Butterflying in Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve I

Recently I spent 5 days with a small group of Butterfly enthusiasts & fellow members of the Lepidopterists Society of Africa on a survey of the Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. We were particularly interested in the Umfolozi portion of the park which contained a number of previously unsurveyed areas. The data was collected as part of the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment–a four-year conservation project aimed at determining the distribution and conservation priorities of all butterfly species in the Southern African region, especially those threatened with extinction.
We stayed at Maphumalo Camp – a basic campsite open to research and similar groups.
We had previously identified target areas using Google Earth and had a basic idea of where we wanted to go – of course once on the ground we discovered that certain areas were inaccessible for various reasons and we had to be flexible.
Our first day was spent in the Hluhluwe area where our campsite was situated. We hung baited traps in various areas and started our survey. As the park is home to various large & dangerous animals–including Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Buffalo, both Black & White Rhino, Hippopotamus, Crocodile, and Elephant; we were accompanied by an armed ranger at all times – naturally this somewhat limited our ability as we had to remain in a single group.
My best find for the day was a Pale Ranger (Kedestes callicles).

Small Orange Acrea (Hyalites eponina).

Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis).

Plains Zebra (Equus quagga) holding up traffic.

The early evening trip back to the campsite brought me my first ever (albeit fleeting) glimpse of a White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).

Day two started early- 4.30am or so, as we had to get ready, collect our ranger Joseph, and make the approx. two hour drive to the Umfolozi end of the park before starting our surveying day. Apart from incidental records while driving, our first major stop was a small hilltop south of Mpila camp. This was climbed and produced a number of new species for our list including four Emperor species – Foxy (Charaxes jasius), Pearl-spotted (Charaxes jahlusa), Giant (Charaxes castor). The fourth Emperor was either a Demon Emperor (Charaxes phaeus) or Van Son’s Emperor (Charaxes vansoni). The males of the species appear identical and the collected specimen awaits genitalic dissection for final identification.

Foxy Emperor (Charaxes jasius).

Pearl-spotted (Charaxes jahlusa).

Other interesting species included Buff-tipped Skipper (Netrobalane canopus), Pale Hairtail (Anthene butleri), Black Pie (Tuxentius melaena), Striped Policeman (Coeliades forestan), and Wandering Donkey (Acraea neobule).

Black Pie (Tuxentius melaena)

Driving back to Mpila, along the road between junctions 21 and 22, perhaps the most exciting record of the survey was made. A single male Lilac Tip (Colotis celimene) was seen exhibiting its typical behaviour of slowly flying in circles 3-4m up close to a tall tree. Unfortunately an attempt to secure it as a voucher specimen failed. This may have been the first record for Kwa-Zulu Natal. We returned to the spot on a number of occasions in the following days without spotting it. These return trips did produce some interesting species however, including: Silver-spotted Grey (Crudaria leroma), Pale Ranger (Kedestes callicles), and my best find of the day, Ella’s Bar (Cigaritis ella).

While not part of the survey, a stop at Mpila Camp produced an adult Peach Moth (Egybolis vaillantina) and lots of spectacular caterpillars.

Peach Moth (Egybolis vaillantina)

Peach Moth Caterpillar (Egybolis vaillantina)

That day produced my best sightings of White Rhinoceros:

White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).

Traps set back at camp produced Green-veined Emperor (Charaxes candiope), Pearl Emperor (Charaxes varanes), White-barred Emperor (Charaxes brutus), and a single Evening Brown (Melanitis leda); all attracted to the bait of fermented fruit.

Het Kreis

Spring is the beginning of butterfly season here in the Western Cape. There are however a few species that fly a little earlier – especially if the weather warms up. With a hot weekend predicted recently, Andrew & I headed to Het Kreis in pursuit of a few specials. we also wanted to cover some empty pentads for the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment.

The surveyed locality:

We were in particularly in pursuit of a subspecies of the quite spectacular King Copper – Tylopedia sardonyx peringueyi:

The most abundant butterfly around was the Boland Brown Melampias huebneri:

We also saw a few specimens of the fast-moving Warrior Silver-spotted Copper Argyraspodes argyraspis:

As well as specimens of the Common Blue Leptotes pirithous:

We also found numerous specimens of a caterpillar that I later identified as belonging to a very attractive moth, the Cherry Spot Moth Diaphone eumela:

In our initial location, unphotographed sightings included the Painted Lady Vanessa cardui, and the Donkey Daisy Copper Chrysoritis zonarius.

A second flatter sandier spot produced a specimen of the Pan Copper Chrysoritis pan.

There were a lot of wildflowers in bloom also:

Babiana sp.

Lessertia sp.

Tritonia undulata.

All in all, a very good start to the butterflying year.

Grootvadersbosch

Back in March we went camping at Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve near Swellendam. The reserve contains the most noteworthy example of indigenous forest in the southwestern Cape. It is home to a number of birds including the most westerly population of the Narina Trogon. See birding information on the Cape Birding Route website. We did not have great weather, however I did manage to see two new species: the beautiful Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher (Trochocercus cyanomelas)and the less beautiful but interesting Terrestrial Brownbul (Phyllastrephus terrestris).
There were a few butterflies about – Grootvadersbosch is home to a subspecies of the Forest King Emperor butterfly Charaxes xiphares occidentalis. It was a little late in the season however & I only had a very brief glimpse of a single specimen & no luck attracting them to baits of rotting fruit. I did see numerous specimens of the Rainforest Brown Cassionympha cassius and the Cape Autumn Widow Dira clytus.

We also spotted a Rhombic Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus) crossing the path late one afternoon.

Butterflying

I recently became interested in Butterflies mainly through the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment and their Virtual Museum which encourages members of the public to submit photos of butterflies together with their location. I recently became more involved, joining the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa and going on some field trips with other members.

Early in January I went to Dasklip Pass & Piketberg with Len and Andrew.
At Dasklip Pass we found nothing special, only common butterflies like:

• Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
• Fynbos Blue Tarucus thespis
• Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus

There was some interesting flowers including the above Ground Protea – probably Protea scabra and this Kukumakranka flower – a Gethyllis sp.:

We then headed to Piketberg. After picking up they key to the access gate we drove out to the communication towers on the end. Here we found a single Protea Emperor Charaxes pelias as well as the usual common species like

• Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
• Fynbos Blue Tarucus thespis
• Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus

Protea Emperor Charaxes pelias

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus

Fynbos Blue Tarucus thespis

There were not a lot of plants flowering but there were some nice succulents:

Towards the end of January I travelled to Greyton – again with Len and Andrew.
Species observed included:

• Burnished Opal Chrysoritis chrysaor
• Star Blue Lepidochrysops asteris
• Braun’s Skolly Thestor braunsi
• Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
• Cape Black-eye Leptomyrina lara
• Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus

Braun’s Skolly Thestor braunsi

I also found this very well camouflaged grasshopper:

Probably a Toad Grasshopper Batrachotetrix sp.

Early in February I traveled to Brandvlei Dam (near Worcester) with Andrew.
Species observed included:

• Cape Black-eye Leptomyrina lara
• Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
• Citrus Swallowtail Papilio demodocus
• Skipper Spialia sp.
• Dull Copper Aloides pierus
• Water Blue Cacyreus tespis tespis

Sandman Spialia sp. Probably the Dwarf Sandman Spialia nanus.

Geranium Bronze Cacyreus marshalli

Dull Copper Aloides pierus

There were also lots of Southern Rock Agama’s living amongst the rocks of the dam wall.

Southern Rock Agama Agama atra

Matroosberg

Matroosberg at 2249m, is the highest peak in South Africa’s Western Cape. It is situated on a privately owned farm/nature reserve and is well known amongst the 4X4 fraternity as there is a challenging 4X4 route to the top. In early January I traveled to Matroosberg with Andrew & Harald in search of butterflies for the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). Matrooseberg is situated about 30 mins from Ceres.
The terrain was rugged and the track for serious 4X4s only.

We found a number of species of butterflies including:

The very commom Meadow White Pontia helice helice – a mating pair.

Rock Skolly Thestor petra. An uncommon but drab species living at high altitudes. This one was at 1911 m.

Uranus Opal Chrysoritis uranus

Protea Scarlet Capys alphaeus.

There were other interesting insects:

Antlion, probably Pamexis karoo.

Carpenter Bee Xylocopa caffra.

While it wasn’t peak flower season, there were still lots of interesting & colourful species:

An Everlasting Syncapha sp.

Queen Protea Protea magnifica.

A Visit to the Karoo

Way back in April we travelled to the Karoo NP for Araminta’s first camping trip. The Karoo NP is (aptly enough!) situated in the Karoo close to the town of Beaufort West.

It is a place of spectacular scenery:

I took the opportunity to complete a pentad for the Southern Africa Bird Atlas Project. I managed 43 species with 2 lifers – Yellow-bellied Eromela (Eromela icteropygialis) and Karoo Long-billed Lark (Certhilauda subcoronata). I did not find either of my two target species- Ground Woodpecker (Geocalaptes olivaceus) or Short-toed Rock Thrush (Monticola brevipes). I did see some nice birds however, including:

Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis.

Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates.

Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata.

Verreaux’s Eagles Aquila verreauxii sunning themselves.

There were plenty of mammals also, including:

Rock Hyrax (Dassie) Procavia capensis.

Red Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus.

Cape Mountain Zebra Equus zebra zebra.

Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsicoros.

Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis.

We went on a night drive where the best sighting was a glimpse of two Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus).

I saw a few reptiles including this Leopard Tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis:

There were some interesting invertebrates as well, including:

Koppie Foam Grasshopper Dictyophorus spumans.

Scorpion Opistophthalmus karrooensis.

I spotted a number of butterflies which have been submitted to the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment’s Virtual Museum:

As yet unidentified Lycaenidae Butterfly.

Painted Lady Butterfly Cynthia cardui.

As yet unidentified butterfly (Colotis sp.).

Another still to be identified Butterfly (probably an Opal Chrysoritis sp.).

Yellow Pansy Butterfly Junonia hierta.

My First Pelagic Trip

On the 4th of October, 2008 I went on my first pelagic trip. The trip was run especially for Ruth Miller & Alan Davies who are attempting to see more bird species in a year than anyone else. their adventure is called The Biggest Twitch. The pelagic was organized by Zest For Birds a non-profit group that runs these trips regularly out of Cape Town, South Africa.

After an early start we left the harbour on board the Zest II, a converted Navy tender. The harbour brought the usual gulls, cormorants, terns & gannets, as well as a number of Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis).

Once clear of the harbour we spotted the first of the pelagic species (and my first lifer of the day) – a White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aquinoctialis). These were one of the commonest species encountered on the trip.

White-chinned Petrel (Procellaria aquinoctialis)

Also spotted on the way out were Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta), Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus griseus), Great Shearwater (Puffinus gravis), Northern Giant Petrel (Macronectes halli), and Pintado Petrel.

Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis

Immature Shy Albatross (Thalassarche cauta)

A number of trawlers were visible on the horizon & we headed towards one. The crowd of birds in its wake was unbelievable!

Cloud of seabirds feeding in the wake of a trawler. That’s Table Mountain and Cape Point in the background.

Our species total rapidly increased: Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos), Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), two species of timy storm-petrel: Wilson’s  (Oceanites oceanus) and the less-common Black-bellied (Fregetta tropica) which looked like butterflies as they fluttered between the waves.

Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophris)

The species list continued to increase as we followed the trawler’s wake: Sub-antarctic Skua (Catharacta antarctica) and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche carteri). Suddenly a cry went up “White back!” (Only 4 Albatross in the region have white backs.) It was a young Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans), the largest of all albatrosses having the largest wingspan of any living bird. Though not fully grown it was an amazing sight and definitely a highlight of the trip.

Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

The final new bird seen in the feeding frenzy was a single Southern Giant-petrel (Macronectes giganteus) which differs from the Northern Giant-petrel in the green tip to its bill. (The Northern has a reddish-brown tip.)

Feeding seabirds in the wake of a trawler.

Heading back to Cape Town we added one more pelagic species to our lists as fleeting glimses were had of 2 Soft-plumaged Petrels (Pterodroma mollis).

An absolutely fantastic experience that every birder should undertake at least once in their life. I added 16 new species to my life list and had an amazing time.

A Visit to Citrusdal

Some months ago I visited Citrusdal for the Easter long weekend, staying at the Koedoeskop Farm. The weather turned out to be very hot but we still had an enjoyable & relaxing time. I did a bit of birding–including a Pentad for the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2), spotted a few reptiles, and also photographed some Butterflies for the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA).

Red-sided Skink (Trachylepis homalocephala) at Koedoeskop Farm.

Agama lizards–probably Southern Rock Agamas (Agama atra) at Koedoeskop Farm.

As well as completing the local pentad centered on Koedoeskop farm, on our final morning I traveled out to Kransvleipoort with a friend chasing the Protea Seedeater (Crithagra leucoptera) & Layard’s Tit-babbler (Parisoma layardi). We were fortunate to get good looks at both species. I also got to tick a Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)–making 3 lifers for the trip.

Verreaux’s Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) catching the early morning sun at Kransvleipoort.

The rocky slopes above the farm were home to the spectacular Paintbrush Lily (Haemanthus coccineus) in full bloom.

Female Red-veined Dropwing Trithemis pluvialis at Koedoeskop Farm, Citrusdal, South Africa.

A Visit to the West Coast National Park

On the 8th of March, 2008 I visited the West Coast National Park with the Sonmerset West Bird Club. The first great sighting was not however a bird but rather a Caracal. This was my first sighting of this shy & not often seen cat. Unfortunately no photos, though we had quite good but fleeting views.

We visited all of the bird hides in search of waders with some success, though the tides were not ideal; as well as Abrahamskraal waterhole (one of the parks few sources of fresh water).

My bird list for the day totalled 62 species–four of them lifers: Grey-winged Francolin (Scleroptila africanus) which was a target sopecies for me in the park; Lesser Honeyguides (Indicator minor) which were hanging around the nest of a pair of Acacia Pied Barbet (Tricholaema leucomelas) (The Lersser Honeyguide is a parasitic species, laying its eggs in the nest of other species.); Little Stint (Calidris minuta); and Large-billed Lark (Galerida magnirostris).

Male and female Yellow Canaries (Crithagra flaviventris) drinking at Abrahamskraal.

Grey-winged Francolin (Scleroptila africanus) near the Seeburg hide.

Southern Black Korhaan (Eupodotis afraoides)

I also took the opportunity to photograph a few butterflies for submission to the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment’s Virtual Museum. This is a Cape Black-eye (Leptomyrina lara).

All in all a fantastic day’s outing & the park is highly recommended for all birders–and anyone who enjoys apending time in the great outdoors.

A First Twitch

January 30 saw me set out on my first twitch – to Strandfontein in search of a recently reported rarity, a Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava). Last year I missed the Wilson’s Phalarope–it left before I could find the time to see it–soI was eager to try my luck at Strandfontein.

I left late in the afternoon after work & the bird’s location was easily found–just look for the cluster of birders staring out over the pan. Unfortunately, the group had last seen the bird 10 minutes before I arrived & despite searching until the sun began to set I was not able to find it. Nevertheless, it was a good trip. Strandfontein is always productive & I was even able to add 3 new birds to my life list: African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus) and Hottentot Teal (Anas hottentota). On the way in I had wonderful views of a pair of Spotted Dikkop [Thick-knee] (Burhinus capensis) with a young chick right by the edge of the road:

Other sightings included one of my favourite birds, Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus):

This brief visit produced 37 species. I also met Trevor & Margaret Hardaker. Trevor is a bit of a birding guru & I had been enjoying the pictures and trip-reports on his website for a while.

3 days later I headed back for a second go. It was a Saturday, so I left earlier than my last try. I spoke to a number of birds driving around the site and no one had spotted the Wagtail that day. After about 40 mins of searching I was driving & spotted a flash of yellow. Could it be? Yes!! The Wagtail!! I yelled out to a birder 100m or so away whom I’d just spoken with & he managed to get a glimpse of it before it flew away (not however, before I managed to snap a picture–possibly the worst picture of a Yellow Wagtail ever!–look for the dark blotch perched on a rock right in the centre of the photo):

Luckily we were able to relocate the bird without much difficulty & were able to get good views (and an OK, but not great photo):

There were plenty of other birds around–38 species in total including lots of obliging Barn Swallows (Hirundo Rustica):

On the way out I came across a mass of swallows & swifts feeding on insects:

I can see how this twitching business could become addictive! For better pictures of the Yellow wagtail, see Trevor Hardaker’s photo here.