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!
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.
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 28th 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.
Farm stay, Sutherland
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.
View from our balcony
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 –
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.
The Baths, Citrusdal
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
The Baths, CitrusdalThe Baths, Citrusdal
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.
The Baths, Citrusdal
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
Old tree at The Baths, Citrusdal
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.
The Baths, Citrusdal
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 Baths, Citrusdal
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!
Yes, I know it’s the end of January and my last post was early December – what can I say …. life keeps getting in the way. Anyway, here I am in Australia and it’s bucketing down outside so time to get back to my blog.
I started out trying to select a total of 50 images that represent the places we have visited, the birds seen and wildlife encountered over the last 12 months but ended up with a much longer ‘shortlist’ so this time around I thought it best to split my annual Photo Pick into more than one post.
First up is –
The Places
It doesn’t feel as if we did much travelling during the year, perhaps because for the first time in many years we did not leave South Africa. However we made up for that with a number of local SA trips, some to places we visited for the first time, in the process finding out more about our fascinating country, which hardly ever disappoints…
The brief comments tell a bit of the story of each image.
Mossel Bay
Starting at home – as I’ve mentioned before, one of the pleasures of living on a golf estate with adjoining conservation areas is the daily walks I enjoy, along quiet trails that I regularly have to myself or along the bush-lined perimeter of the fairways once the golfers have left.
The varying climate and seasonal changes in the dominant fynbos present different aspects every day – here’s just one view of the sea taken from the nature trail
Mossel Bay – St Blaize Trail
Paarl, Western Cape
A brief visit to Paarl was an opportunity to explore the surrounding areas and visit some of the lesser known wine estates. This view was taken on the well named Sonstraal (Sunbeam) road
Paarl
Eastern Cape
Our visit to the Eastern Cape, described in one of my earlier posts, had several highlights…
Storms River Mouth, Eastern CapeAddo Elephant National Park
Southern Cape
My weekly atlasing efforts during the year took me to many beautiful areas of the Southern Cape in the vicinity of Mossel Bay
North of Herbertsdale, Western CapeLeeokloof north of Groot Brak RiverNorth of Herbertsdale, Western CapeGouritz River at Die Poort, north west of HerbertsdaleEarly morning atlasing near Mossel BayView of Ruiterbos from Robinson PassWaterfall after good rains in the Robinson passFransmanshoekOn the road to Bonniedale
Friemersheim
This village in the southern Cape has been the subject of a few posts in the past and our latest visit had more surprises which I will include in a future post. This charming cottage, decorated with murals in the style of the other buildings in the village, is a foretaste.
Friemersheim
Verlorenkloof, Mpumulanga
We combined a visit to Pretoria with a few days spent at Verlorenkloof courtesy of our good friends the Pauws
Verlorenkloof, Mpumulanga
Sutherland and Citrusdal
The historical town of Matjiesfontein in the Karoo was our first stop on the way to spending a mid-winter week at a hotsprings resort near Citrusdal – we stayed in one of the cottages run by the hotel and dined in the main dining room. It brought back memories of our previous stay here – some 40 years ago!
Lord Milner Hotel at Matjiesfontein
Our next stop was to spend two nights in the Karoo town of Sutherland, famous for recording the coldest winter temperatures in South Africa and for being the site of the South African Large Telescope or SALT for short, which we made a point of visiting
Sutherland, Northern CapeSALT near Sutherland
The week spent at The Baths near Citrusdal was a delight and one of the most relaxing weeks of the whole year
The Baths near Citrusdal, Western CapeView from The Baths over the valley
Prince Albert
My earlier post describes our long weekend in Prince Albert – this delightful Karoo dorp remains a favourite of ours
Kredouw Pass near Prince Albert
Hartenbos
I joined Andre and Geraldine a couple of times on their regular Sunday walks along the beach at Hartenbos
Hartenbos beach at low tide
Cape Visit
In November we spent a memorable week and a half in the Cape as part of a long-planned family reunion with my siblings and some of their children from all over the world.
A patch of colour at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape TownView of Table Mountain from the rooftop of Silo Hotel at the WaterfrontSunset over Camps BayVergelegen Estate at Somerset West
Back home in Mossel Bay the Cruise season had started – we love seeing these impressive ships in the bay
Cruise ship visiting Mossel Bay
Now if this rain keeps up I may be able to put together the rest of my photo picks for 2024
One of the most popular posts on my blog to date has been the one 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 this post in far greater numbers – over a 1000 views so far – 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 that original post.
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 over the last year or two
Here’s what I found …..
Note that most of my photos were taken from a vantage point some distance away from the house and fences tend to get in the way, but I don’t think they distract from the enjoyment of these unique artworks
Zebras fighting, dust flying, birds fleeing … and a hidden Wildebeest
The street-facing wall of this rather modest home provides the ‘canvas’ for a dramatic scene of a fight between two Zebras, with dust being kicked up and birds being forced to scatter
The houseThe full muralThe drama of the fightA Cattle Egret takes off – and in the background a Wildebeest looks on (which I only noticed when I downloaded the photos) The barbed wire fence is real
Buffalo with young lad riding on the back
This mural on the side wall of another home is quite fanciful – Buffaloes are known as one of the most dangerous animals and hardly suited to being ridden by a young lad as depicted here. Nevertheless an imaginative mural brilliantly executed
Closer up the Buffalo has a flower in its mouth – clearly a friendly sort ……The young lad seems to be enjoying himself
Elephants performing, an Aloe …. and a balloon
This mural is just as fanciful with elephants acting unnaturally at first glance – one on its hind legs, the other two sitting on a bench. But then I remembered the elephants in the circuses of my youth doing exactly that so perhaps the artist had similar recollections
The addition of a balloon to many of the murals is just another quirky ‘signature’ by the artist
The door with a red curtain is a reminder that the house is real and ‘lived in’The Aloe is painted, the fence and flowers in front are real ….
Fearsome Hippo, Boy and Girl balancing, Gyppo taking off
This mural intrigued me the most – you have to look carefully to spot the actual rainwater drainpipe running in line with the painted dead tree which acts as the bridge for the two youngsters daring to cross over. The pipe is painted the same colour as the ‘bridge’ so blends in masterfully
Now that is a fearsome sight Whatever you do kids, don’t slip!The Egyptian Goose is not hanging around to see what happens
Wildebeest challenging
This mural on the wall of an outside room depicts another species fond of showing their superiority by challenging competitors – the Wildebeest
This town is a treat to see if you are ever in the area!
The weather in Mossel Bay, our new home town, is nothing if not variable, typical of coastal towns along the southern Cape coast.
This past week the mist has rolled in from the sea every day, sometimes dissipating by mid-morning but often remaining for most of the day. Without the usual sea breezes the days have been warm and humid, so the cooling mist has been welcome.
At The Point in Mossel Bay yesterday afternoon, the mournful sound of the foghorn in the background and the whistling calls of the Oystercatchers flying past added to the ghostly atmosphere that is conjured up by such misty days.
When not flying about and whistling, African Black Oystercatchers can usually be found on rocky shorelines at low tide, looking for mussels which they prise open with their bills.
African Black Oystercatcher
We were not put off our customary coffee time visits to the Point this past week, it just meant the sea view where we usually park was somewhat limited. However the mist did recede enough while we were there for us to be able to make out a couple of pelagic species such as Parasitic Jaegers and Cory’s Shearwaters in addition to the usual complement of Swift Terns, Kelp Gulls, Cormorants and the occasional Cape Gannet
I ventured onto the rocks below the parking area to take a few shots of the scenery, softened by the mist and with that slightly mysterious aura that such conditions impart.
The Point, Mossel BayThe natural swimming pool at The Point – known as Die PoortThe Point, Mossel BayThe Point, Mossel Bay
Meanwhile back at the ranch – well actually the golf estate that is our home nowadays, the mist was creating scenes like this when I went for a late afternoon walk
We decided during December to take a short breakaway trip to the Cape, in particular Stellenbosch, the famous University town and centre of all things wine-related.
The route from Mossel Bay, west to Stellenbosch
Our eldest granddaughter has a small flat close to the university and central Stellenbosch and as she was not due to return there until late January, it was a good opportunity for us to spend a few days there.
The town itself and the wine farms in the area are very busy at this time of year, attracting as they do visitors and tourists from all parts of the country and the world in fact, while the university campus area is exceptionally quiet, with hardly a soul in sight other than the campus security guards on every street corner that make it a safe place to walk about.
And walk about I did, taking in the beautiful architecture and pleasant streets of this delightful part of the town – here’s a selection of the images I collected on the way.
The Streets
In a few weeks time these streets will be busy with students walking, riding and driving between their residences, town and the campus buildings, but now they are dead quiet
This old restored lorry belongs to one of the men’s residences and would probably have a few stories to tell if it could …..
The Architecture
The faculties are housed in handsome buildings such as this one, each with an elegant style of their own.
Some of the old houses are privately owned, others house specialist sections of the university – all have one thing in common : they are beautifully restored and in pristine condition, ranging in style from Victorian to Cape Dutch
Leivore
Some towns in the Western Cape still have leivore – the traditional water furrows used to supply water for irrigation, usually emanating from a spring in the nearby mountains and channeled alongside the streets through the town. Leivore is pronounced ‘lay-foora’
Sluice gates such as this one (missing the upper part) control the flow of water in the leivore and where they branch off to a property
Moving home from Pretoria to Mossel Bay during the year took a lot of our energy and meant we travelled less than usual – so much so that we didn’t even manage to fit in a trip to one of our national parks, the first time this has happened in many years!
Nevertheless my photo library increased by some 1500 images, and for this retrospective I have selected 50 images which appeal to me for various reasons.
An unexpected mid-year trip to Scotland for a week was a wonderful opportunity to boost my photo library and try out my new mirrorless camera to its full extent – my verdict is it met all my expectations once I had mastered the myriad settings available.
The brief comments tell a bit of the story of each image. So to start with ….
The Places
Starting at home – one of the pleasures of living on a golf estate is having the golf course to yourself after the last golfers have left – it’s ideal for long walks and an added bonus is the small herd of Springboks that also enjoy the peace and quiet without golf balls flying about
Mossel Bay Golf Estate
Hoekwil Forest near Wilderness, also known as Big Tree Forest, is one of my favourite spots for forest walks and birding, presenting scenes like this along the trail
Hoekwil Forest
A trip to Fransmanshoek (“Frenchman’s Corner”) just a half hour’s drive from Mossel Bay is always worth it – the rugged coastline and big waves make for spectacular coastal scenery on a windy day
Fransmanshoek
It’s impossible to go through a year without taking photos at The Point in Mossel Bay on a day of high seas, capturing (hopefully) the drama of the sand, sea and sky that such days produce
Mossel Bay Point
Back in March, Gerda’s relative Anlia sent us this photo taken early morning on their farm near Vryheid in Kwazulu Natal – I was immediately blown away by the colours and texture of the scene – almost akin to a Monet Impressionist painting, don’t you think?
Vryheid farm
A short breakaway trip to Plettenberg Bay (Plett for short) was an opportunity to explore another part of the beautiful Garden Route and stop at scenes like this
Keurbooms River Plett
While in Pretoria for our final packing I went out atlasing with friend Koos (the lone figure in the photo) – this was taken as the sun rose on a cold winter morning over the grassland east of Pretoria
Bronkhorstspruit
And then came the Scotland trip where I was spoilt for choice when it came to striking scenery – here is a selection of the places I visited or simply stopped to admire
River Tay, DunkeldGenl Wade’s Military Road, DalwhinnieRiver Feshie, FeshiebridgeFindhorn River ValleyRiver Avon, Highland Tourist RouteEdinburgh
The Birds
I spend a lot of my photographic energies on capturing images of birds, often with mixed results. These are some of the better ones
Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus Gevlekte muisvoël, Mossel Bay Golf EstateYellow Canary Crithagra flaviventris Geelkanarie (race flaviventris), GouritzmondAfrican Stonechat Saxicola torquatus Gewone bontrokkie (race torquatus), Great Brak InlandLevaillant’s Cisticola Cisticola tinniens Vleitinktinkie (race brookei), Great Brak InlandCommon Tern Sterna hirundo Gewone sterretjie, Hartenbos River mouthCommon Greenshank Tringa nebularia Groenpootruiter, Hartenbos River mouthRed-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer Rooikeelfisant (race castaneiventer) (Juvenile), Robinson PassMalachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Kuifkopvisvanger, Great Brak inlandSpotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Europese vlieëvanger, Friemersheim areaAgulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris Overberglangbeklewerik, Vleesbaai areaCape Teal Anas capensis Teeleend, Great BrakKittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius Geelborsstrandkiewiet, Voelvlei near Vleesbaai
Have a closer look at what this Little Egret has caught
Little Egret Egretta garzetta Kleinwitreier, Voelvlei near Vleesbaai
On one of my last atlasing outings for the year I came across this delightful pair of protective Blue Cranes looking after junior
North of Herbertsdale
My trip to Scotland was a great opportunity for some birding in a different environment and I grabbed the chance with both hands
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs Loch of the Lowes
This is a sight we don’t get to see in southern Africa – a juvenile Osprey at the nest, waiting to be fed
Osprey (Juvenile) Pandion haliaetus Loch of the Lowes
This cheeky Robin hopped onto the table at a roadside service centre where I stopped for coffee
European Robin Erithacus rubecula Lunch stop on A9Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula AvielochanLittle Egret Egretta gazetta River Eden EstuaryEurasian Curlew Numenius arquata River Eden Estuary
It was a special treat to see Common Redshanks by the hundred at River Eden Estuary – this is a bird rarely seen in southern Africa
Common Redshank Tringa totanus River Eden Estuary
The Mossel Bay area attracted a few rare vagrants during the year and I was happy to be able to see them and get some reasonable photos
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus Mongoolse strandkiewiet, Klein Brak vleiBuff-breasted Sandpiper Tryngites subruficollis Taanborsstrandloper, Voelvlei near Vleesbaai
Birds in Flight
Birds in flight – or BIF as it’s known – is the most challenging aspect of bird photography, with a success rate of about 1 usable image for every 30 taken, based on my experience. In the same way as golfers seek the perfect shot and surfers the perfect wave, so are bird photographers always on the look out for a better photo.
Here are some of the year’s BIF images that worked
Hartlaub’s Gull Chroicocephalus hartlaubii Hartlaubse meeu, Hartenbos River mouthEurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus River Eden EstuaryCommon Redshank Tringa totanus River Eden EstuaryBlack-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus River Eden EstuaryPied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Bontvisvanger, Gouritzmond
A different view of a Sacred Ibis – it was soaring like an eagle
As I mentioned we did not get to visit a single national park during the year so I had to be content with some not-so-wildlife ….
Red Sqirrel Sciurus vulgaris Loch of the LowesBush buck, Mossel Bay Golf Estate
The Other Stuff
South Africa’s infamous load shedding (electricity cuts) got worse this past year – I took this photo in our local supermarket just after the main lights went off, before the generators kicked in
Pretoria
This unusual image was taken in a local nature reserve after a heavy rainstorm, which swept a variety of debris down the stream that runs through the reserve ….
Faerie Glen NR
And finally, a quirky decorative topping to the post box in a Scottish village
Upper Largo
I can’t imagine a life without photography .. or birding of course
One of the joys of Mossel Bay, our new home town, is the proximity of our house to the broad band of coastal fynbos that separates the estate we live in from the rugged coastline running along this part of the southern Cape.
A short walk of a few minutes takes one into a world of tiny flowers in an expanse of heath-like bushes and although my primary aim is usually to see what birdlife is present, the setting sun this afternoon enticed me to try my hand at some more ‘arty’ photos, using my trusty iphone.
Here are some of the results
On closer inspection of the above photo I noticed that the flower was draped in spider’s web which shows up better in this cropped version
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.
Friemersheim
You feel as if you can climb in and drive away – but it’s actually a blank wall…
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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
Murals, Friemersheim
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
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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
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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
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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!
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Beyond quirky is this depiction of a goat standing on a window ledge with curtains billowing and outsize butterflies fluttering
Friemersheim
Cape Sugarbird on Protea
Friemersheim
Another Friendly Man waving
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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
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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’.
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This town is a treat to see if you are ever in the area!
Mostly Birding 