Author: Richard

We went to the Tankwa National Park for a birding outing. The Tankwa is in what is called the Arid Succulent Karoo. With an average of 15 cm (6″) rainfall per annum the area is dry and water is scarce but the animals, birds, reptiles and plants survive in surprising numbers.
This is the second time we have been to Tankwa. Our previous visit is documented here.

This is the view from the front of the chalet looking out towards Sutherland where the South African Large Telescope is housed.

Because of the dust, sunrises are colourful.

The stars are beautiful but light pollution is ubiquitous. That is Cape Town in the distance – about 200 km as the crow flies.

There having been a very wet winter, the only major dam in the reserve was overflowing. We never did identify that bird.

Birds tend to be small and really difficult to photograph.

A mouse warming itself in the early morning sun.

A Spiny Agama suns itself on a rock.

A Black Backed Jackal surveys the world.

Gazanias grow where there is a little more water available.

Where there was once water. A few centimetres of rain causes wash aways an pools like this one.

This is a Sutherlandia commonly called a Cancer Bush, supposedly helps treat cancer. No basis for this claim that I know of.

This plant is still unidentified, it just grows out of the thin soil and produces these beautiful flowers.