South Africa trip with Naturetrek (10-18 March)

[Michaeljf]

Drive from St Lucia to Eshowe via Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve (Thursday 15th March)

We would leave St Lucia for the all-day drive to Eshowe at 9:00am on Thursday, but not before I’d nipped out trying to get a few last-minute photos of the St Lucia gated community and lawn-life. There were a few Blues, Citrus Swallowtails and a Blue Pansy out early on the lawns so I tried to get a few photos of these before we started our journey to the south-west in the mini-bus.

We would drive to Eshowe (our last residence of the trip) via the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi game reserve, which would make our journey a lot more picturesque than the motorway, although it would of course make the journey take longer. Karen and Linda both hoped we would finally see some Elephants while driving through the reserve but due to the water-holes being more abundant due to the frequency of recent rainfall the Elephants were to prove elusive and unseen, at least during this trip.

As it turned out we would be driven for almost a couple of hours though this reserve before we would start catching up with some animals: it was a hot, humid day with little cloud and most of the mammals seemed to have hidden to avoid the hot temperatures. Impala were our first close sightings, followed by a Brown Snake Eagle. We stopped off for a quick break at one of the reserve car-parks (no more than a dirt patch with a single toilet) and here we saw a few more Orange-Tips and White butterflies. There were tracks left in the mud by Lions but no sign of the animals themselves: instead we had a few quiet moments when we watched several small birds in the thorn bushes (Burnt-Necked Eremomela) as they skittishly looked for small insects. Soon we were off again in the mini-bus along the rather bumpy tracks and would only have the journey broken by the occasional Zebra in the road (one seemed quite ready for a stand-off) and some good views of Warthogs (so far these had been to shy to stop anywhere near us). Some work was being done on one of the roads and we didn’t see any animals again until we had left these behind us by about 20 minutes driving. Finally we stopped near some small river beds and had a really nice view of some White-Fronted Bee-Eaters: these beautiful birds had only been seen from a distance up until now, but here were a couple quite happy to sit on a branch right near the car – it was obviously a good point to catch insects.


Before we left St Lucia I had a chance to photograph this Blue Pansy butterfly on one of the grass lawns.


The morning's cloud is deceptive. Today would be very hot and many of the animals would disappear from view!


Our old friend the Impala would be the first animals we would see in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve.


This male Impala seems to be using one of the small bush sucklers to have a good scratch.


At one of our first stops we see these lovely little birds (Burnt-Necked Eremomela).


I would sit and watch the thorn bushes for several minutes before one of the Eremomela would appear...


This footprint in the mud was as near as we would get to a Lion on the reserve...


This Plains Zebra on the road seems ready to have a face-off with us before moving on.


Finally we start to get some better views of the Common Warthogs.


The Warthogs have been quite shy up until now.


A Brown Snake-Eagle keeps an eye on everything from atop one of the trees.


For me, one of the best views of a bird while we visited South Africa; a White-Fronted Bee Eater.


These Bee-Eaters were rather oblivious to the mini-bus and were more content to catch the local insects.

We stopped again at one of the car-parks for a brief bit of lunch (some nice bread and cheese Bert had bought at the shops at St Lucia). This was a lovely place to stop as it gave great views across one of the rivers that ran through the reserve. We watched a few of the birds around the car-park (plus the odd White-Barred Acraea and African Monarch butterflies that flew through) but soon we were off again.

The journey through the rest of the reserve brought us close again to Giraffes, Wildebeest, Warthogs (again), Impala (being looked after by Red-Billed Oxpeckers) and also some really close views again of two White Rhinoceros (possibly a Mother and older Calf). These were so close at one point to the mini-bus that I had to change lenses to a wide-angle so as to get a proper view of these two companions: they were so close you could see the dried mud as protection on their skin.


A stop for lunch at a lovely spot in the middle of the reserve, where we can see the river.


A Dark-Caped Bulbul uses one of the trees in the lunchtime stop to have a good look out.


The Bulbul even has time to look down on the strange man below him with a camera...


Red-Billed Oxpeckers hitch a ride on the Impala in return for searching out unwanted insects for their hosts.


Finally we come across two lovely Rhinoceros wandering through the grass.


They come so close to the mini-bus that you can see the mud-caked on their skin and the Oxpeckers looking after them.


One of my favourite views of any animal while we are in South Africa.

[David M]

Stunning images, Michael. That oxpecker is the pick for me - it's really having a good dig!

[Dave McCormick]

Great images once again, love the White-Fronted Bee Eater and the zebra. One animal I always wanted to see was a warthog, unusual but neat looking animals.

[Michaeljf]

Hi David / Dave,
thanks very much for the kind comments. I really enjoyed getting close enough to see those Oxpeckers properly: it was great to see them looking after the animals in such a good, benefits-all-relationship! We were very lucky to have those White-Fronted Bee-Eaters so close to the mini-bus, and even when we opened one of the windows they still would come back to the same perch (we'd see some others during the day but it is just luck as to whether they are near to your path or not). The Warthogs are very interesting, and surprisingly ugly close-up!
Michael

[Paul Wetton]

How can you say Warthogs are ugly. You maybe correct but they're pretty brave.

Brilliant images again Michael. The Oxpeckers sometimes help themselves to blood of their host as well as the unwanted parasites.

[Lee Hurrell]

Terrific images and report once again, Michael.

I particularly like the Bee Eater shots - what a stunning bird.

Best wishes,

Lee

[NickMorgan]

I have really enjoyed this thread, Michael. Great pictures of some lovely species. It looks like you had a terrific time. It has been a long time since I have visited Africa. My father and sister both lived there for a time. I wasn't into butterflies then, so I wonder what flew past that I didn't pay attention to!!

[Michaeljf]

Hi Nick,
I'm glad you're enjoying the thread. Although I had a great time, I felt like I only scratched the surface of what was there. All the same I felt we had a few real treats at the same time - the Rhinos I particularly felt some affinity with straight off, regardless of whether the photos capture them properly.

Lee - there's always luck involved in seeing Bee-Eaters close up. I'm still waiting to see European Bee-Eaters close up, but it would be churlish to complain about that


Regarding the Warthogs, I suppose it's the warty nature of them that makes an impact: plus their coats are very 'straggly' close-up. Of course, it seems a bit rude to call them ugly.


Interesting regarding what Paul says about the Oxpeckers getting blood as well. For me they summed up a brilliant symbiosis.
And they just seemed so cheeky with it. Eventually I started seeing that so many of the mammals in the area had the Oxpeckers on them 'helping out'

Michael

[Dave McCormick]

Everytime I see those Warthogs, I can't help but think of Pumbaa (Timon and Pumbaa seen first in the Lion King)

[Michaeljf]

Drive from St Lucia to Eshowe via Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve (Thursday 15th March) - Continued...

After we passed the Rhinos we would see a few more Giraffe, and before the day’s journey ended we passed a small range of water-pools and this gave us good views of a lone Hamerkop and also the sight of a Spotted Hyaena just emerging from one of the pools. Unfortunately the Hyaena was so quick nearly all of us missed a proper photo chance! Buffalo and more Rhino could be seen in the distance, but the best views of birds had pretty much gone by this point. We would continue to see different species, but mostly in the trees from a distance. Our guide, Bert, would of course continue to identify them all.


A Giraffe peeks at us from behind a tree, as if staying there disguised it...


The Giraffes looked majestic whenever we saw them.
And if you look closely you can make out another Oxpecker on the Giraffe!


A lone Hamerkop at several close mud-puddles. Like the Bee-Eaters he was more interested in other things to worry about us.


I think we all got good views of this quite unusual-looking bird.


A lone Spotted Hyaena emerged from a bath in one of the mud pools.
I couldn't get a proper focused shot, unfortunately. And then he was off.


A number of larger Raptors would appear above the mini-bus from time to time: this one is a Tawny Eagle.


One of the large Buffalo from quite close quarters: we could also see a few lone Buffalo in the river streams cooling down.


From a distance we could several more of the Rhinos in the same space as the Buffalo, all grazing together.


Blue Wildebeest amongst the grass in the reserve. I never would get a particularly close view: they looked very hot and tired!


We would continuously see small birds in flight from the scrub. Here I think is a Cape Glossy Starling...


Near the end of our journey is a Yellow-Throated Longclaw bird in one of the trees.


This may be one of the female Red-Backed Shrikes, but as in the Mkuze reserve, I'm not sure

It wasn’t until we stopped just at the edge of the reserve (late afternoon) that I had the chance to photograph a few lone butterflies (there had been some flowers planted next to the toilets to make the facility look prettier!) and I finally had a reasonable view of an African Monarch and also some Sooty Blues (?). It would be getting near to dusk when we finally arrived at our last accommodation for the trip in the large town of Eshowe: the rooms again were very nice and the gardens of where we were staying were very pretty, and filled with endemic flowers that were popular with the local butterflies. Our host was really friendly, and for the last spot of our trip this looked to me like it would ‘hit the mark’ (!): we were right next to a rainforest and would only need a few-hundred yards walk to get to the forest. Tomorrow any driving would be greatly reduced!


It's not until the end of the day that we finally saw a few butterflies close-up (this one is the African Monarch).


And a few Blues at the last-toilet stop before leaving the reserve. I think this their Sooty Blue ('Zizeeria knysna').


A quick snap of the inside wing pattern of the Sooty Blue (TBC)

We would eat locally that night at Eshowe, and a few of our party felt a little bit weary that night due to the day travelling under hot sun on poor roads in the minibus - but the trip via the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve had given us some great views of the wildlife and was probably quite fitting seeing as this day's drive would be the last one spent seeing the larger animals of South Africa.

[Dave McCormick]

Great images again. Love that Hamerkop, interesting looking bird. Great reading and see the images on this thread thanks Michael.

[Michaeljf]

Eshowe and Dlinza Rainforest (Friday 16th March)

Friday would be our last full day in South Africa, but I was really looking forward to staying in Eshowe and not spending that much time being driven from one place to another, especially with the possibility of seeing some butterflies. Our host at the accommodation, Annette, was really welcoming and had done a wonderful job establishing local flowers in the garden with the idea of attracting the butterflies in: the Dlinza forest was literally a couple of hundred yards walk from the house and lodgings, so today was finally perhaps going to be the sort of venue I had expected from our trip.

We would have a relatively early start again, so that we could be in the forest early for the birds. Dlinza is actually a rainforest but it also has an aerial boardwalk (be aware you have to pay for the boardwalk) so we got up for around 6am again and were up at the top viewpoint lookout for about 6:30 – the top viewpoint must be close to several hundred yards up, just above most of the rainforest tree canopy. We had an early cup of tea (a nice way to start the day) and watched as some low cloud eventually cleared around 7:30. First thing in the morning on top of the viewpoint gave us more birdsong rather than easy views, especially with something of the low cloud still hanging around: still it was a lovely quiet spot to be. Bert was excited to see Red-eyed Doves quite close and also several Hornbills (Trumpeter and Yellow-Billed) the latter, like some of the raptors, was very much a question of looking through the scope). I spotted a couple of Hairstreaks near the lookout which I believe were Orange-Barred Playboys (a superb name for a butterfly). We could also hear the Mousebirds, Hoopoe and Kingfishers calling from the canopy. Eventually we would return for breakfast for just after 9:00am, seeing a few butterflies warming up along the ride back to the house. Before we left the viewpoint Bert did leave some fruit-mix for the butterflies to try and attract the larger species near the lookout.


The view out from the Dlinza Rainforest lookout, first thing in the Friday morning. Notice the cups of tea!


There were plenty of birds to see first thing, though not many near enough to photograph.
These were possibly Cape Glossy Starlings.


There were a couple of Lycaenids just outside the viewpoint box, this one is probably an Orange-Barred Playboy (!)


Walking back to breakfast we would see this Common Diadem, though it turned out to be slightly dead


The Gardens of our B&B accomodation, which were excellent for Butterfly-friendly flowers.

[Michaeljf]

Eshowe and Dlinza Forest (Friday 16th March) - continued...

After a really nice breakfast (everything on offer, including some nice fruit to keep us going), Bert set up a butterfly-net with some fruit-bait in the B&B’s garden for when we returned from our later morning walk. We were soon walking back to the Dlinza forest and seeing butterflies along the entrance path to the rainforest: there was also an excellent flat bit of land just before the information centre with open grass, plus a roped off section with very tall wildflowers (slightly reminiscent of Hemp Agrinomy), plus some good flowers and shrubs around three sides of the area. Now we were finally seeing quite a few species of butterflies at once: from the beautiful hairstreak-like Natal Bar to several exciting Skippers and some large and colourful butterflies passing through, including the Gaudy Commodore and some occasional fast-flying Swallowtails again (not stopping for photographs, but there were definitely some Green-Banded Swallowtails amongst these).


A Vine-Leaf Vagrant butterfly in the garden just before we leave for the 2nd time for the Dlinza forest.


A Common Bush-Brown on the walk to the forest. No suprise to see these Satyrinae amongst the shade.


A Soldier Pansy, slightly battered, just before we get back to the open field next to the forest.


My first view of the lovely, delicate Natal Bar butterfly.


A view of a slightly bird-nipped Gaudy Commodore (f. natalensis).


A Striped Policeman on one of the large wildflowers (similar to Hemp Agrinomy, to my mind).


A closer view of the Striped Policeman - these were very fast flyers when they got going.


A Clouded Flat (sometimes called Clouded Forester or Clouded Skipper) just catching the sun.


A real stunner - this is the male Gaudy Commodore. A bit flighty too, but staying just long enough on the braken for a photo.


The last butterfly in the open Dlinza forest area, before we returned to the forest boardwalk.
A bit battered, but this may be Short-Toothed Blue.

[David M]

Thanks for the images, Michael. They're really evocative.

How I wish there were walkways in the UK allowing views over tree canopies - might solve a few Hairstreak mysteries!

The underside of that Natal Bar is stunning; it's like a sweet wrapper. The Striped Policeman is impressive too. Looks on the large side for a Skipper.

[Michaeljf]

Hi David
thanks - the Natal Bar was one of the species that was in one of the groups (Genus Cigaritis) that I really wanted to see. They are all beautiful. The Striped Policeman is probably not much larger than our largest European Skippers, but it's one of the Coeliadinae, a sub-family of the Skippers in South Africa.
Michael


Eshowe and Dlinza Forest (Friday 16th March) - Continued...

We returned to the top viewpoint in the Dlinz Rainforest again for about 10:30 am, though unfortunately a bit of low cloud came over again. After a while of waiting – with nothing much appearing apart from some nice large Grasshoppers - Bert and the rest of the party wandered down to the forest floor for a look round while Karen, Richard and I stayed in the lookout hoping to see the butterflies come in. Eventually the cloud broke a little bit (it was still very warm and humid) and we were rewarded with about four different butterfly species continually flying in and out of the viewpoint. These Blonde Gliders, False Chief and False Wanderer butterflies would come in and stop on the fruit bait while a number of large orange butterflies would only circle briefly and then disappear again. The best sight of the morning at the viewpoint for me was the discovery that a Satyr Emperor butterfly (Charaxinae) had all the time been on one of the branches just outside the viewpoint taking sap: I had to lean out at full stretch just to get a half-descent photo, but at least I could identify this one on my return home.

Just after mid-day we would leave the viewpoint again and go back down to the field near the start of the Dlinza forest walk, - the sun had re-emerged and now the butterflies were instead going a bit ‘crazy’ – while the rest of the group headed off to one of the bird-hides close by, I would stay in the open field and would take a few more photos as the butterflies mostly stayed out of my reach by nectaring on the tops of the large wildflowers (just above head height). The rest of my Naturetrek friends would emerge from the hides and we would re-group and return to the house around 1:30pm, though there was an interesting surprise waiting for us in the butterfly net Bert had put out earlier...

To be continued


One of the very large Grasshoppers up by the top of the Rainforest viewpoint.


The hard case of the Grasshopper is fascinating in close-up.


Just under one of the branches is a Satyr Emperor, just taking some sap from the tree.


I had to stretch out of the top of the viewpoint to get any shot of the Satyr Emperor, but for me it was a lovely discovery!


These Blonde Gliders were one of the first larger butterflies to stop near our viewpoint in the forest.


The ornate underside of the Blonde Glider. Once they'd found the fruit bait and rested on it they were happy to stay.


Several of these were also attracted to the bait. I think this is a male False Chief.


The underwings pattern of the same butterfly(False Chief).


There were also several of these False Wanderers with the False Chief Butterflies.


The large orange butterflies were probably Blotched Leopards (this one snapped with my longest zoom lens).


Back at the open field near the start of the Dlinza forest, a Natal Acraea on the dirt path.


Another stunning butterfly, this is a Paradise Skipper on the tall wildflowers.
Also another butterfly that didn't stay still for long once the sun was out again.


Just before we leave back for our B&B, another closer view of the Natal Bar butterfly (genus Cigaritis of the Lycaenidae)


Back at the flowers at our B&B, this is possibly a Buquet's Vagrant.
N.B.: Later identified by Steve Woodhall as a Large Vagrant (male).

[Wurzel]

The Gaudy Commodors certainly lives up to it's name, a real cracker!

Have a goodun

Wurzel

[Lee Hurrell]

Completely agree - what a beauty!

The Paradise Skipper reminds me of a Jersey Tiger, a bit.

Some lovely butterflies, Michael, stunning stuff.

Best wishes,

Lee

[Paul Wetton]

Fantastic Michael. This really cheers me up whilst the rain is pouring down. We had 2 inches of snow yesterday.

Great narrative and equally wonderful photos.

[Michaeljf]

Hi Paul / Lee / Wurzel,

thanks - glad you're enjoying the photos. Lee - like you, when I saw the Paradise Skipper I wasn't entirely sure it was a butterfly as it reminded me of some of our best day-flying moths. But then, I've always felt that the Skippers were almost the link between the Moths and the Butterflies! Eshowe turned out to be one and a half-days of butterfly excellence, and was an indication of the sort of diversity I was expecting from the whole of the SA trip.

I've looked at Steve Woodhall's book again and the Commodore is different strains and not necessarily different sexes for the colours. The blue version is f.sesamus and f.natalensis is the orange/red version...

Paul - I'm glad it's a good distraction when the snow / rain is pouring down is outside. As soon as the images / commentary are completed from the trip I will start looking at maybe uploading some of those videos as well.

Best wishes,

Michael

[David M]

No wonder they call it the Paradise Skipper. It is phenomenally marked for what is normally a fairly drab genus.

You must be finding it hard to readjust to the norms of Europe naturewise having had such a great time in southern Africa, Michael?