Settling In

This post is about the sights and sounds of the first week in PMB.

Fly Emirates.  Airbus A380-800

Firstly, the Airbus A380-800 dreamliner. Oh yes. That made for one comfortable 19 hours from Auckland to Dubai, with a brief refueling stop at Sydney.  I managed to get a quick shower then steal an hour of sleep on the cold tile floor of the Dubai airport then another 10 hours down to Durban.

The local South African falconers and post graduate students have been so generous and have made settling in a breeze. Despite having to race around to secure a new flat on arrival; getting the place furnished is now mostly sorted, apart from the prospect of getting a bed that’s primary function isn’t a couch.  So this is my new ‘granny flat’ - a feature of South African houses, namely a small self contained unit tucked away somewhere on the larger property, where the parents or the maid could live onsite.

My first night in the flat I become acquainted with my live-in tenant, a solidly built house gecko (species unidentified).  Just tonight I had an invading moth, one that was quickly dealt to by my new favourite cold-blooded friend.

**ammend with species name here** suggestions welcomed

 The main house is rented out by five young professionals, nice folks, and you will be pleased to know that this property also has FIVE cats in residence.  Seems like after my last post/rant, karma is dealing a swift and decisive blow and insisting upon my tolerance of these critters.  Though I did offer to my cat loving flatmates that I could bring around an eagle to take care of their cat infestation, which got a few laughs. I think maybe they thought I was kidding.

There is a fenced, restricted access recreation park opposite the house, with a sports field and some nice dog-walking trails thru indigenous trees.  My own little semi-private birding paradise, I will try and get some cracking photos of the resident pair of hoopoe – for Noel.

The flat is only 10 minutes walk from my university postgrad office! Mostly across the university, and cutting across green space, where it seems is the hangout spot of a long-crested eagle, among other raptors seen cruising around, like this gymnogene on the walk home the other evening.

Gymnogene (or Harrier-Hawk)

The view from my office window

The familiarity of the African soundtrack puts a giddy smile on my face all day long.  Waking up to Bulbul song, and various doves cooing throughout the day.  Although not musical, the ubiquitous Hadada Ibis is still a novelty. From the University grounds, a morning at the PMB Botanical Gardens, and my backyard - the species list is climbing and already at 54.  Crowned Eagles are not yet on that list, but the field trip tomorrow with Bruce Padbury will change that - as we are out and about to GPS several nest sites.

Finally, bats have featured heavily in my wildlife excitement these first few days. Every evening I sit outside and watch microchiropterans flitter about the silhouetted trees against a twilight sky.  Meanwhile, there is a roost of fruit bats in a quiet spot against the Botany building next door.'

Fruit-bat roost against the Botany block

Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit-bat  Epomophorus wahlbergi