Ruckomechi Camp - July 2007
08 Aug 2007
Staff
This month has been a busy month here at Ruckomechi and we have all been kept on our toes with lots of interesting and friendly guests and some awesome animals sightings too. Sibs and Kevin have continued to give our visitors more than they bargained for with exciting and informative activities while Bryan and Mathew have happily paddled their way safely downstream every three days on the Mana Canoe Trail.
The camp, led by Caro and Garth and assisted by Lindsay, Shayne and Alistair, has been active and the team cheerful and busy. Sherrie has as always provided a neat and welcoming camp to the weary canoeists at the end of each day on the river, making sure they return to a hot shower and a delicious meal. The staff at Ruckomechi and Mana Canoe Trails continue to put all their efforts into making this camp a place to remember for all our visitors and they strive to create a warm and happy atmosphere for all.
Weather
It would seem that the worst of winter has passed and we have definitely got off lightly this year with temperatures not falling much below 12°C. The nights have been a little chilly and the campfire a welcome respite for our guests after a breezy night drive. Mornings have seen beautiful blue skies and enough wind to clear most of the haze from bush fires away. The Zambian Escarpment towers over the river and provides a majestic backdrop behind which the sun sinks slowly every evening.
Vegetation, Landscape and Zambezi River
The bush has become very dry and most of the waterholes are now patches of hard mud and cracked earth, all the inhabitants having had to move away slowly but surely. There has thus been a marked movement of animals, both large and small, toward the river and the better grazing and food it offers along its banks. The grassy floodplains on either side of the camp are always frequented at any time of the day by large numbers of waterbuck, warthog, impala and elephant.
The albida trees are in full pod now and all manner of creatures are taking advantage of this succulent food source as the pods fall to the ground. The grove of trees within the camp grounds draws in small herds of elephant and these patient creatures mingle with the staff and guests on a regular basis throughout the day.
The river level has remained high all month and the current very strong and fast flowing. Most sandbanks have been submerged more than ever before and the usual weekly fluctuations in the water level have not been as visible as they were earlier in the season.
Wildlife News
Animal sightings for July aside from the species such as impala, waterbuck, warthog and hippo that are sighted daily were as follows: lion, leopard, wild dog, honey badger, eland, kudu, elephant, hyaena, buffalo, cheetah, porcupine and zebra.
Leopard have been spotted regularly around the camp surrounds and Shayne was pleasantly surprised one afternoon to have one of these beautiful male cats approach his house and mark its territory against a tree in full sight of him having a rest on his afternoon off. This same leopard has been walking through the camp late at night on most nights and one lucky guest was awake in the early hours of the morning and spotted the cat slink past her bedroom window. On an early morning ramble past the workshop area Alistair followed a drag mark from the river's edge to find a half-eaten baboon up a tree. This unsuspecting creature had obviously been caught from behind while it was drinking from the river and was dragged about 400 metres by the leopard and eaten up a tree behind the staff village. Interestingly, there were signs of a large crocodile having followed the drag mark right up to the base of the tree.
The two lion cubs have been venturing out into the open more often and a regular sight this month was the two of them playing on the top of termite mounds while mom rested in the shade nearby. Towards the end of the month two strange male lions arrived in the area and were seen trying to approach the females with the cubs. This encounter was heralded by a lot of loud growling and snarling from two very apprehensive females who quickly shepherded their cubs off in another direction. That night our two resident "boys" arrived back in the area and saw the interlopers off, reclaiming their place by the ladies' sides.
Shayne's house was once again the sight of action one evening when the two male lions killed and ate an impala right in front of his front door while the guests watched with Sibs from the vehicle not far away.
A snow-white kudu calf has been spotted on a few occasions in our concession of late. It is still suckling from its mother and stands out like a beacon when seen with the herd. This calf may not be a true albino as its eyes are not the distinctive pink indicative of an albino and the condition is more likely one known as leucism which results from a recessive gene. Regardless we fear for its survival with every predator being able to spot it so easily at night.
Hyaena have been more evident than usual and sightings are normally of more than one of these secretive animals at a time. One morning Garth, Lindsay and Caro spotted three of them come down to the mouth of the Ruckomechi River and roll around in the mud and have a long soak in the shallow water there. The three hot creatures quenched their thirst in the muddy water and having covered themselves in the black, sticky mud they then walked off and melted into the long grass again.
An impressive herd of 42 eland have been sighted on the concession. This herd includes a large nursery group and they seem a little shy and seek refuge in the thick riverine vegetation when vehicles come by. A group of bulls have been browsing around the staff houses at night, the distinctive clicking as they walk past heralding their arrival each night. The Mahogany trees are all starting to show a clear eland browse line in the area in front of the camp and around the waterhole.
Birds and Birding
For the month of July a total of 173 bird species were recorded.
We were delighted to see the arrival again this season of the African Skimmer. These are seen flying fast just over the surface of the river while they dip their lower mandible just beneath the surface, cutting a narrow wake and scooping up small fish. When not foraging they are resting on the sandbanks and can be approached quite easily by boat for photographs. We expect them to soon start nesting on these sandbanks.
Caro and Courtney were excited to spot a Pel's Fishing-Owl one evening near the Nyakasanga mouth. This tawny-coloured owl is a rare sight and is seen along the river where it feeds mostly on fish, frogs and even young crocodiles. This owl was seen sitting on a high river bank and it flew into the canopy of an Acacia tree when we approached by boat.
Downstream of camp along the Zambezi, Bryan spotted an African Finfoot on a canoe trip along Chikwenya Island. This is again a rare sighting, this bird being an uncommon resident and quite shy.
The birds in the camp grounds have been very active this month. The sound of woodpeckers in the tall trees is not uncommon in the quiet hours of the afternoon: Cardinal, Bearded and Golden-tailed are all present in the camp. Eastern Nicators are quite common too and can be seen skulking in the low bushes around the living room area most afternoons. The evening song of the Collared Palm-Thrush continues to thrill us and these little birds are becoming so tame they now move around between our chairs at the tea table, unconcerned by the people moving around. A Black-throated Wattle-Eye pair regularly visits the Mahogany tree above the dining room table and their position can be easily pinpointed by following the clicking sounds they make as they forage in the tree.
Guest Comments
"Staff are great - experience was great - we had a blast - thank you all". - B Family
"Kindness and professionalism of everyone here. The approach to the wilderness here perfect, we lived it from the inside" - G&AR
"Good selection of animals and a beautiful location of camp site. Very well equipped huts with lots of charm; all in all - just great." - O&ER
Midway through the season we all look back with pride and laugh at the good memories and the good times everyone has had here. As we get busier we look forward to seeing more and more spectacular animal sightings and having more guests to share it all with. The river flows endlessly and each day brings something new to watch and marvel at.
-Caro-
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