Mumbo Island Camp - December 2011
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| | Weather and Landscape
Sunny skies, fabulous cloud formations and the occasional spectacular lightning storm - perfect festive weather! The island is green and all the secret bulbs are springing into bloom - a great time for island hikes.
As we start summer and head into the rainy season the fireball lilies (Scadoxus multiflorus ssp katharinae) burst out among the rocks. Three days after the first rainfall, Mumbo turned from brown to green and amongst the green were busts of red - the fireball lilies blooming. The blooms last from one to two weeks. The spherical flower cluster crowns a leafless stalk rising from the basal foliage. Star-shaped blossoms pack individual clusters creating Nature's most perfect Christmas decoration. The flowers' brilliant orange-red petals and long, yellow-anthered stamens combine to create the lily's wonderful fireball appearance. The baobab trees have also started to bloom, which adds a shade of white to the summer spectrum.
Cicadas make music on Mumbo
Cicadas are also known as Christmas beetles in Africa as this is when they are most active. They appear on Mumbo for the rainy season. Cicadas live in temperate to tropical climates where they are among the most widely recognised of all insects, mainly due to their large size and unique sound. Male cicadas have loud noisemakers called 'tymbals' on the sides of the abdominal base. Cicadas like heat and do their most spirited singing during the hotter hours of a day, in a roughly 24-hour cycle. Think of it as Mumbo's Christmas music!
Birds and Birding
The African Paradise-Flycatcher is a common resident breeder on Mumbo Island for the summer and rainy season. This species is usually found in open forests and savannah habitats. Two or three eggs are laid in a tiny cup nest in a tree. The adult male African Paradise-Flycatcher is about 17cm long, but the very long tail streamers double this. We have a local resident pair who has made their nest overhanging the path from the lounge down to the beach to the delight of Mumbo guests.
Camp News
As is tradition on Mumbo, the local choir from Chembe Village Church paid a surprise visit to the island just before Christmas Lunch was served to sing to the guests - who very much enjoyed the experience. | |
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