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Hooky Beaks.

“RAPTOR”. Brakes on, bakkie stops, bins scan the sky or trees excitedly for the bird then we marvel at the sighting or check the field guides to try to id what we are looking at. I’m not sure what my Saffie friends thought whenever I saw a “hooky beak”, but my enthusiasm must have rubbed off as before long, they too were scanning for the unmistakable silhouettes in the sky.

Wherever we stopped, I was constantly searching likely trees for perched Raptors or searching the skies above and all the way to the horizon for a glimpse of what to me are the most fascinating of all bird species. It was frustrating sometimes to be stuck in the vehicle, as often the birds would be above us, but at any of the lookouts where you are allowed to get out, I made the most of the opportunity.

Olifants River View


I’m certain I missed quite a few mammal sightings due to looking up instead of into the bush while we were out in the park, but if seeing Raptors was the consolation, I did not mind in the slightest. I remember that even at my first ever Lion sighting, my eyes were constantly flicking up to check in case one flew over!

Shikra were seen on a number of occasions and it was great to see one hunting the same flock of Doves as a Lanner Falcon close to Crooks Corner. The Shikra used perches from where to launch its attacks after assessing the situation and its chances of success, but disappeared behind some trees before we could determine the outcome.

Shikra


Just South of Punda, we almost ran over a Gabar Goshawk as it chased a Fork-tailed Drongo across the road only inches in front of the bakkie. The Drongo dived into cover while the little Hawk landed in a nearby tree to look for an easier meal to chase. This individual was jet black in colour, a melanistic bird with bright red legs.

Gabar Goshawk


At Skukuza, we sat on the stoep at one of the staff houses enjoying a beer. A shrill, loud, repeated “Chip” call had me searching the trees over the road until I located the source of the calls. An African Goshawk was flying from perch to perch through the dense foliage. Eventually it flew out from cover, across the road, and landed in a tree over our heads. At this point it quietened down and searched intently in the shrubs below. It seemed to latch on to something, bobbing its head rhythmically as it focused on its prey before shooting off its perch at high speed after whatever had taken its interest.

African Goshawk


Falcons were scarce in the park when we were there. We had three sightings of Dickinson’s Kestrel and the same of Lanner Falcon. I had hoped to get good views of Lanner around the cliffs at the end of Nyala Drive, but we saw no Raptors at all that morning. (I did, however, see the Taita Falcon at their usual location not far from the park, so cannot complain).

Lanner Falcon


Close to Shingwedzi we watched an immature African Harrier-hawk as it searched for prey amongst the crevices and holes of the trees along the water’s edge. The bird was methodical as it checked from tree to tree and eventually found something in a deep hole. A pair of Southern Black Tit mobbed it as it poked its long legs into the dark and we wondered if they had a nest in there?

African Harrier Hawk




I also include Owls under the term “Hooky Beaks” so it was thrilling to see or hear them on our drives or in camp. We spent an evening listening to and watching African Scops Owls outside our hut in Shingwedzi. Their “Prrrp, Prrrp, Prrrp calls ringing around the trees in the central open area between the huts. Pearl-spotted Owlets were also vocal, especially in the early mornings and we saw many of these diminutive little Owls on our early morning drives. They stared back at us with a fierce expression as we watched them.

Pearl-spotted Owlet


Black-shouldered Kites are magical little Raptors to watch and we spent quite some time in their company whenever the opportunity arose. To watch one soar overhead with the light shining through their feathers rates highly as one of the most enjoyable experiences I had in the park. These birds are quite tame compared to other Raptors and often allow you to stop and observe them. They spend quite a lot of time perched on branches as they search the ground below for food. Other times they adopt their distinctive hovering technique to hunt, or simply “float” over the grassland hoping to scare something out into the open.

Black-shouldered Kite








I’ll end today’s post with the sunset we enjoyed as we had sundowners at Lake Panic, not long after watching the African Goshawk mentioned earlier.



Barcud

Hooky Beaks, Part #2.

Of the larger Eagles, Bateleur were by far the commonest seen over our two visits. Both Tawny and Martial Eagle were seen most days and with two brief sightings of Crowned Eagle and one of Verreaux’s, African Fish-eagles were always present near water and even if you did not see one, you would invariably hear one calling somewhere in the background. I was as happy as the proverbial Pig whenever we encountered one of these birds. Add to these the smaller Eagles and all the other raptors; you can see why I thought I was in Paradise.

It’s not just the birds though. The location and atmosphere also adds an additional element to the sightings to make encounters with these large, spectacular predators even more enthralling.

Tshanga lookout


My first Martial Eagle was an immature bird perched high up in a large tree on the banks of the Mphongolo just North of Shingwedzi. We watched as it scanned the surrounding area, locking in on some movement out in the bush that we could not see, assessing it’s chances of a successful hunt.

Martial Eagle


South of Balule, we chanced on an adult in a long dead tree. This one was very approachable and paid no heed to the bakkie as we sat below and watched. The light was against us, making the bird look even bigger than it was. On the same drive the following trip, we were tipped off about their nest just a little further down the track. As these birds are territorial and long lived, I’m betting that this bird was the same one we saw on both visits.

Martial Eagle.




The same happened with a Tawny Eagle. On the approach to Olifants camp, a Tawny Eagle was perched on a dead snag just off to one side of the road. The following year, I remarked casually as we left the camp one morning that the Tawny would be in the same spot. It was! The bird had undergone a moult since we had seen it last, but by comparing photos; it looks to be one and the same.

Tawny’s seemed to be quite common along the road between the Highwater Bridge and main entrance to Shingwedzi camp. We often saw them patrolling the skies along this road or from the bridge itself. You often saw them in the trees along this stretch and they were always present in the mornings and early evenings, using the trees to roost for the night.

Tawny Eagle talon cleaning


Another species that lives on this stretch is Verreaux’s Eagle-owl. A pair nests in the large trees here and can be found roosting during the day in the lower branches. A couple who were staying in the camp and also birding, very kindly told us where to find them, but even knowing where to look did not make the task any easier.

Verreaux’s Eagle-owl


Almost everywhere you looked; there would be a Bateleur in the air somewhere. Most of them seemed to be young birds and I wondered about their breeding cycle here. I assumed that these youngsters were mostly from the previous nesting season as we only saw either these or adults. As we did not see any sub-adult birds, I guess that the adults were territorial and all competition would be driven out to less favourable areas on the fringes of the park?

Soaring Bateleur


These birds are very distinctive in flight, appearing tailless as they see-saw over the grasslands. Occasionally one would swoop down onto the road in front of us to pick something up from the verge. We were usually too far away to get any pics, but this one came in close and I managed a few blurred photos through the dusty windscreen.



Watching the Fish-eagles as they circled over waterways, we hoped to see one catch something, but were not lucky enough. We did, however, see one bring in nesting material to line its nest and at the same spot, watched the other half of the pair eating a recently caught fish.

African Fish-eagle


Of the smaller Eagles, Brown Snake-eagles were by far the commonest. We would often see one sat atop a low bush or soaring on thermals. African Hawk-eagles were seen occasionally and we saw Ayre’s Hawk-eagle twice, both times in the far North. I saw Black-chested Snake-eagle only once inside the park. They, along with Long-crested Eagle seemed to be more prevalent outside of Kruger’s boundaries. Is this because of habitat differences or the presence of the larger Eagles?

Brown Snake-eagle


As I mentioned earlier, the sightings we had were made even better because of the surroundings they were in. To see a Martial Eagle on the look out in a large, gnarled old tree cannot be improved on.

Martial Eagle


I’ll end today with a sunrise and the reflection of the trees in the water.



Barcud

Aesthetics.

Wherever we went in Kruger, we always saw something interesting to look at, listen to or marvel at. Sometimes what we saw made us laugh or tugged at our heart strings, emotional reactions to the happenings around us. Underlying all this was something unexplainable. A feeling of being “home”. A fleeting sense of “déjà vu” or of simply being at peace with oneself and the world.

I’ve thought a lot about why Kruger affected me in this way and the only conclusion I’ve come up with is that everything we saw and experienced was how things are simply meant to be. Add a backdrop of breathtaking natural surroundings to what we observed and suddenly it all slips into place; aesthetics.

Everywhere you looked, the scene was usually perfect and the wildlife blended in seamlessly with their surroundings. There is symmetry here between all the myriad forms that are visually pleasing to the eye. Take the view of Baobab hill below. A jumbled mix of different trees and shrubs that blend together to form a scene of tranquil beauty.

Baobab Hill


Even a watchful Klipspringer, standing sentinel-like atop a rock strewn hill, fits in to the scenery and does not look out of place. It’s as if this rock was made to have the little antelope perched on guard and that the scene would be incomplete without it.

Klipspringer


A crevice in a tree would be just a hole without a Tree Squirrel scampering in and out. The rough bark forming perfect claw-holds for them to utilise as they rush up and down the trunk, tails flailing from side to side to help them balance.

Tree Squirrel


Where wildlife meets man-made surroundings you can still see something that is pleasing to the eye. The shadow formed on the tar by a prancing Steenbok more reminiscent of a tailless Kangaroo due to the angle of the sun.

Steenbok & Shadow


Not to be outdone by the other Wildlife, the Vervets were also in synchrony as this mother and baby rested together, mirroring each-others sitting positions after a mornings foraging.

Vervet Monkeys


Warthogs are not renowned for their looks by most people, but even they have a certain charm and despite not being everyone’s favourite, still fit into their habitat and rarely fail to raise a smile to ones face.

Warthog


I’ve always been amazed at the various patterns and shapes that Nature throws up and look for them whenever I’m out watching Wildlife. There’s the obvious patterning that you find such as the striking markings of a Burchell’s Zebra


..or the parallel lines along the back of a Nile Crocodile. But when you look closely, there are other patterns there as well. The way the currents of the water leave the mud on the river bed, patterns from fast flowing water on the left of the photo, more sedate on the right.

Nile Crocodile


I found patterns in the form of swirling grooves along the sweeping curve of a Waterbucks horns spiralling up to the sharp point of the tip.

Waterbuck


Or in the leaves of a bush being browsed upon by a young Bill Kudu.

Kudu


Sometimes though, you just happen on a scene that just leaves you breathless in awe, so I’ll end my trip report with a few images of those special moments we were privileged to witness.

Mist rising off the waters of Lake Panic in the early morning


Inquisitive Kudu with a backdrop of Winter leaves


A pair of Giraffe at a waterhole


White Rhinoceros in the evening light


Cape Buffalo at sunset


Machachule and Fever Tree


Shingwedzi Sunset


Heartfelt thanks to Jan & Anke for inviting me to visit and showing me Kruger as it should be seen. The pride you both have in the park shines through and I hope some of it has rubbed off onto me.

Barcud

Table Mountain.

This was my first visit to South Africa. We would be in Cape Town for just over 24 hours before we had to board a ship heading South. The excitement and anticipation was palpable as we descended towards Cape Town after a 12 hour flight from Heathrow. My first view of Table Mountain was through the small porthole window of the plane. The pre-dawn glow was just beginning to light up the land mass as we approached and the view was spectacular to say the least.

First Glimpse


As we circled lower and closer, the full moon was perfectly placed over the distinctive shape of Lion’s Head and Signal Hill, with the flat topped Plateau of Table Mountain becoming cleared by the minute. I could not have asked for a more spectacular introduction to the region.

Full Moon over Lion’s Head


After booking into our hotel, we headed down to the Victoria & Albert Waterfront for a leisurely breakfast before heading up to the cable car that would take us up to the summit of Table Mountain.

Our Hotel (centre) with Table Mountain as a backdrop


As we waited in line for our turn to board the car, I noticed two large Raptors circling up from below.. A pair of Verreaux’s Eagles were rising slowly on the thermals in long, circular loops. I could not believe my luck at seeing this species within a few short hours of arriving in Africa. White-necked Ravens were also in the air, their deep, guttural croaks could be heard from a long way off.

Cable Car to the Summit



Exiting the cable car at the summit, we marvelled at the views from the look out areas and tried to get our bearings by looking for buildings below that we had only seen briefly that morning. Talking to some of the staff here, we learned that not only had the cable car been out of action for maintenance until earlier that week, but it was also the first clear day they’d had for several weeks. Our luck really was in that day.

The View looking South


Looking down onto Lion’s head, a Ground Woodpecker was busy looking for food just below our position and a Familiar Chat hopped about on the rocks. Both new birds for me. In fact, nearly all the birds were new, so I was forever checking my ID’s in the field guide.

Lion’s Head


Familiar Chat


Red-winged Starlings were very common up around the café area, darting in to snatch food from unsuspecting diners. Their overall dark colours flashing iridescence as they caught the sunlight and the deep chestnut flashes of their flight feathers stood out brightly as they fluttered around the tables.

Red-winged Starling.


We headed out on one of the trails along the summit to explore and soon were away from the main tourist spots where we could enjoy the spectacular scenery in peace and quiet. The temperature was 3ºC up here, with hardly a breath of wind and clear azure skies. What a way to experience Africa for the first time!

Cape Town View


To be continued.......

Barcud

Table Mountain # 2

From the café area, we headed out on one of the paths to explore the summit. Being early August and still quite chilly up here, there were few birds to be seen. We concentrated on the views, marvelling at the clarity of the air and enjoying being able to stretch our legs after the long, overnight flight. I scanned the cliff faces hoping to see a raptor such as a Peregrine or a Verreaux’s Eagle, but was not in luck. The cliffs themselves were ample compensation for the lack of birds and I distinctly remember rueing my lack of knowledge regarding geology.

Table Mountain Cliffs


Taking in the View


Before long, I noticed a movement off to one side in the low vegetation and moved closer to investigate. A small, brightly coloured bird was flitting from bush to bush and it took me a while to get close enough to figure out what I was watching. The bird eventually settled and I realised that it was an Orange-breasted Sunbird. This little gem then posed for photos and at one stage flew over and landed on the end of my lens briefly before returning to its more usual perch!

Orange-breasted Sunbird


Posing Nicely


The habitat was also new for me, but was reminiscent of the heather moorlands we see in the upland areas of the UK. This was the famed Fynbos, a habitat type found only along a narrow belt of coastal South Africa. Table Mountain itself holds around 2,200 different plant species, which is more than found in the whole of the UK!

Fynbos Habitat


At the end of our hike away from the main bulk of tourists, we stopped for a bite to eat and again took in the superb views. Whilst we sat there, I noticed movement in the vegetation and thought I’d seen a small mammal scurrying about in the grass. I kept watch on the spot where it had vanished into and was surprised to see a feathered tail! More patient watching and I finally discovered that it was a Cape Grassbird that was moving about furtively under the cover of the grasses.

Cape Grassbird


More Views


Walking back to the cable car, the only other birds seen were a distant Buzzard that I guessed was a Jackal Buzzard and a solitary Rock Kestrel, hovering in the distance.

After descending in the cable car, we loitered around the car park area as the setting sun lit up the cliffs and watched as it set behind the distinctive shape of Lion’s Head.

Low Sunlight on Cliffs




Lion’s Head


Hailing a taxi from the rank nearby, we learnt the hard way to chose carefully before jumping in blithely. Our driver, who clearly thought he was a close relative of Michael Schumacher, shot off at a rate of knots down the hill. If he thought he was a formula one driver, he certainly did not have the back-up of the pit stop team as when he turned the steering wheel to the right, the car veered over to the left. When turned to the left, the car went right! The road, hurtling by in a blur, was visible between my feet through the non-existent floor which had rusted away leaving large holes. We, somehow, don’t ask me how, were dropped off gratefully at our hotel where our intrepid driver raced away to scare the living daylights out of some other unsuspecting visitors!

The following morning we boarded the ship for our voyage South which gave me the opportunity to take some photographs of Table Mountain from another perspective.

Table Mountain & Cape Town


Panoramic


Three weeks later, we returned and the sunset on our last evening before docking back in port was glorious.



We would be ashore for the weekend which meant a trip to West Coast National Park was in the offing……….

West Coast National Park.

The alarm woke me at some unearthly hour and I dragged myself into the shower to wake up. Two strong coffee’s later and I was out in the hotel car park to meet my guide for the day. I’d contacted Mike Mills from Birding Africa to show me the birds of WCNP.

We headed out of Cape Town and took the R27 North. As the daylight strengthened, we started to see birds along the way. Bokmakierie, Black-shouldered Kites, Cape Spurfowl and Pied Starlings were first on our list for the day, closely followed by Cape Grassbird , Karoo Prinia and Pied Crow.

Karoo Prinia


A stop off along a dirt track about halfway along produced Cape Turtle-dove, Kelp, Grey-headed & Hartlaub’s Gulls and smaller species such as Cape Robin-chat, Cape Sparrow and African Hoopoe. Cape Weaver & Laughing Dove were virtually ignored as a Southern Black Korhaan strutted along in the tall grass before the sharp calls of a Grey-backed Cisticola drew our attention away. A bird floating over the fields like a giant moth turned out to be a Black Harrier and by this time I was overwhelmed by all the new species in such a short space of time. The birding was simply phenomenal and I struggled to keep up with checking my field guide and keeping track of what we were seeing in my notebook.

Kelp Gull


Hartlaub's Gull


Grey-headed Gull


Cattle Egret, Helmeted Guineafowl and Egyptian Goose on one side of the road, Familiar Chat, Capped Wheatear and Brown-throated Martin on the other. Red Bishop, resplendent in his crimson and black breeding colours, Cape Canary flashing yellow and olive and sporting deep grey cheeks and the rich chestnut colours of South African Shelduck had me reeling in wonder at the variety of colours on show.

Red Bishop


Capped Wheatear


A Rock Kestrel flashed by across the road and an African Pipit ran along the roadside. Red-capped Larks were singing in their display flights and Spur-winged Geese were at a nearby pond.Levaillant’s Cisticola was next, followed by Yellow Bishop – “WOW, look at the colours on that”! White-throated Swallows sat on wires overhead or hawked for insects while Sacred Ibis flew by heading for their feeding areas. All this and we had only stopped once! I could not believe the array of birds I was seeing for the first time and I doubt I’d have seen even half of these had I been birding on my own.

We moved on Northwards and pulled over for a coffee break at a wildflower reserve. “They sound like Blue Crane calling?” I said, half hoping I’d be right as I’d only ever heard their calls on a TV programme before. This was one of my main target species, but I’d been warned earlier that we were out of their normal range here and would be unlikely to see them. “There they are!” said Mike as he scanned the fields with his bins. And there they indeed were. A pair strolling across the field. We watched them fpr a while before they took off and headed back to wherever they had come from.

Blue Crane


Cape Sparrow


African Stonechat were popping up on conspicuous perches all over the place and the tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tchik-tchik-tchik calls of displaying Cloud Cisticolas gave away their positions in the clear blue skies overhead. Orange-breasted Longclaw and Southern Thick-billed Larks were on the ground here with Fiscal Flycatcher and White-backed Mousebirds in the shrubs nearby.

Fiscal Flycatcher


On the small pond here we found Three-banded Plover, Black-winged Stilt and Blacksmith Lapwing and an early Yellow-billed Kite soared overhead. Yellow-billed Duck, Cape Teal and Cape Shoveller were on the pond with Pearl-breasted Swallows flying low over the water. Greater Striped Swallow were amongst their smaller relatives with Dabchick and Red-knobbed Coot joining the ducks out on the water.

Three-banded Plover



Black-winged Stilt



Cape Teal



Cape Shoveller


A large, white bird flew over the nearby hill – Great White Pelican and Red-eyed Doves were calling from the roadside. Cape Bunting and Cape Bulbul were both seen before we returned to the car and sped off to enter the park proper. What a morning, and we had not even stopped for breakfast yet!

No Sunset today, but some Namaqualand Daisies should suffice to add some colour!

WCNP # 2

After a brief wait to pay at the gate, we were in! First up in the park was a bird I had no problems with – Common Ostrich! We watched as it strutted along, picking up bits of vegetation, but it was quite wary and soon wandered off away from the road. A few hundred metres further in and a Spotted Eagle-owl was sitting out in the open in broad daylight. We could not believe our luck. The Owl just sat there, not bothered by our presence and looked around its surroundings with its bright yellow eyes. It looked stunning as it was backlit by the early morning sunlight.

Common Ostrich


Spotted Eagle-owl


Watching an Angulate Tortoise as it crossed the road, a small, grey bird popped up alongside the car – Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler, with Double-collared Sunbird here as well! Karoo Scrub-robin and Bar-throated Apalis were next then a superb Malachite Sunbird atop a bush. The bird was mobbing something on the ground below and Mike thought there may be a snake there, but we could not find it due to the thick vegetation. The Sunbird simply glowed in the light, its metallic green feathers shining brightly as it balanced atop a twig.

Malachite Sunbird


A stop off at Abrahamskraal Waterhole produced African Black Crake, Little Rush Warbler and Cape White-eye with Moorhen and Karoo Lark also present here. Black-shouldered Kites were always somewhere in the vicinity, either hovering overhead or perched on wires.

African Black Crake


Black-shouldered Kite


Dragonflies were skimming over the rushes here as they hawked for insects and one sat on a nearby rock sunning itself.

Dragonfly.


Geelbek Visitor’s Centre had Rock Martin on the rooftops and White-backed Mousebirds in the bushes along the entrance drive. Grey winged Francolins and White-throated Canary were seen along the road North from here and both White-breasted Swallows and Banded Martins sat on the roadside wires.

Rock Martin


Banded Martin


White-throated Swallow


White-backed Mousebird


Stopping off at the bird hide close to Langebaan Gate, we saw Crowned Cormorants, African Black Oystercatcher and Southern Grey Tit. Bank and Cape Cormorants were on the rocks nearby. A flock of Terns on the sandbanks were scoped and found to comprise of three species, Swift, Sandwich and Common, with White-breasted Cormorants drying their wings nearby.

Cape Cormorant


Waders were also seen here, with Whimbrel and Greenshank feeding in the shallows. White-fronted Plover were in front of the hide and a gorgeous Kittlitz Plover was preening just off the boardwalk behind the entrance.

Kittlitz Plover


I’ll end today’s instalment with a photo of the flowers in bloom at Postberg and a sunset at sea just off Cape Town.

Hi again Everyone,

Thanks for reading and commenting.

I've come to the end of my travel tales for now. Hopefully I'll be back one day to experience more amazing wildlife in SA.

Nighjar - I agree, G-H Gulls are nice looking birds. I think the multicoloured eye and the dark outer feathers to the hood enhance their looks.

LP - Sorry I have no Zebra pics for you in this section of the report. (Someone mentioned that they are your favourites).

Micetta



Yup - Caracal, AWC, Bat-eared Fox, Striped Polecat, Boomsalang, Cape Cobra, Porcupine, Damara Tern, Purple Swamphen, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk etc. etc. etc.

Seriously though, we saw some amazing things and although we did not see some of the birds we expected, we were compensated by birds we did not expect to see. African Marsh Harrier and Blue Crane for example. Most of the photographs are of birds that are fairly common to the area and can be found relatively easily in the correct habitat. I would not have known where to go to see some of what we encountered without doing a lot of research, but going with a local birder helped immensely as he had local knowledge of where to see the less obvious species. He also knew bird song and calls, which would have hampered me had I been on my own. It was an exceptional day though, and one I'll remember for years to come.

Shi -



I'm waiting impatiently for you to start your TR. and to see your photos. Hope you had a great time on your farm (it took me a while to figure that one out )

OK, time for me to bring this TR to a close.......

WCNP #3

A quick look from Seeberg Viewpoint where a Rock Kestrel was hovering overhead and a pink wash on the distant shores from the Greater Flamingo colony added a splash of contrast between the turquoise lagoon and white sands.

Rock Kestrel


Helmeted Guineafowl were common on the roadside as we drove back to the main road and a Southern Black Korhaan called endlessly from the flower meadows.

Helmeted Guineafowl


Southern Black Kohraan


Black Harriers were seen on several occasions as they ghosted low over the vegetation and closer scrutiny of a rusty coloured bird had us watching an African Marsh Harrier as it coursed the scrubland.

Black Harrier


A drive up to Postberg had us watching Cape Penduline Tit, Speckled Pigeons and Crowned Lapwings whilst offshore, Cape Gannets were heading North over the rolling swells with Cape Fur Seals popping their heads up out of the water now and again. Having spent quite a bit of time amongst their Southern cousins in the past, I was hoping to get closer views of them, but my luck was out.

Cape Gannet


The wildflowers were starting to come out here and everywhere you looked was a carpet of orange, yellow or white. Mammals were also present, but kept their distance. A Small Grey Mongoose shot across the track ahead of us and later, a Karoo Bush Rat did the same. Large Ungulates seen included Eland, Bontebok, Springbok, Blue Wildebeest and Cape Mountain Zebra. It was frustrating not being able to get close enough to photograph these animals, but thrilling to see them for the first time nevertheless.

Wildflowers




Our second Great-white Pelican of the day flew over with additional fly-by Sacred Ibis. Blacksmith Plovers occasionally flew across our path and a Yellow-billed Kite drifted by.

Great-white Pelican


Sacred Ibis


Blacksmith Plover


Yellow-billed Kite


Heading back Southwards, we found Southern Anteating Chat and Pearl-breasted Swallow along the roadsides and also added Jackal Buzzard, Pied Kingfisher, African Spoonbill and Little Swifts, amongst others, to our tally. Totting up the list for the day, we had seen 106 species of birds, of which, 85 were lifers for me! An excellent introduction to African birds and I must give credit to Mike Mills who worked wonders in showing me all these species.

Pearl-breasted Swallow


I’ll end my report with another photo of the wildflowers at Postberg and a sunset at sea just off Cape Point. Thanks to all who took the time to read this and to everyone who posted comments. You have a wonderful and varied country and it was a privilege to experience just a small part of it and its amazing wildlife.

Hi Everyone,

Following a heads up that 'Mites without fast connection speeds were having difficulties loading this TR, I just edited it all to make things (hopefully?) easier and quicker.

Photos are now thumbnail size, so click on the photo to view a larger image. Hit the back arrow to return to the TR.

Only took me an hour or ten to sort out Thought computers could do things easily, apparently not when it comes to changing links on photos

Apologies if anyone had problems previously, so hope this makes it easier to load and read.

Thanks again to everyone for their comments.

Good Birding,

Oops,

Missed a few comments here and just noticed my new Kudu Horns

Thanks once again for the kind comments, they are much appreciated.

I've been pottering about with some pics, converting them to black and white format. I'm still unsure as to if I like them or not, but they do highlight certain features of the animals, so I'll post a final set of images and see if you agree or disagree with them?

White Rhinoceros




Blue Wildebeest


Giraffe


Cape Buffalo


Elephant


Lion


And, to finish off, a series of Zebra pics.

Burchell's Zebra

Looks like I missed a couple of posts again

Toddelelf, I can send you full quality images of those four for you to print out if you pm me your e-mail address.

Own, Thanks for the compliment, appreciate it.

Also appreciate everyone else for commenting and reading.

Katja, as you like sunsets, here's a link to some I took earlier from home and abroad. Hope you like them.