We had four full days to make the most of our breakaway to this delightful park and we soon settled into a routine which we followed more or less on each of those days. Let’s just say we were out to relax as much as possible, while not missing out on what Addo has to offer.
The mornings were the most relaxed part of the day, getting up late-ish, having coffee while enjoying the birdsong and spending the rest of the morning out on the deck, then venturing out for a drive along one of the routes, usually with a light picnic lunch packed.
This took us to mid-afternoon when we would return to camp, just in time for a rest (I told you we were out to relax!). More deck sitting, followed by getting the braai fire going for the evening meal to round out the day.
Day 3 and 4 Highlights
The Drives
On Day three we followed a similar pattern to the first two days, starting with coffee and rusks and spending most of the morning chilling on the deck or inside when light intermittent rain began to fall
Once again we made our way to Jack’s Picnic spot, this time taking the Rooidam road for a bit of variety. We prepared a picnic lunch of cheese and biscuits plus fruit and yoghurt to enjoy in one of the secluded spots.
The power was off due to loadshedding when we wanted to make tea to take with us, but fortunately I had brought a small camping gas burner and a kettle for just such an occasion, allowing us to boil our tea water at the picnic spot – not sure why but this simple act is a highlight of the day for me.
Along the way we enjoyed watching groups of elephants interacting at the waterholes – such as this ‘mother and child’ scenario – what wonderful creatures to observe!
Best animal sighting of the day, apart from the ubiquitous elephants, was a lone Black-backed Jackal walking across the open flats at the Hapoor dam – handsome in its coat of black, white and rust, with its distinctive black bushy tail.
Black-backed Jackal, Addo Elephant NP
At the picnic site a few birds came to inspect and see if we had dropped any crumbs –
Red-necked Spurfowl
Red-necked Spurfowl
Sombre Greenbul
Sombre Greenbul (photo taken in Kruger NP)
Day four was our last day and it was a hot one – the forecast said it would rise to 39 deg C by lunchtime and indeed it did
Much like the first three days, we hung around our chalet during the morning, mostly inside to avoid the baking heat outside, enjoying a krummelpap brekkie and late morning tea with fruit salad before venturing out into the hot midday sun. We followed a new route which included the loops on the far western side of Addo
It was comfortable for us in our air-conditioned vehicle, even with the windows open, but less so for the animals and birds which were visibly affected by the extreme heat.
We came across fewer elephants in the open plains area to the west, but found a large mixed herd at the waterhole when we were on the way back. The elephants didn’t seem to wander too far from the waterhole which seemed completely overcrowded, yet the ellies displayed great patience in letting all have a chance to drink without any commotion.
Almost all the birds we came across were ‘panting’ with beaks wide open – their way of keeping their body temperature under control.
Bird highlight of the day for us was a Denham’s Bustard not far from the road in an open area of dry grassland. As they are wont to do, it walked away when we stopped, making it difficult to get a decent photo – if only they knew how frustrating they can be!
It was unusual to see a large tortoise all alone at one waterhole, quietly quenching its thirst
Tortoise, Addo Elephant NP
All in all a worthwhile and interesting drive of a couple of hours, despite the extreme heat
After a restful period at the chalet and a swim in the pool nearby, we visited the Discovery Trail near our chalet and enjoyed matching the nameplates placed at intervals along the boardwalk with their respective trees and bushes.
It was nice to find a Flightless Dung Beetle next to the pathway. This must be one of the few beetles in the world that features on warning signs advising drivers to keep a look out for them and avoid driving over them.
They are quite vulnerable in Addo when the roads are busy and the beetles are out foraging elephant dung, which they carefully roll into a ball and propel with their hind legs, often crossing the road very slowly in the process.
Back at the chalet we heated up the ribs we braaied last night and enjoyed a last Addo supper with salads, somewhat sad that our stay had come to an end
We had four full days to make the most of our breakaway to this delightful park and we soon settled into a routine which we followed more or less on each of those days. Let’s just say we were out to relax as much as possible, while not missing out on what Addo has to offer.
The mornings were the most relaxed part of the day, getting up late-ish, having coffee while enjoying the birdsong and spending the rest of the morning out on the deck, then venturing out for a drive along one of the routes, usually with a light picnic lunch packed.
This took us to mid-afternoon when we would return to camp, just in time for a rest (I told you we were out to relax!). More deck sitting, followed by getting the braai fire going for the evening meal to round out the day.
Day 1 and 2 Highlights
Stoepsitting
Stoepsitting (relaxing on the deck) is especially rewarding in Addo’s Main Camp where the chalets are surrounded by trees and shrubs which are a magnet for a number of birds.
It almost seems as if the birds that visit the surrounding bushes and trees are prompted by a stage director to appear ‘on stage’, play their part and leave again
Some of the regular “performers” :
Southern Boubou, looking like he is in charge, giving a raucous call just in case you don’t notice him the first time
Bar-throated Apalis, perky and loud, flitting about the bushes, allowing very brief glimpses as it moves through the foliage – so brief I didn’t manage to get a photo this visit so have included this one from a previous trip
Bar-throated Apalis, Bontebok NP (not impressed by my playing his call)
Cape Robin-Chat, haughty and superior – but who wouldn’t be if you could sing as well as it can
Karoo Prinia, another busy bird not sitting still for long and with an almost desperate look in the eye – perhaps it’s thinking about a thorny issue of some kind …
Our drive on day one was limited to a late afternoon exploration of the roads nearest to the camp. At the first waterhole we found a small group of elephants quenching their thirst, while a Warthog approached carefully to see if he could get a look in.
On day two we felt like a longer drive and set off late morning, taking the road southwards to Jack’s Picnic spot where we had a light lunch of fruit salad and yoghurt and the tea that we had prepared before leaving. Jack’s is unique in that it has a number of individual picnic tables each set in an alcove shielded by bush almost all the way around, creating a cosy, private space to enjoy your picnic.
On the way we had encountered several groups of elephant – some at the waterhole, others nearby.
African Elephant, Addo Elephant NP
While watching the wild life activity at Hapoor waterhole near the picnic spot, we witnessed a mixed herd of elephants approaching at a pace, tails literally flying in the air – clearly they had one thing in mind – to quench their thirst on a hot day
African Elephant, Addo Elephant NP
An older elephant lagged behind – the pace just too fast for it (I can relate to that)
African Elephant, Addo Elephant NP
A few Zebras in the bushy areas added some variety to the drive
Joining the Pipits was a bird that at first had me wondering due to its wet and bedraggled plumage but a study of the photos I took convinced me it was a Karoo Chat – probably a juvenile
Gerda is always on the lookout for wild flowers – there was not much to see but we did come across a single Spekboom that had flowers, while thousands of its like had none
Soon after we saw a bright splash of red and yellow in an otherwise drab patch of veld, which turned out to be an unusual lily with several common names, one of which is Paintbrush Lily
Paintbrush Lily, Addo Elephant NP
By coincidence the same evening, while scanning through some wild flower posts on facebook, I came across an interesting post which went into some detail about this unique flower, in Afrikaans
We still had two days of relaxation ahead in this lovely national park, which tends to grow on you
With the new year barely out of the starting blocks, it’s once again time to select the photos which best represent our travels and nature experiences during 2021, plus a few others that appeal to me for various reasons. Despite the ongoing restrictions brought upon all of us by Covid 19, we still managed to travel fairly extensively, although it was limited to the borders of South Africa.
I’m hoping you will find some of my favourite images to your liking – if you do, please take a moment to mention them in the comments at the end of the post.
The Places
It was a revelation to look back over the year’s images and realise that, in fact, we did manage to travel to many places across South Africa. Our longest road trips were those between the two places we call home – Pretoria and Mossel Bay – and the pendulum seems to have swung in favour of the latter town, where we spent slightly more time than in Pretoria for the first time. My bird atlasing activities were somewhat handicapped this past year by other factors – nevertheless I did get out on atlasing trips on a fairly regular basis, mostly in the vicinity of one of the two home bases
Farmlands, Vleesbaai Area near Mossel BayHillside Farm Trompsburg, Free State – where we spent a night on the trip to Mossel BayOne of the dams in The Glades Estate, (where our Pretoria home is)View of Simon’s Town from Penguin Palace B&BKirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town – we never visit Cape Town without a visit to these superb gardensBoulders beach, Simon’s Town, site of the famous African Penguin colonyThe Point from the hill, Mossel BaySunday’s River Mouth, Eastern CapeAddo Elephant National Park, Eastern CapeMountain Zebra National Park, Eastern CapeCroft 3, Verlorenkloof, MpumulangaThe view from Robinson Pass, between Mossel Bay and OudtshoornAbbotsbury Guest Farm, near Graaff-Reinet, Eastern CapeAbandoned cottage, Franschhoek, Western CapeCanola fields, Near Wellington, Western CapeHistoric Kerkstraat in Tulbagh, Western CapeKlein Welmoed Guest Farm, Stellenbosch, Western CapeWest Coast National Park (Postberg section)
The Wildlife
2021 stands out for me as the year we did not visit Kruger National Park – I can’t remember when this last happened! Visits to a couple of the smaller Parks partially made up for this but I’m afraid my selection of wildlife photos is poor by comparison to previous years
Reptiles are interesting creatures and I love it when the opportunity to photograph them at reasonably close quarters arises – here are a few examples – unfortunately I have not got around to positively identifying the first two yet
Probable Plated Lizard of some kind, Gouritzmond AreaProbable Sand Lizard, Mountain Zebra NPPuff adder Bitis arietans (Pofadder), Mountain Zebra NP
The Other Stuff
And the rest – photos that don’t fall into a category but have a certain character that appeals to me
Windmill, Hillside Farm TrompsburgGarden Acraea Butterfly, KirstenboschBeach footprints, Nature’s Valley – where the birds go, I am bound to be not far behindDoorknob selfie, Abbotsbury, Graaff-ReinetWaiting our turn to get the vaccine, Mossel BaySaartjie, our daughter’s Border Terrier, enjoying a mid-winter (gas) fire , Mossel BaySurfer, Mossel Bay PointFlowers in Robinson PassKaroo Lambs, Abbotsbury Guest FarmDragon hooter (horn) on 1911 Lorraine-Dietrich Convertible, Franschhoek Motor MuseumSpring flowers, Cape Columbine Nature Reserve (Tietiesbaai)
With the new year barely out of the starting blocks, it’s once again time to select the photos which best represent our travels and nature experiences during 2021, plus a few others that appeal to me for various reasons. Despite the ongoing restrictions brought upon all of us by Covid 19, we still managed to travel fairly extensively, although it was limited to the borders of South Africa.
I’m hoping you will find some of my favourite images to your liking – if you do, please take a moment to mention them in the comments at the end of the post.
The Birds
During a normal birding year, I take a couple of thousand images of birds – this past year, for various reasons, I did not get out in the field birding and atlasing as much as I would normally have done, nevertheless when it came to choosing images I was happy to find that it was as challenging as ever.
A couple of my recent longer posts have highlighted what I like to call “Stoepsitter birding” – which is the relaxed kind conducted mostly from a comfortable seat, preferably accompanied by suitable snacks and beverages to make sure the energy and spirit remains at a high level. Both were in favourite locations, one in Satara Camp in Kruger National Park, the other at Verlorenkloof Resort not far from Macahadodorp in Mpumulanga Province.
Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape has the honour of completing a trio of outstanding locations and places where Stoepsitter birding comes into its own.
The criteria are simple – suitable habitat to attract a variety of birdlife, a comfortable spot from which to observe the comings and goings of the birdlife, without disturbing them too much and the time and patience to devote yourself to this activity. It also helps if the birdlife and small wildlife is habituated to humans and happy to share their world with us, which for the most part is certainly the case in Addo.
Addo Elephant National Park
Our road trip in March this year included a three night stay in Addo, in a comfortable chalet with a view over a part of the Main Camp and a raised deck where we could spend a large part of the day (depicted in the heading image), while reserving the afternoons to venture out on game/birding drives.
The variety of birdlife that came to visit was exceptional, many of them drawn by the surrounding trees and shrubs which held a cornucopia of edible avian delights – nectar filled flowers, berries, small insects and suchlike.
The Weavers
Weavers were the most prominent and numerous birds that visited, represented by no less than three different species, all belonging to the Ploceus genus. Weavers can be difficult to ID in their winter non-breeding plumage, but there are still enough clues to narrow the identification down when faced with similar looking yellow birds.
Village Weaver (Bontrugwewer / Ploceus cucullatus)
The Village Weavers outnumbered the other two weaver species and were frequent visitors to the flowering trees right in front of our chalet. My limited botanical knowledge would make this a type of Coral Tree (Erythrina genus) with its bright scarlet flowers but I’m open to correction….. which I have received (see comments below) and I now know this is in fact a Weeping boer-bean (Schotia brachypetala / Huilboerboon) so called, apparently, due to the copious amounts of nectar during flowering which overflow and ‘weep’
In breeding plumage the Village Weaver is fairly easy to distinguish from other masked Weavers, but this male was in eclipse plumage, the “in-between” stage when they are in the process of transitioning to their duller non-breeding plumage. The red eye and spotted-backed appearance confirmed the ID
Village Weaver Male in eclipse plumage, Addo Elephant Park
Cape Weaver (Kaapse wewer / Ploceus capensis)
In non-breeding plumage the Cape Weaver male is still fairly easy to identify with its white eye colour and heavy bill, although lacking the chestnut brown wash over the face and neck which it shows during the summer breeding months. This is also the largest of the yellow weavers, by length and mass, but size is not always a dependable way to ID a bird unless the other candidate is sitting right next to it.
Cape Weaver male in partial non-breeding plumage, Addo Elephant Park
The female is less distinctive with brown eyes but the heavy bill helps to separate it from other non-breeding female weavers.
Cape Weaver female, Addo Elephant Park
Cape Weaver female, Addo Elephant Park
Spectacled Weaver (Brilwewer / Ploceus ocularis)
The Spectacled Weavers are easily distinguishable with their black ‘spectacles’ and black bill, while the black bib says this is a male.
Spectacled Weaver male, Addo Elephant Park
Spectacled Weaver male, Addo Elephant Park
The Sunbirds
Two species of Sunbird were drawn to the nectar produced by the flowering trees, very different in appearance but equally striking as they went about the business of extracting the nectar with long down-curved bills and even longer tongues to probe the flowers.
Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Addo Elephant Park
Other Species
There were several other species that visited the chalet surrounds, not all of which chose to pose for a photo, but those that did seemed quite happy to be ‘in the picture’. Here are the species that spend most time in the trees and shrubs –
This member of the Canary family (The Afrikaans name confirms it) is a great singer and fond of sitting in an exposed position, so is hard to miss, but can be confused with the similar looking White-throated Canary
Streaky-headed Seedeater (race humilis), Addo Elephant Park
The wonderful thing about visiting South Africa’s National Parks is that there is just about always something new to see. This was the case during our recent trip to visit two of the Eastern Cape’s gems – Addo Elephant National Park and Mountain Zebra National Park – I will be posting more about our trip but thought I would share this video which I took while on a late afternoon game drive in Addo.
I had never seen Ostriches drinking at a waterhole and it didn’t occur to me that they cannot slurp it up like an elephant, so have to first scoop the water into their mouth, then lift their long neck and swallow.
I think you will agree it is a fascinating sight …. the one on the left was initially rather aloof, but deigned to join in briefly towards the end
What it lacks is some appropriate music to accompany the video as those elegant necks go up and down – I am open to suggestions …..
Having spent a few nights at Camdeboo and Mountain Zebra National Parks on this current trip, following our earlier visit to De Hoop Nature Reserve, we were looking forward to a further 3 nights at Addo National Park to complete the quartet of parks. So far we had found each one most enjoyable in its own way, with Mountain Zebra National Park top of our list for having provided the most “African” experience of the three.
The road to Addo – Thursday 1 May 2014
Leaving Mountain Zebra National Park behind us after checking out around 11 am, we headed for nearby Cradock to stock up at the local Spar, followed by a coffee at True Living cafe accompanied by the best carrot cake we’ve had in a long time (they bake on the premises so it’s as fresh as it can get)
From there we headed down the N 10 with a diversion to Somerset East to check out the local museum, which we discovered was closed on the public holiday, but it was interesting just to drive through this small historical Eastern Cape town that we would not otherwise have seen. By now it was lunchtime, so we found a roadside spot with large blue gums to provide some shade and ate our “padkos” rolls.
Roadside lunch stop
The next stop was a short one to view the Slagtersnek monument, just off the road beyond the small town called Cookhouse. The monument commemorates the spot where a number of Dutch rebels surrendered after being confronted by British forces on 18 November 1815, however we were disappointed to find the surrounds unkempt and apparently not cared for in a long time.
Slagtersnek monument
The road continued in winding fashion with lengthy road works making our progress slow, resulting in us only reaching Addo around 5 pm, but the scenery along the way was rewarding, reminding us of the lowveld in places with lush growth and fruit farms
Addo Reception
Back in Addo
Our first visit to Addo was just over a year previously when Gerda and I had enjoyed a few days in the park after visiting PE, so we were familiar with the layout. Some of the photos and descriptions I have used in this post are from that visit.
We had booked a few months before but by then it was already close to full so we had to accept one night in a chalet followed by 2 nights in the Forest Cabins – not ideal but it meant we could try out the different accommodation units.
Settling into our chalet, some familiar calls resounded in the fading light – Sombre Greenbul with its piercing whistle, the loud “chip – ing” of Bar- throated Apalis and a pair of Bokmakieries performing a duet. A little later as it darkened a Fiery – necked Nightjar started its “Lord please deliver us” call – so evocative wherever you hear it but especially so in the bush.
Sombre Greenbul, Addo NP
Bokmakierie, Addo NP
Bar-throated Apalis, Addo NP
Exploring Addo and beyond
While having our customary early morning coffee on the patio, a pair of Cardinal Woodpeckers made a noisy appearance in a nearby tree, followed by Grey-headed Sparrow and a Fiscal Flycatcher, the latter looking debonair in its crisp black and white plumage – about to ask for a ‘Martini – shaken not stirred’. Soon after, a Lesser-striped Swallow settled on the roof, making it easy to ID as opposed to when they are in the air, when it is more of a challenge to separate them from the Greater-striped Swallows.
Grey-headed Sparrow, Addo NP
Striped Swallows, Addo NP
Having a 3 hour gap before we could move into our Forest cabin, we decided to go in search of the grave of Percy Fitzpatrick, author of the classic story of Jock of the Bushveld, which we had heard was not far from Addo Elephant Park, off the road to Kirkwood. Passing through the village of Addo we spotted a building with the name ‘Percy Fitzpatrick Library’ and immediately stopped to find out more – good thing because the very helpful librarian was more than willing to chat about the library, the area and showed us a portfolio of historical photos in a large album kept by the library. She also pointed us in the right direction to the grave site and ‘Lookout’.
It didn’t take long to find both at the end of a dirt road with heavy encroaching bush both sides (bit nerve-wracking for those who don’t like getting the car scratched) and it was clear that not much is done to look after the site, which was completely overgrown and in a sorry state – another neglected opportunity to create something which I’m sure many tourists would enjoy visiting.
Entrance to site where Percy Fitzpatrick and his wife are buried – the garden has run wild
The grave of Percy Fitzpatrick
The ‘Lookout’, built to honour their son, turned out to be a stone structure with a short stair to take you to a lookout deck, with wonderful views across the countryside and the Sundays River below, but this too was in need of some TLC.
View over the countryside from ‘The Lookout’
View from The Lookout
By the time we got back to the rest camp, it was past 1pm so we could move into our Forest Cabins, which turned out to be comfortable and cosy with a small bathroom, a private deck and use of a communal kitchen.
Forest Cabin, Addo NP
Poolside flowers, Addo NP
There was time for a swim at the pool, cold but invigorating, before setting off on a late afternoon drive. The thick bush on the route we followed wasn’t conducive to spotting any of the pachyderms that Addo is named and famed for, but at a viewpoint high up on a hill we looked down on a classic scene of more than a hundred Elephant in the distance.
Elephant, Addo NP
African Elephant, Addo NP
Along the way the bush was good for several common species such as Cape Weaver, Common Fiscal in numbers, Bokmakierie and Karoo Scrub-Robin. A Denham’s Bustard in the more open area was a nice surprise.
Karoo Scrub-Robin, Addo NP
Denham’s Bustard, Addo NP
I spent the next day mostly at Cape Recife in Port Elizabeth, looking for a Bridled Tern that had been seen there during the week, unfortunately without success.
Back at Addo there was time to relax before doing a last drive along the route where most of the dams and waterholes are and we came across numbers of game as well as a few new ‘trip birds’ such as Southern Tchagra, as always skulking in the bushes, and a far more brazen pair of Red-necked Spurfowl, common to Addo.
Southern Tchagra, Addo NP
Red-necked Spurfowl, Addo NP
At the dams, SA Shelducks showed once again as did Little Grebe and some Thick-Knees (Dikkop is still a much better name). Hapoor dam, named after a famous elephant with a chunk of its ear missing, was a welcome sight with its wide open spaces surrounding the dam, ideal for game including Kudu and favoured by some Crowned Lapwings.
Spotted Thick-Knee (Dikkop), Addo NP
4 in a row, Addo NP
Kudu, Addo NP
Buffalo getting the spa treatment (on our previous trip)
We hadn’t allowed ourselves much time so had to make haste (barely sticking to the 40km/h speed limit) back to the game area gate before it closed at 6 pm. The lone guard at the gate gave us a stern look but we had seen the same look each time we entered the game area so weren’t too fazed.
Jack’s Picnic Spot
We had visited this spot on our previous visit and found it to have a special charm with tables set into alcoves created in the bush, visited by cute little Four-striped mice and Red-necked Spurfowl, both of which latched onto any errant crumbs from our cheese and crackers picnic – not our usual style but we were in a rental car after flying to PE, so had to make do with a plastic shopping bag to carry our humble provisions. This picnic spot gets its name from an ailing Rhino which spent its last years at this spot in a protected environment – little did he know how vulnerable the next generations of Rhino would become with rampant poaching in our country to feed the Far East obsession with Rhino horn.
Striped Mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio), Addo NP
Striped Mouse
Striped Mouse
Red-necked Spurfowl
Southern Boubou – took a liking to our rental car (on our previous trip)
Stoep Sitting
Southern Masked-Weaver, Addo NP
Olive Thrush, Addo NP
Most of the chalets and cabins have stoeps (patios) with views over the bush and are a great place to relax in the early morning and evenings – there is a constant stream of passing bird life to enjoy, most of which are tame and easy to photograph – Weavers (Cape and Southern Masked),Bulbuls (Cape and Dark-capped),Olive Thrushes and Bar-throated Apalises are most common with Malachite Sunbirds not far behind
Cape Weaver, Addo NP
Cape Bulbul, Addo NP
Malachite Sunbird, Addo NP
The Small Stuff
Addo is famous for its elephants but we were fascinated by some of the smaller creatures and insects which make this park special and provide great entertainment. Several times we came across the Flightless Dung-beetle – one particular beetle was crossing the dirt road with his meticulously formed dung ball with a ‘Supervisor’ in close attendance all the way across, seeming to guide him and even assisting to get him back on his legs when he toppled onto his back at one point.
Flightless Dung-Beetle with ‘Supervisor’ – the ball is almost golf ball size and they roll it with their hind legs while facing backwards, thus a supervisor helps a lot
Such a pity that other visitors ignore the many signs asking them to watch out for Dung beetles which are so vulnerable when crossing the road, resulting in a lot of crushed beetles.
At another spot we watched a group of Meerkats as they scurried after food while their lone sentry stood watch like a Royal guardsman – right under the nose of a Pale Chanting Goshawk not 3 m above them, which they chose to ignore completely
Suricate / Meerkat (Suricata suricatta), Addo NP
Pale Chanting Goshawk (Juvenile), Addo NP
Pale Chanting Goshawk, Addo NP
The Bulbul puzzle
I mentioned seeing both Cape and Dark-capped Bulbuls, once side by side in the same tree – apart from the white ring around the eye of the Cape Bulbul, they are virtually identical but don’t seem to interbreed – how do they know?
Heading back home
We had enjoyed our month of much travelling and many highlights, but as always we were now looking forward to getting back home and settling into our normal routine. The trip back was once again spread over two days of about 600 km each, with an overnight stop at Oudekraal guest farm just south of Bloemfontein. It turned out to be a pleasant place with excellent food but somewhat overpriced compared to other guest houses we have tried over the years.
De Oude kraal guest farm
One thing I can never understand about guest farms is why the front house, gardens and rooms are well looked after, yet take a walk (as I always do) around the farmyard and surroundings and it’s often a mess – old scrap everywhere and generally untidy. This is the case with a number of places we have visited and again with Oudekraal. The overgrown tennis court was sad to see – even if no one uses it, just keep it looking decent.
Final surprise
As we left Oudekraal we spotted a Spike-heeled Lark alongside the road and stopped to view it, noticing with interest that it had a juicy insect in its beak. As we stopped it walked off quickly and we followed it for about 100m until it suddenly stopped and ducked towards a hidden nest where two very young chicks were waiting to be fed – what a lucky find! The nest was so well camouflaged that when I got out to take a photo (from a distance using the telephoto lens) I had to search for it again, despite being a few metres away.
Spike-heeled Lark, De Oude kraal guest farm
Very young Spike-heeled Larks on the nest
And so we came to the end of a memorable month of traveling – can’t wait for the next trip!
Mostly Birding 