The season is turning at Londolozi, and it is the small signs that give it away first. They are everywhere, once you know to look for them.

The Yellow-billed Kites have started appearing overhead, and around camp we have already heard the familiar calls of Wahlberg’s Eagles. They are two of the many summer migrants that return to the Lowveld after spending the winter months further north. Their arrival is always exciting, but they are really only the beginning.

The knob-thorns are covered in yellow flowers, and I have even spotted a few lion’s eye flowers along the dirt roads. Slowly, almost without you noticing, the bush is beginning to change.

But there is one of the smaller summer arrivals I find myself waiting for more than most. The fireflies.

There is no date circled on the calendar for their return. Their appearance is dictated far more by the weather than the date. As temperatures rise and the first summer rains arrive, the combination of warmth and moisture creates the conditions the fireflies need to become active.

The strange thing is that they are not summer visitors at all. They never actually leave. During winter, when the evenings are cold and dry and the familiar flashes of green are nowhere to be seen, the fireflies are still here. They are simply not in the form we notice.

The glowing adults dancing above the grasses are only one stage of the life cycle. Fireflies spend much of their lives as larvae, living in soil, leaf litter or amongst vegetation, and depending on the species, they can stay in this stage for months, sometimes even years, feeding on small invertebrates and other soft-bodied prey. Eventually they pupate and emerge as adults, and that is when we get to see them.

Those flashing lights are not simply a pretty display. They are a form of communication, used mainly to find a mate. Different species have different flash patterns, and the males use these signals to advertise themselves to the females. Once mating has taken place and the eggs have been laid, the cycle begins again. So while the winter bush may seem to have lost its fireflies, the next generation is quietly developing out of sight.

When exactly we see them again depends on the season. Warmth, moisture and the summer rains all play their part, which means their arrival can vary from one year to the next. At Londolozi we generally start looking for them as spring gives way to summer. Once the rains have come and the bush turns warmer and more humid, the chances improve. By November into January, the Sand River can feel like a completely different place after dark, with tiny green flashes appearing amongst the grasses and along the banks.

And when they do return, it is almost impossible not to stop and watch. The sun drops, the temperature falls with it, and the sounds of the day begin to fade as the river settles into a different rhythm. Then comes the first flash, easy to miss. Then another. And another. Before long you realise the darkness around you has begun to sparkle.

The fireflies are back.

There is something about the changing of seasons at Londolozi that makes you start looking for the little signs.

They are everywhere if you know where to look.

The Yellow-billed Kites have started appearing overhead, and around camp we have already heard the familiar calls of Wahlberg’s Eagles, two of the many summer migrants that return to the Lowveld after spending the winter months further north. Their arrival is always exciting, but they are really only the beginning.

The knob-thorns are covered in their bright yellow flowers, and I have even spotted a few lion’s eye flowers flowering along the dirt roads. Slowly, almost without you noticing, the bush is beginning to change.

And there is one of the smallest summer arrivals that I find myself waiting for more than most.

The fireflies.

There is no particular date circled on the calendar for their return. Their appearance is dictated far more by the weather than by the date. As temperatures rise and the first summer rains arrive, the combination of warmth and moisture creates the conditions that fireflies need to become active.

But they are not summer visitors like many other species. They never actually leave.

During winter, when the evenings are cold and dry and the familiar flashes of green are nowhere to be seen, fireflies are still here. They are simply not in the form that we notice.

The glowing adults that we see dancing above the grasses are only one stage of their life cycle. Fireflies spend much of their lives as larvae, living in soil, leaf litter or amongst vegetation. Depending on the species, these larvae can remain in this stage for months, even years, feeding on small invertebrates and other soft-bodied prey.

Eventually, they pupate and emerge as adults.

And that is when we get to see them.

The flashing lights of the adults are not simply a pretty display. They are a form of communication, used primarily to find a mate. Different species have different flash patterns, and males use these signals to advertise themselves to females.

Once mating has taken place and eggs have been laid, the cycle begins again.

So, while the winter bush may appear to have lost its fireflies, the next generation is quietly developing out of sight.

When exactly we see them again depends on the season. Warmth, moisture and the arrival of the summer rains all play a role, which means their appearance can vary from year to year.

At Londolozi, we generally start looking for them as spring gives way to summer. Once the rains have arrived and the bush becomes warmer and more humid, the chances of seeing them increase. By November through January, the Sand River can begin to feel like a completely different place after dark, with tiny flashes of green appearing amongst the grasses and along the riverbanks.

And when they do return, it is almost impossible not to stop and watch.

The sun disappears.

The temperature drops.

The sounds of the day begin to fade, and the river takes on a different rhythm.

Then comes the first flash.

Easy to miss.

Then another.

And another.

Before long, you realise that the darkness around you is beginning to sparkle.

“The fireflies are back!”