Life Wonderings of a Nature Lover: February 2020: Sitamani Country Diary

A touch of autumn colours in the exotic trees was visible from the first week of February, with cooler mornings. The highest temperature recorded was 29 Celsius and the lowest 8 Celsius, the total rainfall measured was 235.5mm, 21mm more than January.

There was a glorious sunrise on the 6^th and

the last of the waning moon on the 22^nd was also a very special sunrise.

The hillside has a lush covering of grass, though many have not seeded this year.

Low lying mist in the valleys created a serene view.

Bright orange Kniphofia and pink Watsonia spikes shone in the yellowing grass.

 

A highlight was seeing a

Common Sandman, Spialia diomus ferax, butterfly for the first time, feasting on an Ascelpias albens.

Gaudy Commodores, Precis octavia sesamus, are definitely our most common butterfly, seen throughout the year. I saw one in its winter form, but the orange summer form are still around as well.

There were many moths species, Emperor Moth species, Family: Saturniidae;

a Hawk Moth species;

and several I have not yet identified.

A lovely Lacewing was seen in the kitchen.

On an early morning wander I saw several dew laden spider webs.

 

On Saturday 22^nd a storm blew up quickly with strong winds and the following morning I found

a Malachite Sunbird nest on the ground, sadly the egg within had broken.

Fairly recent residents are a pair of Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, which are common endemics, the bright plumage of the male is eye-catching.

 

One evening the beautiful male Common Reedbuck came and grazed close to our living room window in the mist.

I saw him again on a bright sunny morning,

and disturbed a young male and female a few minutes later,

sharp whistles and then fleet footed, they ran further along the hillside.

A Striped Skink watched from his rock perch.

 

Three different orchids were flowering during February:

Disa patula var. patula,

 

Habenaria pseudocilios and

 

Neobolusia tysonii.

 

Some of the other flowers seen were:

Berkheya setifera,

 

Crassula vaginata,

 

Gladiolus ecklonii,

 

Helichrysum umbraculigerum,

 

Hesperantha baurii,

 

Hibiscus trionum,

 

Indigofera hedyantha,

 

Inulanthera calva,

 

Kniphofia laxiflora,

 

Pelargonium luridum,

 

Polygala refracta,

 

Rubus ludwigii fruit,

 

Schizoglossum bidens subsp. bidens,

 

Schizoglossum bidens subsp. pachyglossum,

 

Senecio subrubriflorus,

 

Tephrosia macropoda,

 

Watsonia confusa and

 

Zaluzianskya microsiphon.

 

I’m always intrigued by the

Star Stinkhorn, Aseroe rubra, a rather striking fungi with a strong, unpleasant smell.