I have taken a bit of a sabbatical from blogging so far this year, so to get things going again I thought I should take a belated look back at 2022 …..
During 2022 my photo library increased by some 2000 images and for this retrospective (Yes! I’ve always wanted to use that word) I have limited my Photo Pick to the 40 images which appeal to me the most, often for different reasons – some are technically good (well, I think so anyway) others are reminders of a particular moment or place or special sighting – the very brief comments tell a bit of the story of each image. So to start with ….
The Places
One of the first places we visited in 2022 was the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus – the evening light was magical
I love the moodiness that overcast skies bring to a scene and this one had the benefit of a sunlit foreground and overcast background
The classic view of Table Mountain from Milnerton beach, a stone’s throw from where I was born
This unusual view of the southern Cape coast was taken from my seat in a plane on its way to land at George
A double rainbow over Mossel Bay just begged to be photographed
Our drive to Weltevrede farm near Prince Albert was an absolute delight with views like this around every bend
Evening tranquility at the dam on the farm Prior Grange near Springfontein, Free State
Our stay in Victoria, Australia provided widely contrasting experiences
Atlasing in the southern Cape around Herbertsdale provided this beautiful early-morning scene along the winding road
Another moody scene, this time with fishermen providing the focal point
Paternoster beach was another excellent spot for sunset photography, with gulls adding that extra punch
The flowers in the Postberg section of the West Coast National Park were spectacular (a separate post on this still to come)
Another view of the iconic mountain that I grew up with, this time from the waterfront at Cape Town
The Birds
I spend most of my photographic energies on capturing images of birds, not always successfully. These are some of the better ones
The photo of a Cape Longclaw shows why it was given that name
This is a photo by Estelle Smalberger who kindly allowed me to use her images. What a privilege it was for me to be the one to first find this species – never before recorded in southern Africa!
Such elegant birds….
Cape Weavers treated us to a show while building their nests in front of our patio
Some of the birds seen during our Australia visit
My favourite bird photo of the year! Just seeing this scarce bird is a treat, capturing an image in flight from one bush to the next is a bonus
Cormorants are not colourful birds, but those eyes….!
Darter creating an arty pose
The Cape Batis likes to stay concealed so I was happy to capture this image as it flitted about in the depths of a bush
Not as clear an image as I would have liked but the in flight action is just perfect
Our favourite Cape Town destination is Kirstenbosch – always an opportunity for a few pleasing images
The Other Stuff
We visited a butterfly sanctuary which was great for close ups of some of the beautiful specimens
Nice to watch the Zipline in operation at the Point in Mossel Bay – now if I was a tad younger…..
The little village of Friemersheim has been turned into a living Art Gallery (more in a future post)
That sign conjures up all kinds of thoughts, doesn’t it?
A view from the inside of the Singapore Airlines plane that took us to Australia via Singapore
A tranquil scene on one of my atlasing trips
Cow in the flowers….behind barbed wire
People in the flowers on a sunny day
I can’t imagine a life without photography .. or birding of course
Mostly Birding 
What fun! I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through these photographs of yours and am looking forward to reading the posts you hint at 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the photos Anne – I hope I can get back to posting on a more regular basis as the year progresses.
What a year you had, Don! I am not going to try and pick a favourite photograph; they are all super! You had me scrolling up and down and up and down.
I hope 2023 treats you equally well!
And that the rare bird you find this year will be closer to Pretoria 😉
Thanks as always for your positive comments Dries! We relocated to Mossel Bay at the end of last year so Pretoria will not be much in our sights even though we still have our house there. Of course, that won’t stop me looking for those rarities but it would be too much to hope for another mega-rarity such as the Laughing Gull!
I’m holding thumbs that good luck comes in threes!
Stunning photos, enjoyed thank you
Thanks Pat, I appreciate the comment!
Don your restrospective photos are phenomenal. Love the word too! I connected my computer to the big screen TV which made the viewing even more amazing. I love them all but my favourites are the double rainbow, Victoria and Table Mountain from Milnerton beach. All the bird photos are fabulous. Looking forward to seeing more in 2023.
Lovely comment Helen – sorry for the delayed acknowledgement! It’s interesting that your three favourites were all taken on my Iphone (not even one of the super-duper latest versions) so it seems I can get rid of my fancy camera (not likely)! We have moved to Mossel Bay and any travel will be limited but knowing the Southern Cape I’m sure there will be lots of interesting times and photo opportunities in 2023. I will have to try viewing on the TV as you suggest – good idea
Cell phone phots can be really awesome. Yes – do try and connect to your big screen – makes such a difference. And don’t get rid of your camera!