Wildlife on your windowsill

They don’t nibble rosebuds or dig up bulbs in the lily bed, which is already a good reason why some residents prefer the smaller wildlife in their gardens. Watching the antics of reptiles can be as rewarding as counting the stripes on the side of a zebra.

Summer is on the way and the days are getting longer. The first Yellow-billed Kite of the season arrived in the Ambers on 2 August and by the middle of the month are to be seen and heard around daily. The first White-throated Swallow was recorded near the Auditorium on 19 August. The weavers are busy establishing their breeding colonies though there is not much grass available for nest building!

HERBS.....HERBS.....HERBS

At our last meeting the large appreciative audience were totally fascinated with the presentation on the use of herbs by Geoff Makin from Petersgate Herbs. As he said – you can eat them, drink them, bath in them and control the bugs – and more – the list is endless! Having established their enterprise near Lidgetton many years ago, Geoff and his wife, Karen, have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on the rearing of these magical plants which occupy a first-class place in our domestic environment.

Crane magic

During July the Karkloof Conservation Centre on Gartmore Farm became the sundown destination of choice for many Howick residents drawn by the spectacle of large numbers of cranes coming in to roost at the pan at one of the bird hides. On 2 July several members of the club travelled together to the site where we counted 20 Wattled Cranes and 53 Grey Crowned Cranes, as well as more than 150 Sacred Ibises. On my last visit I counted 25 Wattled Cranes and two flocks of Crowned Cranes settling at the pan as well as in an adjoining field. Listening to their melodious calling in the deepening dusk are moments to treasure.