Ken Borland

It was late May and the Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve looked dry and worn-out as the harsh Highveld winter began to take its toll on this area of great peace and tranquility nestled in the suburbs of eastern Pretoria, below the Bronberg ridge.

The Rademeyerspruit, a tributary of the Moreleta River, runs through the reserve and one of the highlights of this suburban oasis is the Flufftail Hide, which overlooks a secluded little vlei area at the bottom of the hill on which the main entrance is situated.

But there was just a trickle of water to be seen and the only avian activity was some die-hard but non-breeding Southern Masked Weavers hanging around, flying between the tops of the reeds. What leaves were on the trees were dry and the veld was all dry, yellowing grass.

But close to the hide, next to the path leading from it, stood a tall, densely-branched Bluebush (Diospyros lycioides) with barely a leaf remaining from its autumnal shedding.

Suddenly there was a flash of bright yellow, like a torchlight in the gloom of all the dull winter colours, as a pair of Blackthroated Canary arrived at the top of the Bluebush. The yellow comes from their rumps, by far the most vivid colour on an otherwise rather drab grey, brown and black bird.

The ‘black throat’ is really just a smudge of black and is more obvious in the males. The Blackthroated Canary generally prefers drier conditions than its fellow Crithagra species, the Yellowfronted Canary, but is nevertheless often near water.

After a little while the pair flew off, making their charming, cheerful, high-pitched twittering & chirping calls.

Before leaving the general vicinity of the hide, I caught a glimpse of a Bushbuck, just before it dashed away into the riverine vegetation.

Heading back up the hill into the grasslands, a group of Redfaced Mousebird were flying between the bushy patches as I made my way towards the path that connects to the Duiker Route. A very large Leopard Tortoise was parked just off the path right at the junction.

The Duiker Route heads around to the east and then up the hill into some denser vegetation: a thicket of woody species but with a variety of grasses in the understorey.

A Browncrowned Tchagra sat briefly on a low, horizontal branch and then dived into the long grass and tangled thicket below the Blue Guarris, Searsias and Wild Olives. These tough, hardy evergreen trees are characteristic of the Highveld grasslands.

A Barthroated Apalis briefly appeared, casting a curious pale eye our way, before it skulked back into the thicket; only to reappear moments later at the tops of the trees, where it went flitting about the canopy.

A Karoo Thrush was also lurking about, before it slinked off into the undergrowth.

As a great time just being in nature in one of the most popular walking spots in Pretoria drew to a conclusion, the close interactions continued as a Common Ostrich wandered about near the path, next to the parking lot. It had been a fun 75 minutes with much to see and enjoy in this healthy eco-system, never mind the abundance of fresh air in a safe location!

Supporting these green areas in the heart of suburbia is so important, and this 100 hectare reserve is certainly an exquisite little treasure.

Where is Moreleta Kloof Nature Reserve?

Sightings list

Laughing Dove

Blackeyed Bulbul

Southern Masked Weaver

Blackthroated Canary

Bushbuck

Redfaced Mousebird

Leopard Tortoise

Browncrowned Tchagra

Barthroated Apalis

Cape White-Eye

Plains Zebra

Karoo Thrush

Common Ostrich

CAPE ST FRANCIS, Eastern Cape – Ockie Strydom woke up on Friday morning and thought it was going to be wet and miserable at the St Francis Links, but it ended up being a happy day for the 37-year-old as he was sitting high, and dry, at the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf Series event there.

Strydom shot a five-under-par 67 on Friday to go to 11-under for the tournament, leading Dylan Naidoo, who also shot a 67, by one stroke.

“When I woke up this morning, I thought it was going to be a very wet day and driving to the course, I kept wondering if I should turn back and get my rain shoes,” Strydom said.

“In the end I didn’t drive back and it was as wet as it can be when we started the round. But it actually turned into a lovely day in the end. It was overcast, but the wind largely stayed away, until it came up a bit again with five holes to go on the back nine.”

Strydom, who began the day one stroke off the lead, made a quiet start to his round with just a single birdie on the front nine, coming at the par-five third hole.

It was actually a bogey – his only one of the day – at the par-four 11th that gave birth to an astonishing run of five successive birdies from the 12th that gave the Serengeti Golf Estate golfer the lead.

“I made sure I played good golf into the wind, but on the first nine I kept hitting all my putts short. Then on 11 I had a 15-foot birdie putt and I told my caddie there’s no way I’m leaving it short. So I hit it eight foot past and then missed the putt coming back,” Strydom explained.

“So I had a harsh little chat with myself walking to the next tee, I thought I must get something going now, take advantage of being downwind and give myself a cushion for the last hole when you’re back into the wind.”

Apart from Naidoo, the other golfers chasing Strydom on the final day will be Doug McGuigan (67) on eight-under-par and Hennie O’Kennedy (68) and Keenan Davidse (67) on seven-under.

Strydom has been leading many times before and he knows what he has to do.

“I’m just going to do the same as I’m doing at the moment. Try keep the ball in play and hit the greens. If I can make five putts, be five-under tomorrow then I’ll be in with a good shout. I must just be patient,” Strydom said.

The amazing thing about the Marakele National Park is you drive through the entrance gate into the Acacia bushveld – areas of dense dry thornbush interspersed with more open grassy or shrubby areas – just over a thousand metres above sea level, seeing arid country specials like Pied Babbler and Great Sparrow; and less than 20 kilometres away you can be in the mountainous vegetation, reminiscent of the Drakensberg, of Lenong Peak, at an altitude of more than 2000 metres.

From the arid woodlands of the western parts of the park, one is transported into a different world of low cloud and windswept grassland with almost alpine vegetation and four different species of Proteas.

There is a viewpoint at the end of the Lenong Drive, making the daunting single-lane mountain pass along a concrete track all the more worthwhile.

We had already seen Cape Vulture, soaring high overhead, the third bird we saw driving through the entrance gate earlier that morning, after bushveld regulars Chinspot Batis and Southern Black Tit.

But apart from stunning scenery, the Lenong viewpoint, at an altitude of 2039m, also provides the most convenient view of the Cape Vulture breeding colony: at about 800 breeding pairs it is one of the largest in the world for this threatened raptor.

It is both a serene and exhilarating sight to see these large scavengers floating and wheeling around the cliffs across a valley to the south-west of the viewpoint.

Just as thrilling was to discover an inquisitive pair of Buffstreaked Chat hopping around the small rocks at our feet. This striking bird is a familiar resident of the more moist Drakensberg grasslands and this population in the Waterberg is isolated.

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They were joined by a male Mocking Chat, standing proud with his glossy black plumage glistening in the sun, Cape Rock Thrush and busy Cape and Cinnamonbreasted Rock Buntings on the ground.

But it was the Chats that stole the show and my wife Lauren gave the spot the entirely fitting name of ‘Chatty Corner’.

Descending down the mountain, there was still another high-altitude specialist waiting for us in the form of a Striped Pipit, at 1791m above sea level (a.s.l.), which flew off the road and into the grass and rocks alongside.

Red Hartebeest were also enjoying the lengthy highveld grasslands close to the road.

Descending still further down the hairpin bends of Lenong Drive, at 1375m a.s.l., the rocky outcrops and shrubby grassland is ideal habitat for rock thrushes, but it was still unexpected to come across the Short-Toed Rock Thrush, which is apparently only sporadically found in the Waterberg. But there it was with just a hint of white flecking on the forehead and, of course, the blue-grey mask stopping at the throat rather than on the breast as in Sentinel Rock Thrush.

I was relieved to only come across our first Elephant once we had returned to the plains, with their open tree savanna and rich grassland around the wetlands, along with patches of thicker woodland. I have had the misfortune of having to reverse down the steep narrow pass at pace while being chased by one of those behemoths, which is far from a peaceful experience.

Heading back to our rustic but very comfortable thatched chalet at Griffons Bush Camp, one heads back along the base of the very mountains that not so long ago we were summiting.

The thornbush shrubland and deciduous forest, which is rather dry in May, starts to give way to more moist savanna in the shade of the cliffs. Passing through areas with more substantial understorey, I was delighted to see the secretive Coqui Francolin, South Africa’s smallest francolin.

Back at Griffons, we were given a warm welcome by Foxy the tame Meerkat, who doesn’t mind a scratch but does have quite a nip on him!

The broadleaved woodland around Griffons is a good place for bird parties foraging through the canopy and lower down, and seeing White Helmetshrike and Greyheaded Bush Shrike clicking and working their way up from the ground to the crowns of the trees, was a highlight, as was the presence of a Striped Kingfisher.

Sightings List

Chinspot Batis
Southern Black Tit
Cape Vulture
Forktailed Drongo
Blackbacked Puffback
Warthog
Southern Boubou
Cardinal Woodpecker
Brubru
Great Sparrow
Crested Barbet
Pied Babbler
Blue Waxbill
Black Flycatcher
Southern Masked Weaver
Tsessebe
Blue Wildebeest
Plains Zebra
Yellowbilled Hornbill
Giraffe
Ostrich
Goldenbreasted Bunting
Arrowmarked Babbler
Blackeyed Bulbul
Grey Lourie
Rock Martin
Chacma Baboon
Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting
Buffstreaked Chat

Cape Bunting
Cape Rock Thrush
Mocking Chat
Streakyheaded Canary
Striped Pipit
Red Hartebeest
Familiar Chat
Yellowfronted Canary
Short-Toed Rock Thrush
Elephant
Rattling Cisticola
Striped Kingfisher
Helmeted Guineafowl
Impala
Nyala
White Helmetshrike
African Hoopoe
Coqui Francolin
Greater Kudu
Speckled Mousebird
Yellowthroated Sparrow
Meerkat
Greyheaded Bush Shrike
Cape White-Eye
Redbilled Woodhoopoe
Glossy Starling

Former Springbok Lionel Mapoe has swapped the aquamarine seas around Nice for the dry winter of the Highveld and will make his return to the Bulls side on Sunday for their Currie Cup match against one of his former teams, the Lions, at Loftus Versfeld.

Born in Port Elizabeth but schooled at Fichardtpark in Bloemfontein, Mapoe made his senior rugby debut for Free State before joining the Lions in 2011. He had a stint with the Bulls from 2013-2015, before returning to Ellis Park, from where he made the Springbok side for the first time. While earning 14 Test caps, Mapoe also spent three years playing for Kubota Spears in Japan.

He moved overseas permanently in 2019 to play for Stade Francais, but when Covid-19 forced the Top 14 franchise to cut their roster, Mapoe joined third-tier club Stade Nicois, who are based in the French Riveira city of Nice.

But Bulls coach Jake White has now snapped him up and is delighted to be able to add him to the other gems he has in the midfield – Cornal Hendricks, Harold Vorster, Stedman Gans and Marco Janse van Vuren.

“Lionel is very talented. As I’ve said before, I’m big on combinations and a team spending time together, and our win over SA A reaffirmed that. Harold and Lionel would have spent many hours playing and training together at the Lions and it will be nice to see that combination back together again. Cornal has played a lot of rugby on the wing, we know he can play in several positions.

“Cornal can now come into play in different places, we can use him in different ways and he’s a dangerous guy to have to defend against. Lionel and Johan Goosen are quick too so we have a team with real pace and hopefully we can move the ball around and use it. Lionel can play on the wing as well of course, but he and Harold could make a great centre combination if we lose Cornal to the Springboks,” White said on Friday.

The Bulls’ forward selection is resonant with the need to break down the Lions, which White said is always a tough task even though their neighbours are coming off a defeat to Griquas.

“The Lions are the one side we haven’t really played well against, we just haven’t been able to click against them, we never really get the ascendancy. I think it’s because a lot of them know this environment and our style of play, they tend to stay in the game for a long time and they can score quickly. They have played consistently well against us.

“Simphiwe Matanzima did very well scrumming against Vincent Koch in the SA A game and he’s incredible on his feet and with ball in hand. Jacques van Rooyen held his own at tighthead and Johan Grobbelaar played really well too. A guy like Elrigh Louw wants to play eighthman like Duane Vermeulen and I would like to see him there too, Muller Uys can also double up there,” White said.

Bulls team: David Kriel, Cornal Hendricks, Lionel Mapoe, Harold Vorster, Richard Kriel, Johan Goosen, Zak Burger, Elrigh Louw, Muller Uys, Marcell Coetzee (Capt), Ruan Nortje, Walt Steenkamp, Jacques van Rooyen, Johan Grobbelaar, Simphiwe Matanzima. Bench – Schalk Erasmus, Gerhard Steenekamp, Mornay Smith, Janko Swanepoel, Nizaam Carr, Keagan Johannes, Chris Smith, Sibongile Novuka.