Diario del proyecto Wessa Lowveld BioBlitz Challenge 2019

26 de noviembre de 2019

UPDATED ACTIVITY PLAN FOR THE WESSA LOWVELD BIOBLITZ

30 November 2019

5:00 - 24:00
Big Birding Day. Southern Kruger National Park. Team Leader: Rael Loon (084 811 4314)

Beginning at the bridge over Crocodile River at Malelane Gate to spend the day recording as many bird species as possible in the southern Kruger Park. Using Biyamiti Bush Camp (25 16.24S; 31 41.54E) as the central point for the 50km radius, potential recommended sites to visit include Berg-en-dal Camp, Afsaal picnic site, Pretoriouskop, Lower Sabie rest camp and Crocodile Bridge. Participants are encouraged to compile bird lists for the region and to post their sightings on this i-naturalist project. The' birdlasser' app is a user-friendly platform for logging and recording sightings. For additional information on Big Birding Day see this link:

https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/28942-birdlife-sa-big-birding-day-2019

13:00 - 17:00
Lowveld Botanical Gardens.

Spend the afternoon cataloging as many trees and plants as possible at the Lowveld Botanical Garden in Nelspruit. Participants are encouraged to take photos of the trees and plants and to post them on i-naturalist. Most of the trees have labels attached to them and so is a good opportunity for learning the names and identify of a range of trees and plants. There is a restaurant at the gardens and is a good place to spend the afternoon. The Gardens also support a diversity of fauna such as birds, reptiles, spiders and insects. Participants are encouraged to take photos of all of these and to post all of these on this i-naturalist project site.

1 December 2019

Rivers, Fish, Frogs and Insects. Team Leader: Dr. Llew Taylor (0764139566)

8:00: Meet at White River Cricket Club (WRCE) at 8am. We can arrange to drive in fewer vehicle and leave some of them at the club, as well as our stuff for the braai.

8:30: Drive down to confluence of White River with Crocodile River. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 27.743’S, 31 04.964’E. Site is immediately below a small weir. Accessible reach extends a distance downstream to an old bridge.

9:00 to 11:00: SASS5 and piscine fauna, Amphibia we see in the course of the activity too. Also someone to walk around there and do birding and check for tracks and scats (water mongoose, cape clawless otter, spotted-necked otter), conservation-important plants (eg Aloe simii).

11:00: Drive to site immediately below WRCE fence downstream side. Access either through Uplands or through Coolmore Farm (I will arrange that). GPS coordinates are 25 17.143’S, 31 00.884’E.

11:30 to 13:30: Do same at site as previous site.

13:30 to 15:30: Braai at White River Cricket Club.

15:30: Drive to Swartfontein site above Klipkopje Dam. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 11.675’S, 30 58.425’E. Site is at a small weir and bridge near Swartfontein Institution.

16:00 to 18:00: Do same at site as previous site.

18:00: Go to frogging site upstream of the SASS5 site (2km).

18:00 to 20:00: Do frogging there. Perhaps we will find the new species. We will need to use an electrofisher there if available. As far as I know the new species is only known in its tadpole stage.

20:00: Finish

Publicado el noviembre 26, 2019 08:59 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

25 de noviembre de 2019

WESSA BIOBLITZ 2019 WHITE RIVER ACTIVITY PLAN FOR THE DAY

WESSA LOWVELD BIOBLITZ 2019

1 December 2019

8:00: Meet at White River Cricket Club (WRCE) at 8am. We can arrange to drive in fewer vehicle and leave some of them at the club, as well as our stuff for the braai.

8:30: Drive down to confluence of White River with Crocodile River. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 27.743’S, 31 04.964’E. Site is immediately below a small weir. Accessible reach extends a distance downstream to an old bridge.

9:00 to 11:00: SASS5 and piscine fauna, Amphibia we see in the course of the activity too. Also someone to walk around there and do birding and check for tracks and scats (water mongoose, cape clawless otter, spotted-necked otter), conservation-important plants (eg Aloe simii).

11:00: Drive to site immediately below WRCE fence downstream side. Access either through Uplands or through Coolmore Farm (I will arrange that). GPS coordinates are 25 17.143’S, 31 00.884’E.

11:30 to 13:30: Do same at site as previous site.

13:30 to 15:30: Braai at White River Cricket Club.

15:30: Drive to Swartfontein site above Klipkopje Dam. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 11.675’S, 30 58.425’E. Site is at a small weir and bridge near Swartfontein Institution.

16:00 to 18:00: Do same at site as previous site.

18:00: Go to frogging site upstream of the SASS5 site (2km).

18:00 to 20:00: Do frogging there. Perhaps we will find the new species. We will need to use an electrofisher there if available. As far as I know the new species is only known in its tadpole stage.

20:00: Finish

Regards
Llew
0764139566

Publicado el noviembre 25, 2019 11:15 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

21 de noviembre de 2019

BirdLife-SA Big Birding Day 2019

The Birdlife-SA Big Birding Day is due to take place on the 30th November. Big Birding Day is an annual national event organized by Birdlife South Africa which raises funds for bird conservation and is a fun way for watching and learning about birds. This year the event coincides with Wessa Lowveld's Bioblitz Challenge and all keen birders/ naturalists living or visiting the lowveld during this period are encouraged to take part in this opportunity.

The Southern Lowveld area has an exceptionally high diversity of birds and there would potentially be up to 300 possible species from the region that could be recorded on the day. These include a variety of raptors such as eagles, vultures, owls and accipiters, waterbirds, spurfowl, plovers, korhaans, kingfishers, turacos, shrikes, robin-chats, rollers, woodpeckers, flycatchers, starlings, hornbills, bee-eaters, mousebirds, tits, sunbirds, bulbuls, barbets, hoopoes, parrots, cuckoos, coucals, turacos, doves, drongos, orioles, oxpeckers, honeyguides, wagtails, swallows, swifts, nightjars, thrushes, babblers, warblers, cisticolas, larks , pipits, weavers, sparrows, whydahs, finches, canaries and buntings.

The varied habitats in southern Kruger (from the hilly south-west Malelane Mountain Bushveld, Mixed bushwillow woodlands, Open Savannahs, Pretoriouskop Sourveld and Sabie/Crocodile Thorn Thickets and Lebombo mountains) as well as the rivers and seasonal pans each contain their respective complement of bird species and are worth visiting. Many of the towns in the region such as White River, Nelspruit and Malelane also provide favourable habitat for garden birds and other species. During this time of the year the migrants are back and many species are actively breeding making for a productive time for birds and birdwatchers alike.

The rules for Big Birding Day are:

Record all the bird species seen or heard during a 24-hour period from midnight on Friday 29 November to midnight on Saturday 30 November 2019.

Teams can consist of a maximum of four members.

The maximum area that can be visited is an area within a radius of 50 km.

Only free-flying birds may be recorded (i.e. no caged birds).

The majority (for example 2 out of three or 3 out of four) of the team members have to agree on a call or sighting.

Teams are requested to limit the use of callback to attract birds to an absolute minimum.

To participate in Big Birding Day, you can register via this link: https://www.birdlife.org.za/support-us/events/birding-big-day-2019/

Participants are encouraged to also post their sightings on this i-naturalist project (Wessa Lowveld BioBlitz Challenge) after the event.

Publicado el noviembre 21, 2019 08:16 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

14 de noviembre de 2019

Mystery Frog in White River

Several years ago Ninda Baptsita discovered a species of Leaf-folding frog (Afrixalus spp.) in a pond near Swartfontein, White River which looked like an Afrixalus fornasini but with the two dorsal stripes divided in the posterior part.

This could be a new species!

All budding herpetologists are encouraged to try to collect a live specimen of the frog or tadpole during the Wessa Bioblitz Challenge 2019.

Publicado el noviembre 14, 2019 11:39 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

MEDICINAL PLANT WISH LIST

  1. Ximenia caffra (Sour plum)
  2. Warburgia salutaris (Pepperbark)
  3. Dichrostachys cinerea (Sickle bush)
  4. Ziziphus murcronata (Buffalo thorn)
  5. Pterocarpus angolensis (Wild-teak)
  6. Peltophorum africanum (African-wattle)
  7. Euclea divinorum (Magic guarri)
  8. Cassia abbreviata (Sjambok pod)
  9. Eucomis autumnalis (Pineapple flower)
  10. Hypoxis hemerocallidea (African-potato)
  11. Manilkara mochisia (Lowveld milkberry)
  12. Bridelia micrantha (Mitzeeri)
  13. Eucomis authumnalis (Pineapple flower)
  14. Lippia javanica (Fever tea)
  15. Ocimum incanum (Wild basil)
  16. Siphonochilus aetheopicus (Wild Ginger)
    17.. Artemisia afra (African wormwood)

  17. Afzelia quanzensis (Pod-mahogany)
  18. Flueggea virosa (White-berry bush)
  19. Rauvolfia caffra (Quinine-tree)
Publicado el noviembre 14, 2019 11:26 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

13 de noviembre de 2019

'TOP 5' BIRD WISH LIST

  1. White-backed Night Heron
  2. Wood Owl
  3. African Finfoot
  4. Thick-billed Cuckoo
  5. Narina Trogon
Publicado el noviembre 13, 2019 12:08 TARDE por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

'TOP 5' REPTILE WISH LIST

The following reptiles to look out for during the Wessa Lowveld Bioblitz Challenge 2019 are known to occur in the region but are seldom recorded:

  1. Spotted Rock Snake (Lamprophis guttatus)
  2. Swazi Rock Snake (Inyoka swazicus)
  3. Black File Snake (Gonionotophis nyassae)
  4. Striped Harlequin Snake (Homoroselaps dorsalis)
  5. Barbeton Dragon Lizard (Smaug warreni barbertonensis)
Publicado el noviembre 13, 2019 11:57 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Purpose of the Wessa Lowveld BioBlitz Challenge

This Citizen Science Project aims to document the biodiversity in the Lowveld Region of the WESSA Lowveld Branch of South Africa. It is intended to complement similar efforts of other WESSA branches.

The aim is to record and post sightings on i-Naturalist of all species records during the BioBlitz Challenge. These include mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, spiders, scorpions and plants. People of all ages can take part from amateurs to expert naturalists. Please post ALL records with a mobile phone even if you are unsure of the species identification as experts on i-naturalist will help verify the names of the taxa posted.

Publicado el noviembre 13, 2019 11:16 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

Wessa Lowveld BioBlitz Challenge 2019

  1. WHERE: Lowveld Region, Mpumalanga, South Africa
  2. WHEN: 29th November - 1st December
  3. THEME: Exploring Nature and Biodiversity of the region
  4. PROCESS: Sampling biodiversity and compiling species lists for a range of taxa
  5. DATA MANAGEMENT: Rapid Assessments of biodiversity in the region

ACTIVITY PLAN

30 November 2019

5:00 - 24:00
Big Birding Day. Southern Kruger National Park. Team Leader: Rael Loon (084 811 4314)

Beginning at the bridge over Crocodile River at Malelane Gate to spend the day recording as many bird species as possible in the southern Kruger Park. Using Biyamiti Bush Camp (25 16.24S; 31 41.54E) as the central point for the 50km radius, potential recommended sites to visit include Berg-en-dal Camp, Afsaal picnic site, Pretoriouskop, Lower Sabie rest camp and Crocodile Bridge. Participants are encouraged to compile bird lists for the region and to post their sightings on this i-naturalist project. The' birdlasser' app is a user-friendly platform for logging and recording sightings. For additional information on Big Birding Day see this link:

https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/28942-birdlife-sa-big-birding-day-2019

13:00 - 17:00
Lowveld Botanical Gardens.

Spend the afternoon cataloging as many trees and plants as possible at the Lowveld Botanical Garden in Nelspruit. Participants are encouraged to take photos of the trees and plants and to post them on i-naturalist. Most of the trees have labels attached to them and so is a good opportunity for learning the names and identify of a range of trees and plants. There is a restaurant at the gardens and is a good place to spend the afternoon. The Gardens also support a diversity of fauna such as birds, reptiles, spiders and insects. Participants are encouraged to take photos of all of these and to post all of these on this i-naturalist project site.

1 December 2019

Rivers, Fish, Frogs and Insects. Team Leader: Dr. Llew Taylor (0764139566)

8:00: Meet at White River Cricket Club (WRCE) at 8am. We can arrange to drive in fewer vehicle and leave some of them at the club, as well as our stuff for the braai.

8:30: Drive down to confluence of White River with Crocodile River. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 27.743’S, 31 04.964’E. Site is immediately below a small weir. Accessible reach extends a distance downstream to an old bridge.

9:00 to 11:00: SASS5 and piscine fauna, Amphibia we see in the course of the activity too. Also someone to walk around there and do birding and check for tracks and scats (water mongoose, cape clawless otter, spotted-necked otter), conservation-important plants (eg Aloe simii).

11:00: Drive to site immediately below WRCE fence downstream side. Access either through Uplands or through Coolmore Farm (I will arrange that). GPS coordinates are 25 17.143’S, 31 00.884’E.

11:30 to 13:30: Do same at site as previous site.

13:30 to 15:30: Braai at White River Cricket Club.

15:30: Drive to Swartfontein site above Klipkopje Dam. The GPS coordinates for the site are 25 11.675’S, 30 58.425’E. Site is at a small weir and bridge near Swartfontein Institution.

16:00 to 18:00: Do same at site as previous site.

18:00: Go to frogging site upstream of the SASS5 site (2km).

18:00 to 20:00: Do frogging there. Perhaps we will find the new species. We will need to use an electrofisher there if available. As far as I know the new species is only known in its tadpole stage.

20:00: Finish

Publicado el noviembre 13, 2019 11:12 MAÑANA por loonatick loonatick | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

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