Blue Swallow Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
The Blue Swallow Natural Heritage Site at Kaapsehoop.
This cache is ideal for those cachers who enjoy a long walk in
nature on easy trails.
The cache is hidden near a stunning viewpoint (Bradley) on the edge
of the Drakensberg escarpment about 5 kms south of the village of
Kaapsehoop en-route to Florence Hill hikers hut.
No permit is required to access this cache, but please do not
proceed beyond the cache without a permit, as you will soon enter
Komatiland property for which a permit is required.
Also please note that although dogs are permitted in the general
hiking areas at Kaapsehoop, they are not allowed in this part of
the nature reserve.
The nearest parking is at the waypoint PARK below, and it's 4.5kms
from there using the direct route. If you're starting from that
parking location, we recommend that you keep left at the waypoint
FORK and intersect the cliff-edge trail about 600m further on. This
route provides the best views and nicest nature, and is only a few
hundred metres longer than the direct route (keep right at FORK)
which follows the track through the grasslands. The trails are easy
going, and the gradients are gentle. It's a very pleasant walk with
lovely views in an unspoilt area.
Should you not feel comfortable about doing a walk of this
distance, there are guided tours by vehicle available, but that
must be arranged in advance through "Koek-n-Pan".
That said, onto the main topic of this cache - the blue
swallow.
Quoted from Kaapsehoop
Info:
These small swallows (Hirundo atrocaerulea) are small passerine
birds of the swallow family. Birds in this family are somewhat
similar in habit and appearance to other insect eaters that catch
their prey in flight. The species is classified as vulnerable due
to loss of habitat.
They breed in Southern Africa after migrating south from Uganda and
Kenya. In the Kaasche Hoop area they breed on what is called 'Blue
Swallow Plain', a natural heritage site just outside of town. This
area has a number of old mine shafts and it is in these that the
birds nest.
Although they appear black in flight, they are in fact a very dark
blue. The males have very long outer tail feathers. The birds are
between 18 to 25 mm long, without the tails.
Blue swallows are extremely rare in South Africa, with only 131
birds being found during the 2005 bird census. during this census
only 34 birds were found in Mpumalanga, mostly at Kaasche Hoop,
Sabie and Graskop.
More information regarding Blue Swallows can be obtained from the
Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), Ecotravel and the Blue Swallow
wikipedia. Archive has beautiful pictures and video clips of Blue
swallows. Wiki
Blue Swallow
Should you find an old mine shaft (there are many in the area)
please resist the temptation to explore - you could be disturbing
an important nesting location.
The cache is a 1 Lt lock-n-lock in a camo canvas bag hidden in an
obvious location, and well secured against baboon and monkey
interference with rocks. Please replace the cache as found. Enjoy!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Iregvpny pyrsg va gur ebpx.
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures