All posts by Don Reid

South African nature enthusiast with a passion for Birding, Photography and Travelling to interesting places to discover more about Southern Africa and the World

Atlasing, Birding South Africa, Butterflies

Atlasing Tales 11 – Friemersheim and George Area

July 23, 2025 Don Reid 4 Comments

These tales record some of the more memorable experiences while atlasing – in this case during March 2023 while we were at our ‘other’ home in Mossel Bay (where we now reside permanently)

And in case you’ve forgotten or have not heard of Atlasing, here’s a brief synopsis –

Atlasing is the regular mapping of bird species in a specific area called a “pentad”. Each pentad has a unique number, based on its geographical position according to a 5 minute x 5 minute grid of co-ordinates of latitude and longitude, which translates into a square of our planet roughly 8 x 8 kms in extent.

As a registered observer / Citizen scientist under the SABAP2 program (SA Bird Atlas Project 2), I record all of the species I see or hear in a particular pentad over a period which can be anything between 2 hours and 5 days, for submission to the project database at the ADU (Animal Demography Unit) based in Cape Town.

George – Country roads west of town

Gerda’s last treatment, taking up most of the day at the clinic in George, meant I had a chance to do some atlasing in the area once again. I didn’t want to travel too far from George so chose a pentad directly west of the town.

Pentad 3355_2215

I headed west out of George, taking Charles street which winds through country farmland and hills before descending into Great Brak. Just after the start of the pentad the road – which is gravel most of the way – descends to the single lane bridge over the Maalgate River

There I spent some time on both sides of the river, recording Fork-tailed Drongo, Black Saw-wing, Common Quail, Little Rush Warbler and several Swallows and Swifts.

Add to that a number of waterfowl at a large dam further along the same road and I had recorded a quick 25 species in as many minutes, including a lone Purple Heron at the dam.

One of the ‘hazards’ of atlasing the country roads is encountering the occasional ‘road block’ – fortunately not of the policed kind, rather one that adds to the experience as gentle farm animals pass by the car.

After crossing the river again, a Long-crested Eagle flew over to fill my heart with pleasure – later in the adjacent pentad another (or possibly the same one) soared high above with some sort of prey gripped in its beak – this time I had my camera handy for a quick photo as it passed over me

Long-crested Eagle *Lophaetus occipitalis* Langkuifarend

After that great start, the birding slowed somewhat as I followed the road through farmlands, then headed back in the direction of George along roads that took me through the adjacent pentad.

That led to an unusual encounter with a Malachite Kingfisher, which flew across the road in front of the car, then settled on a fence – unusual because there were no dams or rivers in the vicinity. It perched long enough to allow me to take a few photos in this out of character environment.

Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Kuifkopvisvanger

Pentad Species total : 41

Friemersheim Area

Looking to further ‘fill in’ my MBMA Project block of pentads for the year (MBMA is my acronym for Mossel Bay Municipal Area which covers 42 pentads over a wide swathe of the southern Cape from Gouritz River in the west to Glentana in the east and northwards up to the Klein Karoo), I decided to tackle the pentads covering the village of Friemersheim itself and to the west and east of it.

Pentad 3355_2210

I started in the pentad to the east of Friemersheim at 7am on the dot, travelling along Amy Searle Street northwards out of the town of Great Brak River, initially through farmland with a sprinkling of small dams on either side of the road.

First bird was a calling Burchell’s Coucal – their soft bubbling call often advertises their presence long before they show themselves – later I had a surprise close encounter with the species.

I spent some time at the first roadside dams, looking with some difficulty into the low morning sun – a Malachite Kingfisher was already active, perched on a convenient branch and plunging to catch small prey.

Several waterfowl were present, such as the ubiquitous Yellow-billed Duck, a few Red-billed Teals and a Little Grebe.

Carrying on, a field with shortish grass was the right habitat for Lapwings and produced the similar looking Black-winged Lapwings and Crowned Lapwings, the former a scarcer, sought after species, the latter far more common.

Black-winged Lapwing *Vanellus melanopterus* Grootswartvlerkkiewiet, Friemersheim area

Crowned Lapwing *Vanellus coronatus* / Kroonkiewiet

I turned off the tar road eastwards along a nondescript gravel side road, but one I had previously explored with some success. The first stretch travels through more farmland with shortish grass, which was good for Zitting Cisticola and Cape Longclaw, plus many Barn Swallows flying low and scooping flying insects out of the air.

Thereafter the road turns steeply downhill into a wooded valley with a strong river flowing at the lowest point. Halfway down I stopped for coffee and rusks and added 8 species in the 15 to 20 minutes spent listening and looking out for birds, including several forest species –

Knysna Turaco calling
Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Greater Double-collared Sunbird *Cinnyris afer* Groot-rooibandsuikerbekkie

Collared Sunbird – my first record of the species for the Western Cape
Dusky Flycatcher
Fork-tailed Drongo
Olive Bushshrike

Emerging from the valley, I continued along the road through more farmlands and rolling hills, steadily adding species to the card, which included a few more special sightings –

Spotted Flycatcher perched on a fence, allowing me to take several photos (another first record for my Western Cape list)

Spotted Flycatcher *Muscicapa striata* Europese vlieëvanger

Terrestrial Brownbul calling from dense bush – krrr – krrr – krrr is the best way I can describe this secretive species’ call
The close encounter with a Burchell’s Coucal mentioned above – I followed its progress through a tangle of long grass and bushes

Burchell’s Coucal Centropus burchellii Gewone vleiloerie

Cape Batis
White-faced Ducks at yet another roadside dam
Jackal Buzzard on a pole just before exiting the pentad

Jackal Buzzard *Buteo rufofuscus* Rooiborsjakkalsvoël

Total species for the pentad : 58

Pentad 3355_2210

The second pentad for the morning was far less productive, probably because it was close to midday when birds tend to be temporarily absent until the late afternoon ‘rush hour’ starts

My route was through Friemersheim (which has been the subject of several of my posts about the mural artwork that is a feature of this interesting village) then a circular route on the northern side of the village.

There were few highlights, but I found hundreds of Barn Swallows feeding over the fields. My last stop in the forested section produced several Cape Batises and a Butterfly gathering moisture from a puddle in the road

Cape Batis Batis capensis Kaapse bosbontrokkie (male)

Total species for the pentad : 23

Other stuff

The focus is on the birds while atlasing but there are always other things to divert the attention….

African Blue-banded Swallowtail / Papilio nireus

Bird migration, Birding South Africa, Waders

Small Birds taking BIG Journeys : Part 4

July 3, 2025 Don Reid 3 Comments

To repeat the intro to my previous posts on this subject …. Many of the migrant waders – or shorebirds as they are also known – display the most Jeckyll and Hyde characteristics of all birds, living two dramatically different lives and spending time in habitats which are far removed from each other.

Separating these two lives are amazing journeys that take these small yet hardy birds halfway across the world – and back again.

South African birders get to know migrant species during their stay in the southern hemisphere, typically during the months from October to April, so let’s find out a bit more about their ‘other’ lives by delving (again) into the typical annual life cycle of these waders.

This time it’s the –

Wood Sandpiper (Bosruiter) Tringa glareola

Affectionately called ‘Woodies’, this species is so named because they breed on swamps and peat bogs in the coniferous taiga forests of the Northern Hemisphere – who would have thought this is also a ‘Forest bird’ !

Identification and Distribution

Identification of the Wood Sandpiper is relatively easy – compared to some of the other LBW’s (Little brown waders) – and is often the first wader that novice birders will get to know as it is one of the most common freshwater waders

What to look out for –

medium size (19 – 21cm; 55 – 65g) slim, fairly long-legged, graceful
straight bill about the same length as the head, white brow extends behind eye
grey-brown above with eye-catching white ‘spotting’ , grey below

Distribution –

The orange area on the global distribution map (from Cornell Birds of the World) shows where breeding occurs in the Northern Hemisphere while the blue area, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, is where they go to ‘get away from it all’ and prepare themselves for the next round of raising a family.

The southern African distribution map (from The Firefinch Birding app) shows the species presence across most of the region but absent from the Kalahari and arid west.

Life in the North

The preferred breeding habitat is the open swampy area and peat bogs in coniferous forests, scrubland between those forests and tundra

Their diet is mainly small aquatic insects, caught by pecking or probing while walking in shallow water

Wood Sandpiper, Marievale Bird Sanctuary

Breeding

The nest is usually a small scrape on the ground lined with moss, stems and leaves, in dense vegetation, but also frequently in trees in old nests of other species

Eggs (usually 4) are laid and incubated for about 3 weeks – from 7 to 10 days after hatching the male cares for the young on its own

Fledging some 3 to 4 weeks later, the fledglings are independent soon thereafter, facing the many dangers that young birds are subject to.

Migration

The birds we see in Southern Africa are thought to originate from Russia, first adults leave early July, arriving in the south from late July / August with juveniles following mainly in September and October.

Migration is undertaken at night with birds capable of single flights of up to 4000km. Overland routes are followed by small flocks or singly, mainly via the Rift Valley

Life in the South

Of the 3 million+ Woodies that head to Africa, some 50 – 100,000 end up in southern Africa, where they seek out suitable freshwater habitats. These can be anything from shallow sewage ponds to marshes, flood plains and muddy edges of streams and rivers, down to the size of a puddle.

Sometime after arrival, adults start a post-breeding moult which continues for up to 4 months, during which time all feathers are replaced with new ones.

Generally, a solitary bird except where food is abundant when they may gather in loose groups

Wood Sandpiper with Little Stint, Leeuwfontein Pan near Belfast

They start departing from late February with the majority having left by end April, heading north to their breeding grounds where the cycle will start all over again…

References : Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World; Roberts VII Birds of Southern Africa; Firefinch app, Collins Bird Guide; Waders of Southern Africa

Land of Beauty, The World around Us

Friemersheim Revisited …. Again!

June 17, 2025 Don Reid 2 Comments

The most popular posts on my blog to date have been those I wrote about the quirky artwork that adorns the outside walls of random homes in the small village of Friemersheim in the Southern Cape.

For some reason readers have been attracted to these posts in far greater numbers than any of my other 300 plus posts – a tad ironic when you consider the title of my blog is “Mostly Birding”, as this is the one post that has no birds mentioned other than those depicted in the murals!

But I’m not complaining – It’s just the persuasion I need to post some more photos of the artwork that has appeared since those posts.

So let me remind you about Friemersheim with some of the details from the original post …..

Where is Friemersheim?

This small town, described by some as a hamlet, lies a short distance inland of Great Brak River, itself a small town on the coast of the southern Cape, not far from our home town Mossel Bay

The Artwork

Friemersheim was firmly placed on the tourist map during lockdown, when South African artist Fourie Ackermann, who moved to the area in 2015, decided to liven things up with murals painted on the walls of local houses. And did he make a good job of it!

It is an ongoing project it seems, as new murals ‘pop up’ on houses throughout the spread-out town on a regular basis.

During a recent bird atlasing trip to the area around the town I took some ‘time off’ from birding to drive through the town and view the murals that had appeared since my previous posts

Here’s what I found …..

Cottage with it All!

We came across this charmingly “artworked” cottage a couple of kilometres before the town itself- a perfect combination of reality and imagination and incorporating several of Fourie’s trademark features-

The side wall has a zebra in a doorway, a real door and an alcove with a tractor

The front wall has a friendly couple waving forever to passers-by, a real door, and…

a real window decorated with painted shutters, a few balloons, flowers and a black cat just visible through the lace curtain

Cheetah on a Rock with Two Cubs

This house on the main road through the village has just one painting of a cheetah and its cubs perched on a rock

Zooming in, the detail becomes clear…

Leopard in a Tree

Further on along the same road, this small shop serves as the canvas for another of the big cats – this time a Leopard in a tree

Leopard Watching

Still on the Leopard theme, this one has surely spotted prey, judging by the focused stare

Fish Eagle

One wall of another modest house is adorned with this image of an African Fish-Eagle with a fish clutched in its talons

Lion in a House

I particularly enjoy the quirky side of Fourie’s artistic murals, such as this lion glaring at you through a large ‘hole in the wall’ of the abode, with a sunbird perched on a thin stem for good luck

More Cheetahs

My first post on this unique town included the image below of cheetahs with a real dog (disturbingly chained) on the front lawn.

The dog is no longer there (thank goodness) but the adjoining wall has now been decorated with another cheetah scene

This town is a treat to see if you are ever in the area!

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Brisbane – a Brief Glimpse

June 7, 2025 Don Reid 1 Comment

Australia 3.1

Our third trip to Australia in January and February this year was all about seeing son Stephan and his family for the first time since 2022, while using the opportunity to see more of Australia – a huge country we are getting to know in small instalments.

The ‘instalment’ this time around was based on a suggestion by Stephan that we meet the family in Sydney and do a slow road trip up the east coast to Brisbane, where we would catch a flight to Mackay in Queensland, their new home town. That appealed to us, as it meant spending quality time with the family while our grandkids had school holidays and Stephan was on leave, at the same time seeing a part of Australia that we had not visited before.

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days each at Caves Beach, Nambucca Heads and Gold Coast, now it was time to conclude our road trip with a short visit to Brisbane

Wednesday – Some shopping and a slow trip to Brisbane

After checking out of the Meriton Suites in Gold Coast, we tagged along with the family to the nearby Pacific Fair shopping mall, with no particular goal in mind other than to see what it looked like and while away some time before undertaking the (supposedly) short trip to Brisbane, a mere 75 kms away.

Pacific Fair Mall, Gold Coast Queensland

What we found was a mall much like those in all big cities with the usual mix of shops, some with names we recognised, others not, and walkways full of people of all ages but predominantly young and fashionable.

First stop was at Le Bon Croix restaurant for tea/coffee and something delicious – the choice of croissants and tarts, the latter fresh and brightly coloured, was tempting

After some deliberation I chose this slightly more conservative one to accompany my coffee

Then the girls did a round of the shops with the boys in tow, before returning to the car and setting off to Brisbane.

Traffic was painfully slow all the way to the highway and for most of the way to Brisbane, which turned the short journey into a 3 hour affair.

Thank goodness for the technology that provides a map and directions on the console – it’s hard to imagine driving in a foreign country to a city you have never been to before without it.

Nevertheless, driving in constant traffic on roads you have never driven on before is not easy (dare I say especially at our age), so it was not surprising that I missed the turn into the Indigo Hotel Brisbane City and had to find my way around a series of one-way, busy city streets to get back to the hotel, adding to the already somewhat nervy state I was in. I was mightily relieved once we had offloaded our bags, got them to the room and I had taken the car to the off-site parking a block away.

The family had delayed their trip due to the traffic, so we went in search of a restaurant on our own, ‘following our noses’ along strange streets and ending up a few blocks down George Street at Lennons in the Hyatt Hotel – we enjoyed a good dinner and by the time we got back to the hotel the family had arrived.

Birds added: None!

Thursday – Brisbane – Gardens and the Museum

We slept a bit later and went for breakfast as late as allowed.

We had decided to visit the Botanical Gardens in the city, so we ubered there and took a slow walk from the drop off point, taking in the lush forest like gardens along the way.

A cafe with a view beckoned for tea…

Refreshments were accompanied by the presence of Noisy Miners and an Australian White Ibis / Bin Chicken as well as a Water Dragon that dashed between our legs causing a flutter or two.

Noisy Miner, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

Eastern Water Dragon, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

“Bin Chicken” cleaning up as soon as we stood up to leave

A nice surprise awaited when we carried on along the pathways, in the form of three Bush Stone-Curlews standing like statues among the trees.

Bush Stone-Curlew, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

I had hoped to find this species, which is of the same genus as our Dikkops – Burhinus – so is akin to being a cousin, albeit on a different continent.

Further on we came to the ponds which held a number of Dusky Moorhens.

At one of the ponds I noticed two birds flying low over the water and snatching something from the surface. On closer inspection of the photos and after comparing my photos with the Birding app, my hopes for another lifer were confirmed – Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Blue-faced Honeyeater, Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

This juvenile Laughing Kookaburra was quite content scratching about in the leaf litter and seemed unconcerned by our presence

Laughing Kookaburra (Juvenile), Botanical Gardens, Brisbane Queensland

The kids were keen to visit the Queensland Museum and with closing time just an hour away we ubered there from the main gate of the gardens. It was a worthwhile trip with outstanding exhibits although we had to rush it a bit.

The digital recreations of prehistoric scenes were particularly impressive

We all found something interesting to see, mine being the displays of Aussie birds and butterflies

On the way back we had a glimpse of the river and views of the city from the minibus cab that we called

No this is not the cab! Just a sleek Aston Martin outside our hotel

We rounded off the day with a last meal in the hotel restaurant, which was Japanese fusion and our ‘Wagyu Bagas’ were the best burgers we’ve had in a long while.

Tomorrow we travel ‘home’ to Mackay on the last leg of a memorable trip.

Triplist – Birds added

Bush Stone-Curlew at the Botanical Gardens
Blue-faced Honeyeater at the Botanical Gardens
Australian Brushturkey on the lawns where we waited for our Uber

Friday – Brisbane to Mackay

The last morning in Brisbane required some careful planning – we had to return the rental car to a site near the airport by the designated time of 10.30am and fit in breakfast, final packing, fetching the car from the parking garage off-site and getting the baggage loaded.

Before returning the car we also had to find a filling station and fill the tank (myself – no attendants here) Fortunately it all worked out nicely and we were dropped off at the terminal by the rental company’s shuttle bus with plenty of time to spare.

We had almost four hours to wait for the flight, which went surprisingly quickly, and the flight was just an hour and a half.

We were at the house by 6pm and immediately had a swim in the pool to shake off the hot and humid conditions – just a taste of the “Durban on steroids” weather we would experience for the next three weeks.

We are looking forward to our stay in Mackay which a first impression suggests is a pleasant town without pretension.

Footnote on modern travel

Just when you think you can deal with everything modern travel throws at you, something new crosses your path! Checking in online is old hat but I have always relied on an actual person at a check-in desk to drop off our bags. That wasn’t an option when checking in at Brisbane Airport, so I just had to figure out how to do the label printing and baggage drop without the aid of another human being for the first time – very intimidating!

Travel nowadays is all but entirely reliant on technology, and it is a constant learning curve and a mind challenge for the older generation – you really have to keep your wits about you, even when doing something ‘ordinary’ such as riding in a lift….

The lift at the apartment suite we rented in Gold Coast had no buttons in the car – you choose your destination when calling for a lift in the lobby and the smart technology does the rest. Still rather unnerving to get into a lift car that has no controls other than door opening and closing buttons.

Oh well, we live and learn…

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Gold Coast

May 26, 2025 Don Reid 2 Comments

Australia 3.1

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days each at Caves Beach and Nambucca Heads – next stop Gold Coast

Sunday – Nambucca Heads to Gold Coast

Time to head further north today, but not before enjoying a breakfast at Wharf Café which overlooks the estuary. The rain had almost subsided and allowed us to load the cars and leave by checkout time.

Breakfast done, we started on the route to Gold Coast and were soon back on the Pacific highway, this time in sunny conditions which made the drive a lot more comfortable. As in other parts of Australia that we have driven, we passed through long stretches lined with tall trees on both sides, which is always pleasing to the eye.

We stuck to the highway all the way to Byron Bay where we diverted to drive through the town and stop for refreshments and a look at the beach. Byron Bay is known for its beautiful coastal scenery, its famous surf breaks and for being a spot favoured by celebrities – it struck us as being similar in character to our Garden Route towns such as Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.

Back on the highway, a notable feature are the ‘bridges to nowhere’ that the road passes under at fairly regular intervals – bridges that seem to end either side of the highway with no visible approach road crossing over.

We saw similar bridges in Canada so I guessed that their purpose was the same ie to provide a safe crossing point for wildlife of all kinds, without having to set foot on the road at all.

The principle behind these structures is the provision of ecological connectivity between the areas occupied by various wildlife on either side of the highway. They are used by everything from marsupials and reptiles to frogs and birds, saving countless wildlife from becoming roadkill.

Passing under one of several “Wildlife crossings” on the Pacific Highway

Approaching our destination of Gold Coast, the proliferation of tall modern buildings made it clear that we were entering a large city with spread-out residential areas.

Our home for the three nights was set on a hill in Burleigh Heads, overlooking Burleigh Beach and set among tall trees and bush – the house appeared quite modest at first glance but was furnished and equipped in modern fashion with a large kitchen and living area as well as a spacious deck. Downstairs were more bedrooms and a living room which the kids immediately took a liking to.

Being in in a new time zone in Queensland (which does not observe daylight saving in summer), we had lost an hour so had about an hour of daylight left to relax on the deck. Naturally I spent most of that hour scanning the surrounding trees for birdlife and gazing into the sky where a number of what looked like swallows were making the most of the time before sunset.

View from the deck at Burleigh Heads Queensland

Triplist –

Birds added:

Good old House Sparrow at one of the stops

Swamp Harrier flying over the road in an area with wetlands bordering the highway

Swamp Harrier (image from Birds of the World)

Pied Currawong in the large trees around the house

**Pied Currawong**
*Strepera graculina*, Burleigh Heads Queensland

White-breasted Woodswallow high up above the house

White-breasted Woodswallow (image from Birds of the World)

Monday – Gold Coast : Sea World

Stephan had booked tickets for a visit to Sea World and we set off along a busy route lined with tall apartment buildings and hotels which told a story of a popular place for holidays and plenty of wealth. Our hearts sank when we saw the exceptionally large, full parking area – expected I suppose but still… I dropped Gerda off near the entrance, parked far away and walked back to join the queue at the entrance.

Inside, the foyer was buzzing with activity and people – after a tea and a snack we walked along paths filled with more people and flanking expansive outdoor pools which we bypassed for the time being – the dolphin show was scheduled to start soon and we didn’t want to miss it.

We made it in good time after a longish walk with throngs of people and found a good spot to sit and enjoy the show – which was very well done and a highlight of the day.

Heading back, we found a table at the main area for a burger lunch, after which we slowly made our way back to the exit, leaving the family to do the rides, while we took in the Shark tank and Manta ray pools on the way back.

At the house we flopped onto the bed for a recovery snooze followed by some outside time on the deck before the rest of the family returned, exhilarated after doing several of the spectacular rides on offer.

Tuesday – Gold Coast : Surprise Low and a Spectacular High

The Low

Well it had to happen sometime – no proper road trip ever runs smoothly all of the way….

We were having a relaxed morning after yesterday’s activities when a knock on the door changed things – it was a plumber informing us that the sewer from the property was overflowing and running into the neighbour’s yard below, apparently into their swimming pool! He suggested we would not be able to flush toilets or open taps until the problem was sorted out, which could only happen with the owner’s cooperation. That was not forthcoming so we would have to vacate the house a day early!

We set about finding alternative accommodation while we packed, which we eventually found in an apartment complex not too far away. Meriton Apartments turned out to be quite smart, upmarket in fact and apart from the cost it was a good move, albeit just for one night. Gerda and I checked in while the rest were having a beach swim, and I popped down to the pool for a refreshing swim.

The High

Soon it was time to set off for the Outback Spectacular evening show at a venue on the way to Brisbane, which was true to its name and made up for the drama and disappointment of the day so far.

Australian Outback Spectacular show, Gold Coast Queensland

The show had it all …… and more as the images hopefully show –

The show started and while the story was being told, a meal was served at our seats, which had a continuous table in front. We watched in awe as a team of young waiters served up about 2000 meals in a short space of time and we tucked into the delicious food accompanied by a glass of wine – this is the way to do it!

We all enjoyed the show thoroughly, with horses, cattle, a dog and various vehicles adding to the spectacle, all synced with an outstanding projection of images on the back wall and on the floor of the arena and woven around a story of the outback

There didn’t seem to be any way of topping what had been done so far – until a helicopter entered the arena! I mumbled something about ‘Good grief it’s a flipping helicopter!’ or words to that effect, as the helicopter, a real one tethered to a steel beam running below the roof, did a circuit of the arena and helped ‘rustle’ the cattle back to their pens – truly spectacular!

And as if that wasn’t enough, a cloudburst with real water fell across the arena (not the seating area) and was followed by a digitally created waterfall and river flowing through the sandy floor of the arena. We left with embedded memories …… and a complimentary straw hat!

Triplist –

Birds added (before we vacated the house)

Pacific Swift amongst swallows and swifts soaring above the house

Pacific Swift (Image from Birds of the World)

A curious Grey Butcherbird appearing on the deck and popping out into the open to give us the once over

**Grey Butcherbird**
*Cracticus torquatus*, Burleigh Heads Queensland

The Gold Coast had proved to be memorable for many reasons – all that remained of our road trip was the short stretch to Brisbane.

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Nambucca Heads

May 13, 2025 Don Reid 2 Comments

Australia 3.1

We had left Sydney behind and enjoyed two days at Caves Beach – the exotic sounding Nambucca Heads lay enticingly in wait for our next stop

Friday – Caves Beach to Nambucca Heads (In the rain)

Rain accompanied us almost the entire distance of just under 400kms and along with slow roads for the first two hours turned a 4 hour trip into 6, with the added challenge of poor visibility for most of the way. Lunch was burgers at Taree Service stop which was very busy but quick.

We were glad to reach the Cubana Resort at Nambucca Heads safe and sound and were soon settled into our two rooms with ours overlooking lush gardens and a lake.

Cubana Resort, Nambucca Heads New South Wales

When the rain subsided enough to venture outside, I stood scanning the garden in front of our room for signs of any bird or other life and noticed a bird darting out into the open, picking up something then darting back.

I rushed to get my camera suspecting something special, and when it ventured into the open again, I was able to get a few shots as it scurried between tufts of grass, which were good enough to ID the bird – it was my first Rail photographed! Buff-banded Rail to be exact.

**Buff-banded Rail**
*Gallirallus philippensis*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

Later we drove to the nearby supermarket for provisions which included a selection of prepared meals for the evening – the fridge and microwave in the room proved to be invaluable and we enjoyed our supper in the room.

Triplist –

Birds added:

The weather conditions with regular showers and poor light meant opportunities for bird photography were severely limited – something we were to experience throughout our trip.

Where I did not manage to get a fresh photo, I have ‘borrowed’ some of my images from our previous trips to Australia to illustrate the birds added to the triplist

Our quick lunch stop at Taree Service Stop produced a Magpie-Lark

The Buff-banded Rail was a Lifer for me, the first of the trip and made a few appearances on the grass in front of our room, but I had to grab my camera rapidly and be as stealthy as I could as it dashed into the cover of the bushes at the slightest movement

Strangely we had not seen the well-known “Bin Chicken” or Australian White Ibis until we reached Nambucca, where they were plentiful

**Australian White Ibis**
*Theskiornis molucca*

Rainbow Lorikeets are for me one of the most iconic birds of Australia so I was happy to see a few high up in the tall Eucalyptus trees that line one boundary of the resort

On the way to the river mouth we spotted a flock of Little Corellas

Other stuff –

On my walk around the lake I came across several Eastern Water Dragons near the water’s edge, sitting dead still on a handy rock, then scurrying off when I got too close for its comfort

**Eastern Water Dragon**
*Intellagama leseurii*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales – semi-aquatic agamid species

Saturday – Nambucca Heads (Mostly in the rain!)

The weather forecast showed another day of rain, light at times, heavy at other times and that is how it panned out. That meant staying indoors then venturing outside when rain held up for a while, for short spells of walking about and birding.

After the continental style breakfast, we chilled for most of the morning with Stephan and the kids enjoying ‘boat races’ with leaves and sticks in the fast-flowing water channels next to the road in between rain squalls. Some simple pleasures never age – as kids growing up in Cape Town it was a particular delight to go out in the rain and ‘race’ our matchsticks in the kerb channel to the nearest stormwater gulley.

I managed a couple of short walks around the lush gardens before the rainy conditions chased me back to the shelter of the verandah of our room.

The flowers in the garden of the resort were tropical in nature

Lichen cover tree – looks similar to what we would call ‘Old man’s beard’

**Scarlet Percher Dragonfly** (I think),
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

After lunch we drove to the river mouth and parked where we could view the beach and stormy seas, whipped up by high winds.

The rain let up long enough for me to get some images of the beach and the unusual painted “Art rocks” lining the pathway.

Art rocks, Nambucca Heads New South Wales

I also tried a few in flight photos of passing terns with some success, before another squall chased me back to the shelter of the car.

Later we returned to the estuary for a pizza dinner at a busy Mathildas Restaurant – we could only get seating outside so were glad that the rain held off

Triplist –

Birds added

Another iconic Aussie bird, the Laughing Kookaburra, attracted my attention with its calling in the tall eucalyptus trees

**Laughing Kookaburra**
*Dacelo novaeguineae*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

On the way to the main beach I spotted a Pied Oystercatcher on a grassy sandbank in the estuary – another Lifer!

**Pied Oystercatcher**
*Haematopus longirostris*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

Greater Crested/ Swift Tern and Common Tern hunting and diving at the estuary – distant birds in flight + poor light = somewhat fuzzy images – what birders like to call a “Record Shot”.

Both of these Terns are seen regularly in Mossel Bay, but the Common Tern was a new addition to my Australia list

**Common Tern**
*Sterna hirundo*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

**Swift (Greater Crested) Tern**
*Thalasseus bergii*,
Nambucca Heads New South Wales

I spotted the second species of Oystercatcher for the day – Sooty Oystercatcher – at the estuary

**Sooty Oystercatcher**
*Haematopus fuliginosus*

A few Australian Pelicans were hanging out on a distant sandbar – identifiable but too distant for a photo of any description

**Australian Pelican**
*Pelecanus conspicillatus*

Expanding my walk beyond the boundary of the resort, I spotted a Sacred kingfisher among the trees bordering the walking track – my second lifer of the trip – just a pity it it flew off as I lifted my camera, not to be seen again. I have no previous photos of this handsome bird so include this illustration from The Complete Guide to Australian Birds by George Adams

Tomorrow we head to the Gold Coast in Queensland

Birding Australia, Holiday Trips

Australia 2025 : Caves Beach

May 6, 2025 Don Reid 7 Comments

Australia 3.1

With Sydney ‘done and dusted’ the road trip could begin…

Wednesday – Sydney to Caves Beach

The first leg of the road trip was a short one – about 140km – so we stretched our stay at the Sydney Park Royal right up to checkout time of 11am. That gave us time for another substantial breakfast of fruit with yoghurt, egg and bacon with trimmings and an apple danish with coffee – back home it’s corn flakes or porridge so hotel breakfasts are a treat, and we like to make the most of them to see us through the day.

After packing up we checked out, retrieved our rental car from the valet parking service and with the destination address loaded onto google maps we set off through Sydney following the map’s “blue line” until we reached the Pacific Highway which wound through suburbia (looking uncannily like parts of Joburg) onto the Pacific Motorway. From there it was an easy drive to the turnoff to Swansea and Caves Beach.

We were too early for checkin at 3pm so looked for a coffee shop – the first one we found was closing at 2.30pm and as it was 45 minutes to go, we thought that would give us plenty of time for a coffee and slice of something nice. But that’s not how the young lady at the door saw it and insisted that we would have to do take aways if we wanted coffee and cake as they were closing! We have experienced this before, but it is still a mystery why businesses in Aussieland are often so inflexible and bound by strange rules.

Somewhat aggravated, we googled and found a bakery a few minutes away – it turned out to be a place that did not invite a sit down, but the takeaway quiches and other goodies proved to be excellent.

Next stop was the house Stephan had rented at Clipper Close, Caves Beach – we had the lower floor of a large double storey home and settled in quickly.

After chilling for a good while we set off for a walk, heading through the garden gate and down to the beach, which stretched for kms to the north and south.

In the distance we could see a rocky headland and what appeared to be the caves after which the town is named, so set out southwards in that direction.

There were interesting things for the kids and us to explore along the beach – rock pools with small fish, tiny crabs, bluebottles and gulls aplenty.

Minute crab – no more than 1cm long, Caves Beach New South Wales

Approaching the main swimming beach we could now see the caves formed in the rocky headland and spent some time exploring them.

The wind was blowing strongly as we walked back, peppering our lower legs with beach sand and by the time we got back to the house our faces and arms felt sticky from the fine sea spray in the air.

Triplist –

My triplist was gaining momentum with numbers of birds seen on the way to the beach – on a small pond and in the bushy fringes. Mostly birds that I have seen on previous trips but good to make their acquaintance once again.

**Australasian Swamphen**
*Porphyrio melanotus*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Dusky Moorhen**
*Gallinula tenebrosa*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Maned Duck**
*Chenonetta jubata*, Caves Beach New South Wales (taken with Iphone)

**Pacific Black Duck**
*Anas superciliosa*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Common everywhere, the Magpie is nevertheless a fascinating bird that makes you wonder ‘who is looking at whom?’

**Australian Magpie**
*Gymnorhina tibicen*, Caves Beach New South Wales

And you can’t help loving the Willie Wagtail with its side-to-side waggle of the tail announcing its identity from afar

**Willie Wagtail**
*Rhipidura leucophrys*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Birds I did not manage to photograph but new to the triplist :

Great Cormorant over the beach
A pair of Australian Ravens on the beach
Common Myna (urgh)

Thursday – Caves Beach – a Rainy day

Awake at 7am to overcast weather (getting later each morning as our body clock adjusts), we spent the first hour or two sipping coffee/tea and enjoying the freshness of the morning after a few hot muggy days.

Later the rain came down and the wind increased – no one wanted to do anything energetic, so the day passed with plenty of chilling through teatime and lunchtime with an extended snooze in the afternoon. By late afternoon, the rain had subsided, and I ventured out to explore the area between the house and the beach, in the process discovering a small lake concealed by a ring of trees.

A small pathway between the trees led to the water’s edge where several Black Ducks, Moorhens and Coots were paddling about serenely. In the trees a pair of Willie Wagtails were hopping about while Cormorants, Herons and Egrets flew overhead.

**Little Black Cormorant**
*Phalacrocorax sulcirostris*, Caves Beach New South Wales

I had left my camera at the house, so headed back to fetch itand persuade Stephan to join me to investigate further. We did a full circuit of the lake and added a few more species to the list.

Triplist –

Around the house – no photos taken due to the rain

Nankeen Kestrel flying past
Australian King Parrot – ditto
New Holland Honeyeater
Crested Pigeon
Masked Lapwing

At the lake –

**Eurasian Coot**
*Fulica atra*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Australasian Grebe**
*Tachybaptus novaehollandiae*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Chestnut Teal**
*Anas castanea*, Caves Beach New South Wales

**Little Pied Cormorant**
*Microcarbo melanoleucos*, Caves Beach New South Wales

Other stuff:

We found a few Brown Rabbits near the house – a species introduced from Europe in the 1800’s

**Brown Rabbit**,
Caves Beach New South Wales

Tomorrow, we continue our road trip up the east coast to Nambucca Heads

Holiday Trips, International Birding

Australia 2025 : A Glimpse of Sydney

April 28, 2025 Don Reid 3 Comments

Australia 3.1

Our third trip to Australia in January and February this year was all about seeing son Stephan and his family of wife Liesl and kids Jocelyn, Christopher and Eleanor (our youngest grandchild at 4 years) for the first time since 2022.

A year ago, they moved from Sale, Victoria to Mackay, a coastal town in north Queensland which, apart from being in a different state, is far removed from Victoria in distance and climate.

It was a far harder decision than before to make a third trip to Australia – advancing years do cause one to consider such a trip carefully as the chances of health issues increase. As it turned out we got through the 5 weeks of our visit without any significant issues, for which we are very thankful.

Getting there

Getting to the first destination is often the hardest part of long-distance travel, and this trip was no different. Total travel time from our home in Mossel Bay to the hotel near the airport in Sydney, where we spent the first night, was around 24 hours which, along with a 9 hour ahead time change left us quite petered out.

The trip itself had the usual queues to endure – at George for check-in, security, boarding and repeated on a much greater scale at Joburg with passport control in addition.

Fortunately, we had a good couple of hours to relax in the lounge before heading to the boarding gate, where there seemed to be more people than could fit on any plane, but this was just a reminder of how many can be squeezed into an Airbus A380 double decker plane.

As we taxi-ed out towards the main runway at OR Tambo, I was fascinated to see a Long-tailed Widowbird doing its low, slow display flight just above the long grass between the runways – or was this an elaborate bon voyage on its part to send us on our way ? Either way it showed that birds are able to carry on their lives despite human endeavours to deter them.

Long-tailed Widow, Mabusa Nature Reserve

The 11-hour flight went smoothly and surprisingly quickly with some short bouts of sleep in between dinner and breakfast (at 3am in our time!) – Premium Economy certainly helps to make it all more comfortable.

We landed in Sydney just after 2pm local time and faced more queues for passport control and customs before finding the shuttle bus to the nearby Holiday Inn Express, which was an excellent choice with its comfortable room, all the basic amenities (in working order) and a reasonable price for it all. After a catch-up snooze we had a light supper in the hotel restaurant and retired to the room for an early night.

Monday – First Taste of Sydney

We had booked a rental car which had to be picked up from a site some distance from the hotel so, after a full breakfast in the busy restaurant, we packed up and got to the pickup area on ground level. I was about to call an Uber when a taxi drew up and offered to take us at the same price as quoted by Uber – the friendly Asian driver was quite persuasive and so we took him up on the offer and were soon at the rentals office, and not long after we were heading to the CBD in our rented Toyota RAV, our transport for the next 11 days.

Google maps directed us efficiently through Sydney’s busy streets to our next destination, the Park Royal Darling Harbour hotel where the friendly valet parking gent met us – it was well before our check in time, so our baggage was stored, and we went off to find a coffee shop nearby.

The friendly folk at hotel reception (you may notice a recurring theme here – Aussies are such a friendly lot – except when playing cricket against SA) suggested Brew Bros which was a short walk away and we enjoyed a cappuccino and an almond croissant while getting a feel for the busy city passing by.

Shortly after returning to the hotel, we were able to check in and find our room with a view of the surrounding cityscape. There was time for a rest while waiting for Stephan and family to arrive for our rendezvous, which was around 4pm and, after much greeting and swopping of presents, we all took a slow walk to find a suitable restaurant for a celebratory meal.

The walk took us past attractive buildings, some modern, some older and restored to their former glory.

Also on our route were some handsome historic buildings with beautiful architecture including St Andrew’s Cathedral, the Town Hall and Queen Victoria building.

The restaurant was Grounds of the City which had décor to match the vintage of the surrounding buildings and tasty food.

The walk back took us past The Galeries Mall, another architectural gem both inside and out

Birds added to my Triplist

No trip is complete without a list of birds seen – being in the centre of the city meant bird species were limited, nevertheless a couple of surprising ones

Noisy Miner, the most common bird we would see during the whole road trip from Sydney to Brisbane

Silver Gull, probably the second most common bird we would see – quite surprising to see them flourishing in the middle of a city such as Sydney and using the skyscraper-lined roads as flyways to and from the harbour area

Rock Dove – like every city, Sydney has its share of this well-known city-dweller

Tuesday – Sydney Harbour by Boat

The day started with a sumptuous breakfast in the hotel restaurant – that set us up for a day of sightseeing around Sydney. We had bought tickets for the Hop-on Hop-off boat tour around Sydney harbour, which proved to be the best way to see a lot in the one full day we had available.

The nearest boarding spot was King Street Wharf at Darling Harbour, which we got to by Uber from the hotel to Lime Street.

King Street Wharf, Sydney Harbour Cruise

From there we walked a short distance along the promenade to the quay to wait for the next boat which arrived shortly afterwards. A trickle of passengers boarded with us and the boat made its way out into the harbour

The first stop on the route around the harbour was Circular Quay, which was also our first hop off after enjoying stunning views of the famous landmarks – the Harbour Bridge, which we saw as the ferry rounded the bend and went beneath the bridge, and the Opera House on the opposite side of the harbour.

First view of Harbour Bridge, Sydney Harbour Cruise

First view of the Opera House, Sydney Harbour Cruise

It’s always a “pinch yourself” moment when you see iconic structures such as the Bridge and Opera House in real life for the first time – they seem so familiar from the hundreds of times they have appeared in print, TV and film that you have to remind yourself that this is the real McCoy!

Once off the ferry we walked along the restaurant lined quay to a vantage point for different views of the bridge and Opera House

We stopped for drinks at one of the dozens of cafes – milkshakes and coffees were ordered and we watched the passing show for a while.

Returning to the boat we rode to its furthest stop at Manly beach, pausing at Taronga Zoo, Shark Island and Watsons Bay.

Manly was hot and humid so we quickly sought a shady spot under trees, then an airconditioned restaurant for a light lunch before heading back to the quay for the 3.30pm boat back to Darling Harbour and an Uber ride to the hotel.

Birds added to my Triplist

More Silver Gulls everywhere including on the canvas canopy where we enjoyed drinks at the waterfront – Ellie pointed out the strange leaf shapes moving about above us, which we realised was the underside of the gull’s feet on the translucent canopy.

Little Pied Cormorant at Manly

Little Pied Cormorant *Microcarbo melanoleucos*

Welcome Swallows over the beach

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo in a small flock

Tomorrow, we start our road trip up the east coast of Australia to Brisbane

Birding South Africa, The World around Us

Puff-adders Welcome …. Or not

April 14, 2025 Don Reid 5 Comments

I have mentioned previously the pleasure of living in an estate which adjoins a nature area, which I can access by walking a couple of hundred metres from our front door and which has an abundance of fynbos and other flora, plus enough birdlife to keep me going back several times a week.

Until last Friday I could not think of a downside to having a nature area on our doorstep, but just as we can visit the nature area with ease, so can inhabitants of the nature area just as easily visit us by heading in the opposite direction, if they are in the mood for a bit of adventure.

That last fact was brought home loud and clear by a Puff-adder that decided to come to our front door during the afternoon. Fortuitously, our son is visiting us and was in the guest bedroom close to the front entrance – he noticed that the estate’s security personnel were standing in the street looking at our house. Then he realised why – a 1m long Puff-adder was slithering across our driveway towards the front entrance!

It turns out the security people had been keeping track of the snake after it was spotted in a garden three houses down and had called the Mossel Bay Fire Brigade who have a small team that deal with such events.

We joined the security people on the driveway – via our back door of course – and watched and waited for the snake catchers to arrive. We couldn’t help thinking what might have happened if we did not get the warning and went out by our front door!

They were there within 15 minutes (Mossel Bay is fortunate to have a very well run municipality) and had the Puff-adder in a container within minutes, ready for relocation to a spot away from suburbia.

Holiday Trips, Stoepsitter Birding, The World around Us

A Cape Winter Break – Part 3 : The Baths, Citrusdal

March 31, 2025 Don Reid 4 Comments

The Plan

This was a trip with a difference – we had no part in planning it whatsoever! Our daughter Geraldine had suggested earlier in the year that we join them on a winter trip in June/July 2024, which would include –

A one night stopover in Matjiesfontein at the historic Lord Milner Hotel
A couple of nights on a farm in Sutherland, the star-gazing capital of South Africa
A week at The Baths resort near Citrusdal

Always up for some mild adventure, and to experience places we have not seen before – which included two of the three above – we agreed to join them and made the necessary bookings to match those that they had already made – the trip was on!

After our stays in Matjiesfontein and Sutherland, all that remained was to get ourselves to Citrusdal for a week at The Baths …

Sutherland to Citrusdal

Friday 28^th June

A long day’s drive from the farm near Sutherland to Citrusdal started with getting everything back into their various cases, crates and bags and packed in the car while we got ourselves ready. All went more or less according to schedule and we left the farm, only to find the warning light coming on for a faulty or under-inflated tire, so I stopped at the first garage to have it checked – fortunately no puncture was found.

The route we followed was the longer, less direct one, avoiding the notorious tire-shredding gravel roads that head west out of Sutherland. That meant we had to return to Matjiesfontein, where we joined up with the N1 and headed west to Touws River, where a roadside cafe enticed us to stop for a roosterkoek (large bun baked over coals with various tasty fillings) lunch.

The route (in dark blue) from Sutherland to Citrusdal

Shortly after Touws River we turned northwards onto the R46 to Ceres, then via Tulbagh, Gouda and Porterville to the N7 which took us through the Piekenierskloof Pass – mostly behind slow-moving trucks – and Citrusdal came into sight as we descended into the valley.

The Baths

Just after turning off the N7, the signpost pointing the way to The Baths appeared and a short drive of 16kms along the narrow tar road took us to the main gate. From there we were directed along a 500m bumpy dirt road (made even bumpier with rough ‘speed humps’ at regular intervals) past camping sites to the reception where we obtained our keys for Apartment 31, our ‘home’ for the next week.

The access road runs through dense bush in places

It turned out to be on the first floor of one of several small buildings with a comfortable living room, balcony in front and a private sitting area at the back, complete with braai and jacuzzi.

The family helped us to get our cases and crates up the steep stairs and we were soon settled in – only for a short while as the family were in a chalet on the extreme edge of the resort, so we had to drive back down the bumpy road to join them for dinner before heading back and calling it a day.

Saturday

We surfaced around 8–ish and made the first round of tea/coffee, which we enjoyed outside on the balcony, surrounded by trees and birdsong as well as the comings and goings of fellow visitors off to swim or just out for a walk.

That was pretty much the pattern for the day up to lunchtime and beyond and just what we needed after the busy drive yesterday. In fact this became our pattern for the rest of the week

It also meant I could get a pentad (3240_1900) list going with a few of the commoner birds of the spot as well as a couple of scarcer species, including –

Cape White-eyes feeding in the trees

Cape White-eye *Zosterops capensis* Kaapse glasogie, (race capensis), The Baths Citrusdal

House Sparrows joining us on the balcony, hoping for dropped crumbs
Familiar Chat being – er – familiar with its wing flicks after every flight or even hop

Familiar Chat *Cercomela familiaris* Gewone spekvreter, The Baths Citrusdal

Sunbirds joining the White-eyes in the erythria tree – both Southern Double-collared and Malachite Sunbirds
Olive Woodpecker paying a brief visit to the surrounding trees

Lunch was toast (home-made bread from the Lord Milner Hotel, organized by Gerda, persuasive as ever) with smoked chicken slices and tomato – restaurant quality food!

We took a short walk after lunch to scout around the nearby facilities, visiting the rock pools and hot and cold swimming pools which provide most of the enjoyment in the resort.

One of the older buildings – still used for accommodation

After a short rest we drove to the chalet where the family were relaxing, for coffee and later a braai – Woolies sosaties accompanied by potato bake, salad and copper penny carrot salad to end off the day on a high culinary note. Just a pity our national T20 cricket team fell short of their target but oh so close with the margin between a potentially match-winning six and batsman caught being less than a metre of flight of the ball.

Sunday

An unhurried start to the day once again – it’s hard to do it any other way in this super-relaxed place – we took it easy on the balcony and I added to my steadily growing pentad list with a few more species that came and went –

African Olive Pigeon made a brief appearance in the trees

African Olive-Pigeon *Columba arquatrix* Geelbekbosduif, The Baths Citrusdal

A bold Fiscal Flycatcher flew in and perched on a branch metres away from the balcony

Fiscal Flycatcher *Sigelus silens* Fiskaalvlieëvanger, The Baths Citrusdal

Streaky-headed Seedeater visited the flame tree nearby

Mid-morning I pottered down the road to the nearby swimming pool, fed by the natural hot spring, where I found to my surprise that I had it to myself for a wonderfully relaxing swim. Actually, it was more like a float around as the warm water is not conducive to high activity.

As luck would have it, while floating on my back in the pool, I spotted a raptor soaring high above near the ridge of the mountain – even without binos I could see it was a Verraux’s Eagle!

Later the family tried out the small pools near the source of the waters, set among the rocks up a steep set of steps – they ended up spending most of the afternoon there

Monday

After breakfast on the balcony, I went to the warm pool but was put off by the number of people already in so left it for later. When I tried again the maintenance was being done, so I went back to the apartment and filled the jacuzzi with water also piped from the hot spring – rather nice and relaxing with a water massage thrown in.

Feeling energetic, we joined the family on an outing to the De Tol Farm Deli on top of the Piekenierskloof Pass on the N7 for a bit of Carmien tea tasting (as one does)

This was something different, with a wide variety of flavoured rooibos teas brewed in cute glass teapots and kept warm with small burners – the interesting combinations kept us busy for a while, with the “Strawberries and Cream” flavoured tea proving to be a favourite.

The deli shop had some interesting items including bags of braaipap which had me chuckling….

On sale in the Farm Deli – translation : left bag – Coarse maize meal, right bag – bloody coarse maize meal!

The trip back was a chance to see what other bird species I could find in the pentad, but the habitat consisting mainly of citrus orchards offered few birds and I added just a couple of species.

Back at the chalet we had coffee and a slice of chocolate cake bought at the farm deli while watching the first day’s play at Wimbledon, before preparing dinner of braai-ed marinated ribs and Gerda’s chicken fillets done in a pan, along with a salad – a winning combination!

In between all this strenuous activity I added to my pentad list with a few birds seen near the chalet –

White-throated Canary
Karoo Prinia
Olive Thrush

Olive Thrush *Turdus olivaceus* Olyflyster, The Baths Citrusdal

Tuesday

The weather had turned colder so our morning stoepsitting had to be curtailed – after breakfast I meandered down the hill along the road towards the camping sites, on the lookout for birds, which were plentiful in places but without adding any new species to my pentad list

After lunch we made our way slowly to Citrusdal for some provisions , followed by a drive around the side streets to get a feel for the town beyond the main street. We came away with a feeling that service delivery was lacking as all the roads were littered with potholes – much like too many of our small towns.

We came across the NG Kerk in another side street – 1960’s era church at a guess with a lovely stone church hall across the street dating from 1917 all set in neat grounds.

On the way back we took it very slow looking for birds and thanks to Gerda spotted a Black-winged Kite to take the pentad list to 38.

Back at the resort we went straight to the chalet for the evening which included more Wimbledon, braai hamburgers and a hilarious game of 30 Seconds.

Wednesday

A rainy day in the kloof!

It rained on and off for most of the day, at times coming down heavily, so we mostly stayed inside. The girls all went for spa treatments and I joined them later for a short swim in the warm pool.

The rain did not deter the birds and I added a few including –

Cape Batis
White-necked Raven

Thursday

More of the same – late lie in followed by a soothing after-breakfast swim, then chilling on the balcony until the family arrived mid afternoon for waffles in the restaurant. Talk about strenuous!

Later after doing some packing we trundled down the bumpy track once more to spend the last evening braai-ing and wimbledon-ing, the meal being lamb chops, crispy on the outside, wors and braaibroodjies with some salads

Friday

Time to head home!

We were packed and ready by 10am and proceeded along the route which took us back to Citrusdal then southwards and eastwards passing through 10 towns in all, which makes for an interesting trip broken up into ‘manageable’ chunks.

The road from Worcester was the busiest I have ever seen it with long streams of vehicles making it difficult to drive any faster than the slower vehicles on the road. Added to that we encountered three stop-go’s after Swellendam so only reached Mossel Bay around 6pm.

That brought our trip with the family to an end and a memory bank recharged with new experiences and moments.

On the atlasing side my list stood at 41 species in total – a modest total but pleasing for an area that I have never atlased before.

The Water

And finally, some interesting facts and statistics about the waters at The Baths (which only exists because of the natural hot springs of course) – how amazing that the water is forced under the Olifants River and up the other side!

George – Country roads west of town

Pentad 3355_2215

Friemersheim Area

Pentad 3355_2210

Pentad 3355_2210

Other stuff

Wood Sandpiper (Bosruiter) Tringa glareola

Identification and Distribution

Life in the North

Breeding

Migration

Life in the South

Where is Friemersheim?

The Artwork

Cottage with it All!

Cheetah on a Rock with Two Cubs

Leopard in a Tree

Leopard Watching

Fish Eagle

Lion in a House

More Cheetahs

Australia 3.1

Wednesday – Some shopping and a slow trip to Brisbane

Thursday – Brisbane – Gardens and the Museum

Friday – Brisbane to Mackay

Footnote on modern travel

Australia 3.1

Sunday – Nambucca Heads to Gold Coast

Monday – Gold Coast : Sea World

Tuesday – Gold Coast : Surprise Low and a Spectacular High

The Low

The High

Australia 3.1

Friday – Caves Beach to Nambucca Heads (In the rain)

Saturday – Nambucca Heads (Mostly in the rain!)

Australia 3.1

Wednesday – Sydney to Caves Beach

Thursday – Caves Beach – a Rainy day

Australia 3.1

Getting there

Monday – First Taste of Sydney

Tuesday – Sydney Harbour by Boat

The Plan

Sutherland to Citrusdal

The Baths

The Water

Adventurous Birding, Atlasing and Travel