I will add to these as I get more.
Cape Grassbird
Tag: Birding
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Bird Images from my Archive
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Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The Kgalagadi Park lies on the border of three states, South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. While in the park roads cross in and out of sovereign territory without border posts. Only when exiting the park into a different state do border controls come into play. It is a an interesting situation that has little or no affect on visiting the park. Park regulations vary from country to country, but don’t affect the feeling of the park.
The area is in the arid grassland regions and in the dry seasons, water is scarce. Put down a plate of water and the birds and animals appear.
Although renowned for its large predators there are also a smaller mammals to be seen
The larger predators spend much time sleeping so we were delighted to spot a family of hyenas going for a morning bath and drink.
We saw numerous herbivores.
Birds however were the focus of our attention
Fires had recently swept through the park leaving a blackened, burnt environment.
The trees were spectacular in their starkeness
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Little Grebe Breakfast
Also known as Dabchicks the Little Grebes are common on water bodies across the Western Cape. Their epic territorial battles are wild and noisy and totally unmistakable. What I didn’t know is that they eat frogs. They catch them by diving under the water for long periods and then reappearing with prey in beak. I was lucky enough to see the whole process enacted under the bird hide I was in.
The bird was swimming along and then suddenly disappeared. Only to emerge with a frog in in its beak.
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Our KZN Trip
We went to KZN in October and took lots of pictures – as usual. Join us in a brief journey through Hluhluwe and St Lucia
The Narina Trogon was the sighting of the trip so it takes pride of place and for the purists, we saw it in St Lucia.
Burchels Cougal or Vlei Loerie or Rain Bird. Such a beautiful bird
Wild Jasmine grows all over Hluhluwe.
It rained for most of the time we were there. Kept the temperature down, but was a bit disappointing for the birding.
This buffalo was getting rid of parasites in a hollow. Looked a bit foolish
The viz was awful and the sea rough
Together Diving.
Rhinos in Hluhluwe. Family outing
Warthog and Red Billed Ox Peckers
Crowned Lapwing
We went to Bontebok National park on Sunday. On the way down to swim in the Breede River we noticed a bird we didn’t recognise. Out came the birding books and the camera as this tiny, sparrow looking bird dodged in and out of the road margins.
The only bird that matched the description, had one small issue. It was completely out of range. The southern most border of its range was north of Ceres in the Tankwa Karoo. Diagnostic feature? Solid black under wings.
An SUV thundered past and the bird took flight.
Black under wings A communal “Oh!”
We get home and consult the experts and they agree that what we saw was a vagrant Black Eared Sparrow Lark.
Pardon the awful picture but seeing as how the picture is now on the Rare Birds webpage with my name attached it cannot be all that bad.
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Nest making
A double collared sunbird female collecting cotton scraps from stakes we used to support plants.
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Random photographs
Some photographs from our trip to Riviersonderend
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Random Photos
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Garden Birds
Seen in our garden in Riviersonderend
Cape White Eye
Cape Sparrow on the grape vine
Red Bishop