Trip Date: 2023-08-19
Bats
There were about 250 Miniopterus bats in the cave. They were in their usual winter cluster on the cave ceiling, but were very wide awake. They all flew off when we walked past, so I presume we were not the first visitors to cave this morning. We were in the cave for about an hour, and during that time at least 50 other people came through the cave. Lots of disturbance.
Entrance Pool
Very full, and quite deep
Middle Pool
in the main passage just before the link to Bat Chamber
2m long, 10cm at its deepest. Lots of Paramelita and Planaria
End Pool
past the link to Bat Chamber
Lots of flies on the wall above the pool, but the pool itself seemed devoid of larger life. There was candle wax floating on the surface, and a dead Spelaeiacris covered in jelly floating about half way between the surface and the bottom.
Link Pool
leading to Bat Chamber
Deep, only the tops of the stepping stones were above the surface
Trip Date: 2023-08-27
Bats
There was one lonely Rhinolophus near the entrance pool, but the Miniopterus where not in their usual spot.
Harvestmen
Found two harvestmen on a rotting log in a short side passage next to the boulder pile. The passage was full of spiders.
Middle Pool
Photographed Paramelita and Planaria
Trip Date: 2023-09-09
The objective of this trip was to see what lives in entrance of caves on Ridge Peak at Kalk Bay.
Ronan's Well Cave
I limited the search area to the walls and floor of the Voorkamer as far as the pool at the bottom of the staircase. The stream flows out of Ronan's Well and into Echo Valley.
- Paramelita: There were lots (20+) of Paramelita of all sizes in the pools. Some were eating green moss leaves from the walls of the cave.
- Planaria: There were a few varying from 4mm to 15mm long. this one was 10mm long and gray in colour.
- Bristletails: I found 4 Bristletails, in cracks on the cave walls.
- Spelaeiacris. Two small cave crickets where in a crack in the cave wall, very close to the entrance and far from the dark part of the cave.
- Spiders: At least 3 species of spider. Spermophora peninsulae appeared to be the most common. There was also what looked like Spermophora peninsulae, but they had very small bodies (<1mm) and appeared white in colour.
Tjoklets Grotto
The stream from Drip Water Pot flows through Ridge Peak and out of Tjkolets Grotto. As this cave follows a similar line to the Robin Hood/Ronan's Well system, I would expect to see similar water life in these two systems. There was far less water life than I expected.
- Paramelita capensis??
- Planaria (white)
- Spelaeiacris
Styx Dungeon
The entrance to this cave is in a tree filled depression, so I sampled the leaf litter on the outside of the cave entrance and on the inside to see the difference. The sample from inside the cave was approx 3m below the entrance. The rotting leaf litter was home to:
- Colembola
- Millipede
- Millipede
- Symphylans
- Isopod
- Harvestman (very small and white)
Boomslang
I popped in to Boomslang Cave to check on the bats, but the Miniopterus roosting spot was empty.
Observations to be posted shortly
