The Rietvlei Nature Reserve is situated 18 km from the centre of Pretoria, South Africa, and 38 km from the OR Tambo International Airport. The 3 800 ha of endangered Bankenveld grassland includes open plains and undulating hills. The extensive vlei areas and tributary streams support the scenic splendour of the azure blue Rietvlei Dam.
Bracket fungi often grow in semi-circular shapes, looking like trees or wood. They can be parasitic, saprotrophic, or both. One of the more common genera, Ganoderma, can grow large thick shelves that may contribute to the death of the tree, and then feed off the wood for years after. Their hardiness means they are very resilient and can live for quite a long time, with many species even developing beautiful multi-coloured circles of colour that are actually annual growth rings.
The common bulbul , also known as black-eyed bulbul and common garden bulbul, is a common species of passerine bird found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It is a conspicuous, chatty little bird with a length of 20 cm (8 in), and is the most common bird in the bulbul family in Africa. Head is dark brown to black with a distinct peak, upperparts are brown, and underparts are white to light brown on the chest. It is bright yellow underneath at the base of the tail. The black bill has a slight curve to it.
