Since a fresh leopard kill was found in the Cavern grounds a couple of years ago trip cameras have been set up at strategic spots. The idea is to found out more about “our” leopard. But an unexpected bonus is that all sorts of other nocturnal animals have been photographed too. The most recent has
GRADE: D TIME: 4 hours. DISTANCE: 8 km. TERRAIN: Undulating path with moderate slopes and gradients. The descent to the Silent Woman is steep but not difficult. Follow the path from behind Room 203 (at the diesel pump) and bear left. Go up three metres and into the Fern Forest. Follow this path through the
The May birding weekend produced 77 birds. Not bad considering that all the summer migrants have departed. Glorious weather helped, but the main attraction at this time of year is the burst of aloe flowers. All the specialised nectar feeders in the area spent all day buzzing among the flowers, chasing each other around, and
It’s aloe time again at the Cavern, what a wonderful time to be here. The garden is alive with the fiery orange spires, and the sunbirds and their ilk cannot resist. Gurney’s Sugarbird is a special visitor; there are only two sugarbirds in the whole world and we have them both in South Africa. Gurney’s
GRADE: D TIME: 3 hours. DISTANCE: 7 km. TERRAIN: Steep climb to the top of rustlers gap. Steep descent on the return trip. Starting from the front lawn, proceed down the driveway. Before the petrol pump, turn left behind the building and follow the path into the Fern Forest. After the bridge keep left. Follow
with Gillian Condy and Elsa Pooley The Cavern, Drakensberg Mountains, Natal 21-27 October 2012 By Wendy Burchell Helen Meyer and I booked very early for our course in the ‘berg and looked forward to it for months. It fulfilled all our expectations and more! We flew to Lanseria, suitcases groaning with art materials, a few
The last of the Barn (European) Swallows that have graced our skies all summer set off northwards in early April. Departure signs appeared a week or two before. Usually during summer the swallows spend all day on the wing, returning to a communal roost, usually in a reed-bed, overnight. But as the days grow shorter,
The leguaan is South Africa’s biggest lizard, and may grow to 2 metres in length. It loves the waterside and is a good swimmer and diver, using sideways movements of its flexible tail. Several live in the Cavern grounds and can be seen in the small dams.
The small raptors that perch, often in large numbers, on the telegraph poles and wires on the way to the Berg, are Amur Falcons. Males are almost pure pale grey, females have speckled black on white underparts. They are migrants from their breeding grounds in Siberia. The migration is one of the longest of all,
This is the biggest pigeon in southern Africa, and is common in the Fern Forest. The “olive” part of the name is presumably linked to part of the diet, because the plumage is a deep purple, spotted white. Vivid yellow feet and beak complete the attire.
