Wilkinson's World

Archive for December, 2009

The Godfather

He was known throughout the bulbul kingdom of Khorixas as “The Godfather”.  Wise beyond his years, he was the acknowledged guardian of the tribes folklore; he alone had access to the collective wisdom of their collective ancestors. Well, that‘s what he said and although some of his elders felt that a lot of his stories were just that –stories, he was big, strong and ruthless. And so no bulbul in Khorixas ever challenged his claim to the wisdom of the ancients. Besides which, he attracted a lot of young ladies to the group…

The Godfather

Periodically The Godfather called his flock together so that they could enjoy a few of his stories, and although this was seen by some as an exercise in self indulgence and self aggrandizement as The Godfather was usually the hero of his own stories, even if they were supposedly set at some time in the past.

This particular morning, though, was different.

No water in this pool!

His kingdom, as he liked to think of the 1000 square metres occupied by his flock (because that made him a King!), was in the grip of a severe drought. The heat was intense, day after day, but it had not rained for weeks. Or months even. Most of the bulbuls couldn’t remember when last it had rained. Not surprising, really; most couldn’t remember what happened yesterday. But The Godfather could remember and that, too, set him apart from his fellows. Not much point in claiming possession of all this wisdom if you couldn’t retain the memories.

No rain for months, and all the standing water was long gone. Not a dam, not a puddle remained.

The enthralled audience

So the lesser bulbuls heeded his call, dropped what they were doing and gathered in orderly fashion to listen to The Godfather.

When there was water

“There was a time”, he began, without preamble, “when there was water here at Khorixas. Not just a few drops of dew hanging from the branches – I’m talking about enough water to swim in!”

There were gasps of amazement from the listeners. Some gasped at the thought of so much water, some gasped because they had just heard a new word – “swim” and some gasped because the others were gasping and they didn’t want to feel left out. The youngest gasped in dismay because he had thought they were gathering for lunch, not for some far-fetched story about water.

Sharing with the weavers

“So much water,” The Godfather went on, “that we shared it with our friends, the weavers.” More gasps.

“Since when are we friends with the weavers?” some thought.

“What’s a weaver?” some thought.

“When’s lunch?” the youngest thought.

The Godfather (again!)

“ And now…” a dramatic pause. “The weavers have returned the favour!

“A few minutes ago I met with my counterpart amongst the weavers, and she led me to a source of water!”

What was “a source of water?” The youngest thought. He knew about Tomato Source. Worcester Source. Even Tabasco Source. But “a source of water?” And why would you want to turn water into a source anyway?

Inspecting the water-tree

“I have been to see this water,” The Godfather said proudly, as if he had discovered the origin of the River Nile. “And it is wondrous to behold!” He paused for effect.

“When’s lunch?” the youngest thought, missing the drama of the pause.

“It doesn’t run along the ground, this water,” The Godfather explained, “or lie still upon the ground in the form of a puddle. No.” Another pause. “There is a little silver tree growing from the ground without any branches or leaves and this tree spits out the water! Clean, cool water!”

There really is water!

The oldest bulbul rolled his eyes. A silver tree without branches that spat water. What bulbulsh*t!

“And I shall take you all to see this magical tree right now!”

“Can’t we go after lunch?” thought the youngest.

And so The Godfather led the group across the desert to the silver tree that spat out water.

The eldest bulbul visits the water-tree

“I will perch on this oddly-shaped stem”, he announced, “and you can all check the water yourselves.”

“What’s an oddly?” thought the youngest. “Pear-shaped I understand. Pyramid-shaped I understand. But oddly-shaped?”

The eldest was the first to approach the tree after The Godfather, as was his right. Lo and behold! There was water. Not a lot, to be sure, but a steady drip. Not enough for a bath, but, if you showed some patience, enough to drink.

Yes, the presence of water in confirmed!

“You are right, Godfather,” said the eldest, looking up at the leader. “This silver tree spits water! It is a miracle!”

The Godfather smiled. “And just in time for Christmas. I shall call it the Tree the Angels Provided or a TAP for short.”

The eldest bulbul leaves to spread the word

“I shall spread the word,” the elder said as he sped off from the Silver tree. “We now have our own tap.”

“Great,” said the youngest, finally speaking aloud, “we have a tap. Perhaps we can have lunch now?”

If you’ve browsed our website you will know that Rob loves cycling and has covered many kilometers on his bike in Southern Africa, Australia and Nepal.   There are times when his hobby is a bit of a strain for me – like when he cycles for hours on his static trainer in the house or when I have to massage his weary muscles with Arnica Oil after a long ride – but there are many benefits for me as well.

As the sole member of his back up team I get to spend a lot of time waiting at the side of the road for him.  I usually drive about fifteen to twenty kilometers ahead and wait for him to catch up.  After checking that all is well, or perhaps sharing a cool drink or a cup of coffee, I then proceed to the next waiting point.

The road less travelled ...

The back roads of Namibia are an absolute treat for this, especially as I like to photograph the scenery and meditate in the silence of the deserted countryside.  And deserted it is; we may not see another car for hours! But in the silence I never know what nature is going to offer me in the way of birds, animals and beautiful vistas.

In the early morning the baboons own the road

There’s something about being out there, totally alone in the wild, that lifts the spirits and restores the soul.   I can so understand why cyclists like to take to the quiet of country roads.

Watched by a black-backed jackal

The Namibian country roads that I’m referring to are not in game reserves, they are ordinary public roads flanked by extensive farms that are home to animals of every description.  Unfortunately one also encounters evidence of the harsher side of life when one comes across animals that have been hit by speeding cars.

Kudu have notoriously bad road sense

The countryside has a harsh beauty all of its own.  It’s here that I take deep breaths and fill my lungs with fresh air.

Nothing ahead but grass and sky

The birdlife is quite amazing and whenever I choose a place to stop and wait for Rob, the decision  is usually influenced by a bird I’ve seen perched in a tree or an animal nearby.

An immature raptor keeping a wary eye on me

The quiet early mornings on the roads less travelled, moving at the speed of a casual cyclist enjoying the warmth of the sun on his back, gives one the time and opportunity to reflect on subjects profound or subjects superficial. And that in itself is a rare commodity.

The only time that the Tsauchab River has any water in it is after exceptionally heavy rains, and in the Naukluft region of Namibia that is very rarely. The “river” is approximately 100 km long and is best known for the spectacular Sesriem Canyon, which it has carved through the sedimentary rock over the millennia, and for the usually dry lake called Sossusvlei, in the very heart of the Namib Desert. Sossusvlei marks the end of the Tsauchab River’s abortive attempt to reach the Atlantic, for here it is blocked by some of the biggest sand dunes in the world.

It is on the banks of this ephemeral river that the Tsauchab River Camp is situated.

Approaching the campsite - dry, barren and not very inviting

The driveway to the reception area of the Tsauchab River Camp is decorated on both sides with metal animals and the like, assembled from oddments from cars, tractors and who-knows-what-else, welded together. Some of the assemblages are easily recognized, some are a mystery to all but the creator. Yes…But is it art? Hmm.

? Common ostriches

? Kudu

? Springbok

? Owl

Whatever your view of the scrap-metal creations, don’t let them put you off. The campsites are magnificent! I think that they must rank as the most spacious campsites in all of Namibia – the campsite that we stayed in had no fewer than three separate areas in which we could camp, and no fewer than three separate toilets. Some of the toilets are not strong on privacy, which is not terribly important in view of the isolation of the campsite.

There are a few gaps in the toilet walls...

...and sometimes there aren't enough walls!

Clear instructions for using the toilet!

And some allow limited activity. I assume that it was a courtesy to the ladies that this was shaped and positioned like an ordinary toilet and not like the urinals that usually populate gentlemen’s facilities.

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The main ablutions, though, is built between the multiple trunks of an enormous ficus and is of the highest standard. Step inside and the fitments and cleanliness would do a good hotel proud.

Campsite and ablutions built into the fig tree

One section of the Tsauchab River along this stretch is fed by a spring, and the pools contain water all the year round. Because of this, there is a stretch of riparian forest, mostly of wild figs, that is home to a multitude of birds and provides delightful walks through the deep shade. The channel of the river shows evidence of the flash floods that are a feature of much of Namibia, and the roots of some of the fig trees have been well exposed through the erosion of the river banks.

Roots exposed by erosion

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In the evening we were treated to magnificent sunsets and were greeted in the morning by a slow parade of kudu along a ridge overlooking the campsite. In the absence of other campers in the vicinity we felt especially privileged to share these experiences in the absolute quiet that is such a rarity in the city.

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This is a spot definitely worth a visit.

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Familiar chat at Tsauchab campsite

So what does a housewife ironing in Windhoek have in common with troops who fought in the Gulf War in Iraq?   Believe it or not it is the infamous camel spider.  These spiders have been known to bite soldiers in the Middle East and as a result, many myths and legends have surfaced about them.

As I said, I was busy ironing when I noticed a movement across the floor next to me.  On closer inspection I saw what looked like a ferocious cross between a spider and a scorpion.  Not being too partial to having spiders or scorpions on the loose around the house I decided to catch it and photograph it before releasing it in the bush, which I duly did with very little resistance or aggression from the arachnid in question.

The Camel Spider

Two years later I have been able to identify it as a Solifugid, also commonly known as a camel spider, wind scorpion or a sun spider.   Solifugid means ‘escaping from the sun’.  In Southern Africa it also has the name of “baardskeerder” which translated means beard cutter – apparently they have been known to cut human and animal hair to line their underground nests.  According to numerous write-ups on the internet this weird creature is greatly feared, mainly due to the many myths that abound about its terrible bite and its aggression towards humans.

I was interested to see that there are a number of websites dedicated to camel spiders – sites that perpetuate the myths and others that try and set the record straight.  Some of the rather bizarre stories circulating about these creatures are that they are lightning fast and can move at speeds of over 30 mph;  that they carry scorpions on their backs (hence the name camel spider); that they scream as they chase a person and that their bite can cause dreadful damage to human flesh.

In truth, they are much slower and move at a top speed of 10 mph, which is still pretty fast for a spider of this size.  Their venom is not poisonous to humans, but if a bite gets infected then obviously the wound will turn nasty.  They do not scream at or chase people, but they do like to keep up with one’s shadow to keep out of the sun, which may give the scary impression that they are chasing someone.  Their enormous jaws are used to kill and chew their prey, which mostly consists of insects, spiders, small rodents and lizards.

Urban legend or not, it is a rather scary-looking creature and I’m glad that my encounter with it was peaceful and didn’t end up with me getting more than just a nice photograph.

Postscript: I have since been able to photograph a male camel spider.  As you can see, it is much smaller than the female in the picture above.   This is a macro shot which shows up his beautiful head of red hair.  I’m still not sure how I had the courage to get that close!

Our focus on this website is predominantly on birds and birding, but we have spent many delightful hours watching the squirrels that are found in Namibia and Botswana.  The two varieties that are prevalent here are the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris), found mainly in the dry, semi-desert areas and the little tree squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi), which mostly favours woodland areas.

Cape ground squirrel

On visits to the Kgalagadi TF Park and the Central Kalahari, this year, we came across scores of the Cape ground squirrels and had to drive very carefully to our campsites because they had completely undermined the road with all their burrows.  Living in little colonies, they share the burden of keeping an eye out for predators.  They appear just as comfortable standing on their hinds legs as walking around on all fours.

Typical burrow area

Identifiable by their white stripes

We saw a banded cobra take refuge in a squirrel burrow when we stopped too close to it, but squirrels also often share their living space with mongoose and meercats.

An unwelcome visitor in a squirrel burrow

The ground squirrel’s diet is varied and apart from eating seeds, pods, insects and whatever else they can catch, they are also partial to bread and other foodstuff that generous campers offer them.   Bigger than the tree squirrel, the ground squirrel is easy to recognize as it has a white stripe down its side and an enormous bushy tail.  The tail, when lifted, serves as a sunshade.

Now guys, don't be jealous .....

The tree squirrels are shyer than their bigger cousins and tend to live in smaller groups.  We found them much more difficult to pin down for photographs until we went to Savuti in Botswana, where the little critters virtually took over our campsite and we had to hold down all our food and snacks.  They had no qualms about coming into the caravan, car and even onto an occupied chair to pinch some nuts.  We were amused at how they picked up nuts and carried them long distances to store, before coming back for more.

Here, there and everywhere

What a cutie!

The little one pictured above was brazen enough to nibble my toes before climbing up my leg and onto the chair.

At the Island Safari campsite in Maun, we were fascinated to see how the tree squirrels almost mobbed a puff adder as it slithered through the campsite.  Together with the birds they made quite a noisy fuss about the danger that this snake presented to them.