As we all know, spring is upon us and with spring arriving, it brings many changes to the African bush. In a recent blog, Patrick Grealy touches on a few of those changes, but there’s a more intricate chain reaction that occurs that I find particularly fascinating. This is the chain reaction that occurs after the first spring rains.
The air shifts before the first raindrop falls. Clouds roll in over the horizon, heavy with promise. The smell of the damp earth is carried across the landscape by the breeze. And then “tap,” the first raindrop falls, and the bushveld stirs. Very recently, we have just had the first bit of rain for the season.
A storm builds at sunset. The wait for the first rains is nearly over.
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The Earth Drinks
Within minutes, the parched soil darkens, soaking up the moisture it has waited months to receive. Small rivulets flow down old animal tracks, and seeds that have lain dormant for months swell and split, sending delicate green shoots towards the sky. Knobthorns and marula trees push out tender new leaves almost overnight, transforming the dull winter landscape into a sudden, luminous green. A process that seems to start off slow, steps into a higher gear when the first rains arrive.
Every year at the end of winter, knobthorn trees break out into a dazzle of yellow as their flowers blossom. The flowers emerge before the leaves.
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The insects swarm
The soft patter on the ground masks another sound, the flutter of tiny wings in the thousands. Termites erupt from their mounds in synchronised flights. Dragonflies skim the surface of newly formed puddles. Mosquitoes begin their whiny patrols and dung beetles tumble clumsily through the air. The air starts to hum with life, and for every insect, a predator is waiting to eat it. Although this is one part of the changing seasons that many people do not look forward to, the increase in insect activity plays an incredibly important role.
Winged ants swarming on a hot spring day
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Birds Converge
The buzz of insects brings out the best in the bird life at Londolozi. The arriving migrants swarm to the skies in search of their next meal. Bee-eaters swoop, rollers flash their flying colours, and swallows descend on the erupting termites. Francolins and spurfowls forage along the damp roadsides, seizing every insect and grub that has been stirred by the rain. The bush is suddenly loud with songs and calls, every species taking advantage of the feast while it lasts.
After a few minutes watching this Lilac-breasted Roller peck at the Bushveld Rainfrog, it finally speared the frog with its beak.
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Reptiles and Amphibians awaken
For myself, this is my favourite part of the newly dampened bushveld. The puddles are barely a few centimetres deep before the chorus begins. Bullfrogs, reed frogs and tree frogs call in unison, each male trying to be heard above the others. From their hidden burrows, leopard tortoises emerge to drink. At this point, the chain reaction is really starting to gather momentum.
A leopard tortoise takes to the streets to quench its thirst after a long winter tucked away in a burrow.
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Mammals Shift
Grazers start to spread out, no longer tied to the few remaining waterholes. Impala, wildebeest and zebra gather on open crests where the grass is now rich and fresh. This dispersal changes the game for predators as well. Lions begin to patrol further afield, and leopards shift their movements to shadow that of the prey animals. Wild dogs take to the open crests to take advantage of the soft, quiet ground to hunt at speed.
The calm before the storm. 5 members of a wild dog pack scan their surroundings from an open crest in search of their next meal.
The rains, though they begin as a single drop, ripple all the way to the top of the food chain. A leopard’s belly, full from an impala kill, is the final link in a cascade that began with rain drenching the thirsty ground. In a few weeks, the pans will shrink and the insects will fade, but in the meantime, the first rains are welcomed with open arms by each and every organism in our ecosystem. From the dormant grass seeds to the apex predators, the rains will be greeted with open arms.
Absolutely magical. It is spectacular enough just in our suburban yard so I can just imagine the excitement, anticipation and joy felt by the bushveld.
Thanks Bryce for the appetizer.
A wonderfully poetic description of the first spring rains. I wish I could write as well.
One can nearly smell the damp earth, hear the birds calling and singing and I remember how we were once covered by a million termites all flying out of their mounds.
A wonderful time of the year for the bush and the animals and people, these first rains.
Hi Bryce, how beautiful the blooming knobthorn tree looks! I had never seen it. Water bring life, water is life. From the smallest bacteria to the largest trees and mammals. It seems that termite and ants are very sought after, by pangolins, aardwarks but also many birds, reptiles and amphibians. As impala are the key animal in wild dogs’ diet (I read a recent study), and, to a lesser extent, in leopards. I never heard of an old impala if not in captivity… this is a bit sad, but nature has its balance. The opening photo is amazing. I like the leopard tortoise so much, in the picture it seems to smile and talk… and the lilac brested roller is one of my favourite bird, you are lucky to have them around to grace the landscape and sounds and be part of a perfect ecosystem. Where I live rain has been pouring down today, and I’m just happy. Vegetation shine and, the day after, insects buzz and birds sing and gather…
Hi Bryce, this time of season is so special, seeing ever animal, bird and insect come to life after a dry and cold winter. Rain is the giver of life, to everyone. Watching the bush come to life after the rains have fallen is a mesmerizing view. Love you photos of the Roller and especially the tortoise. Bullfrog and other types of frogs will start calling know. What a wonderful transformation from bare dry ground, to moist grasslands, flowering tress and rivers and dams filling up.
It’s always a relief and exciting when the first drops appear after a long, hot summer or in your case winter. As you’ve experienced, the air thickens with the promise of rain and on the opposite side of the world those first drops are a tease of what’s to come. The results seem to be universal, as the parched earth gives way to the first signs of life and the chain reaction begins once again. So enjoy the changes that result from the early rains in the bush, as summer is just around the corner.
I’ve experienced those early rains a few times during my visits – the gathering clouds, the distant lightning, the expectancy in the air, the first crack of thunder – awesome. We don’t get thunderstorms much, if at all, in northern CA so it’s an exciting experience every time!
Beautifully written, thank you Bryce.
A riot of life. We have always visited during the dry season, but are planning a future visit during this time. Beautiful post, Bryce.