October started with an incredible full moon.
I was still working from home.. I mostly saw the usual garden birds, but also a few of the irregular visitors – Black-headed Heron, Common Fiscal, Streaky-headed Seed-eater, Red-winged Starlings, Thick-billed Weavers and Black-throated Canaries. Towards the end of October I also saw my first Barn Swallows of the summer when one in beautiful breeding plumage flew over my house, followed shortly after by a White-throated Swallow.
I am still hoping to get decent photos of White-rumped Swifts and African Palm Swifts!
The Karoo Thrush had a very demanding youngster.
This adorable little Jumping spider was hunting on my ceiling.
Death’s Head Hawk-moth
The hiighlight of the month had to be the fact that the Death’s Head Hawk-moth hatched. A neighbour found the caterpillar in May 2020.
For months the pupae looked dormant, twitching slightly when I checked if it was still ok.
Then it hatched on 10 October 2020. It was absolutely gorgeous.
There are 3 species of these moths, and one of them (Acherontia atropos) occurs in Africa and Europe. The species names atropos, lachesis and styx are all from Greek myth and related to death. The moth also appeared in various movies, most notably Silence of the Lambs.
All three species have the ability to emit a loud chirp if irritated. The sound is produced by inhaling and expelling air, which vibrates the epipharynx like an accordion, often accompanied by flashing of the brightly colored abdomen in a further attempt to deter predators.
They are also known to eat honey, and can create chaos in a bee hive.
The name comes from the markings on the back of its head that vaguely resembles a skull.
I really wanted photos of it with its wings open, but that was surprisingly challenging to achieve. He only woke up at about 23h00 every night, and then would wwwrrrr sound like a mad thing. As soon as the light was on, I had to be quick as it would freeze almost immediately. Eventually I managed a few photos and was able to release this gorgeous creature to go and live its life.
I also visited Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. You can read about it here.
I went to Marievale on 17 October 2020. The sunrise left me speechless.
When i get to Marievale, I always stop at the area near the chalets first. I was sorting out my seatbelt when I heard a strange sound. I looked up and was taken by complete surprise to see this porcupine right next to the parking area! It was only my second ever sighting of one of these, and I was thrilled. Just look at that face – such a cute creature!
An outing to Marievale is always a good experience, and this day was no different. It was mostly the usual suspects, but it was just great being out in Nature. Another great sighting was a pair of Black Sparrowhawks near the picnic area.
The Grey-headed gulls were as noisy as ever.
The water levels were very low in places. It is not often that you see these Hottentot Teals out of water!
A few Yellow-billed Ducks flew past.
The Goliath Heron is not called “goliath for nothing. With a wingspan of 1.8m – 2.2m, I always think of them as the A380 of the birding world.
There were hundreds of Lesser Flamingoes.
There were also some Greater Flamingoes, but only a handful.
Spotted Eagle Owl
