The Backlog

Here are some images I've been wanting to post, but didn't get around to. I'm going to be a bit lazy and just include the images without writing up a story as well...

A Sorrel (Suring - Oxalis sp.) being visited by a small fly

A patch full of pink Sorrel (Suring - Oxalis sp.)

Porcupine (Ystervark - Hystrix africaeaustralis) near the pond at Tygerberg

Another one near a tiny stream

We came across the old dominant male Bontebok (Bontebok - Damaliscus dorcas dorcas) the other day while it was very misty. He lost one of his horns in a fight with his son...

My wife standing next to a huge mushroom

High Time For Some News

A random species of Sorrel (Suring - Oxalis sp.) at Tygerburg

It's been a while since my last post... I haven't had many cameras in the field, but luckily my trusty Bushnell Trophy Cam (2009 non-viewer) captured some interesting things.

A Spotted Thick-Knee (Dikkop - Burhinus capensis) possibly fascinated by the strange glowing lights?

A Thick-Knee seemed, once again, to be fascinated with the camera or maybe they seem to like the company of the "strange thing with the glowing red eyes".

When the nights get lonely, the Thick-Knee knows that his "friend with the red eyes" will keep him company

I used a tuna can as bait with this camera trap set, but it didn't attract as much attention as the previous one. I caught some images of this guy eating the grubs that grow in and under the tuna can.

There were other visitor as well.

The Bontebok (Bontebok - Damaliscus dorcas dorcas) herd did their rounds as well

The Bontebok came in for a sniff. In one of the images it appears as if the antelope was standing over the camera.

I guess the hind feet must be behind the camera...

I usually place my cameras close to the ground to get nice photographs of the small to medium sizes mammals at Tygerberg. Bontebok might be smaller than many of the other antelope species but at Tygerberg they are the largest mammals in the reserve.

Kids These Days

Tygerberg Nature Reserve has a small herd of Bontebok. The females are watched over by a dominant male. He is easy to identify by his red earring and macho attitude. The family spends most of their time near a pond on the eastern slope. However there is also a young bachelor that hangs around at a seasonal pond on the western slope. Dad kicked him out a few years back and he has been living on his own since then. Dad drops by to check up on him every now and again. Now, this young fellow is making my live difficult...


The nose of a culprit: Bontebok (Bontebok - Damaliscus pygargus dorcas)


During December he repositioned the Cuddeback trail camera on the third day of a three week session. This meant this the camera was facing the wrong way for two and a half weeks of the three weeks I left it out. I like the spot and want to keep the camera there, but during January when I reset the camera at the same location the same troubled youth improved my carefully selected camera angle on the very next day after I set it out.


Homing in for the kill...


The camera isn't even really in his way. He must go deliberately out of his way to come mess around with it. For my third attempt I placed it even deeper into the vegetation, hoping to discourage him.

The rest of the Bontebok have much better manners. They seldom take any notice of the camera and when they do they don't completely rearrange the view. Usually I only notice the frame shifting slightly as they nudge it.


The small herd passing by without any trouble


Strictly speaking Bontebok aren't native to Tygerberg. Based on patchy historical records they never occurred as far west as Cape Town where suitable habitat is less extensive than a hundred or so kilometers west where they were/are common. Some records state that they never crossed the mountains that separate Cape Town from the Swellemdam area.

The bottom line is that we might never be sure what their distribution was like in the past. More importantly people sometimes forget that animal distribution and density changes all the time, even in healthy ecosystems. Also, as we humans change our surroundings we alter the habitat and thus the distribution of the animals.


The herd walks single file along the path


Looking at other species that have benefited from agriculture and the availability of water and grassy lawns, it might be plausible that were Bontebok free to roam today (and capable of surviving the roads, etc.) they might have spread "naturally" into the greater Cape Town area thanks to the "unnatural" influence of agriculture and urban development. Naturally the full story will be more complex and involve nutritional requirements, etc. The Bontebok at the reserve and at Table Mountain National Park (close by) seem to be doing well in the nutritionally richer Renosterveld areas and can do well when allowed to select optimal micro habitats such as the pond at Tygerberg. They prefer short green grass of high nutritional value (C4 grasses, etc.) and tend to maintain "feeding lawns".

(Note: These are just some thoughts that crossed my mind, and should not be taken without a pinch of salt - this is not a journal its a blog. The idea is to give you, the reader, something to think about and share my ideas, events and camera trap stories. I'm not an expert in these matters. If I had more time I'd be interested to research the matter more fully, but, alas, I don't.)

Curious Cat

I got a nice video of a Caracal checking out the camera last week.

Video: Caracal (Rooikat) checking out the camera one evening at Tygerberg

One would expect that these cats would be mostly nocturnal, but my sightings (personal and camera traps) show that they are a lot more active during the day than some people might have expected.

I have more sightings of Caracal during the day than at night (only 3 of the sightings were not by a camera trap)

In comparison I have 25 sightings of Porcupines at Tygerberg and all of them are at night. One of the reasons for the Caracals to be active during the day might be the large number of Four-Striped Grass Mice which are active during the day and probably forms a large part of their diet.

While looking for new camera locations I stumbled upon some of the Bontebok enjoying the green grass.

Enjoying the short green grass on a part of the hill that was burnt a few months ago

I also saw the Grey Rhebok (Vaalribbok) herd in the distance. The Grey Rhebok are a lot more skittish than the Bontebok and it is hard to get close to them. The Bontebok on the other hand are very relaxed around people.

Four Grey Rhebok (Vaalribbokke) enjoying the morning sun

Sleep Walking?

I had the flu last weekend and couldn't checkup on my cameras. I'm starting to feel myself again and managed to make the best of the son that came out during the week to go check the cameras today. It seems nothing much happened while I was sick.

The most interesting photos where of the Bontebok at night. It is the same (and only) small herd that hangs around at the pond. The current camera position and the pond is at least 2.5 km apart. These antelope seem to move through this area regularly either late in the afternoon or at night (as late as 10:30 pm). I'm not sure where they are going, or why they are doing it so late...

The small herd of Bontebok passed the camera at 10:41 pm

This post is not much of an update, but not much happened during the last week. It might have been the rain that slowed things down. According to the weather forecast (which doesn't really mean much over here) it should be sunny tomorrow, so I'm planning to go back and move both cameras to new locations. I'm on the lookout for some locations that might have Duiker and I want to spend some time at the recently burned grassy area that is now turning bright green from the rain.

Mmmm, the grass appears to be greener on the other side (of the hill)...

Some Work With You, Some Work Against You

Tuesday was a public holiday and I thought it might be a good idea to drag my better half along with me for the company to check up on my trail cameras at Tygerberg. I thought the going should be easy because both cameras are reasonably close to a gate and it should be a nice outing. As it turned out the Plattekloof gate was closed (because of the public holiday). After some second thoughts (because of the wrong shoes for the job - slops/sandals are not good at off road walking) we decided to do the grueling walk to the Plattekloof pond, during the heat of the day... It ended up being tiresome (as expected), but the company was good (also as expected) and we took it slower than I usually do it when I'm alone after work (again, also as expected).

The results? Nothing much. It has been a bit slow recently, but there where still a few good results.

The Moultrie had some better luck pointing in its new direction and got this great shot of a Small Grey Mongoose (Kleingrysmuishond).

Very attractive little fellow posing nicely for the camera

The Bushnell however has been continuing its recent streak of bad luck. It has been only downhill after snapping my first Small Grey Mongoose a while ago. Last week it (finally) ran out of batteries on the second day after I checked it, and this week it was moved by the local Bontebok (Bontebok) on the first day after I checked it.

The culprit in action, tampering with the hardware

I had really high hopes for this spot, but I keep on running into problems. It is also very close to a busy road and it draws to much attention from passers by, so I guess I'll be forced to move it soon. I just wanted to give it one last try this week...

While going through some of my pictures I stumbled upon this little gem. I just love how the cheeky Egyptian Goose (Kolgaans) and Bontebok (Bontebok) have a face off at the pond.

Egyptian Geese (Kolgaanse) are b-a-d-a-s-s-s-s-s!!

And if you where wondering, the goose won the staring contest. But that is no surprise if you are familiar with these guys.

Bontebok Abound

Bontebok (Bontebok) are one of the more easily seen antelope at Tygerberg

I have been photographing a lot of Bontebok (Bontebok) recently and thought it's about time to look at them a little closer.

In the past Bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) and Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) were considered to be two separate species, but today both are considered subspecies of the same species (Damaliscus pygargus). In South Africa the two subspecies have been entrenched so deeply in our culture that they are often mentioned separately as Bontebok and Blesbok in literature and field guides (which usually only deal with species in detail).

The subspecies differ based on both color patterns and behavior. The color patterns alone are sufficient for identification in the field, if you know what to look for. Below is a summary of the differences between Bontebok and Blesbok:

• Color:
• Bontebok
• Body is a rich dark brown with a purple gloss.
• Blesbok
• Body is a reddish color with no purple gloss.
• Buttocks:
• Bontebok
• The area at the buttocks is pure white.
• Blesbok
• The area at the buttocks is generally not white but paler than the body.
• Limbs:
• Bontebok
• The limbs are white from the knee downwards, except for the brown stripes on the front of the forelimbs and sometimes a brown patch on the front of the hind limbs just above the hooves.
• Blesbok
• On the outer surface the forelimbs and hind limbs are dark brown.
• Horns:
• Bontebok
• The horns are usually black on the upper surface of the rings.
• Blesbok
• The horns are usually straw-colored on the upper surface of the rings.

The small herd arriving at the pond for a drink

It is commonly believed that the brown band separating the blaze (for Blesbok) on the face can be used for identification, but this is not 100% accurate and should rather not be used as the only means of identification. The pure white on the rump of the Bontebok is probably the best characteristic for distinguishing it from the Blesbok in the wild. In general the Bontebok appears to have more striking colors: it has a lot more white, the light areas are lighter and the dark areas are darker when compared with the Blesbok. The Bontebok also has a more noticeable "saddle" on its shoulders.

Hybridization can take place between the two subspecies and poses a genetic threat to both subspecies. The natural populations never lived in the same area and were separated by about 320km by the time of early settlement. Due to recent inbreeding and relocations both subspecies can be found outside their natural distribution ranges.

Chilling out...

The Bontebok is a medium sized antelope with a shoulder height of 90cm, weighing about 61kg. The white blaze on its face extends from the base of the horns to the nose, narrowing just above the eyes. Females are slightly smaller than males, but also have horns. Female horns are more slender and don’t thicken much at the base. The color of the males might be a little darker compared to the females. The fawns have a different color when they are young.

Youngster on his knees... I think he might be getting a little old for this kind of nonsense

The Bontebok is endemic to the Fynbos Biome and were historically confined to coastal plains with Renosterveld vegetation.

The Bontebok is active during the day and lives in groups. As with many animals the greatest activity is in early mornings and late afternoon. During the hottest part of the day they rest in the open, but will use shade if it is available. Bontebok and Blesbok both tend to stand in groups on hot days and face the sun with their heads held low.

The pond is close to the fence, and although they are used to the houses sometimes somethings draw their attention

Male territory holders defecate on dung sites in their territory about 85% of the time and usually choose one when lying down. Bachelors and females defecate randomly. Serious fighting is rare and never results in injury.

They are almost exclusively a grazing subspecies and prefer short grass. They favor burnt areas and firebreaks for feeding. Access to water is essential.

Digging into some suculent green grass at the pond (It is the dry season at Tygerberg, because of the mostely Mediterranean climate of the Fynbos Biome)

There is a lot to be said about the conservation of the Bontebok. It was saved from extinction by a hand full of farming families. The Van Der Byl family set aside a portion of their farm near Bredasdorp in 1837 as a reserve for 27 Bonteboks. Other farmers (Van Breda and Albertyn) on neighboring farms followed this example and by 1931 the first Bontebok National Park was formed. The park was too small and a new bigger and more suitable park was established and stocked with 84 animals in 1960. By 1981 there were more than 300 animals and since then the surplus animals have been sold. Currently there are more than 2300 animals in South Africa many of which are on private land.


References:
John D. Skinner & Christian T. Chimimba (2005). The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Cape Town: Cambridge University Press. 653-655.

Secret Police Back On The Job

They are on to me again! I have managed to evade them since the Porcupine Incident, but it seems that they have picked up my trail again...

Assessing the situation

I don't know who it was this time that informed them, but I suspect it might have been the Bontebok. They where close by when I was setting up the cameras. After a while they seemed to be getting a little tired of me and eventually one or two gave an insulting snort in my direction. I got the message and swiftly left the scene of the crime. Unfortunately it seems like they informed the Secret Police of my presence.

Evidence of a Bontebok (Bontebok) and some Helmeted Guineafowl (Tarentaal) at the scene of the crime

They must have been after the reward money. Those tags in their ears can't be cheap!

The latest trend at Tygerberg is to get tagged

Regardless of who informed them, the result was the same.

A relentless onslaught

And they even brought in the new recruits for some on the job training.

 Young officers learning the finer intrecasies of camera trap stakeouts

The senior officers where drilling the slackers hard. They gave it their all and I must admit they did a good job at keeping my camera under constant watch.

The classic "I'm not looking" act does not fool me anymore

The other camera didn't slip by them either.

Always on the lookout (or on an important secret mission) 

The result? They managed to fill up the memory card in no time and where on 93% of the 846 images (with animals on). I can't think of any way of evading the law, so I will just have to take this police brutality like a man while I'm at the pond. Maybe I'll be able to shake them off when I move to a new location...

More updates from Tygerberg

Tygerberg as seen from Google Earth

Tygerberg Nature Reserve is actually quite small, but it is big enough to support a hand full of large herbivores and tons and tons of Four-striped Grass Mice (Streepmuis).

(Here is another site with some more information about Tygerburg Nature Reserve.)

Four-striped Grass Mouse (Streepmous) checking out the camera

Making a run for cover

The two sets of dark-light-dark stripes on the back of the mouse gives them their name

I can't stop being astounded at how many mice there are! There is a constant scurrying of mice all around you as you walk along the roads.

I'm very pleased to have gotten a few pictures of some antelope this week. It has been a long time since I last photographed an antelope using a remote camera trap - a Duiker in the Magaliesberg.

Thanks Mr. Bontebok (Bontebok) for posing so nicely for the camera, it's greatly appreciated

The other two visitors to the camera set was a bit less polite and only gave us a glimpse of their rear ends...

A Caracal (Rooikat) passed by the camera one evening

Most of the action was at the Moultrie set, but unfortunately that camera has a very slow trigger speed. The Bushnell camera (with a much faster trigger speed) did not get many visitors, but it was fast enough to photograph the striped mice visiting. The Moultrie was to slow to get a full body shot of the passing Grey Rhebok (Vaalribbik).

A Grey Rhebok (Vaalribbok) also slipped by the camera without having the decency to even show it's face

In recent years two female Grey Rhebok where released at Tygerberg to keep the lonely male company - full story. The Bontebok was also reintroduced - full story.

I moved both cameras yesterday, and I'm hoping to identify some more animal species at Tygerberg. At the moment I'm not focusing on getting "pretty" pictures, but rather trying determine what animals are around and where to look for them. In months to come I will most likely try to get "prettier" pictures, but for now I'm happy with the but shots of Caracal and Grey Rhebok.