“It's A... Safari”

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

“It's A... Safari” “It’s a... Safari” African Plains canyons Africa is a land of varied climates. Canyons are carved by fast flowing rivers. Vegetation on the African Plains is mostly grass. These steep walls are composed of lava rock. Some drought resistant trees do grow there. The Orange River runs through the desert. What happens during a drought? How does erosion create gorges and canyons? Af • ri • can • Plains can • yons A f • r i • c an • P l ai n s c a n • y o n s African Plains canyons Augrabies Desert mountain forest The Augrabies Desert is a semi-arid savannah. The mountain forest has subtropical weather. This land has very little rainfall. Water vapor condenses and falls as rain. Plant roots take what water they can from the soil. The cliffs are a habitat for many birds and How do plants adapt to the desert? reptiles. Au • gra • bies • De • sert Describe a “misty mountain top”. Au • g r a • b ie s • D e • s er t moun • tain • for • est Augrabies Desert m ou n • t ain • f or • e s t mountain forest Highveld Grasslands Grasses flourish on the Highveld grasslands. picking Acacia trees are plentiful on the plateaus. This baboon is picking fruit to eat. Africa has many freshwater and saltwater lakes. He forages for fruit, nuts, leaves, and insects. Which phrase means “high, cool, open He is omnivorous, so he will eat almost anything. grasslands”? What is an omnivore? High • veld • Grass • lands pick • ing H i gh • v e l d • G r a ss • l a n d s p i ck • i ng Highveld Grasslands picking desert kicking This is the Kalahari Desert. The baby elephant is kicking up dirt as she trots. The arid desert is a harsh habitat. She hurries to the waterhole for a mud bath. Animals and people must adapt to the conditions. A newborn elephant weighs about 265 pounds. Which word means “lacking moisture”? What is a pachyderm? de • sert kick • ing d e • s er t k i ck • i ng desert kicking © 2008 LocuTour Multimedia All Rights Reserved. For information call 800.777.3166 or 805.544.0775 “It’s a... Safari” taking off sleeping The bateleur bird is taking off. The gazelle fawn is sleeping. He is a jet black raptor, a bird of prey. It may be left in a “nursery” with other fawns. His wingspan is six feet wide. Its mother watches from a distance. Measure six feet. Reach the distance with your A father is a buck, a mother is a _ _ _? arms. sleep • ing tak • ing • off s l ee p • i ng t a k • i ng • o ff sleeping taking off attending charging The male gazelle is attending to his surroundings. The two Cape buffalo are charging each other. He relies on his ability to see and hear predators. This aggressive behavior is called “rutting”. If alarmed, he will sprint away. A broadside stance shows dominance. If he doesn’t pay attention, what may happen? Which buffalo is more dominant this mating at • tend • ing season? a t • t e n d • i ng char • ging attending ch ar • g i ng charging eating The hartebeest is herbivorous. yawning It is eating the leaves, stems, and bark of the The lion cub is yawning. plant. She rests twenty of the twenty-four hours in a day. It grinds the plants with its large flat teeth. The other hours are spent hunting. What is an herbivore? How many hours a day do humans sleep? eat • ing yawn • ing ea t • i ng y aw n • i ng eating yawning stuffing drinking The rock hyrax is stuffing his cheeks with grass. The mother and her daughters are drinking water. If he senses danger, he will let out a squeak. The bond between them is lifelong. It is an alarm for all nearby animals. It lasts from 50 to 60 years. Do animals communicate? Is it possible for elephants to have caring feelings? stuff • ing drink • ing s t u f f • i ng d r i n k • i ng stuffing drinking © 2008 LocuTour Multimedia All Rights Reserved. For information call 800.777.3166 or 805.544.0775 “It’s a... Safari” jumping sniffing The impala is jumping over the rock and brush. The mongoose is sniffing for food. An alarmed impala can broad jump 36 feet. It uses its long claws for digging. He can “pronk” 10 feet straight up in the air. It digs for eggs, millipedes, shellfish, and insects. Use your hands to demonstrate “pronking”. When a mongoose digs, its ears can close. Why? jump • ing sniff • ing j u m p • i ng s n i f f • i ng jumping sniffing panting flying The lionesses are resting and panting in the The vulture is flying over a recent kill. shade. This is a signal to many animals that food is It is common for these cats to hunt and rest nearby. together. The vulture must wait its turn for the food. Daytime temperatures can be over 100 degrees. Why would other animals notice a vulture flying? What is the daytime temperature today? Compare. fly • ing pant • ing f l y • i ng p a n t • i ng flying panting chewing sits This waterbuck is chewing cud. The meerkat sits and suns his underbelly. It is a “ruminant” animal. He does this for about an hour every morning. It swallows food, regurgitates, and chews it again. He will eat, play, rest, then eat again. Explain the saying, “He ruminates over Meerkats stay in the burrows on rainy days. Why? problems.” sits chew • ing s i t s ch ew • i ng sits chewing crawls building The millipede crawls across the road. The lesser masked weaver is building a nest. This “myriopod” is named for its many legs. This small nest is for one family. “Milli” means thousand, and “pede” means foot. It differs from the sociable weaver’s huge nest. What would centipede mean? Find the sociable weaver’s nest. Compare the two. crawls build • ing c r aw l s b ui l d • i ng crawls building © 2008 LocuTour Multimedia All Rights Reserved. For information call 800.777.3166 or 805.544.0775 “It’s a... Safari” flapping hut Elephants use their ears to cool their bodies. The thatched home is called a “behive hut”. There are many blood vessels close to the surface. This is a characteristic Zulu home. Flapping lowers the temperature by cooling blood. The Zulu people live in the countryside. How do other animals cool off? How do you think the beehive hut got its name? flap • ping hut f l a p • p i ng h u t flapping hut homestead fence This family’s homestead is in the countryside. This fence is built to keep the predatory animals Each family usually builds their own home. out. Many people live in cities. Domesticated animals are kept inside the fence. How are African homes alike/different? The ostrich is a common domestic animal. home • stead How are fences used in your area? h o me • s t ea d fence homestead f e n ce fence village An extended family lives in this farming village. girl They grow corn and other crops. This little girl lives in Africa. Their homes are made of mud bricks. She lives with her mother, father, and sister. How does cooperation affect the families’ lives? Zebra walk past her home. vil • lage What familiar animal looks like a zebra? v i l • l a ge girl village g ir l girl city Pretoria is like other large cities in the world. children Many people live in apartments and houses. These children walk a long way to school. They work in office buildings. They are dressed in their uniforms. What is the name of your city? It is a privilege to go to school, not everyone can. ci • ty How would you feel if you couldn’t go to school? c i • t y chil • dren city ch i l • d r e n children © 2008 LocuTour Multimedia All Rights Reserved. For information call 800.777.3166 or 805.544.0775 “It’s a... Safari” selling container The people are selling their home-grown produce. The San make jewelry to sell to tourists. They sell guavas, mangoes, and bananas. They use porcupine quills, wooden beads and One woman balances a heavy load on her head. horns. Define the word, “burden”. The container is a tortoise shell, a carapace. sell • ing What does the word, “resourceful” mean? s e l l • i ng con • tain • er selling c o n • t ai n • er container thatching The men are thatching the roof. carves First, rafters are built and fastened. The young man carves bowls out of wood. Grass is then bundled and spread in layers on top. He uses a homemade adz. How would you make a thatched roof watertight? The adz has a wooden handle and metal blade. thatch • ing How is an ax different from an adz? th a tch • i ng carves thatching c ar ve s carves brickyard Clay bricks are made in the brickyard. herds The red soil gives the brick its red color. The boy herds the cow. Many houses are made of brick. He takes it from the grazing area to his home. How is the kiln used in making bricks? He walks barefoot on the dirt road. brick • yard What are calluses? b r i ck • y ar d herds brickyard h er d s herds nomadic The San people travel from place to place.
Recommended publications
  • 2017 Namibia, Botswana & Victoria Falls Species List
    Eagle-Eye Tours Namibia, Okavango and Victoria Falls November 2017 Bird List Status: NT = Near-threatened, VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered Common Name Scientific Name Trip STRUTHIONIFORMES Ostriches Struthionidae Common Ostrich Struthio camelus 1 ANSERIFORMES Ducks, Geese and Swans Anatidae White-faced Whistling Duck Dendrocygna viduata 1 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis 1 Knob-billed Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos 1 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca 1 African Pygmy Goose Nettapus auritus 1 Hottentot Teal Spatula hottentota 1 Cape Teal Anas capensis 1 Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha 1 GALLIFORMES Guineafowl Numididae Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris 1 Pheasants and allies Phasianidae Crested Francolin Dendroperdix sephaena 1 Hartlaub's Spurfowl Pternistis hartlaubi H Red-billed Spurfowl Pternistis adspersus 1 Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer 1 Swainson's Spurfowl Pternistis swainsonii 1 Natal Spurfowl Pternistis natalensis 1 PODICIPEDIFORMES Grebes Podicipedidae Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis 1 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis 1 PHOENICOPTERIFORMES Flamingos Phoenicopteridae Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus 1 Lesser Flamingo - NT Phoeniconaias minor 1 CICONIIFORMES Storks Ciconiidae Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis 1 Eagle-Eye Tours African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus 1 Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus 1 Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer 1 PELECANIFORMES Ibises, Spoonbills Threskiornithidae African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus 1 Hadada Ibis Bostrychia
    [Show full text]
  • Karoo Bush Rat
    Otomys unisulcatus – Karoo Bush Rat threats that could cause widespread population decline. However, there are potentially synergistic effects of climate change drying up wetlands and overgrazing/ browsing removing at least part of the plant food and cover that this species relies upon. Such effects on subpopulation trends and population distribution should be monitored. Regional population effects: This species is endemic to the assessment region. Its dispersal abilities are not well known. Subpopulations seem to be patchily distributed at the landscape level, according to the presence of favourable habitats. While it is likely that movements and possibly rescue effects exist between subpopulations, Emmanuel Do Linh San others might be physically and genetically isolated. Regional Red List status (2016) Least Concern Distribution National Red List status (2004) Least Concern This species occurs throughout the semi-arid Succulent Reasons for change No change Karoo and Nama-Karoo of South Africa (Monadjem et al. 2015), specifically in the Eastern, Northern and Western Global Red List status (2016) Least Concern Cape provinces, with some limited occurrence in the TOPS listing (NEMBA) (2007) None Fynbos Biome (Vermeulen & Nel 1988; Figure 1). It may marginally occur in southern Namibia but further surveys CITES listing None are required to confirm this. Regardless, the bulk of the Endemic Yes population occurs in South Africa. Kerley and Erasmus (1992) argued that the lodges built by this species are In southern Africa the Karoo Bush Rat vulnerable to destruction by fire. As a result, they is the only rodent that constructs and occupies hypothesised that this shelter-building strategy is only large, dome-shaped stick nests or “lodges”, viable in the absence of frequent burning, and therefore it generally at the base of bushes.
    [Show full text]
  • Crow Threat to Raptors?
    PIED pirates CROW THREAT TO RAPTORS? There has been much debate about the effects on biodiversity of increasing Pied Crow and other corvid populations in Africa, but little has been quantified. It is evident from the latest bird atlas data that there are now more Pied Crows in southern Africa than there were a decade ago and that the species has spread into areas of the Karoo where it did not occur previously. But what effect is this having on other bird species? TEXT BY ROB SIMMONS & PHOEBE BARNARD ALBERT FRONEMAN arious reports indicate that one a Rock Kestrel and another a Southern crows are impacting negatively Pale Chanting Goshawk, all of which were on other creatures in their en- carrying mice in their talons. Prey-carrying vironment. Farmers complain raptors are usually provisioning dependent aboutV increasing predation by ‘crows’ on females or nestlings, so piracy affects more lambing ewes, birders suggest that more at- than simply the bird with the food. tacks are occurring on passerine birds, and The following three incidents serve to conservationists and members of the pub- highlight the modus operandi of the crows. lic report greater numbers of crows killing We then investigated other parts of Africa small tortoises. However, almost nothing to determine if piracy targeting raptors is has been quantified as to the level of such limited to western South Africa as a zone predation, the magnitude of the upsurge of Pied Crow range expansion or is a more in crow interactions and the effect on the widespread strategy. species being attacked. We do not yet have In the West Coast National Park in such data, but we do take a first look at 2008, our attention was drawn to a Black- what may be an increasing and somewhat shouldered Kite that was calling from a surprising addition to the negative effects height of over 150 metres and circling up- of crows – those on birds of prey.
    [Show full text]
  • Birds of Marakele National Park
    BIRDS OF MARAKELE NATIONAL PARK English (Roberts 6) Old SA No. Rob No. English (Roberts 7) Global Names Names 1 1 Common Ostrich Ostrich 2 6 Great Crested Grebe Great Crested Grebe 3 8 Little Grebe Dabchick 4 50 Pinkbacked Pelican Pinkbacked Pelican 5 55 Whitebreasted Cormorant Whitebreasted Cormorant 6 58 Reed Cormorant Reed Cormorant 7 60 African Darter Darter 8 62 Grey Heron Grey Heron 9 63 Blackheaded Heron Blackheaded Heron 10 64 Goliath Heron Goliath Heron 11 65 Purple Heron Purple Heron 12 66 Great Egret Great White Egret 13 67 Little Egret Little Egret 14 68 Yellowbilled Egret Yellowbilled Egret 15 69 Black Heron Black Egret 16 71 Cattle Egret Cattle Egret 17 72 Squacco Heron Squacco Heron 18 74 Greenbacked Heron Greenbacked Heron 19 76 Blackcrowned Night-Heron Blackcrowned Night Heron 20 77 Whitebacked Night-Heron Whitebacked Night Heron 21 78 Little Bittern Little Bittern 22 79 Dwarf Bittern Dwarf Bittern 23 81 Hamerkop Hamerkop 24 83 White Stork White Stork 25 84 Black Stork Black Stork 26 85 Abdim's Stork Abdim's Stork 27 89 Marabou Stork Marabou Stork 28 90 Yellowbilled Stork Yellowbilled Stork 29 91 African Sacred Ibis Sacred Ibis 30 93 Glossy Ibis Glossy Ibis 31 94 Hadeda Ibis Hadeda Ibis 32 95 African Spoonbill African Spoonbill 33 96 Greater Flamingo Greater Flamingo 34 97 Lesser Flamingo Lesser Flamingo 35 99 Whitefaced Duck Whitefaced Duck 36 100 Fulvous Duck Fulvous Duck 37 101 Whitebacked Duck Whitebacked Duck 38 102 Egyptian Goose Egyptian Goose 39 103 South African Shelduck South African Shelduck 40 104 Yellowbilled
    [Show full text]
  • Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 1 Josh Engel
    Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 1 Josh Engel Photos: Josh Engel, [[email protected]] Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History and Tropical Birding Tours [www.tropicalbirding.com] Produced by: Tyana Wachter, R. Foster and J. Philipp, with the support of Connie Keller and the Mellon Foundation. © Science and Education, The Field Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 USA. [[email protected]] [fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/guides] Rapid Color Guide #584 version 1 01/2015 1 Struthio camelus 2 Pelecanus onocrotalus 3 Phalacocorax capensis 4 Microcarbo coronatus STRUTHIONIDAE PELECANIDAE PHALACROCORACIDAE PHALACROCORACIDAE Ostrich Great white pelican Cape cormorant Crowned cormorant 5 Anhinga rufa 6 Ardea cinerea 7 Ardea goliath 8 Ardea pupurea ANIHINGIDAE ARDEIDAE ARDEIDAE ARDEIDAE African darter Grey heron Goliath heron Purple heron 9 Butorides striata 10 Scopus umbretta 11 Mycteria ibis 12 Leptoptilos crumentiferus ARDEIDAE SCOPIDAE CICONIIDAE CICONIIDAE Striated heron Hamerkop (nest) Yellow-billed stork Marabou stork 13 Bostrychia hagedash 14 Phoenicopterus roseus & P. minor 15 Phoenicopterus minor 16 Aviceda cuculoides THRESKIORNITHIDAE PHOENICOPTERIDAE PHOENICOPTERIDAE ACCIPITRIDAE Hadada ibis Greater and Lesser Flamingos Lesser Flamingo African cuckoo hawk Common Birds of Namibia and Botswana 2 Josh Engel Photos: Josh Engel, [[email protected]] Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History and Tropical Birding Tours [www.tropicalbirding.com] Produced by: Tyana Wachter, R. Foster and J. Philipp,
    [Show full text]
  • Quantifying the Global Legal Trade in Live CITES-Listed Raptors and Owls
    Electronic Supplementary Material (Panter et al. 2019) Electronic Supplementary Material for: Quantifying the global legal trade in live CITES-listed raptors and owls for commercial purposes over a 40-year period Published in 2019 in Avocetta 43(1) :23-36; doi: https://doi.org/10.30456/AVO.2019104 Authors: Connor T. Panter1,*, Eleanor D. Atkinson1, Rachel L. White1 1 School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom. * Corresponding author: [email protected] List of contents: ESM 1 - Appendix A. CITES source categories with associated definitions. ESM 2 - Appendix B. CITES Trade Purposes categories with associated definitions. ESM 3 - Appendix C. CITES Importer and Exporter countries with total reported imported and exported individuals of raptors and owls. ESM 4 - Appendix D. Raptor and owl exporter countries supplying the Japanese trade in live birds for commercial use. ESM 5 - Appendix E. Percentages of number of traded species within global IUCN Red List categories and population trends. ESM 6. Imported raptor species, number of imported individuals and percentage of total imported raptor individuals. ESM 7. Exported raptor species, number of exported individuals and percentage of total exported raptor individuals. ESM 8. Imported owl species, number of imported individuals and percentage of total imported owl individuals. ESM 9. Exported owl species, number of exported individuals and percentage of total exported owl individuals. 1 Electronic Supplementary Material (Panter et al. 2019) ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL (ESM) ESM 1 - Appendix A. CITES source categories with associated definitions. *The CITES Trade Database does not provide information regarding whether birds declared as “wild- caught” were derived from legal or illegal activities.
    [Show full text]
  • Wave Moult of the Primaries in Accipitrid Raptors, and Its Use in Ageing Immatures
    Chancellor, R. D. & B.-U. Meyburg eds. 2004 Raptors Worldwide WWGBP/MME Wave Moult of the Primaries in Accipitrid raptors, and its use in ageing immatures William S. Clark ABSTRACT Stresemann & Stresemann (1966) described wave moult in the primary remiges ('Staffelmauser' in German; also translated as 'step-wise moult') for some families of birds but not for Acccipitrid raptors, even though many of the species in this family (especially the larger ones) show it. Primaries of Accipitrid raptors are replaced from Pl (inner) sequentially outward. Waves are formed when not all of the ten primaries are replaced in any annual moult cycle. In the next annual cycle, moult begins anew at Pl as well as continuing with the next feather from where it left off in the last cycle. Two or three, occasionally four, wave fronts of new primaries can be seen in the primaries of some raptors, especially larger ones, e.g., eagles. Knowledge and understanding of wave moult can ascertain the ages of immature raptors in those species that take three or four years to attain adult plumage, as these species typically do not replace all of the primaries in any moult cycle. Juvenile eagles show all primaries the same age. Second plumage eagles show two ages of primaries, newer inner ones and older retained juvenile outer ones. Third plumage eagles show two waves, with the first wave proceeding to P8, P9, or PIO, and the second to P3, P4, P5, or P6. Fourth plumage eagles usually show new outer PlO from the first wave, new P5 to P7 from the second wave, and new Pl to P3 from the most recent wave.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Wildebeest
    SSOOUUTTHHEERRNN AAFFRRIICCAANN RRAAPPTTOORR CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP REPORT 23 – 25 March 2004 Gariep Dam, Free State, South Africa Hosted by: THE RAPTOR CONSERVATION GROUP OF THE ENDANGERED WILDLIFE TRUST Sponsored by: SA EAGLE INSURANCE COMPANY ESKOM In collaboration with: THE CONSERVATION BREEDING SPECIALIST GROUP SOUTHERN AFRICA (CBSG – SSC/IUCN) 0 SSOOUUTTHHEERRNN AAFFRRIICCAANN RRAAPPTTOORR CCOONNSSEERRVVAATTIIOONN STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP REPORT The Raptor Conservation Group wishes to thank Eskom and SA Eagle Insurance company for the sponsorship of this publication and the workshop. Evans, S.W., Jenkins, A., Anderson, M., van Zyl, A., le Roux, J., Oertel, T., Grafton, S., Bernitz Z., Whittington-Jones, C. and Friedmann Y. (editors). 2004. Southern African Raptor Conservation Strategic Plan. Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (SSC / IUCN). Endangered Wildlife Trust. 1 © Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG-SSC/IUCN) and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The copyright of the report serves to protect the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group workshop process from any unauthorised use. The CBSG, SSC and IUCN encourage the convening of workshops and other fora for the consideration and analysis of issues related to conservation, and believe that reports of these meetings are most useful when broadly disseminated. The opinions and recommendations expressed in this report reflect the issues discussed and ideas expressed by the participants during the Southern African Raptor Conservation Strategic
    [Show full text]
  • Accipitridae Species Tree
    Accipitridae I: Hawks, Kites, Eagles Pearl Kite, Gampsonyx swainsonii ?Scissor-tailed Kite, Chelictinia riocourii Elaninae Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus ?Black-shouldered Kite, Elanus axillaris ?Letter-winged Kite, Elanus scriptus White-tailed Kite, Elanus leucurus African Harrier-Hawk, Polyboroides typus ?Madagascan Harrier-Hawk, Polyboroides radiatus Gypaetinae Palm-nut Vulture, Gypohierax angolensis Egyptian Vulture, Neophron percnopterus Bearded Vulture / Lammergeier, Gypaetus barbatus Madagascan Serpent-Eagle, Eutriorchis astur Hook-billed Kite, Chondrohierax uncinatus Gray-headed Kite, Leptodon cayanensis ?White-collared Kite, Leptodon forbesi Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus European Honey-Buzzard, Pernis apivorus Perninae Philippine Honey-Buzzard, Pernis steerei Oriental Honey-Buzzard / Crested Honey-Buzzard, Pernis ptilorhynchus Barred Honey-Buzzard, Pernis celebensis Black-breasted Buzzard, Hamirostra melanosternon Square-tailed Kite, Lophoictinia isura Long-tailed Honey-Buzzard, Henicopernis longicauda Black Honey-Buzzard, Henicopernis infuscatus ?Black Baza, Aviceda leuphotes ?African Cuckoo-Hawk, Aviceda cuculoides ?Madagascan Cuckoo-Hawk, Aviceda madagascariensis ?Jerdon’s Baza, Aviceda jerdoni Pacific Baza, Aviceda subcristata Red-headed Vulture, Sarcogyps calvus White-headed Vulture, Trigonoceps occipitalis Cinereous Vulture, Aegypius monachus Lappet-faced Vulture, Torgos tracheliotos Gypinae Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus White-rumped Vulture, Gyps bengalensis Himalayan
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4Th to 14Th December 2015
    Best of South Africa – Cape & Kruger III Trip Report 4th to 14th December 2015 Lion by Wayne Jones Trip report by tour leader Wayne Jones RBT Trip Report Best of SA – Cape & Kruger III 2015 2 In the first week of the last month of the year, we began our 10-day exploration of South Africa’s most popular destinations, the Western Cape and Kruger National Park. Everyone had arrived the day before, which afforded us an extra morning – an opportunity we couldn’t pass up! After a scrumptious breakfast overlooking False Bay we followed the coast south along the Cape Peninsula until we reached Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve (Cape Point). We had hardly entered the park when a splendid male Cape Sugarbird grabbed our attention as he sat feeding on big orange “pincushions” and a male Orange- breasted Sunbird sat nicely for pictures before realising he needed another nectar fix. Cape Siskin and Common Buzzard also gave good views nearby, along with a number of spiky, pitch- coloured Black Girdled Lizards. After turning towards Olifantsbos we happened upon four (Cape) Mountain Zebra right alongside the road. This species is not common in the park so we Mountain Zebra by Wayne Jones were very fortunate to have such excellent views of these beauties. Equally beautiful and scarce were the Blesbok (Bontebok) we found closer to the beach. But back to the birds, which were surprisingly plentiful and easy to see, probably thanks to the lack of strong winds that one is normally blasted away by, in the area! Grey-backed and Levaillant’s Cisticolas, Cape Grassbird, Cape Bulbul, Fiscal Flycatcher, Alpine Swift, Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, White-necked Raven, Karoo Prinia, Malachite Sunbird and Yellow Bishop showed well in the fynbos areas while African Oystercatcher, Greater Crested, Common and Sandwich Terns, Kelp and Hartlaub’s Gulls, Egyptian Goose, White-breasted Cormorant and Sacred Ibis were found along the shoreline.
    [Show full text]
  • Namibia & Botswana
    Namibia & Botswana Custom tour 31st July – 16th August, 2010 Tour leaders: Josh Engel & Charley Hesse Report by Charley Hesse. Photos by Josh Engel & Charley Hesse. This trip produced highlights too numerous to list. We saw virtually all of the specialties we sought, including escarpment specialties like Rockrunner, White-tailed Shrike, Hartlaub‟s Francolin, Herero Chat and Violet Wood-hoopoe and desert specialties like Dune and Gray‟s Larks and Rueppell‟s Korhaan. We cleaned up on Kalahari specialties, and added bonuses like Bare-cheeked and Black-faced Babblers, while also virtually cleaning up on swamp specialties, like Pel‟s Fishing-Owl and Rufous-bellied Heron and Slaty Egret. Of course, with over 40 species seen, mammals provided many memorable experiences as well, including a lioness catching a warthog at one of Etosha‟s waterholes, only to have it stolen away by a male. Elsewhere, we saw a herd of Hartmann‟s Mountain Zebras in the rocky highlands Bat-eared Foxes in the flat Namib desert on the way to the coast; otters feeding in front of our lodge in Botswana; a herd of Sable Antelope racing in front of the car in Mahango Game Reserve. This trip is also among the best for non- animal highlights, and we stayed at varied and wonderful lodges, eating delicious local food and meeting many interesting people along the way. Tropical Birding www.tropicalbirding.com 1 The rarely seen arboreal Acacia Rat (Thallomys) gnaws on the bark of Acacia trees (Charley Hesse). 31st July After meeting our group at the airport, we drove into Nambia‟s capital, Windhoek, seeing several interesting birds and mammals along the way.
    [Show full text]
  • South Africa 2018
    Field Guides Tour Report South Africa 2018 Oct 4, 2018 to Oct 26, 2018 Terry Stevenson & Joe Grosel For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. We covered a lot of ground, and saw many wonderful creatures on this tour. Included in our sightings was this family of Common Ostrich, photographed by participant Cathy Douglas. Our October 2018 South Africa tour tried a slightly different route, cutting out several long drives, yet providing us with an almost identical number of birds and mammals. As usual we had a mixed bag of weather, varying from hot (around 95F) at Brandvlei, to cold (50F) at Wakkerstroom, we had a whole morning of rain at St. Lucia, but Kruger, which can be hot and humid, was exceptionally pleasant throughout our stay. With so many endemic and other wonderful birds to choose from it's always difficult to pick a top few, but everyone thoroughly enjoyed the African Penguin and Cape Gannet colonies, 9 species of bustards, Blue Crane, Knysna Turaco, both Cape and Drakensberg Rockjumpers and Cape and Gurney's Sugarbirds (both in families endemic to Southern Africa), a dozen endemic larks, the unique Bush Blackcap, and a whole mix of prinias, scrub-robins, rock-thrushes, sunbirds, canaries, and waxbills restricted to the continents southern most country. Mammals were varied too, ranging from huge African Elephants and Giraffes, to tiny Blue Duikers and cute Sloggett's Ice Rats, in between we enjoyed Lion, Leopard, Ratel, Slender-tailed Meerkat, both Black and White Rhinos, a whole variety of antelopes, and the greatest surprise of all, the rarely seen Ground Pangolin! Our route began in Johannesburg, where we spent the night before catching the morning flight to Cape Town.
    [Show full text]