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.
