Kirstenbosch - a Closer Look.

[Lisbeth]

An otter in Kirstenbosch

[Toko]

Kirstenbosch - Haven of Biodiversity

Full document here: Download Havens of Biodiversity (PDF), a booklet describing biodiversity in the nine National Botanical Gardens of South Africa.

Natural vegetation types present in the Kirstenbosch NBG include Peninsula Granite Fynbos, Cape Winelands Shale Fynbos, Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos and Southern Afrotemperate Forest.

More than 125 birds have been recorded in Kirstenbosch, including some not seen in other national botanical gardens. These include the endemic Forest Buzzard, Osprey, Striped Flufftail, Kelp Gull, Hartlaub’s Gull, Knysna Warbler and Common Chaffinch. The Common Chaffinch is an alien species introduced to the Cape Town area from Europe by Cecil John Rhodes in 1898, but has never become invasive and remains in a small population. The Orange-breasted Sunbird and Protea Seedeater are found in both Kirstenbosch and the Harold Porter NBG. Birds that occur in all three of the Western Cape NBGs include, amongst others, the Ground Woodpecker, Cape Bulbul, Cape Rock-Thrush, Familiar Chat, Karoo Prinia, Common Starling, Cape Sugarbird, Swee Waxbill and Cape Siskin. The resident Spotted Eagle-Owl is often seen in trees along the Camphor Avenue

Kirstenbosch is home to several amphibians such as the endemic and Critically Endangered Table Mountain Ghost Frog (Heleophryne rosei), found only along forest streams on Table Mountain. Annual monitoring surveys on the habitat and tadpole populations are conducted by CapeNature in late summer when stream levels are at their lowest. The frog is threatened by reservoirs (affecting stream flow), water abstraction, invasive alien vegetation and erosion. The rotund Cape Rain Frog (Breviceps gibbosus) that burrows near bushes or logs in fynbos has also been recorded in Kirstenbosch.

The butterfly and dragonfly/damselfly fauna of Kirstenbosch is not well known and has to be surveyed. The Table Mountain Beauty or Mountain Pride (Aeropetes tulbaghia) has been recorded in Kirstenbosch and is the only known pollinator of the Red Disa (Disa uniflora) and is very fond of red or orange flowers. Despite its common name, the butterfly is not restricted to Table Mountain and in fact occurs on mountain ranges as far north as the Soutpansberg in the Limpopo Province.

Since dogs were banned from Kirstenbosch, both the Grysbok and Caracal have become more visible in the Garden. Grysbok are small antelope endemic to the southwestern portion of South Africa that are predominantly browsers, relatively more active at night than during the day and independent of a water supply. They are
predominantly with thick scrub bush and dense cover.
Other mammals visible to visitors include the naturalised Grey Squirrel, Large Grey Mongoose and Small Grey Mongoose. While rats and mice form their principal diet, puff adders form a favoured prey item of the Large Grey Mongoose in the southwestern Cape. The Small Grey Mongoose is predominantly insectivorous, with rats and
mice, carrion and birds also ranking high in their diet. The Grey Squirrel, also known as the American Grey Squirrel or Northeastern Grey Squirrel, was introduced to Groote Schuur Estate by Cecil John Rhodes around the turn of the 19th century. Within southern Africa, their habitat requirements include the presence in sufficient numbers of one or more of their staple food-trees, which include the oak (Quercus robur) and three species of pines (Pinus pinea, P. pinaster and P. canariensis). Several other mammals have been recorded in Kirstenbosch but are generally not seen by visitors due to their nocturnal habits. These include various bats, the Striped Polecat, Cape Porcupine and Small-spotted Genet.

While several snakes have been recorded in Kirstenbosch, little is known about its lizards, skinks, chameleons and geckos. Snakes recorded in Kirstenbosch include, amongst others, the Cape Cobra, Mole Snake, Berg Adder, Rinkhals, Aurora House Snake and the Boomslang.

Fifteen molluscs (snails and slugs) have been recorded by staff of the Natal Museum (Pietermaritzburg) in Kirstenbosch (mainly from the base of Skeleton Gorge and from Nursery Ravine), of which nine are exotic, including the Hedgehog Slug, Field Slug, Brown Garden Snail (Helix aspersa) and Banded Garden Slug. All introduced slugs in South Africa are thought to have originated from Europe, almost certainly arriving amongst imported plants.

I am looking forward to have these wonderful species displayed here, all of them The challenge is on, Michele and nan

[Toko]

Garden Acreae butterfly

36 beautiful butterfly species are recorded from Kirstenbosch

African Clouded Yellow
African Grass Blue
African Migrant
African Monarch
Boland Brown
Brown-veined White
Bush Bronze
Cabbage White
Cape Autumn Widow
Cape Black-eye
Citrus Swallowtail
Common Diadem
Common Dotted Border
Common Hairtail
Common Hottentot
Common Zebra Blue
Cupreous Blue
Dwarf Sandman
Fynbos or Vivid Blue
Garden Acraea
Geranium Bronze
Gold-spotted Sylph
Grassveld Sylph
Jitterbug Daisy Copper
Meadow White
Mountain Sandman
Orange-banded Protea
Painted Lady
Palm-tree Night-fighter
Pea Blue
Rainforest Brown
Spring Widow
Table Mountain Beauty
Western Hillside Brown
White-barred Charaxes
Window Acraea
Yellow Pansy
Yellow Zulu
Yellow-banded Acraea
Zebra White

[Michele Nel]

OMW ...so many things to find and photograph...:)

[Michele Nel]

Here is another Butterfly - Citrus Swallowtail.



I have a busy weekend but will post when I can...

[Toko]

Oi, that's beautiful - the flower is a Common Agapanthus or Blue Lily Agapanthus praecox

The blue matches with the butterfly's eyespots - how cool is this

[Lisbeth]

Very cool, Toko The pic is superior, Michele

[Pumbaa]

Awesome flower and birdie shots, Michele and Lisbeth

[Flutterby]

Simply lovely!

[Michele Nel]

Thx again everybody.

This evening I am going to share my little Cape Batis family with you. One doesn't always see the Cape Batis - they are rather shy and tend to forage in the dense trees unnoticed. Imagine my delight when I came across Mommy Batis.....



Daddy Batis ( of course he was the biggest show off of the lot. :) )





and Baby Batis ( well possibly teenager..;) )



Some days you just get lucky. :)