Another amazing day on this amazing continent. Our hosts Merryl and Steve really indulged us today and and took us to, what I consider to be, the best place I have ever been for bird watching – False Bay Nature Reserve.
The highlights in the main centre at Rondevlei were pelicans, African sacred ibis, glossy ibis, spoonbills, various plovers, black-winged stilts, little egrets, Cape wagtails, Cape teal, red-billed teal, Egyptian geese, Blacksmith lapwings and loads that I haven’t identified yet. It was quite windy and there didn’t seem to be many little birds darting around the beautiful vegetation but there was no reason to complain.
When we moved on to the lakes near the sewerage works (Strandfontein birding area) it was just as exciting as our visit last year, with all of the above plus flamingos, Hadeda ibis, little grebes, barn swallows, pied avocets, and a raptor which I think may have been a black-shouldered kite.
You visit this section by car and you get to see the birds really close up. The birds are not bothered by the cars which aren’t numerous anyway – we didn’t see another car at all today and only two last year.
There was certainly so much else to see but I didn’t want to push my luck too much; our hosts had been so accommodating and the thought of a lunch by the beach at Muizenburg was even more enticing than an overdose of birds.
Thanks Merryl and Steve for a very special day.
Beautiful vegetation
An amazing setting
Very accommodating hosts
Glossy ibis
Flamingos
Black-shouldered kite ?
Egyptian goose
Pied avocet
Sacred ibis
Pelican
Red-billed teal
Cape teal
Cape wagtail
Spoonbills and pelicans
Terns
Black-winged stilt
Kittlitz plover
Three-banded plover
Flamingo
Hadeda ibis
Spur-winged goose
White-necked raven
Click below for a gallery of some of today’s photos:
Martin's Bird Blog & Nature Photos 