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

Holiday Trips, International Birding

A Week in Scotland – Loch Garten, Insh Marshes and Avielochan

September 12, 2023 Don Reid 4 Comments

Tuesday 25th July 2023

Planning the Day

My first day in Grantown on Spey started with breakfast of fruit and ‘real’ Scottish porridge – it seemed appropriate to enjoy it without milk and too much sugar. While sipping coffee I thought about the day ahead and how to best spend it – I wasn’t keen to do too much travelling but rather find some good birding spots nearby where I could spend some quality time.

The Grant Arms Hotel where I was booked is renowned for being a “Birder’s hotel” and has an in-house birding guide available each morning after breakfast to provide advice on birding spots and to lead guests on various walks and outings in the area.

I had checked out the planned walk for the morning and tentatively put my name down for it, so straight after breakfast I went to reception where Sue, the birding guide on duty for the day, was sitting and introduced myself.

No one else had booked for the walk but Sue was happy to still go ahead and after giving me some tips about other birding spots we arranged to meet at the Loch Garten parking area at 9.30 am.

Loch Garten Nature Walk

We duly met at the parking area for Loch Garten, another reserve run by the RSPB and walked slowly down the path towards the water, stopping frequently to look at plants, fungi, trees, even bugs and bees that Sue had lots of info about – this was a true nature ramble not just confined to birds and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The area around the loch was mostly well developed Scottish Pine forest with a carpet of green comprising several different plant species – too many to take in on a short walk but fascinating to see. Here and there colourful fungi were prominent

At one point Sue stopped to listen to the various calls which indicated the presence of a small bird party in progress and we spent a while listening for and finding Crested Tit and Greater Spotted Woodpecker as well as Spotted Flycatcher and a Tree Creeper (which I did not get a good view of).

Getting a photo of the Crested Tit was a priority for me but was particularly tricky as it was high up amongst the branches with foliage obscuring it and with a strong backlight behind, added to which the bird was constantly on the move, hardly sitting in one spot for more than a half second or so. Each time I saw it I rattled off a number of shots and hoped for the best…

Crested Tit Lophophanes christatus Loch Garten

Fortunately (thanks Canon R7) just one of the many shots came out reasonably and with that prize in the bag we moved on.

On reaching the loch just a single Goldeneye was visible – a juvenile it seemed, and after following the track along the loch edge for a while we headed back to the carpark, having walked two hours in all.

Common Goldeneye (Juvenile) Bucephala clangula Loch Garten

Sue left to return to Grantown and I headed further down the road to the visitor centre for a brief visit – mainly to get a sandwich for my lunch later but while I was there I took advantage of the viewing windows and scopes provided to look at a distant Osprey on a nest.

Back in the car I looked at potential sites to visit that afternoon and selected Insh Marshes Nature Reserve as it promised a different habitat with other birds, possibly waders.

Along the road to Insh Marshes

Google maps indicated about 30 miles – a doddle on normal roads but as it turned out the route was along narrow, twisty, up and down country roads which made fast driving impossible as you have to take avoiding action every time a vehicle comes in the opposite direction.

Not only are the roads narrow but they are hemmed in on both sides by fences and stone walling right up against the verge so there is very little space to move to the side and in some cases, you have to almost come to a halt and let the other cars go by – not a moment’s relaxation can be afforded.

There seemed to be birds active in the trees and bush lining the road, so I looked for an opportunity to pull off and take a closer look, as well as to take a break from the concentration required driving these roads.

A small parking area next to the road at the start of a forest walk seemed like just the right spot and I spent a pleasant half hour or so scouting around, finding a few birds in the process. I was most excited about a European Blackcap flitting about the top of the low bushes at roadside – this is a bird that occurs in certain parts of Southern Africa but has eluded my efforts to find one, so seeing it here and managing to capture a fleeting image was a highlight of the day.

Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla Loch Garten to Insh Marshes

A Song Thrush was more relaxed and posed nicely on a post for me

Song Thrush Turdus philomelos Loch Garten to Insh Marshes

With a few decent bird images in the bag, some striking wild flowers begged my attention and they soon joined the birds on the SD card

Common Honeysuckle, Loch Garten to Insh Marshes

Time to move on, but I was hardly back on the route to Insh Marshes when I crossed a bridge over the Feshie River – not a major river but one of the prettiest sights of the day, so I had to stop again at a safe spot on the other side of the bridge and walk back for a quick snap

Insh Marshes

I reached Insh Marshes and found a spot in the full car park, then took the pathway that others were using and found my way to the hide which was sited at the end of a slippery downhill track.

The hide overlooks a part of the vast marshes and promised to be a good spot to spend time scanning for birds. In fact, the opposite was true as all I could pick up was a lone Grey Heron partly concealed by long grass – perhaps many others were present but hidden, however there were no calls to indicate this.

Somewhat disappointed, I went back to the car park and beyond to another hide which had a different view but the same lack of birds. Nevertheless it was a fine place to enjoy the sandwich and tea I had brought with me, before heading back to the car park, where I made up for the lack of other photographic subjects by taking advantage of some relaxed Chaffinches and a Robin that took an interest in my doings.

Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Insh Marshes

European Robin Erithacus rubecula Insh Marshes

I had spent less time than expected at Insh, which meant there was more than enough time to get to Avielochan, the last stop on my itinerary for the day, one which I hoped would be more successful from a birding aspect.

Avielochan

A short drive later I turned off towards Avielochan, a small loch in the middle of an agricultural area, and followed the road past a few houses until I found the hide located some distance from the water’s edge. The hide was erected by and belongs to Grant Arms hotel and is made available to guests

There were many waterfowl swimming on the loch, including several Greylag Geese which I had seen in fields earlier in the day, and Herring Gulls along the shoreline.

European Herring Gull Larus argentatus Avielochan

Most of the birds were on the far side of the loch and difficult to identify without a scope, however I used my camera’s reach to good effect and was able to pin down an ID on most of them.

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Avielochan

Little Grebe and Common Goldeneye were additions to my trip list and then I turned my attention to trying to find the bird featured in a large poster on the hide’s wall – Slovenian (Horned) Grebe. There are just 30 breeding pairs of this bird in the UK, all of which are to be found in the Scottish Highlands, with Avielochan being one of its favoured sites.

After some searching with my binos and taking a few photos I was fairly sure I had spotted one – this is what the image looked like at full 800mm zoom and with way too much light coming off the surface of the water

Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus Avielochan

The same image after some serious cropping, exposure adjustment and enhancement – the miracle of modern photographic technology allowing me to ID this Slovenian Grebe with certainty

By now it was getting close to dinner time and, not wanting to miss the excellent hotel dinner, I made haste back to Grantown and the Grant Arms for a lovely supper of soup, gammon, and a rich tart for pudding.

Sue, the hotel’s birding expert, had given me some good tips for birding spots which I planned to visit the next day …… but first a good night’s rest was what I needed most after another busy day.

Holiday Trips, International Birding

A Week in Scotland – Lochs, Ospreys … and the Road North

September 4, 2023 Don Reid 6 Comments

Monday 24th July 2023

Just a reminder how this trip came about…

1. Our granddaughter Maia (aged 16) has a passion for playing the flute and was very keen to attend the summer school run by Flute Scotland near Perth, Scotland. 2. Her parents could not afford the additional time off to chaperone her to Scotland. 3. Gerda ‘volunteered’ me to be chaperone and it was an easy decision, being an opportunity for a brief tour of the Scottish Highlands and some Scottish birding.

Planning the Day

My first full day in Scotland started with coffee in the self-catering Apartment in the village of Birnam – I hadn’t thought to make provision for breakfast and so wished I had brought a rusk or two from home to dunk in the coffee, but that would have to wait. First, I had to get myself ready for the day and plan my route to Grantown-on-Spey – a drive of some 140 kms, so there would be plenty of time to fit in some birding at selected spots along the way.

I consulted the app I had downloaded before the trip to see what birding opportunities I might find along the route – the app “Where to Watch Birds in Scotland” was my primary source of info throughout my trip. The app showed a couple of birding spots nearby and I decided that my first stop would be the Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve – this reserve was located just beyond Dunkeld, the small village across the River Tay from Birnam, where I had spent the night.

Loch of the Lowes

Soon after, I was heading through Dunkeld and looking for the signposts to Loch of the Lowes – the turn off was just a few kms outside Dunkeld and I parked in the designated area and walked a short distance to the Visitor Centre

The friendly lady at the front desk gave a quick run-down on the facilities at the Reserve and mentioned the breeding Ospreys that were in the area and usually visible, while I purchased a small coffee and a much-needed large oats and chocolate snack bar.

On one side of the centre a full width window with one-way glass provided a panoramic view of the adjoining lush, wooded area and I settled down on an unoccupied bench to enjoy a belated ‘breakfast’ with a view. A number of feeders had been installed in front of the viewing window, providing an intimate view of the many birds coming and going almost constantly.

Great Tit *Parus major,* Loch of the Lowes

It was a good opportunity to take some photos of the birds attracted by the feeders – mostly Tits and Chaffinches, but a Great Spotted Woodpecker also appeared.

Chaffinch *Fringilla coelebs* Loch of the Lowes

Eurasian Blue Tit *Cyanistes caeruleus* Loch of the Lowes

Great Spotted Woodpecker *Dendrocopus major* Loch of the Lowes

Just to liven things up a Red Squirrel came to check out the feeding table specially stocked with nuts and briefly ‘posed’ for me on a nearby branch.

Red Sqirrel *Sciurus vulgaris* Loch of the Lowes

Moving on to the hides – one double-storey and another single – both afforded a broad view of the loch which was dotted with waterfowl.

View from the hides at Loch of the Lowes

I set about identifying the waterfowl that swam close enough to the hides and was pleasantly surprised to see a variety of species in a relatively short time.

Tufted Duck *Aythya fuligula* Loch of the Lowes

Great Crested Grebe *Podiceps christatus* Loch of the Lowes

Common Goldeneye *Bucephala clangula* Loch of the Lowes

Mallard (male) *Anas platyrhyncos* Loch of the Lowes

A Reed Bunting working its way busily through the reeds along the shoreline, provided some distraction from the open waters and proved to be a challenging photographic subject, showing for the briefest of moments, just enough to grab a shot or two.

Common Reed Bunting *Emberiza schoeniclus* Loch of the Lowes

Breeding Ospreys

The lady from the visitor centre spent time with us in one hide, explaining the history of the Ospreys breeding at the site. Curiously, the adults and juveniles migrate separately and according to tracking and ringing records head to West Africa.

Just then, the two juvenile Ospreys from the current brood showed up – one at the nest and the other in a dry tree on the opposite shore, both some distance away so the scopes provided by the centre came in handy.

Osprey (Juvenile) *Pandion haliaetus* Loch of the Lowes

By now it was lunchtime and with a way to go to Grantown on Spey I moved on along the back roads to Pitlochry where I thought I could get lunch. Well, the town was full of holidaymakers and their cars filled every parking spot I could see, so I carried on and googled the next birding spot – Loch Faskally, just the other side of town.

Loch Faskally

There were no facilities such as a Visitor Centre or bird hides, just a parking area and a board with walking trails marked on a map of the reserve, so I parked and set off on a walk which I thought would take in the best features.

The walk took longer than planned as I found several new birds – Wrens in the bushy areas were particularly numerous as I walked along trails through tall Scottish Pine forest.

Eurasian Wren *Troglodytes troglodytes* Loch Faskally, Pitlochry

The trail skirted the loch itself and I could see a pair of Mute Swans floating gracefully in the middle of the loch – just then a pair of Eurasian Oystercatchers flew in noisily and settled in shallow water on a nearby sandbank.

Mute Swan *Cygnus olor* Loch Faskally, Pitlochry

Eurasian Oystercatcher *Haematopus ostralegus* Loch Faskally, Pitlochry

The Road to Grantown on Spey

I was tiring a bit and aware of time passing by, so took a shortcut back to the parking area, from where I headed north towards the A9 main route and was soon barrelling along with trucks and cars all doing the same speed.

I was getting hungry having had just the snack bar the whole day, so I took the first turn off that indicated Services. I bought a sandwich and cappuccino and sat and ate at an outside table, accompanied by cheeky Robins begging crumbs and a more demure Song Thrush hoping for a scrap or two

European Robin *Erithacus rubecula* Lunch stop on A9

Song Thrush *Turdus philomelos* Lunch stop on A9

Feeling a lot better I carried on towards Grantown along more ‘back roads’ (where I stopped for the photo in the heading to this post) then re-joined the A9 and made haste towards my destination, which I reached by about 5.30 pm, glad to be able to check in, unpack and freshen up. On checking in I was asked what time I would like supper, which was included, and said 7.30 pm.

That left me with an hour and a half to scout around Grantown and I ‘followed my nose’ until I saw a sign pointing towards yet another nature reserve and I was soon walking along a gently sloping trail through forest to the banks of the River Spey. There I spent time just taking in the pleasant view of an old bridge, the clear running waters of the river and some colourful flowers along the river’s edge.

The busy day was rounded off with a superb three course meal in the hotel dining room – soup, a perfect trout dish and a decadent dessert was thoroughly enjoyed after a rather ‘thin’ day of snacking.

Holiday Trips, International Birding

A Week in Scotland – Getting there

August 28, 2023 Don Reid 5 Comments

Saturday and Sunday

So how did this trip come about?

The short version is that: 1. Our granddaughter Maia (aged 16) has a passion for playing the flute (dwarsfluit in Afrikaans) and was very keen to attend the summer school run by Flute Scotland at Strathallan School near Perth, Scotland. 2. Her parents could not afford the additional time off to chaperone her to Scotland, especially as the family had just returned from a holiday trip to England the previous week. 3. On hearing this Gerda ‘volunteered’ me to be chaperone and it was an easy decision as it opened up all kinds of opportunities for a brief tour of the Scottish Highlands and discovering some Scottish birds, while Maia attended the summer school. This all happened just two months prior to the trip so plans had to be put in place and bookings made without delay.

The Journey to Scotland

Traveling overseas is never easy and when it involves three separate consecutive flights the challenges are increased. As I was tasked with chaperoning Maia to her week-long Flute school, I felt an extra responsibility to make sure she got there safely and without too many hassles

As it turned out the journey to Scotland went as well as can be expected, considering that Europe had just started their summer holidays and we experienced peak numbers of travellers, all seemingly heading to their chosen destinations at the same time as us. That meant queues at every step in the process, especially at Schiphol which normally provides a pleasant experience for transit passengers but when you have to queue for 20 minutes to buy a much needed take away coffee it takes a lot of patience not to get too agitated.

At the security checkpoint where full body x-ray machines are used an irritated official decided to take it out on me and called me aside after complaining that I did not remove the tissues I had in my pants pocket (!) and performed a body search of every nook and cranny of my body, while reminding me ‘to remove everything from my pockets next time’. Needless to say I left the security area in a less than happy frame of mind, wondering, not for the first time, why such miserable individuals are chosen for this job.

Total travel time from Mossel Bay to Maia’s drop off at Strathallan school was around 25 hours. Fortunately I had booked extra legroom seats on all flights and on the main flight we had a spare seat between us so could achieve a better level of comfort and I managed to sleep more than I usually can on a long flight, albeit in that unnatural upright position that airplane seats force you to adopt.

That took-up most of the second day – Sunday – as well but I did fit in some very pleasant activities after the long trip.

Finding Strathallan

We collected the rental car from Avis at Edinburgh Airport and headed tentatively out and northwards towards the first point of call at Strathallan School in the countryside south-west of Perth. A panicky yet funny moment occurred while getting out of the rental car parking area – I just could not get the manual gears sorted until I realized I had forgotten how to drive with three pedals and was trying to find first gear without using the clutch. That is what happens when you drive only automatic cars for a couple of years – and your aged brain momentarily forgets how you drove manual cars for so many years

After that mild hiccup I was soon into my stride with the car and we followed the gps instructions which took us close to the school then googled the balance of the route. Scenery along the way was typically urban gradually morphing into attractive countryside once we turned off the main A90 route. The standout sight was seeing the bridges while crossing the Firth of Forth, especially the one we were on which is clearly quite new and very spectacular in design.

The school seemed deserted and we drove all over the beautiful grounds to find someone in charge, without avail until Maia checked her papers and saw the name Glenbrae House which turned-out to be the right place

Birnam and Dunkeld

Once she was settled I carried on towards Perth and beyond to Birnam for my first night in Scotland. The route took me along narrow country roads through idyllic scenery – green fields dotted with mostly white and a few black sheep (every family has them) with a glorious backdrop of hills and cloudy skies – I couldn’t ask for more on my first day in this really beautiful country.

In Birnam I found the Merryburn Apartments and checked in, only to discover the apartment I was allocated on the ground floor was named after a Reid – how’s that for good karma!

But the best of the day was yet to come …..

Once I had checked in I freshened up after the long journey and set out for a walk to the nearby village of Dunkeld, just a couple of kms away. I was feeling jaded and stiff from sitting in plane seats for 16 hours in total and a walk in the cool late afternoon air was what I craved.

I started off down the main street of Birnam finding interesting spots along the way and enjoying the well kept old architecture, the verdant lawns and gardens with a touch of wildness about them.

I crossed the old bridge over the River Tay – a wide fast flowing river with water which looked pristine – and walked along the main street of Dunkeld keeping a look out for a place to eat.

My plan had been to enjoy a sit down meal but a bright and clean looking fish and chips shop changed my mind so I ordered a ‘small haddock supper’ and headed back to the river where I had seen people seated outdoors next to the river

I soon had a decent glass of Pinot Noir and a seat at a long communal table right next to the river where I had one of the nicest meals and best views of the handsome old bridge – way better than sitting in a restaurant (and a lot cheaper, which is always heartwarming for someone with a Scots heritage)

A simple supper on the banks of the River Tay, Dunkeld

Mallards were swimming about at the river edge as I revelled in the view of the old bridge and sparkling waters – will it get better than this?

Mallard, River Tay, Dunkeld (cellphone photo through my binos)

After soaking it all up I headed back to Birnam, walking to the opposite end of the village then back to my accommodation. By this time it was close to 8pm but still light with a couple of hours to go before sundown

A statue commemorates one Niel Gow ‘Fiddler and Composer, Inver, Dunkeld’

What a pleasant day it turned out to be !

Bird in the Lens, Birding South Africa

The Eyes Have it! (Part 4)

August 17, 2023 Don Reid 1 Comment

Another species that fits the description of birds with striking eyes is the diminutive Cape Batis

Cape Batis (Kaapse bosbontrokkie) Batis capensis

Where to find them

The Cape Batis occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in forest habitat – I have come across them in bushy areas not 200m from our Mossel Bay home and in various other locations outside ‘proper’ forests.

Distribution is confined to southern Africa as shown on the map below – courtesy of Birds of the World.

What to Look for

Batises can be confusingly similar in appearance, but the Cape Batis is the only one with orange flanks and wing bar, while the male is told by the broad black band across its chest.

Cape Batis Batis capensis Kaapse bosbontrokkie (male), Friemersheim area

The Firefinch app refers to this species as the “standard” forest bird – common, bold, noisy and striking. It is an active bird, flitting between bushes with a ‘fripping’ sound caused by rapid beating of its tiny wings and can often be found at the centre of bird parties.

Getting the Photo

The images above were taken while atlasing in the Friemersheim area not far from George – I stopped to scan a forested patch next to the road when I noticed movement among the branches not far from where I was standing, and pointed the camera in the general direction just as a Cape Batis popped into view, posing in sunlight just long enough to get a few shots.

Bird in the Lens, Birding South Africa

The Eyes Have it! (Part 3)

August 5, 2023 Don Reid 6 Comments

As a follow up to the previous posts on the subject of birds with striking eyes – here’s a look at another species, familiar to South African birders, with eyes that beg your attention –

Burchell’s Coucal (Vleiloerie)

Centropus burchellii

This is a species best known for its bubbling call from the depths of dense bush or trees – a call which Roberts VII describes as “like water being poured from a bottle”.

And that may be the only clue you get to its existence until, one day, you actually get a glimpse of the bird as it flies heavily from one bush then crashes clumsily into the next one and disappears again. This is a bird that does not crave attention as it goes about its daily routine of searching on the ground and in bushes for just about anything it can lay its claws on – rodents, reptiles, other birds, nestlings, frogs, snails, insects … etc

Distribution

Birds of the World (see footnote) – lumps two species together with a combined distribution across Africa and a narrow stretch of Arabia as per the map below.

Southern African birdlists separate the two species into :

Burchell’s Coucal — Centropus burchelli – with distribution from south-east Tanzania through Mozambique to the Western Cape in South Africa and including south-east Botswana

White-browed Coucal – Centropus superciliosus – with distribution from Yemen, south-west Arabia, Ethiopia south to Zambia, Angola and southern Africa

Getting the Photo

As mentioned above, this is a fairly secretive species so when the opportunity arises one has to be quick off the mark to get a decent photo

I was fortunate enough to have such an opportunity recently while atlasing in the area east of Friemersheim in the southern Cape. I was driving slowly along a dirt road and had just passed a small stream when I spotted movement in the long grass at the roadside and stopped to look further.

I soon saw what had attracted my attention – a Burchell’s Coucal making its way through the lush grass and close enough to the road for a reasonably close-up photo. That sighting had me grabbing my camera and reversing at the same time to get into a position where I could aim the camera through the passenger side window, which I was busy opening while doing all of the above (this just shows men CAN multi-task – provided the motivation is there of course).

Suffice to say I believe my efforts paid off and I was very pleased with the results!

Burchell’s Coucal Centropus burchellii Gewone vleiloerie, Friemersheim area

What does Faansie say?

The Firefinch app produced by the incomparable Faansie Peacock always has interesting facts about birds and in this case it mentions that Coucals have stiff, spiky breast feathers – which can be seen in the above photo.

Also that they are known as ‘rainbirds’ because they sing just before, during and after rain

Footnote : The website Birds of the World published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides a wealth of information on birds worldwide and the good news is that access to the website is free for Southern African residents – all that is required is to create an account which can be done at : https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home

Bird in the Lens, Birding South Africa

The Eyes Have it! (Part 2)

June 24, 2023 Don Reid 3 Comments

As a follow up to the previous post on the subject of birds with striking eyes – which showcased Southern African Cormorants – here’s a look at another species that fits that description to the full

Black-winged Kite (Blouvalk)

Elanus caeruleus

This well-known, small raptor is without doubt the most common raptor to be found across all of Southern Africa – and beyond as you will see from the global distribution map reproduced below courtesy of Birds of the World

Global distribution of Black-winged Kite

It is also the raptor you are most likely to see on any road trip through southern Africa, as their preferred hunting ground is along the road verges and adjoining fields.

They are most often seen perched on roadside powerlines, which provide the ideal vantage point for their hunt for the next small rodent.

However, it’s just as easy to overlook this species, which is similar in size to the many doves which also like to perch on powerlines. The good news is that the flatter pose and habit of slowly wagging its tail up and down will confirm that it’s a Black-winged Kite, even from a good distance, and once it takes to the air there is no doubt about the ID as it hovers, then ‘parachutes’ down to grab its prey.

The images that follow were taken during a recent atlasing trip north of George, on the way to Oudtshoorn – once I had spotted the bird up ahead I approached very slowly, using roadside bush to conceal my approach until I was close enough to quickly take a few photos through the open passenger window.

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus Blouvalk, George-Oudtshoorn Area

And just look at that eye colour! Beyond striking and ready to take you on in a staring competition

On another atlasing trip earlier this year in the Gouritsmond area just south-west of Mossel Bay, I came across another Black-winged Kite, this time a juvenile without the black ‘shoulder’ and with yellow eyes – still fierce looking, mind you, but not yet up to adult standard

Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus Blouvalk (Juvenile), Gouritzmond

Footnote:

I would like to mention a birding website that has helped me to broaden my birding info horizons and opened up a world of new knowledge (literally) to add to and enhance that which I have gathered during many years of birding.

The website is Birds of the World published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the good news is that access to the website is free for Southern African residents – all that is required is to create an account which can be done at

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home

Bird in the Lens, Birding South Africa

The Eyes Have it! (Part 1)

May 16, 2023 Don Reid 8 Comments

Cormorants

Cormorants are not generally regarded as birds that are high on the list of desirable birds to see – unless it’s a potential lifer of course. When you’ve been ‘into’ birding for a while the most that a cormorant is likely to elicit is a slightly off-hand “Oh, there’s another Reed Cormorant” or “Hey, have a look at that Little Grebe just to the right of that White-breasted Cormorant”.

But there’s more to cormorants than meets the eye – or eyes in this case …..

During one recent day trip, I found an opportunity to visit the area which we know as “The Vlei’s”, to the east of the small town of Wilderness, and spent a pleasant hour or so in the bird hide at Langvlei.

Boardwalk to the hide at Langvlei Wilderness

There were numerous waterbirds on the vlei, mostly Coots but also significant numbers of Grebes, more than I can recall seeing in any location before and including all three southern African species – Little Grebes, Great Crested Grebes and a few Black-necked Grebes. However, they were too distant for photography.

Also distant was a long line of dark birds on the water, as the image below shows, and once I had the scope in position, I could see that it consisted of a few hundred Reed Cormorants, again more than I can recall seeing in one location before. As I watched the line, a few of the foremost swimmers flew up out of the water and circled back to the rear of the “queue” where they settled down in line again. I can only assume they were performing some kind of feeding strategy.

Close to the hide a dead tree stump has been strategically placed and perched on it were two cormorants – the larger White-breasted Cormorant and the somewhat smaller Reed Cormorant.

White-breasted Cormorant above, Reed Cormorant below

The light was favourable, so I took a few shots then zoomed in on their heads and took a few more. And that’s where the magic came in! In contrast to their rather dull appearance and less than comely shape, the cormorants have some of the most stunning eye colours of the bird world.

White-breasted Cormorant (Witborsduiker) (E-bird : Great Cormorant)

Phalacrocorax lucidus

Starting with the brilliant green eyes of the largest cormorant in our region, commonly found in saltwater and freshwater habitats across southern Africa

Now this species is somewhat ungainly on land, but once in the water it will outswim Michael Phelps by a long way – that’s if you can get it to swim in a straight line and stay within its lane. And all it uses are its feet which have four toes connected by webbing, which it uses to propel itself most effectively through the water when chasing prey

It uses that hooked bill to secure small fish, which are eaten underwater, while bigger fish are brought to the surface to juggle into a head-first swallowing position.

Worldwide this species is often referred to as Great Cormorant and occurs across 6 continents – I have seen Great Cormorants in Australia, Canada, UK and Europe during our travels abroad

Reed Cormorant (Rietduiker) (E-bird : Long-tailed Cormorant)

Microcarbo africanus

The Reed Cormorant is substantially smaller than the previous species and has a similar distribution across our region, but unlike the White-breasted (Great) Cormorant it is restricted to the African continent, occurring in most of sub-Saharan Africa

And the eyes? Red instead of green, but just as striking!

A surprising fact (courtesy of Faansie Peacock’s wonderful birding app called Firefinch) is that the feathers of cormorants are less waterproof than those of other birds – the reason is that this makes them less buoyant and allows them to sink when hunting underwater. This also explains why they spend much of their time out of the water with wings spread to dry. It is also believed that they swallow stones for additional weight, much like scuba divers wearing lead weights on their belts.

Cape Cormorant (Trekduiker)

Phalacrocorax capensis

I wasn’t expecting to find a Cape Cormorant alongside the other two species at Langvlei, as they are generally known as an exclusively marine species, but this one clearly thought a day away from the rough seas would be to its liking

Mossel Bay’s Point is a wonderful place to watch seabirds and Cape Cormorants are regular passers-by (or more appropriately flyers-by) flying low and fast over the ocean, singly or in pairs or in long skeins of up to a couple of dozen at a time.

This is usually late afternoon when we like to get a take-away coffee and sit and watch the sea and its inhabitants, which can be anything from humans surfing and snorkelling to seals, dolphins or whales (in season), while yachts and boats of various types and sizes make their way to and from the small harbour nearby.

I haven’t been able to establish where these passing Cape Cormorants roost, but it is probably one of the quieter stretches of beach further east towards Great Brak River and beyond.

Never mind, just look at those turquoise eyes!

This marine species is distributed along the coastline of South Africa, Namibia and Angola

Bird behaviour, Birding South Africa, Special Sightings

Spotted Eagle-Owls Aplenty

April 12, 2023 Don Reid 9 Comments

We relocated to Mossel Bay towards the end of last year – somewhat unexpectedly, although it was always part of our medium-term planning. So you can expect the emphasis of my blog to shift towards the Southern Cape and away from the northern parts of our country, where we have lived for some 50 years.

However the Southern Cape, and in particular Mossel Bay are very familiar to us, having spent ever-increasing periods in our house here over the last 12 years and is the perfect place to spend our retirement years.

Our home in Mossel Bay is situated in the Mossel Bay Golf Estate which has a variety of habitats and gardens which attract many species of birds and this brings me to the subject of this post – the Spotted Eagle-Owl, which “put its hand up” (figuratively) to become the focus of a post by popping up in a number of places around the Golf Estate over the past few weeks.

It also seemed like a good opportunity to get back to the essence of my blog, which after all is called “Mostly Birding” for a reason ……

Here are some images of Spotted Eagle-Owls taken over the last while around our home and on my walks in the estate and adjoining nature areas:

Spotted Eagle-Owl bubo africanus Gevlekte Ooruil

Neighbour Catherine, knowing my interest in all things birding, popped over in the middle of the day to say there was an Owl in her garden, so I went to have a look, taking my camera of course. There it was perched on the garden wall and I surmised it was a juvenile, based on the lack of the “ears” (not really ears but protuding tufts of feathers for camouflage, not for hearing) which are a feature of the adults

‘Goodness, but it’s tiring being awake all night – am I ever going to get used to this …’

Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus Gevlekte ooruil, Mossel Bay

‘Hmmm – suppose I should keep a watch out even though I’m still young’

A few days later I noticed another Owl, this time an adult, sitting on the window cill of the neighbour’s house in broad daylight. More than likely the parent of the above juvenile.

Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus Gevlekte ooruil, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

A week or so later again, neighbour Jan, phoned to say there was an owl in the trees in his back garden, between our two properties. I could not see it from our balcony which is a level higher than Jan’s house so I went downstairs to our garden and quickly spotted the owl on a branch partly concealed by foliage. I positioned myself as best I could without disturbing the owl and took a few shots against the strong backlight of the morning sun.

Spotted Eagle-Owl, Mossel Bay Golf Estate

My daily late afternoon walks take me all over the golf estate – my favourite walk being the one that takes in the nature area to the south and west of the estate as there is always something of interest.

One of my walks included an unusual encounter with an owl, which stood in the middle of the track as I approached and didn’t seem intent on flying away. I waited for a while to see what it would do, concerned that it was ill or injured, but after some 10-15 minutes I walked slowly past it as it moved to one side, eyeing me all the way but seemingly relaxed.

I kept a look out for this owl on my later walks as I was concerned about its health – I believe it was the same owl I spotted twice on the golf course itself, flying about without a problem so assumed it had recovered from any problem it may have had.

This species is well-known in the suburbs of our cities and towns and is often heard calling softly – wooo, hooo – and perched on roofs and streetlights from where it hunts insects, reptiles, rodents and the like.

Oh, and it’s good to have neighbours who keep you informed about birdlife in the garden ….

Land of Beauty, The World around Us

Friemersheim (Southern Cape) – Small Town is an Art Gallery!

March 27, 2023 Don Reid 12 Comments

South Africa is many things – a “World in One Country” is one description that is often used. A recent trip to the small town of Friemersheim reminded us just how rewarding it can be for those prepared to go off the beaten track and explore some of the so-called backwaters of our amazing, sometimes frustrating, never boring, country.

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

A Bit of History

I had travelled through this small town on a couple of occasions in recent years while bird atlasing in the area, but there was never a reason to stop or explore the town other than to find a few birds to add to the atlas list that I was occupied with at the time.

Wikipedia has the following to say about the history of the settlement :

A small agricultural community about 15 km from Groot-Brakrivier, Friemersheim was founded by a German missionary in the early nineteenth century. In 1869, through the efforts of Reverend Johann Kretzen of the Berliner Missionary Society, a school and church were built on the farm Gonnakraal, which Kretzen had bought for his sister.

After his sister’s death in 1872, he bequeathed the farm to the Dutch Reformed Missionary Society, and later it was renamed Friemersheim, after Kretzen’s town of birth in Germany. It remained in the ownership of the Dutch Reformed Church until the 1960s, when it was sold to the state

Art Gallery?

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. Our drive through the village wasn’t done in a planned fashion – after driving most of the main street we turned off and meandered along some of the side streets, discovering murals along the way.

These are some that we found, but there are more hidden away in spots we didn’t get to, so there’s a reason to return ….

Parked Truck and a Rhino getting an apple from Young Girl

The murals are executed in some detail and many leave you momentarily wondering what is real and what is a result of the artist’s undoubtedly vivid imagination. Quirky comes to mind as you find one mural after another, all of which tend to raise a smile, even a loud chuckle – and that I’m sure is what Fourie Ackermann was aiming for.

At first glance of this one, the Rhino being fed an apple is obviously painted, but the GMC truck in the garage has you looking twice, then realising it’s also a mural. The two people in the garden are real by the way.

You feel as if you can climb in and drive away – but it’s actually a blank wall…

Bataleur and a Tannie (She’s real!)

The chatty, friendly owner of this house posed in front of the mural of a Bataleur Eagle at our request and told us a bit about the murals elsewhere in Friemersheim. Her mural was one of the first done by the artist and according to the Tannie (pronounced “tunnie” – the respectful Afrikaans term for Auntie) took the artist just two days to complete.

The addition of a balloon to many of the murals is just another quirky ‘signature’ by the artist

Whales and a Boy in a boat

Some of the murals, such as this one, are completely unexpected after seeing mostly animals and birds depicted – this one depicts whales underwater reaching out to a boy in a boat

Girl at a Window, Shark….!

As with the previous images, this old home stands alone on a hill and would hardly be noticed if it wasn’t for the murals

The same home, showing the side view with its depiction of a shark ‘popping out’ of the wall. Just look at how the wall is drawn back like a curtain to reveal the fearsome shark

Friendly Man waving, Goat in Window

Yet another small home on a hill with the door painted to look like a larger than life man waving to you. Oh, and he’s wearing a Springbok rugby jersey!

Beyond quirky is this depiction of a goat standing on a window ledge with curtains billowing and outsize butterflies fluttering

Cape Sugarbird on Protea

Another Friendly Man waving

Horse and Donkey with Cat, Pretty Window

Here again you need to look carefully – the garden and flowers are real and blend in wonderfully with the rather odd menagerie and the window that looks so real but is painted on a blank wall. And there’s one of those balloons again

Cheetahs and a (Real) Dog

When we stopped to view these cheetahs, we were wary of the fierce looking dog which leaped aggressively towards us – but was restrained by the chain to which it was tethered. We felt some pity towards the unfortunate dog in this situation, although this breed does not enjoy a good reputation.

Nevertheless, the Cheetahs were fascinating, especially the one climbing through the ‘hole in the wall’.

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

Flowers, Holiday Trips, National Parks

Spring Flowers Trip 2022 – West Coast National Park

February 17, 2023 Don Reid 4 Comments

This is the last of my series of posts on the Spring flowers trip we undertook in 2022

The Background

With wonderful memories of our Spring Flowers trip through parts of the Western Cape in September 2021 still fresh in our minds, we decided to do a similar, but different, trip in September 2022. Our planned route was to take us to Tulbagh for one night, then three nights each in Clanwilliam and Paternoster. To round off the trip we treated ourselves to a three-night stay in Cape Town’s Vineyard Hotel, in celebration of our birthdays which “book-ended” the trip,

Decision Time

Our trip had met all of our expectations and we felt more than satisfied with what we had seen and done during our trip so far. Day 7 of our trip was to take us from Paternoster to Cape Town and we debated whether or not to visit the West Coast National Park on the way there or to skip it this year, having ‘done’ it just a year ago.

Fortunately, as it turned out, we decided to head to the Langebaan gate of the Park after our last breakfast at Paternoster Dunes Guest House, and ‘play it by ear’ as to how much of the Park we would have time to explore, bearing in mind the distances involved in getting to the Postberg section of the park, which is only open during the flower season months, and the numbers of other flower viewers we were likely to encounter.

On the way to Langebaan a roadside Jackal Buzzard on a utility pole had me braking for a quick photo

Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus Rooiborsjakkalsvoël, Paternoster

Langebaan Gate to Postberg

After finding our way through the residential areas of Langebaan, we arrived at the gate into the Park where 12 cars were waiting to enter. The queue moved quickly and we were soon in the Park and making good progress to the T-junction where we turned right towards Postberg

We like to stop at every interesting bush to have a closer look at its flowers – the following two images are an example of a bush appearing fairly nondescript, but once you get up close and personal the flowers are quite striking

And so our journey went, all the way to Postberg section, stopping frequently, hopping in and out of the car to get a closer look and a photo from the right angle.

A few others seemed to be doing the same, but the majority passed by with hardly a glance, eager to get to Postberg for the massed displays of flowers – to each his own, but we prefer to take in everything we see

Now if only I knew the names of some of these beauties – it took me a few years to build up a reasonable knowledge of birds, now it seems to be taking even longer to learn more about the flowers and I still feel like a raw beginner

Once into the Postberg section of the Park, we joined the many vehicles driving the gravel roads and admiring the incredible displays of multi-coloured flowers – irresistible for more photos!

Cape Spurfowl among flowers, West Coast NP

At one point on the return journey to the gate, the sky was filled with Gulls, wheeling above the flower-bedecked flats – quite a sight to see!

Edible Flowers too!

And on a lighter note – did you know that some of the flowers in the park are edible? Well, I can confirm this is so, as you will see from the following photos of a cookieata sweetieae that we came across as we drove to Postberg – it is well known in the Biedouw Valley

And that, dear readers, is how the cookie crumbles

Tuesday 25th July 2023

Planning the Day

Loch Garten Nature Walk

Along the road to Insh Marshes

Insh Marshes

Avielochan

Monday 24th July 2023

Just a reminder how this trip came about…

Planning the Day

Loch of the Lowes

Breeding Ospreys

Loch Faskally

The Road to Grantown on Spey

Saturday and Sunday

So how did this trip come about?

The Journey to Scotland

Finding Strathallan

Birnam and Dunkeld

Cape Batis (Kaapse bosbontrokkie) Batis capensis

Where to find them

What to Look for

Getting the Photo

Burchell’s Coucal (Vleiloerie)

Centropus burchellii

Distribution

Getting the Photo

What does Faansie say?

Black-winged Kite (Blouvalk)

Elanus caeruleus

Footnote:

Cormorants

White-breasted Cormorant (Witborsduiker) (E-bird : Great Cormorant)

Phalacrocorax lucidus

Reed Cormorant (Rietduiker) (E-bird : Long-tailed Cormorant)

Microcarbo africanus

Cape Cormorant (Trekduiker)

Phalacrocorax capensis

Spotted Eagle-Owl bubo africanus Gevlekte Ooruil

Where is Friemersheim?

A Bit of History

Art Gallery?

Parked Truck and a Rhino getting an apple from Young Girl

Bataleur and a Tannie (She’s real!)

Whales and a Boy in a boat

Girl at a Window, Shark….!

Friendly Man waving, Goat in Window

Cape Sugarbird on Protea

Another Friendly Man waving

Horse and Donkey with Cat, Pretty Window

Cheetahs and a (Real) Dog

The Background

Decision Time

Langebaan Gate to Postberg

Edible Flowers too!

Adventurous Birding, Atlasing and Travel