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More than 230 bird species have been identified on the property. Birdlife on the farm is actively promoted, by the planting of bird attracting trees and other plants. Re-vegetation of the old lands is also underway using trees and shrubs found in the area and if possible taken from plants actually on the property. This is an on-going task, and we are involved with the "Working for Water" project in reducing the infestations of these aliens. |
We are developing a number of walks around the property that take advantage of the various biomes that can be found. These include grassland, savannah, bush (Sourveld) and the rocky ridges. However many of the birds can be seen around the garden. Details of monthly sightings are kept, and bird lists are available if you would like to record your sightings.
The garden is being designed to provide a number of varied habitats. All of which are "water wise" to reduce the pressure on the underground aquifer which is tapped by our borehole.
Our herbs and vegetables are grown in an "organic" regime, for inclusion in our preserves and other products. We use no chemicals and sprays, insecticides or herbicides and grow everything in as "water-wise" manner as we can, collecting rain water for irrigation.
Birding has been a passion of ours for many years, and was one of the main reasons why we chose to live in the Barberton region.
Thus to see the changes we have wrought bringing in new species is tremendously rewarding. It will be an on-going process certainly, but it is not too difficult to make those changes, initially on the scale of the garden and immediate environs, but, with time, over the rest of the farm. This area has, according to the Bird Atlas, and verified by the local birding community, around 400 species on the local list. This is due in part to the fact that the sub-tropical lowveld is one of the best regions in South Africa, but locally there are a number of different biomes which can be readily accessed. There are scattered Forest remnants – all that has been left for us by the insidious spread of plantations. Grasslands in the mountains (with the same proviso concerning plantations). Bush and rivers in the lower basin. Each with their own mix of species. |
On Aloe Ridge we have a mix of Bush (Sourveld) and rocky ridges with the previously arable land we are rehabilitating providing grassland with scattered trees.
We conduct walks on the farm, and also some local tours in the vicinity to some of the biomes as mentioned. We have contacts with a number of other establishments in the area and are always looking for different experiences.
We are fortunate to have room for a fairly large garden and a number of separate areas where we can establish differing habitats and types of garden.
Most of the layout has been with two ideas in mind:
1. The attracting of as many bird species as possible.
2. Retaining the beautiful and varied views we have over the Barberton ‘basin’. We would like to engender and encourage an atmosphere that seeps into one’s soul and replaces the stressful feelings we all have (yes, even us if we are not in the garden). Find some hidden little spot under a Fig or Marula looking out on a vista dominated by bush in so many shades of green. Or cool down around the swimming pool on a really hot lowveld day. Perhaps just wander in the evening as the birds begin to feed again along the paths we have made around the garden or in the farm as a whole. |
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We have removed almost all of the alien vegetation from the garden, and the immediate environs, but there were areas that were heavily overgrown with – usually and inevitably – Lantana. A number of bird species that prefer the dense undergrowth, having no regard whatsoever to the conservation of indigenous plants, thought these areas were perfect, and Robin-Chats, Scrub Robins, some Bush-shrikes and other ‘skulkers’ abounded. We have replaced these undergrowth areas with the indigenous equivalents such as Tecoma capensis and this is now starting to provide their requirements and we have been able to listen to their calls again around the house. We have to try to maintain a balance between ‘natural’ and ‘tended’ parts; though in all honesty even the parts which we count as natural do have to have quite a lot of work done in them to keep away the invading aliens such as bugweed, lantana and seringa. Interspersed with these low, dense areas we have tried to plant trees and taller specimens, all of course with some bird attracting properties. Most are either berry or seed bearing, but some like the Weeping Boer-bean (Schotia brachypetala) have beautiful flowers with lots of nectar. Sunbirds love it.
One area of dense infestation in one of the ridges on the farm has been host to that most elusive skulker at least as far as I am concerned – the Gorgeous Bush Shrike. I am almost reluctant to get in there to clear the Lantana and potentially drive it away.
Now it is quite possible on some early spring mornings to sit for 2 or 3 hours and see and hear 40 species in the garden due we believe to the variety of habitats and foodstuffs we have provided.
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We took over the farm in 2004 and so most of the over 170 trees, shrubs and other flora we have planted are still small, but in the Barberton environment growth is as rapid as the plant can sustain - just add compost and stand back! There are two rocky ridges that run through the farm and lie on the eastern and western sides of the garden. These are the perfect places for Aloes and other succulents. They grow naturally in this specific environment – hence the name of the farm: Aloe Ridge. We have expanded the garden fencing to include the overgrown and abandoned parts of the ridges and included the areas that had the most Berg Aloes (Aloe marlothii) which are an irresistible focus for Sunbirds in winter and smaller birds for nesting in summer.
These have been cleared, rehabilitated and are now planted with many Aloes and other succulents. As all our water is from our borehole, we want to be as ‘water wise’ as possible and the majority of our plants are established with this in mind. An inevitable follow-on from having some topography in the garden is to create some form of water feature. This is taking the form of a number of small ponds linked by a stream leading down to a larger pond and wetland area. This presents another opportunity to plant different vegetation and attract a whole new range of birdlife. At present the only water birds we see are the occasional Hamerkop who peers disdainfully at our swimming pool disapproving of our attempts to keep it clean and frog free, and a number of birds who use it as a plunge bath including the Paradise Flycatchers and Woodland Kingfishers. We have plans to put reeds and water lilies in the main pond which will at least give the fish that we hope to introduce a chance to hide from marauding herons.
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The open, grassy areas with trees – mostly Paperbark thorns (Acacia sieberana), Marula (Sclerocarya birrea), Figs (Ficus ingens) and Bushwillows (Combretum collinum) provide space and nesting sites for the birds, but most of all places to just sit and relax if one wants. We have planted many more trees which will add to the shade and to the secluded areas already being utilised for these purposes. There are many places to stop and just gaze or sit and read or slow down and just chat. Not all the garden is surrounded by trees, and there are places where we have left spaces to look out and see the surrounding hills and appreciate the sun setting over the ‘Devil’s knuckles’ on the hills of the Barberton Mountainland. If luck is really with you, you might even catch a glimpse of our resident troop of Dwarf Mongooses playing under the watchful eye of a lookout stationed on a rock nearby or feeding around the rocks on the ridge.
The herb garden is a favourite part where many insects feed and pollinate our herbs. There are a number of small ‘microenvironments’ that we use to grow herbs of many origins with differing requirements in terms of sun, shade, water and soil conditions. You can select some of the culinary herbs for your breakfast or herb teas and smell the others we use in toiletries (shampoos and cleansers etc.). All grown in a fully organic regime; our kitchen garden too is totally organic, just taste the difference.
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Birding and Tours
The farm (66Ha in area) had about 40% arable lands that had not been worked for some years, and this area was busy regenerating to grassland and thorn scrub. There were uncontrolled fires every year, and this had taken its toll on the land. With the exception of scrub removal, we have left this process to continue. We cut as much of the grass as possible every year prior to it burning and leave much of the grass as mulch. This has benefited the small animals – rodents and so on which has lead to an increase in raptors and other predators in the area. We have left some of the larger Paperbark thorns to form some areas of ‘woodland’ and we are planting other appropriate trees with them. This includes various Fig species in the rocky areas, White Stinkwood, Bushwillows and some other Acacias. As we find trees in the natural areas in seed we try to collect some to grow and replant. Supplementing in the vicinity of the garden by bought specimens; all needless to say bird attractive. The trees in the open areas now quite regularly host a hunting Long-crested Eagle or occasional Jackal Buzzard. Brown Snake-Eagles have been seen in the kopjes and the African Harrier-Hawk is often observed hunting through the thorn trees.
The remainder is seemingly pretty natural bush, with the exception of areas still over run with Lantana. Paperbark thorn and various Combretum predominate, along with other trees we have not yet identified. The grassland birds have certainly proliferated with large flocks of Red-collared widowbirds, and some Cisticolas, with the Cloud Cisticola having been positively identified last year for the first time.
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There is thus a varied selection of habitats that hopefully should attract differing bird species, and indeed we have seen the increase over the last 2 or 3 years. We keep a monthly list (I am an inveterate lister) and to date have seen some 230 species in and over the farm. We are planning on some water features too which will add another dimension we hope. We plan to have a reasonable size pond in the lower part of the garden below one of the ridges that define the area. There is room for something of the order of 8m x 10m. We plan to make it with shallowly sloping edges for part of the rim, but with deeper areas too. Vegetation will be planted around it and especially on a small promontory into it. This should we hope give nest sites for reed loving birds as well as more water bound ones such as Rails and Duck. The river (Suid Kaap) runs on the northern boundary of the farm about 1 km away, so we anticipate that some water birds that are there may be tempted up here. Some White-faced Duck were seen to land at a large puddle which developed in the preliminary excavations, so there is room for ‘opportunistic’ influx. There will be some smaller ponds and even plans for a wetland area at the overflow of the pond
We have planted more than 170 trees, shrubs and plants in the vicinity of the house, and this has added another habitat. Especially as we have been feeding in the garden area too (more of that in a moment).
There are a number of paths through the property, and we are trying to implement some more that traverse the different environments. It is quite difficult to keep them open in summer as the grass can grow to 2m in height, but one can walk down to the river via a couple of round trips. This can be rewarding as the path goes into some relatively pristine bush (classified as Lowveld Sourveld by Acocks). Bee-eaters abound, with White-fronted always present, European in summer, and even Carmine Bee-eaters have been seen twice.
The small river has a weir just downstream of our boundary and African Black Duck, Reed Cormorants and Green-backed Night-Heron are often seen in the open water or surrounding reeds. Black Crake and the odd Wood Sandpiper occur too.
The fires which usually occur as a result of deliberate actions by people walking across or nearby cause great damage and we would love to reduce them to a controlled, timed exercise, but this is unlikely at the moment despite firebreaks and mowing grass. It does give rise however in the aftermath to some birds not usually seen at other times, Spotted Thick-knee and over wintering White Storks among our regular vistors.
We have had numerous fascinating encounters with some – to us – unusual species. We are regularly visited by Denham’s Bustard, which seemingly has taken to the increase in small rodents in the fields as that is where we always see it. A Secretary bird stalking through recently burnt ground, and then remaining in the area for some time, spending a lot of time in the crown of a Paperbark thorn, made us think, somewhat optimistically I suspect, that it may be nesting. This was never 100% proven, but at the time we were not living on the property, and could not watch in sufficient detail. We have on some 4 occasions in the 3 years we have been on the farm more often, seen a Bathawk. 2 of the sightings were very fleeting, but the others were for longer periods, and included Anne seeing it perched in a nearby tree. There is no better motivation that we can find for sitting on the stoep or anywhere in the garden for that matter, at sundown with a Gin & Tonic than the slight chance of seeing it again! The Bathawk adds a whole new dimension to sundowners, but it is not the only reason we have recently put up a bat box to encourage the bats that we have resident here.
We have a number of nesting logs in various locations, and these have seen the usual inhabitants, Barbets being the most common. However a pair of Violet-backed Starlings showed a lot of interest last year. The female was seemingly ensconced inside, but the male then was observed in an unusual behaviour that we could not explain. He would bring some green vegetation to the branch to which the nest box was attached and then proceed to wipe it over the branch and surrounding area, the material would then be disposed of. Then he would repeat this including in some instances ‘wiping’ the nest log and even inside it. The material appeared to be grass but we could not be certain. This was seen for a few days, and then they abandoned the log and did not use it at all.
As part of an environmental degree I have been involved in for the past few years through UNISA, I had to carry out a project on the behaviour of birds. The particular project I undertook involved an investigation into the feeding habits of species attracted to seeds in a garden feeding situation. There were a number of variables that were investigated, such as the height above ground that species preferred, and whether they preferred an open or bushy situation. Anyway, it involved enforced watching, identifying and recording numbers and species over a period of some months; I did 21 hours in total. Needless to say this was not a major hardship.
Whilst the census was the main task, it was interesting to watch other behaviour too. One of the more unusual activities was noted when some non seed-eating species used the feeders as sites for still hunting. It became clear that there was some form of hierarchy involved. If a Black Flycatcher used the feeder, most species would carry on at least after an initial exodus. However a Fork-Tailed Drongo would clear the feeder for some time, though the birds – most commonly Village Weavers and Bronze Mannikins would be in the shrubs close by. The most notable reaction was to the Brown-hooded Kingfisher; everything disappeared and would not return until long after the “Boss” had left. The only other time this was noted was the one occasion that a Grey-headed Bush-shrike sat for a few minutes surveying the garden.
We have had as much pleasure from the birds on the farm as we had hoped, and trying to ‘design’ the area to include as many bird-attractive points is a continuing project. We have been delighted to see the rewards of the time and effort put into the removal and replacement of the degraded vegetation that are starting to appear. It is of course still work in progress, and will remain so I suspect, meanwhile those evenings on the stoep watching the final flurry of activity will be a never diminishing source of wonder.
We are registered with the Local Tourism Authority, and have a list of “What to do in Barberton” with contacts too for those things we do not provide.
However if it is relaxed birding you enjoy, there is only one place to recommend! Aloe Ridge Guest Farm.
To view the latest bird sightings click here.
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