Palmiet Nature Reserve is ready for Spring! We’ve had a cold winter, some early rain, wind storms and today a hot ‘Berg wind.’ Nature lovers in the Palmiet Rangers group have been spotting all sorts of interesting life in our valley.
– Me Hadeda Ibis, Helen Woolly-necked Stork, Roger Hogg Purple-crested Turaco, Roger Hogg Hadeda Ibis –
– Louis Lodder dead Red-backed Mannikin, Roger Hogg Black-bellied Starling, Rory O’Connor Crowned Eagle, me, Hadeda Ibis –
– Roger Hoog’s Klaas’ Cuckoo and Green Wood-hoopoe –
– Dave James Wahlberg’s Emperor moth, Warren Friedman Tricalysia lanceolata, Gail Robinson caterpillar on Deinbollia, Lellos ?Grey-headed Sparrow, Taylors ?Leptopelis tree frog in arum lily –
Then some Palmetians went to Roosfontein and shot a Nightjar!
– Fiery-Necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis – on the nest –
Meantime, Pigeon Valley in Glenwood has also been busy, with ‘Friends of PV’ honcho Crispin Hemson keeping us all up-to-date about his patch as always:
– Crispin Hemson Little Bee-eaters, Pin-tailed Whydah, Clivia flowers; Steve Woodhall Spotted Eagle Owl –
~~~oo0oo~~~
Oh, and babies! I forgot about the babies. When Spring springs, babies pop out . . Warren Friedman is the host daddy to these two broods. And the videographer.
Lockdown has given us the opportunity to share pictures of birds and mammals and insects and other creatures seen. And plants, which I’ll show in another post. Thanks to the lovely gang of Palmiet Rangers for sharing these! I’m afraid I don’t know all their full names, but the top pic was by Roy Smith, and Roger Hogg took all these bird pics; the butterfly, scorpion and mamba are Sun’s.
– palmiet lockdown pics –
This one showcases the reason we’re here! Bird pics and green hawk moth Roger; Citrus Swallowtail butterfly Elize Taylor; White-barred Emperor at bottom, vervet and stick insect mine; Big moth on white is Cay Hickson’s; I don’t know who shot the bushbuck nkonka, but believe it was in their garden in David Maclean road – let me know pls!
– Palmiet lockdown pics –– the Caruth’s window on the valley –
. . and lastly, when one of these grows up they want to be the other one:
