Somkhanda - Wildlife ACT Wild dog monitoring

[kittykat23uk]

After feeding Battie we tried to locate the pack, but even though we were close, they remained lazy and elusive hiding, as they were in thick cover. Thankfully, our drive back after dark was more eventful. We first had a nice sighting of a greater galago crossing the road, which lingered long enough for us to get a reasonable view (no pics as I was the one doing the spotlighting.

 

We also had a fiery necked nightjar that kept getting put up by our vehicle before drifting back down onto the road ahead of us, only to be put up again as we go closer.

 

PC101764 nightjar by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Then we all got a surprise when we caught sight of a Caracal crossing road ahead of us. By the time we'd all registered what it was, it vanished into a thicket and, despite searching with the torch I could not relocate it. It was soo frustrating to get such a brief glimpse of it, surely not enough to truly appreciate the desert lynx. Graeme was as stoked as the rest of us, as he'd never seen one in Somkhanda before.

 

We also picked up a scrub hare and a large-spotted genet.

[Kitsafari]

@@kittykat23uk finally getting time to read this. a caracal! Nice one.

 

so wonderful to see the pups in play. made me smile a lot.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @@Kitsafari I really couldn't get enough of the puppies! They were so entertaining!

[Big_Dog]

A Caracal! Hot damn. I know of a few others who saw their first Caracal at Somkhanda too, perhaps it's a good place for them!
And what a dramatic morning too...that poor Impala...

@@ice : You're right on the buffalo hunters, but I think they have since disbanded. But such prey isn't typical of dogs, which can sometimes specialise in larger prey like one pack in the Serengeti that learned to bring down zebra regularly.
Of course, atypical prey items are taken every now and then, but are hardly regular or a big part of the diet. This month at one of the Kwando camps a pack took a Roan calf, very unsual!

[kittykat23uk]

Axel apparently had a caracal with kitten on the way back to camp and panthera occasionally get them on the camera traps. But they are still a very rare sight. I reckon a lot more things could be found if they put some time into spotlighting regularly. But they just rush back to camp most nights...

[kittykat23uk]

Saturday 12^th December

 

For a change of pace we were invited to join Zamma the rhino monitor in the morning. It was a bit of a hike up a hill but we finally found a mother and calf white rhino.

 

PC111773 White rhino & calf by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Then we trekked around the hill to try and locate a small herd of rhino, but as it became apparent that they were some distance away we returned to the car and drove closer. As we started walking we came upon a wildebeest. It seemed completely oblivious to our presence, which was most unusual. this was a problem for us as we didn't want to be walking past it and accidentally startle him. So eventually Zamma threw a rock past him and that got him moving.

 

PC111782 Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

PC111786 Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

After a shorter, easier walk we finally located the herd of three, including the dominant male but they were very well hidden in the scrub.

 

We spotted zebras on the way back.

 

PC111807 Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC111814 Zebra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC111841 Zebra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC111882 Zebra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC111885 Zebra by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

A few birds were photographed during our down time.

 

PC111892 Black-backed puffback by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC111926 Black-headed oriole by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

A genet was taking a siesta in the roof of the gym, but didn't see fit to show more than it's tail.

 

PC125172 Sleeping genet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC125178 Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC125195 Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC125205 Purple-crested turaco by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC125206 Purple-crested turaco by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[Marks]

Oh, I like the bats! Not often seen on ST.

[Peter Connan]

And a relatively clear shot at a black-headed Oriole!

 

Nice.

[Zim Girl]

Love the pictures of the fruit bats

[kittykat23uk]

In the afternoon the clouds had built up considerably and it was threatening to rain as we left for Somkhanda. By the time we got into the reserve thunder was rumbling and lightning was striking all around us. Before it started to rain, I sensibly decided to call shotgun and moved into the passenger seat of the cab. A good move as the heavens soon opened! Soon it became too dangerous to continue in the open vehicle so we took shelter at the workshop barn and waited out the storm.

 

When we were able to continue, we tried to locate the dogs. It took a long time because they we far away but we finally found them feeding on a grey duiker. When they were finished, they all went to have a drink in a pool of rainwater and then moved off away to an area of the reserve with few roads. We hoped they would stop and rest but by 7pm they were still moving. So we took a bearing at the top of a hill so that it would help us focus the start of our search the next morning.

 

PC121929 Pinotage- African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121946 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121953 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121958 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121966 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121964 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121968 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121975 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121977 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121981 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121986 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121990 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC121993 African wild dog by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

We had a nice greater galago on our way back, along with spotted eagle owl. Over dinner, Graeme gave us some news. He said that for a modest extra cost we could take a trip to St. Lucia on Monday for two nights. This would give us a chance to do a hippo and croc boat trip and see some birds. We could also see if it were possible to organise a night drive where there was a chance of seeing elephants and leopard. Aside from Maya, who had already spent a month there, we decided to take Wildlife ACT up on that offer. But Maya still encouraged Graeme to see if we could also go to a big five reserve. He said he'd see what he could do.

[kittykat23uk]

Sunday December 13^th

 

We left early at 4pm to search for the dog, given that they were heading into a less accessible area of the park. They took some tracking down, but we finally located them two hours later feeding on an impala close to the fence line. The puppies were frolicking around for a while, before settling down next to their kill.

PC131997 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132003 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132004 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132011 Tawny eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

On our way back, we stopped to change the batteries and SD cards in several of the camera traps.

20151213_071657 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_071700 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_071952 The volunteers by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_072217 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_072407 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_080350 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_080414 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_082736 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132038 Leopard tortoise by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132041 Rock monitor by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_085402 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_090257 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_090325 Gecko that was hiding in a camera trap by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_093406 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_093439 checking camera traps by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132063 Warthog piglets by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We checked the photos when we got back and found this beauty:

Cdy00137 Leopard on camera trap by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[Big_Dog]

What a beast of a leopard!

[JohnR]

Ah, yes. Waterhole camera traps. Lots of flocks of birds and then perhaps a jewel like this boy. Or not. My record is a single SD card with 11,000 images if I recall correctly and no jewels though we knew from spoor there were cheetahs and leopards passing nearby.

[kittykat23uk]

For this project we were to tag Leopard, rhinos (B&W), serval, caracal, wild dogs, hyena (brown and spotted). We found 3 leopards, no serval, no caracal, spotted hyena, no brown hyena, dogs (when they were at the waterhole), and several rhino (both types) plus loads of plains game (much more than we saw on our drives) and some funny cases of too close ups, warthogs taking baths, turacos and kingfishers, as well as more unusual game like mountain reedbuck. surprisingly, no genets, civets or other nocturnals to be found. Worryingly we also recorded the images of poachers with five domestic hounds. Graeme seemed to think that these guys may have been caught already and there had recently been some domestic dogs shot in the reserve.

[Marks]

Sounds like great results from the camera traps. Interesting that poachers were also photographed with them. I wonder if that could ever be useful in IDing them, actually.

Looks like some durable housing for the cameras themselves.

[kittykat23uk]

Yeah I think the image would have been clear enough for identification of the poachers.

[kittykat23uk]

Video from the morning:

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

In the afternoon we chased the dogs down a mountain, around a mountain and then back up the mountain, where we finally found them resting.

20151213_162003 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

20151213_162010 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Incidentally, the building that you see below, was a house that was built in the reserve, which apparently was built without the permission of the local tribe, who subsequently burned it down and drove out the couple who lived there. we also noted an old caravan, who knows how that was delivered up the hill!

20151213_162021 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132073 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132076 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC132085 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Monday December 14^th

We left at 4 am to search for the dogs as they were still very far away. We first checked the top of the mountain, but they were not there. They had gone back down the mountain and were close to where we'd found them the previous morning.

We couldn't get a visual on them until they started moving, which the eventually did, at a rapid trot. They didn't keep going for long and soon settled down for a nap off the roadside. So at this point we left them to it.

It was our day to go to St Lucia, so as soon as we returned to the research camp, we packed our things and were taken to the pick up point where we joined two of the volunteers from Zululand Rhino Reserve.

Unfortunately, the weather got increasingly worse and by the time we got to St Lucia it was absolutely pissing it down with rain. We checked into Bib's backpacker's lodge, which was actually much nicer than I expected. I shared an en-suite twin tent with Lior, a lady from Israel and Daphne and Alex also shared a tent. Aside from the kettle not working, the tent wasn't bad at all, considering the price we'd paid. There are self catering facilities, and a supermarket within walking distance so we got a few bits in for breakfast but ate out the rest of the time we were there.

20151214_045934 Somkhanda views by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC142092 The life of a wildlife monitor is very tiring by Jo Dale, on Flickr

PC142096 African wild dogs by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We'd originally booked a Hippo and Croc boat tour for that afternoon, but as the weather looked to be set in, we didn't want to do the trip at that point and so spoke to the receptionist who grudgingly organised it to be re-booked for 10:00 the following morning. People then went to have a look down the single street of shops, get a few necessities and then we decided to head to a restaurant for some lunch. Afterwards, another look round the shops (there's an undercover craft market as well as some shops), afternoon naps followed by dinner was the order of the day. The rain continued into the early hours of the morning.

[kittykat23uk]

Tuesday December 15^th

 

I had a bit of lie in and then got up to do some birdwatching now that the rain had stopped and before it got too hot. I started off around the lodge:

PC152107 Crested Guineafowl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152109 Crested Guineafowl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152122 Vervet Monkey by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152129 Trumpeter hornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152133 Trumpeter hornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152146 Vervet monkey by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

Then I walked the nature trails. I was particularly keen to find Livingstone's Turaco.

 

PC152189 Red duiker by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152190 Red duiker by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Red-capped robin chat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The bird turned out to be a little shy!

 

PC152229 Livingstone's Turaco by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152240 Red duiker by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

We then assembled for the boat trip's departure at 10:00. By now it was getting a bit overcast.. but at least the rain held off. We saw plenty of lazy hippos and crocs, and some nice birds:

 

PC152246 African swamphen by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152265 Nile crocodile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152274 Nile crocodile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152281 Nile crocodile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152283 Nile crocodile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152294 Nile crocodile by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152298 Ringed plover by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152303 red-billed teal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152309 Little egret by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152312 Pied Avocet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152314 Grey heron by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152328 common sandpiper by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152341 Giant kingfisher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152345 African fish eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152389 Hippopotamus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152414 Greater flamingo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152476 Caspian tern by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152476 Caspian tern by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152495 Hippopotamus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152496 Hippopotamus by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

A few more:

 

PC152522 Yellow-billed stork by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152525 yellow-billed duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152532 Goliath Heron by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152542 Goliath Heron by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152547 Goliath Heron by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20151215_113658 ISimangaliso Wetland Park, St Lucia by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20151215_113706 ISimangaliso Wetland Park, St Lucia by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

After lunch we all headed along the trails down to the beach.

 

PC152571 Bushbuck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152579 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152582 Yellow weaver by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152590 Nile monitor by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152600 Nile monitor by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152601 Hippo track by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

African pied wagtail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152607 Trumpeter hornbill by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152609 Pink-backed pelicans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152614 Pink-backed pelicans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152623 ISimangaliso Wetland park, St Lucia by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152639 ISimangaliso Wetland park, St Lucia by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152641 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152645 Yellow weaver by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC152653 blue-cheeked bee-eater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

I organised to go on a night drive with Heritage tours on the western shore. We all went for an early dinner, and whilst the rest of the group had a leisurely dinner, I headed back to Bib's to wait for my driver. I joined some other guests from different hotels and we headed off in the open safari vehicle to the gate to the park. I was hoping we might get to see leopards and elephant for which the area is famous, but alas neither of these species saw fit to show. In addition, the guide only had one working spotlight, which somewhat limited our ability to spot the game. I did bring my torch, so all was not lost, and desipte a lot of the animals appearing on the wrong side of the vehicle for me, I still managed to see, wildebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, reedbuck, grey duiker, giraffe and hippo, as well as some greater galago, two large-spotted genets and a python.

 

PC150005 Python by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150007 Large-spotted genet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150011 Southern Giraffes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150019 Senegal lapwing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150018 Senegal lapwing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150020 Wildebeest by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150023 zebras by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150024 Hippo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150029 Waterbuck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

PC150030 Waterbuck by Jo Dale, on Flickr