THEY did it. On 30 April five environmental activists collected water from the source of the uMngeni River and yesterday they poured it into the sea at the mouth. They tracked the river for 265 kilometers on its route from the Berg to the sea, recording what happens along the way. It was fascinating following their adventures on their blogsite, but now an even greater task lies ahead as they interpret and digest all the information they gathered and use it to encourage and motivate all of us to treat water with the respect it deserves. The chair of the Duzi uMngeni Conservation Trust, David Still, challenged local and provincial authorities to set aside only one percent of their operational budgets to care for the environment. It sounds like a mere drop in the ocean, but it might just be the insurance we need to ensure a healthy future.

http://umngeniriverwalk.wordpress.com/

WE went looking for a sunrise at Durban’s uMngeni River estuary this week and came across a pod of Pink-backed Pelicans feeding in what used to be the model yacht pond. I’m saying “pod” because their behaviour reminded me of dolphins or killer whales on the hunt. Like the whales the pelicans repeatedly swam together in a tight group and then simultaneously tipped forwards, scooping up whatever hapless prey found itself encircled. Keenly following the activity were cormorants, gulls and herons who used the opportunity to enjoy an early breakfast as well. One pelican eventually settled at the water’s edge with a fully gorged crop. Another opportunistic feeder had his nose glued to the ground in search of bones discarded at the picnic spots.

(download)

Click here to download:

clever_dolphins.wmv (5.75 MB)

THERE is a feast of sights and sounds and smells at the Saturday morning market at Shongweni near Hillcrest, as Gustav discovered. The social life is not half bad either. Puppies were only too happy to throw themselves down prostrate for inspection, but other customers needed to be approached a little bit more circumspectly. 

http://www.shongwenimarket.co.za/

COMING eyeball to eyeball with a Bearded Vulture is an awesome experience. With perfect ease these powerful birds ride the thermals, the majestic Drakensberg stretching all round as a backdrop. It was a privilege to spend time in a hide at the vulture restaurant at Giant’s Castle during a photographic workshop last week. Up to 10 of these critically endangered birds were circling the site where a number of other opportunistic feeders like crows, starlings and black-backed jackals also partook of the feast. A Cape Vulture was also in attendance - another species which is in severe trouble.

It is estimated there are only 100 breeding pairs of Bearded Vultures left in Southern Africa, while the number of Cape Vultures have declined to between 8000 - 10000. Poisoning and collision with powerlines are the two most important threats facing the birds, but a new threat is looming in the form of wind turbines. Plans are well advanced to establish a massive wind farm to generate electricity in Lesotho in the same area favoured by the vultures for breeding. This has the potential of decimating the vulture population even more dramatically.

http://www.africanraptors.org/conservation-of-the-bearded-vulture-gypaetus-ba...

http://www.kznwildlife.com/

http://www.wildlifephotography.co.za/

WHO would have thought seeing more than 50 bald heads together in one place will be a cause of delight? This was a rare treat in Boston in the KZN Midlands the past couple of days. The Southern Bald Ibis has been in trouble for some decades and its conservation status is listed as Vulnerable. Its cousin in Europe, the Northern Bald Ibis, is even worse off. Habitat destruction and unsustainable hunting has led it to become extinct in some parts and it is listed as Critically Endangered. The Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus is restricted to Lesotho, north-east South Africa and west Swaziland. The core range lies in the north-eastern Free State, Mpumalanga and the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg. 

I have never seen more than about a dozen at any one time, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when I came across them feeding on insects in a neighbour’s maize field where workers were cutting silage. Even better was watching them fly after they had their fill. The large flock took off and flew in unison, sticking together and circling and weaving through the sky like a flag. What bliss.

While I was counting birds, Gustav of course had his own agenda to occupy him.

http://www.birdlife.org.za/conservation/threatened-species/southern-bald-ibis...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronticus

DURBAN botanist Geoff Nicholls calls them the wet armpits of the KZN Midlands, those patches of afromontane forest remaining in the folds of hills. Sadly these once lush forests are shrinking and with them the number of the endangered Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) with fewer than 1600 birds remaining in the wild.

This weekend was the 15th annual Cape Parrot count and it was regarded as particularly important because of outbreaks of Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease Virus (PBFDV) or Psittacine Circovirus Disease (PCD) as it is now being referred to. The count is organised by Prof Colleen Downs of the School of Biological & Conservation Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg. Colleen recently completed an update on the status of the Cape Parrot for inclusion in the new Eskom Red Data list due for publication by the end of the year.

At Boston we had three teams in the field. Paul and Sally Bartho saw two parrots, Glynn Bullock and Rob Speirs reported seeing one bird flying, but hearing more in the forest at Impendle Nature Reserve while David Clulow and I saw no birds at all at a site where two years ago we saw several as well as a nesting site. On Sunday morning chilly mists hung over the forest which prompted Gustav to return regularly from his sniffing forays to the refreshment station to make absolutely sure no rusk crumbs escaped his attention.

http://biology.ukzn.ac.za/biology/cpwg/CPBBD_report_72011.PDF.>

http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.php?Spp=4132

CAPE PARROT (Poicephalus robustus) facts

• Found only in South Africa. Regarded as Endangered.
• Virtually the whole lifestyle of these birds is centred on yellowwood trees.  
• Their preferred feeding, roosting and nesting sites are in forests dominated by these trees.
• In South Africa suitable forest patches are found in the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal with a few scattered yellowwood forest patches in Limpopo.
• Must not be confused with the Grey-headed Parrot, (Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus) which looks very similar to the Cape Parrot, but is found in the Limpopo Province, Mocambique and Zimbabwe and is now regarded as a separate species from the Cape Parrot.
• A mature Cape Parrot stands 30cm high and can weigh up to 350g. Like all parrots it has  a robust beak which is used to crack open nuts and seeds. 
• The favoured seed is that of the yellowwood tree and their availability greatly influences seasonal movements of these birds. They also feed on other forest trees especially the Natal plum and White stinkwood. If the indigenous food source is in short supply, the parrots are sometimes forced to feed outside forests and will raid fruit orchards or pecan nut trees.
• Nest in cavities usually in dead yellowwood trees. They usually lay three eggs of which one to two chicks survive the first year. 
• Use mature yellowwood trees, which usually project out of the forest canopy, as roosting sites and vantage points They are active and inquisitive birds which are often seen flying around and above forest patches in the early morning or late afternoon. 
• Characteristic loud squawk is usually heard when the birds are in flight and contact calls between roosting birds may also be heard.  

THE first public road bridge across the uMngeni River is at the entrance to the Lake Lyndhurst Estate near Fort Nottingham in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. Despite the dust from passing traffic, the water still runs clear. But barely a few kilometres away as the crow flies at another bridge along the Dargle Road to Impendle it is already a different story. The murky green colour of the water and alien vegetation blighting the landscape bears testimony to the impact of human behaviour on the environment. The Mayday for Rivers team has a daunting task ahead of them during their walk this month to draw attention to the plight of South Africa’s rivers.

http://umngeniriverwalk.wordpress.com/

THE origin of the name Drinkkop for the hill where the uMngeni River rises is not known, but looking at names on the map it reflects the rich history of the country and one can just imagine all the stories connected to them. There is Spioenkop, Wuthering Heights, KwaManzamnyama, Lake Lyndhurst, Geelhout Boom, Vlak Plaats, uMngeni.

A more recent story was told to us on the way to Drinkkop by a resident and the manager of Lake Lyndhurst Estates, Kobus Kruger. It involves a pair of rhinos on a private game reserve, Stey Braes, adjoining Drinkkop and happened about eight years ago. The rhinos escaped from the reserve and broke through several steel gates on their flight down the hill. They followed the uMngeni along its course and was eventually recaptured near one of the first bridges to cross the river. The chances that the Mayday for Rivers team will come across rhinos on their walk are however somewhat remote - a brush with snakes is more likely!

The picture at the top show the drainage line from the hilltop to the cluster of trees on the right where clear water rises from the earth. It then runs over rocks and drops down a small cascade on its way to the sea. 

Gustav had a busy time sorting out moles and then nearly ruined a special ceremony to mark the start of the walk. During their preparations for the journey members of the team consulted with three sangomas to get their insights and blessings for the venture. A beer was brewed specially for the occasion and brought along in a ghourd to be emptied into the source of the river. The team also collected water from the eye in an ostrich eggshell which they are carrying with them and plan to empty into the sea at the mouth of the river in a month’s time. Gustav was not content to watch the ritual from the sidelines and just after the beer was emptied into the water he jumped right into the spot, much to my chagrin. Fortunately the gentle spirit of the river prevailed and his gaffe was soothed over.

http://umngeniriverwalk.wordpress.com/

THESE pictures show the Mayday for Rivers team and their supporters looking out over the uMngeni Vlei with the Drakensberg mountains in the distance. The walkers are in the centre picture and are from left to right Preven Chetty, Mike Farley, Siphiwe Mazibuko , Penelope Malinga, Pandora Long, Penny Rees, Lorraine Ralfe, Nothokozo Mncwabe. Gustav didn’t hesitate to take the lead up the hill after a refreshing drink in the stream.

http://umngeniriverwalk.wordpress.com/

PROFOUNDLY moving. That is the best way to describe kneeling down to drink pristine water welling from the earth at the source of one of KwaZulu-Natal’s major rivers. The uMgeni rises in the lower reaches of the Drakensberg and traverses about 265 kilometres across the province to enter the ocean at its estuary in Durban. What happens to that water once it leaves the source and before it reaches the sea is the research project of a team of environmentalists who yesterday embarked on a Mayday for Rivers walk. They will spend a month walking along the uMngeni collecting information and interacting with communities and schools living along the river.

Months of planning preparation culminated in the trip up to Drinkkop at the uMngeni Vlei Nature Reserve for the start of the walk. The team of five walkers was accompanied by about 30 supporters to see them off on their journey. On the way an African Fish-Eagle circled above the vlei, a good omen for the venture as the walk will finish at the river’s estuary where there is a trail named after the eagle, which has also been named the bird of the year by BirdLife South Africa.

http://umngeniriverwalk.wordpress.com/