Category: Ecology

Beach, Cape Town, Coastline, Ecology, Forest, Nature, snorkeling, South Africa

Free Diving in the Kelp Forests of South Africa

South Africa is endowed with a rich bouquet of natural attractions to pamper to every outdoor enthusiast’s needs and even boasts one of the six floral kingdoms, the Fynbos Floral Kingdom, which is the smallest and one of the most diverse with thousands of endemic species. In terms of floral habitats, South Africa is an over acheiver. Succulent Karoo, Afro-montane Forest, Nama Karoo grassland, coastal … Continue reading Free Diving in the Kelp Forests of South Africa

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Ecology, Garden Route, Guided Nature Trail, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Science, South Africa

The deception of colour.

Ever since I read ‘Seven deadly colours’ I have been fascinated by colour presentation of the multitude of fauna that exists. Often, the colour of an animal is not actually a pigment, but a sophisticated means of tricking the viewers brain into registering something very different to reality, a means of disguise. Then there are species with elaborate structural colours (one of the 7 colour … Continue reading The deception of colour.

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Day walk, Ecology, Garden Route, Guided Nature Trail, Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, SANParks

Nature Talks : Honey Badgers dig up a subterranean swarm of bees.

The past five days have been a hive of excitement on the farm. On a morning walk I discovered that a subterranean swarm of bees in a termite mound had been excavated by what appeared to be a Honey Badger. Keen to check if it would return for a second night of feeding, I set up some trap cameras around the termite mound.I got lucky … Continue reading Nature Talks : Honey Badgers dig up a subterranean swarm of bees.

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Ecology, Flowers, Garden Route, Photography, South Africa

Colour changing Crab Spider

Masters of Ambush. Crab Spiders are the epitome of ambush predators. They hide in flowers and wait for pollinators to alight for a meal and conduct their essential services. Then with a slender thread of silk anchoring themselves to the flower, they launch on the busy insect, bite into their thorax and inject a concoction of toxins to both immobilize and predigest their prey. Changing … Continue reading Colour changing Crab Spider

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adventure, Day walk, Dogs, Ecology, Flowers, Forest, Fynbos, Garden Route, Gardening, Outdoors, Photography, South Africa

Wildlife in my Garden

In Search Of Little Things of Significance. As we enter our second week of isolation, our routine has established to include two daily walks around our property. Not only an opportunity to get some exercise and let the dogs romp around, it has become a quest to find new and interesting wildlife. Hidden between the various stands of vegetation, there is an incredible world of … Continue reading Wildlife in my Garden

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