Dargle Wildlife Sightings Autumn 2022 


Rainbow over the Dargle - Kathy Harrington
 

Welcome to the Autumn Dargle Wildlife Sightings!

Please enjoy the images which our wonderful Dargle Conservancy members and residents have sent in to us to share with all of you. Make sure you check out the upcoming activities section, as there are some very interesting walks, talks and presentations happening in the coming months that you do not want to miss out on.

**Please book with Jenny asap for the upcoming Crowned Eagles presentation this coming Wednesday, 20 April at Hebron Haven Hotel. A fascinating insight into these beautiful raptors, enjoy a delicious 2 course meal afterwards being served by their new head chef, Kirsty Horne Humphreys and reconnect with friends! Poster and further details below.

We also love receiving feedback from our readers, let us know if there is anything you feel we should include in future newsletters, or activities and events we could be encouraging in our wonderful Dargle Valley.

Please also spare a thought for all of those affected by the most recent storms and damaging floods in KZN. The Dargle has certainly experienced some major rains this year, damaging roads and farm lands in the process. Our hearts go out especially to the residents of the eThekwini area who have been hardest hit. 

Dargle Conservancy Volunteers

Barry Downard - Oak Tree Cottage



This male duiker felt like a snack of rose bush… standing on the verandah. We watched him for at least 10 minutes, and don’t know how long he had been there before we saw him. These pics were taken on 9 March. Sadly, yesterday we found a decomposing duiker corpse, and I suspect it is him. Not sure of the cause of death… a bit strange, because all four legs, the spine, and the skull were there, but no ribs were to be found.

The good news however, is that we think there are four duiker females (one is still a very young juvenile) spending much of their time in our garden.

Gail Wray - Selsley Farm

Full moon









 

 Late summer sunrise

Hannes de Bruin - Seasons Farm

Rainbow over the Umgeni River

Kevin Barnsley - Constantia Farm


The view I have missed for so long. Thanks to Grant Holbrook and Rudi Kassier for removing those 2 monster gums that have obstructed this view for so long. This is our gateway. There are a few other spots with unsightly trees and scrub that could really make our Dargle POP.

Leon van der Merwe

Sunlight on spider web with dew drops

Malvina & Evert van Breemen - Old Furth Estate

No enhancements! 






































All of 3 seasons in just one leaf

Michael Corlett - Hebron Haven Hotel

David Crookes - Copperleigh Farm


There is a green arrow pointing to the crab which had latched onto this young Grebe and wouldn't let it go!

Jumping Spider of the Family Salticidae

Michael Goddard

A very hairy caterpillar!

Ashley Crookes - Copperleigh Trout Cottages


Flooding this past season in the upper Dargle area. This is flowing into the Furth stream on the P130 gravel road


It might look like a waterfall...but this water is actually coming straight out of a farmers field! 


The roads took quite a battering, we had to wait about 20mins for the water to subside before
we started to drive across this section of the road.

Waiting it out

Bee Fly

The Bombyliidae are a family of flies. Common names include bee flies or humbleflies. Adults generally feed on nectar and pollen, some being important pollinators. Larvae generally are parasitoids of other insects.

Cherry-spot Moth, Diaphone eumela



 

Hippotion celerio, Silver-striped Hawkmoth
















Stroter intermissa














Nudaurelia wahlbergi, Wahlberg's Emperor Moth














The gateway to The Dargle - the iconic iNhlosane Mountain is ready to meet you!














With all the wet weather around, there is an abundance of mushrooms














Golden Orb Spider















Painted Reed frog - Can you spot the other wildlife in the picture? If you look directly below it's nose, there is a tiny critter right at the bottom of the image...














Carnivorous plant growing in the veld, about the size of a R5 coin.














Crab on the lawn defending itself














Precis octavia - Gaudy commodore mating (Blue is Winter form and Orange is Summer form)














Pink Everlastings














Dark Pink Everlasting growing in the veld














Tiny mushrooms (10cent piece size) growing from a dry cow pat

 












Rock formations 














iNhlosane Mountain at sunset














Sunset over our Mavela Dam














At the change of the season, we start to get spectacular sunsets in the Dargle!














Another beautiful end to the day.


Red hot pokers growing wild on the road verge