The loud "tchick tchick" call of the African goshawk is a common noise in Avery Ave. Sometimes it is flying high overhead, and sometimes it is perched fairly conspicuously in a big tree. No bigger than a dove itself, I have seen it kill doves by ambushing them in the air. Once a goshawk drove a dove into the side of our house, stunning it, and then it swooped in to collect the stunned bird, eating it on the lawn while our dogs watched - far too terrified to interrupt!The African goshawk
The loud "tchick tchick" call of the African goshawk is a common noise in Avery Ave. Sometimes it is flying high overhead, and sometimes it is perched fairly conspicuously in a big tree. No bigger than a dove itself, I have seen it kill doves by ambushing them in the air. Once a goshawk drove a dove into the side of our house, stunning it, and then it swooped in to collect the stunned bird, eating it on the lawn while our dogs watched - far too terrified to interrupt!
Progress Report on Land-use Contraventions in Constantia
The Barbarossa Resident's Group has been keeping tabs on land-use contraventions in the Barbarossa area, and I recently received a report from Plumstead City of Cape Town land use inspectors, sent by Joan Hemming of the CPOA, that details what has transpired (or in most cases, what not!).
Here is an extract from the report - things that concern us...
1 Doordrift Road, Constantia
Alleged contravention: This property is being used for offices.
Progress: A land use inspector did visit the property and gave them notice that they should cease to use the house for offices from 1 January 2008.
1 Spaanschemat River Rd, Constantia
Alleged contravention: This is the so-called 'pot house'. Apparently nothing can be done regarding the present usage as a pot storage facility as there is no trading taking place on the premises. However, it is possible that the National Building regulations can be invoked as this property definitely creates a negative visual impact on the surrounding environment.
Progress: No response received.
2 Doordrift Road. Constantia
Progress: A land use inspector did visit the property and gave them notice that they should cease to use the house for offices from 1 January 2008.
1 Spaanschemat River Rd, Constantia
Alleged contravention: This is the so-called 'pot house'. Apparently nothing can be done regarding the present usage as a pot storage facility as there is no trading taking place on the premises. However, it is possible that the National Building regulations can be invoked as this property definitely creates a negative visual impact on the surrounding environment.
Progress: No response received.
2 Doordrift Road. Constantia
Alleged contravention: Permission was given for a Doctor to use the premises while the current owner continued to live there. As far as is known, the Doctor never moved in and there is a sign on the property that says "Lloyds Property".
Progress: No response has been received.
Erf 464 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
Progress: No response has been received.
Erf 464 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
Alleged contravention: Premises being used as a veterinary surgery for which planning permission may not have been obtained.
Progress: No response has been received
Erf 469 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
Progress: No response has been received
Erf 469 Constantia Main Road, Constantia
Alleged contravention: Premises used as a nursery and a legal practice office. It is questioned whether appropriate planning permission has been obtained?
Progress: No response has been received.
Ladies Mile Extension, erf 2259, Constantia. (As well as the property adjacent).
Progress: No response has been received.
Ladies Mile Extension, erf 2259, Constantia. (As well as the property adjacent).
Alleged contravention: These are the two properties are two separate erven even though they look like one, they share a common gate and are situated next to the Telkom building. After a great deal of objections, approvals, appeals and so on, Province agreed to the sub-division of these two properties (which originally measured 1350 m) into three small plots on each. Because Ladies Mile Extension is a defined scenic route, conditions of approval were imposed. Among these was that the boundary wall treatment be visually permeable. To begin with it was, however, the development changed hands and the new owner, with no approvals as far as we know, not only built a high solid wall, he also added two gate houses.
Progress: Erf 2259 is as per plan approval. The plans were circulated to Town Planning who cleared it. It is one of those instances where the subdivision conditions were not released to the Planners or Zoning Section. There was spate of this a couple of years ago but the problem has since been addressed.
43 Ladies Mile Extension, Constantia
Progress: Erf 2259 is as per plan approval. The plans were circulated to Town Planning who cleared it. It is one of those instances where the subdivision conditions were not released to the Planners or Zoning Section. There was spate of this a couple of years ago but the problem has since been addressed.
43 Ladies Mile Extension, Constantia
Alleged contravention: It is alleged that the owners are using this property to run their building business. Whatever they are doing, the property is very unsightly. It has containers in the garden in front, there are piles of building materials and cars and trucks parked in the garden. If the Land Use Inspector can't establish whether a business is being run from the premises, then they could possibly invoke the clause in the National Building Regulations that are referred to under the 'pot house'. This property is a blight on a scenic route.
Progress: Officials have investigated the complaint and such investigation reveals that the above mentioned property is being used solely for residential purposes. The owner has a small office in his garage that he uses by himself and this permitted. The building material and rubble on site is there due to renovations being done inside the dwelling. The owner has stated that they will be moving out at the end of the year as the property is too small for the family. The container on site is an issue that the building inspector needs to look at and it will be passed onto them in this regard.
10 High Wycombe, Wycombe Avenue, Constantia
Alleged contravention: The occupants are apparently renting this residence, solely for business purposes which are causing a nuisance to neighbours.
Progress: Occupant has moved to business premises.
Progress: Officials have investigated the complaint and such investigation reveals that the above mentioned property is being used solely for residential purposes. The owner has a small office in his garage that he uses by himself and this permitted. The building material and rubble on site is there due to renovations being done inside the dwelling. The owner has stated that they will be moving out at the end of the year as the property is too small for the family. The container on site is an issue that the building inspector needs to look at and it will be passed onto them in this regard.
10 High Wycombe, Wycombe Avenue, Constantia
Alleged contravention: The occupants are apparently renting this residence, solely for business purposes which are causing a nuisance to neighbours.
Progress: Occupant has moved to business premises.
Stick insects in the news
The Constantiaberg Bulletin published a notice about a "Rare spider" with a rather blurred photo of a very much 6-legged stick insect. At first I thought it was an April Fools joke, but it was only mid March, and apparently SANBI (the South African National Biodiversity Institute) really is interested to find out if there are any of these rarely documented goggas around. What the article failed to say, apart from getting the class wrong, is that there are lots of common stick insects as well.
According to Tony Rebelo and Paul Brock, here are the common stick insects you might well find in Avery Avenue. 
According to Tony Rebelo and Paul Brock, here are the common stick insects you might well find in Avery Avenue. 
Most likely you will have the Indian or laboratory stick insect Carausius morosus a naturalized species in Cape Town. The female is about 70-84 mm, often brown, occasionally dull green and rather elongated. Its antennae are moderately long, and just about each the end of forelegs (unlike all other species).
Males not found as it reproduces parthenogenetically - so they are all clones of each other. They occur on ivy and other plants in gardens. They are aliens - having being introducted from Pulney [Palni] Hills, Tamil Nadu, Southern India . Also "escaped" into Europe and USA.
Males not found as it reproduces parthenogenetically - so they are all clones of each other. They occur on ivy and other plants in gardens. They are aliens - having being introducted from Pulney [Palni] Hills, Tamil Nadu, Southern India . Also "escaped" into Europe and USA.
TOP: Thunberg’s stick insect female, and LEFT: male.
Less likely to see in a garden is Thunberg’s stick insect, Macynia labiata, male 42-52 mm, female 54-56 mm.
The female small is plump, usually leaf green, with longitudinal cream side stripes from thorax to abdomen tip. Head and pronotum yellow, with green bands. Antennae green, except for two yellow basal segments. The mouthparts and cerci are pinkish-red, along with the end of the mesonotum laterally
The male is stick-like with long cerci. The antennae are short, light brownish green, with dark green legs and antennae, and bold pincer-like reddish brown cerci. Head and pronotum are yellowish with green bands.
Its foodplants are Athanasia trifurcata (Asteraceae), Colpoon compressum (Santalaceae), Erica species, including Erica aemula, the Australian tea tree Leptospermum laevigatum (Myrtaceae) and species of gonnabos Passerina (Thymelaeaceae). It is widespread in the Western and Eastern Cape and can be found all year round, although adults are mainly found from September to January.
The female small is plump, usually leaf green, with longitudinal cream side stripes from thorax to abdomen tip. Head and pronotum yellow, with green bands. Antennae green, except for two yellow basal segments. The mouthparts and cerci are pinkish-red, along with the end of the mesonotum laterally
The male is stick-like with long cerci. The antennae are short, light brownish green, with dark green legs and antennae, and bold pincer-like reddish brown cerci. Head and pronotum are yellowish with green bands.
Its foodplants are Athanasia trifurcata (Asteraceae), Colpoon compressum (Santalaceae), Erica species, including Erica aemula, the Australian tea tree Leptospermum laevigatum (Myrtaceae) and species of gonnabos Passerina (Thymelaeaceae). It is widespread in the Western and Eastern Cape and can be found all year round, although adults are mainly found from September to January.
TOP:Cape stick insect, Phalces brevis, male, and ABOVE: female.
Then there is Phalces brevis, the Cape stick insect. The male is 50-55 mm, the female 70-80 mm. It is very stick-like, with short antennae. The females are usually brown or grey, perhaps speckled, occasionally green. It is variable in length but often about four times the length of the last abdominal segment.
Males are greenish brown, with 3 bluish green marks and white bands on the pronotum, hind part of the mesonotum and metanotum (cf similar male of Thunberg's stick insect Macynia labiata). Legs are green with brown base and apical band on all femora. Cerci whitish.
Males are greenish brown, with 3 bluish green marks and white bands on the pronotum, hind part of the mesonotum and metanotum (cf similar male of Thunberg's stick insect Macynia labiata). Legs are green with brown base and apical band on all femora. Cerci whitish.
Its foodplants inlcude Erica (also Erica aemula), the Australian tea tree, the mountain dahlia Liparia splendens (Fabaceae), gonnabos, yellowwood trees (Podocarpaceae), Rhus species and the exotic bramble Rubus fruticosus (Rosaceae). It is very widespread in the Cape and also reported from KZN. It can be found much of the year, but adults mainly found between September and January.
The rare stick insect is the Cape mountain stick insect, Clonaria capemontana. (Female 61-66 mm, male unknown.) The female is plain, dark brown with very short antennae, and its head is twice as long as broad. Male not known, may be plain or perhaps with a narrow black longitudinal stripe.
The type species of Clonaria prefers Acacia.
This insect appears to be extremely rare, and so far is only known from 3 females from
· Table Mountain (February 1892),
· Strandfontein (1950)
· Matroosberg, Ceres Div. (1917).
The type species of Clonaria prefers Acacia.
This insect appears to be extremely rare, and so far is only known from 3 females from
· Table Mountain (February 1892),
· Strandfontein (1950)
· Matroosberg, Ceres Div. (1917).
If you see any of these unusual stick insects, please contact Tony Rebelo at rebelo@sanbi.org.
iSpot it!
If you would like to have an insect, a plant, a bird, a mushroom or any living thing in your garden (or out) visit iSpot, join up, post your find, and experts in the various fields will endeavour to give you an identification.
iSpot it!
If you would like to have an insect, a plant, a bird, a mushroom or any living thing in your garden (or out) visit iSpot, join up, post your find, and experts in the various fields will endeavour to give you an identification.
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