Category Archives: The World around Us

Misty Days in Mossel Bay

February 5, 2024 Don Reid 8 Comments

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.

Let’s start with a mood-setting video taken at The Point in Mossel Bay yesterday afternoon – listen for the mournful sound of the foghorn in the background and the whistling calls of the Oystercatchers flying past – it was completely fortuitous that they flew by just as I took the video

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.

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 natural swimming pool at The Point – known as Die Poort

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

Holiday Trips, Land of Beauty, The World around Us

Stellenbosch – a Glimpse

January 11, 2024 Don Reid 2 Comments

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

Truly a special place ….

Birding South Africa, International Birding, Photo Pick, The World around Us

My Photo Pick for 2023

January 1, 2024 Don Reid 8 Comments

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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 Estate

Yellow Canary Crithagra flaviventris Geelkanarie (race flaviventris), Gouritzmond

African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus Gewone bontrokkie (race torquatus), Great Brak Inland

Levaillant’s Cisticola Cisticola tinniens Vleitinktinkie (race brookei), Great Brak Inland

Common Tern Sterna hirundo Gewone sterretjie, Hartenbos River mouth

Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia Groenpootruiter, Hartenbos River mouth

Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer Rooikeelfisant (race castaneiventer) (Juvenile), Robinson Pass

Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Kuifkopvisvanger, Great Brak inland

Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Europese vlieëvanger, Friemersheim area

Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris Overberglangbeklewerik, Vleesbaai area

Cape Teal Anas capensis Teeleend, Great Brak

Kittlitz’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

Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus Bloukraanvoël, 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 coffee stop on A9

Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula Avielochan

Little Egret Egretta gazetta River Eden Estuary

Eurasian 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 vlei

Buff-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 mouth

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus River Eden Estuary

Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus River Eden Estuary

Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Bontvisvanger, Gouritzmond

A different view of a Sacred Ibis – it was soaring like an eagle

African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Heilige ibis, Arniston-Bredasdorp

Black Harrier Circus maurus Witkruisvleivalk, Vleesbaai area

The Wildlife

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 Lowes, Scotland

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

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 ….

And finally, a quirky decorative topping to the post box in a Scottish village

I can’t imagine a life without photography .. or birding of course

Flowers, Land of Beauty, The World around Us

A Fynbos Sunset

November 6, 2023 Don Reid 8 Comments

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

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!

Birding South Africa, Photo Pick, The World around Us

My Photo Pick for 2022

February 8, 2023 Don Reid 10 Comments

I have taken a bit of a sabbatical from blogging so far this year, so to get things going again I thought I should take a belated look back at 2022 …..

During 2022 my photo library increased by some 2000 images and for this retrospective (Yes! I’ve always wanted to use that word) I have limited my Photo Pick to the 40 images which appeal to me the most, often for different reasons – some are technically good (well, I think so anyway) others are reminders of a particular moment or place or special sighting – the very brief comments tell a bit of the story of each image. So to start with ….