What happened at Dunefields?
We were delighted to welcome Mini Buettner to Dunefields. Here she is passed out on the couch in the exact position that a leopard would be sleeping in a tree. In her time here, Mini did not let anything walk past the house without her noticing. She not only kept an eye on us working outside, she also kept a careful watch on the talkative chickens playing in the rain. Jan and Holly got the idea that Dunefields might just be her favourite home, and we can’t blame her for loving it so much.
The house-warming party at the Buettners was most enjoyed by all the guests. Not only was there a lot of good company but also great food that was catered for by Ilali Restaurant. It is always fun having a party with the Buettners.
This young male bushbuck blessed Jan with his presence for a good couple of minutes while munching away in the valley. This was an absolute clock-stopping moment shared between Jan and this bushbuck who both appreciated each other’s calmness. This encounter goes to show that the bushbuck know that the Dunefields team does not pose a threat to them but that we rather create a safe haven for them. We welcome all animals and we look forward to having many more of these memorable encounters.
We carefully removed a bee colony that has moved into the back of the shed. The bees were placed into a bee box and will provide us with honey in about a year’s time. Bees are important pollinators of the inconspicuous fynbos and thicket flowers, and just like all animals, bees serve an important role in the ecosystem. Bees generally go as far as 3 km to forage for pollen and nectar, and it will take one bee visiting 4000 flowers to make one table spoon of honey.
A beautiful deck was built along Paradise Trail which will bring everyone great enjoyment whether we are enjoying a mid-hike snack or a steamy morning coffee while observing the gannets, dolphins and whales.
Thanks to the Buettners, the roads on the reserve have all been strategically and thoughtfully named. The Buettners also mapped our road system which definitely eases navigation. Engraved road signs have been planted on the side of the roads, and we could not be happier with the result.
Not only do the Buettners have a way with words (in naming the road system), but Holly also has a great artistic talent. Holly painted the most incredible map of the road system in such great detail. Here she is hard at work painting the dolphins and the ocean with an actual great view over the ocean for inspiration. At Dunefields we make a great team, and we pride ourselves in the fact that each of us bring something different to the table.
Here the team is busy chipping the dead branches of rooikrans (an alien invasive tree species) that were removed from Paradise Trail. The chipper was strategically positioned onto the road to cover the road with the wood chips while they were at it
Who Calls Dunfields Home?
The Southern Cape Fire Protection Association assisted us with clearing a fire break along the eastern boundary of the property which provides a means of access in case of a fire, but can also slow down a fire (less extreme fires) as the gap between the vegetation breaks the continuity of the fuel (the vegetation) in the event of a fire.
Here Tiaan took the bush cutter to trim the vegetation on the roads. It is important to commence this mechanical clearing closer to the winter months when there are not as many ecological processes being disrupted as in summer (when many more flowers and grasses are supporting the insect and bird populations). It is important to remember that our actions as humans on earth impact nature, and that something as simple as considering nature in our time of executing our proposed activities make a great difference.
Wood chips have been used to cover the roads to prevent topsoil erosion. This is an ongoing process which will cover most roads.
Tiaan and Zanri attended the Annual General Meeting of the Paradise Ridge Conservancy (PRC) of which Dunefields form part of. The PRC is made up of multiple landowners on the Ridge ensuring that the natural environment is protected from large-scale development or mining. Tiaan and Zanri were invited to both present talks on two important topics relevant at Dunefields: the effect of fire on dune thicket vegetation, and the importance of Cape gannets in our bay. The talks were well received, and we look forward to future collaborations.
Everyone at Dunefields is extremely proud to announce that Tiaan has been awarded his doctoral degree (PhD). We are grateful to have him on the team with a background in nature conservation, and a wealth of knowledge on the ecology of dune thicket vegetation systems.
Who Calls Dunefields Home?
Tiaan was privileged enough to spot two African paradise flycatchers here at Dunefields. These birds are intra-African migrants who move in search of warmer parts of Africa during the winter months.
The Cape flightless dung beetle is one of the largest dung beetles in the world. It is currently classified as Vulnerable to extinction mainly due to the loss of large herbivores and habitat fragmentation isolating antelope populations (on which the beetles depend for food and reproduction). These beetles only occur in a number of places in South Africa and now on Dunefields which is quite amazing. Both male and female beetles roll the ball with their back legs while being in a hand-stand position.
Is this individual a moth or a butterfly? Give it some thought, and then find the answer at the end of this monthly report. This animal might look extremely beautiful, and we might think it was wonderfully made but the appreciation for them really grows when one looks a bit deeper… Have you noticed the two spots on the wings? If you use your imagination, will you believe us when we say it is called eyespots? Eyespots mimic the eyes of predators so it acts as an anti-predator defence, but also acts as a fake target, so when a predator attacks, it goes for the large spots missing the vital organs and head of the moth. Nature never ceases to amaze.
We are so blessed with the diversity of animals at Dunefields – from insects to mammals to birds, here is a Jackal buzzard which is a bird of prey, meaning they predate on other birds, small rodents and snakes. The presence of the birds of prey that we have been noticing these past month means that the ecosystem is healthy throughout all levels, from the primary producers to the secondary and tertiary consumers. Their presence is a great sign from an ecological perspective.
We conduct daily marine observations to determine the Cape gannets’ temporal use of the bay. This month our results were rather unexpected and extremely interesting. The dispersal of juveniles post fledging is understudied in South Africa, and therefore we were delighted to see more than 70 juveniles at one time in front of Dunefields after they fledged from Bird Island, Algoa Bay
earlier this month. Juveniles are easily distinguished by their black/brown colour compared to the white plumage of the adults. Juveniles face a difficult time not only having to gain experience in catching fish, but also catching enough fish to actually gain weight. We were astounded to see so many juveniles diving and working together to catch their prey. This serves as great insight on such an understudied topic. These data that we collect are vital in aiding an understanding of the post-fledging activities of this species classified as Endangered to extinction.
When looking at the veld, it might look like just a lot of greenery, but it is only once we look closely that we get to see all the diversity, and appreciate the array of life it holds. Those who take the time to get sensitized to nature get blessed with the realisation of all nature has to offer. It is then that we really stand in awe and appreciate it for what it is – so much more than just greenery.
The animal with the eyespots is a moth. A moth has its wings in an open position while resting, unlike a butterfly which keep its wings upright while resting.