an excellent view.  After a few minutes they head off into the bush in one direction or another.

Birds – old & new

Black-headed oriole

Recent weeks have seen a great deal of bird activity around the lodge, including many birding parties.  Most of the visitors have been ones that we have seen here before.  The white-bellied sunbirds continue to feed on nectar from the aloes, although the flowers are now beginning to die back.  Blue waxbills have been plentiful, along with arrow-marked babblers, white-crested helmet-shrikes, Burchell’s starlings, red-billed queleas, green-winged pytilias, firefinches, various hornbills and black-headed orioles, which, like the sunbirds, also feed on the aloes.

African spoonbill at our waterhole

On the 7^th of August, and much to our surprise, an African spoonbill spent the morning at our waterhole.  They frequent shallow rivers with pools, pans, lakes and estuaries but our waterhole is smaller than the norm for a spoonbill. It was the first time we have seen this particular wading bird at the lodge and it takes our tally of birds seen and identified here to 114.  There are also two owl species (African scops owl and the White-faced scops owl) that we have heard but not seen here, although have done so elsewhere in the past.

New-look game drive vehicle



The original (sorry about the photo!)

When we bought the Lodge in 2008, the game drive vehicle that came with it, a somewhat dilapidated old Toyota land cruiser, was white with zebra stripes.  The stripes were quickly removed, leaving it a rather stand-out white. 

White for the last 3 years, plus the new ladders fitted

Undercoat

Changing it has long been on our task list and we have finally got round to carrying out the threat.  At long last we have an environmentally friendly green colour, with our logo on the doors, and with ladders on the side so that guests can climb up to the seats with relative ease.  We have also added wooden trim to the doors and the cab area as well as wooden arm rests at the back.  There was a huge amount of work involved, building the ladders (like giant meccano), preparing the body work for painting and the actual painting itself and shaping and fitting the wooden sections.  The spare tyre has been fitted in neatly under the rear seat.  All told, we can now take guests out with pride and with confidence that we at least look the part!

The finished green vehicle, with logo, trim and all

Aloes and sunbirds

One of the delights of the lowveld winters, apart from the sunshine, the dry air and the warm (but not hot) temperatures, is that the aloes come into flower.  This in turn attracts sunbirds to the Lodge gardens.  Most frequent are the white-bellied sunbirds (Cynnyris talatala).  As the name suggests, both sexes have a white or off-white belly:  the remainder of the female’s plumage is white below and brownish on top.  The male, however, has dark wings above and a brilliant metallic green head, throat and mantle with iridescent stripes in purple and blue on the breast.  The male sings loudly (incredibly so for such a small bird) throughout the day – a monotonous and often-repeated ‘chuee-chuee-chuee’. They feed on nectar from the aloe flowers and their long bills are ideally shaped to reach it.

White-bellied sunbird (male)

Many other birds are drawn to the gardens as well at this time, frequently visiting the birdbath and the bigger birdpool.  Blue waxbills, various fire-finches, green-winged ptylias and many others.  Our resident African barred owlet is still about and often roosts in the gardens during the day.

Green-winged ptylia

African barred owlet

Blue waxbill



Jameson's firefinch