Coming to life.

Got so close to these Eland that I got a shot of them with my cellphone

It's been so dry here that wildlife has been rather subdued. Last week we had a little rain (around 20mm), so on Saturday I decided to take a walk from my place, up and around Mount Prospect, to the Central area, looking for life!

I was not disappointed! In the five hours the excursion lasted, I saw Eland, Klipspringer, Mountain Reedbuck (twice), Grey Rhebok (twice) and a big bull Red Haartebeest! A rather good antelope count but not abnormal for up there, so no great surprise.

What was exciting, though, were the insects. I saw a whole bunch of flowers beginning to bloom and on almost every one them were numerous insects feeding and pollinating. Following is a little photo record of some of them:

An Ant on an Everlasting.

A Butterfly on a Wild Rasberry.

A Carpenter Bee on a Berkheya

A Crab Spider on her way to the flower of a Mikweed.

A Dung Beetle on Porcupine droppings.

Five different insect species on this Umbrella Everlasting.

A Fly and an Oil Beetle on a Xysmalobium.

Handmaidens on a Xysmalobium.

A Jumping Spider looking for some of these insects I claim are so plentiful.

This mating pair of Robber Flies actually flew up, attached together, and tried to capture another Robberfly to eat. The other Robberfly, after escaping, was extremely peeved and buzzed the pair over and over as if swearing at them! I now know that they will hunt even while mating!

Oil Beetle on an Everlasting

Beetle on a Rhynchosia

So even after such a meagre rainfall, life wants to happen. Come on drought! End already and let the life happen!