Tag Archives: Mossel Bay Point

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 ….

The Places

One of the first places we visited in 2022 was the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus – the evening light was magical

I love the moodiness that overcast skies bring to a scene and this one had the benefit of a sunlit foreground and overcast background

The classic view of Table Mountain from Milnerton beach, a stone’s throw from where I was born

This unusual view of the southern Cape coast was taken from my seat in a plane on its way to land at George

A double rainbow over Mossel Bay just begged to be photographed

Our drive to Weltevrede farm near Prince Albert was an absolute delight with views like this around every bend

Road to Weltevrede Farm, near Prince Albert

Evening tranquility at the dam on the farm Prior Grange near Springfontein, Free State

Our stay in Victoria, Australia provided widely contrasting experiences

Atlasing in the southern Cape around Herbertsdale provided this beautiful early-morning scene along the winding road

Another moody scene, this time with fishermen providing the focal point

Paternoster beach was another excellent spot for sunset photography, with gulls adding that extra punch

The flowers in the Postberg section of the West Coast National Park were spectacular (a separate post on this still to come)

Another view of the iconic mountain that I grew up with, this time from the waterfront at Cape Town

The Birds

I spend most of my photographic energies on capturing images of birds, not always successfully. These are some of the better ones

Namaqua Dove Oena capensis Namakwaduifie, (Juvenile) Kleinberg area

The photo of a Cape Longclaw shows why it was given that name

Cape Longclaw Macronyx capensis Oranjekeelkalkoentjie, Klein Brak

This is a photo by Estelle Smalberger who kindly allowed me to use her images. What a privilege it was for me to be the one to first find this species – never before recorded in southern Africa!

Such elegant birds….

Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta Bontelsie, Strandfontein WWTW

Cape Weavers treated us to a show while building their nests in front of our patio

Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata Vlaktelewerik, (race alticola) Balmoral area

Some of the birds seen during our Australia visit

Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus, Sale Victoria

Maned Duck Chenonetta jubata (Male), Bright Victoria

White-faced Heron Egretta novahollandiae, Sale Common NCR

Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae, Raymond Island Victoria

My favourite bird photo of the year! Just seeing this scarce bird is a treat, capturing an image in flight from one bush to the next is a bonus

Protea Canary Crithagra leucoptera Witvlerkkanarie, Herbertsdale Area

Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata Geelbekeend, Rondevlei Cape Town

Bar-throated Apalis Apalis thoracica Bandkeelkleinjantjie 9race capensis), Herbertsdale south

Cormorants are not colourful birds, but those eyes….!

Reed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus Rietkormorant, Malachite hide Wilderness

Darter creating an arty pose

African Darter Anhinga rufa Slanghalsvoël, Malachite hide Wilderness

The Cape Batis likes to stay concealed so I was happy to capture this image as it flitted about in the depths of a bush

Cape Batis Batis capensis Kaapse bosbontrokkie (race capensis), Rondevlei Wilderness

Not as clear an image as I would have liked but the in flight action is just perfect

Rock Kestrel Falco rupicolus Kransvalk, Piekernierskloof Pass

Our favourite Cape Town destination is Kirstenbosch – always an opportunity for a few pleasing images

Cape White-eye Zosterops capensis Kaapse glasogie (race capensis), Kirstenbosch

The Other Stuff

We visited a butterfly sanctuary which was great for close ups of some of the beautiful specimens

Butterfly sanctuary, near Eight Bells Inn

Nice to watch the Zipline in operation at the Point in Mossel Bay – now if I was a tad younger…..

The little village of Friemersheim has been turned into a living Art Gallery (more in a future post)

That sign conjures up all kinds of thoughts, doesn’t it?

A view from the inside of the Singapore Airlines plane that took us to Australia via Singapore

A tranquil scene on one of my atlasing trips

Cow in the flowers….behind barbed wire

People in the flowers on a sunny day

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

Land of Beauty, The World around Us

Sea Fever

August 11, 2022 Don Reid 2 Comments

I don’t remember when I first heard the poem Sea Fever by John Masefield – it may have been at school, but more likely it was quoted by my mother, who was fond of reading and writing poetry and even had one of her own published in a book of poetry when she was in her 80’s

During our visits to Mossel Bay we often drive down to The Point, at the “sharp” end of the peninsula on which Mossel Bay is located, get a take away coffee at the little kiosk and just sit and watch the sea, the birds and other sea life. Depending on the season, there’s often a whale to be seen far out, usually just a plume, a tail or a part of its back visible, or a few seals in the surf just beyond the rocks, and the wonderful sight of a school of dolphins passing by. Oh, and the people too of course. It’s very therapeutic.

The poem Sea Fever came to mind after our latest visit to The Point – the sky and the sea were in a multitude of shades of white, grey and blue, set against the brown of the rocks and looked particularly moody, so I walked first along the lower pathway then onto the rocks to get a sea level perspective and used my Iphone to take a number of images

Sea Fever – John Masefield

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Note : The image in the heading of this post was taken from the newish restaurant just below the St Baize Lighthouse with a unique view of The Point

Land of Beauty, The World around Us

My Photo Picks for 2021 – The Places, Wildlife and Other Stuff

January 4, 2022 Don Reid 3 Comments

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 Bay

**Hillside Farm Trompsburg, Free State – where we spent a night on the trip to Mossel Bay**

**One of the dams in The Glades Estate, (where our Pretoria home is)**

**View of Simon’s Town from Penguin Palace B&B**

**Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town – we never visit Cape Town without a visit to these superb gardens**

**Boulders beach, Simon’s Town, site of the famous African Penguin colony**

**Addo Elephant National Park, Eastern Cape**

**Mountain Zebra National Park, Eastern Cape**

**The view from Robinson Pass, between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn**

**Abbotsbury Guest Farm, near Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape**

**Abandoned cottage, Franschhoek, Western Cape**

**Canola fields, Near Wellington, Western Cape**

**Historic Kerkstraat in Tulbagh, Western Cape**

**Klein Welmoed Guest Farm, Stellenbosch, Western Cape**

**West 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

**Cape Grey Mongoose *Herpestes pulverulentus* (Kaapse grysmuishond), Addo Elephant Park**

**Yellow Mongoose *Cynictis penicillata* (Rooimeerkat), Addo Elephant Park**

**Elephant at dusk, Addo Elephant Park**

“**Mother and child” Vervet Monkey *Chlorocebus pygerythrus* (Blouaap), Mountain Zebra NP**

The Reptiles

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 Area**

**Probable Sand Lizard, Mountain Zebra NP**

**Puff 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

**Garden Acraea Butterfly, Kirstenbosch**

**Beach footprints, Nature’s Valley – where the birds go, I am bound to be not far behind**

**Doorknob selfie, Abbotsbury, Graaff-Reinet**

**Waiting our turn to get the vaccine, Mossel Bay**

Saartjie, our daughter’s Border Terrier, enjoying a mid-winter (gas) fire , Mossel Bay

**Dragon hooter (horn) on 1911 Lorraine-Dietrich Convertible, Franschhoek Motor Museum**

**Spring flowers, Cape Columbine Nature Reserve (Tietiesbaai)**

Have a wonderful 2022!

Land of Beauty, Monday Favourite, The World around Us

Mossel Bay – The Point (Again)

July 19, 2021 Don Reid 4 Comments

On one of our recent outings to The Point, just 10 minutes away from our Mossel Bay home, we spotted a rainbow forming over the sea in the distance.

I snapped a shot while driving (very slowly) and hastened to find a spot to capture the rainbow before it disappeared. It did not have the full bow of a ‘proper’ rainbow but formed an almost vertical column disappearing into the low clouds hanging over the sea – quite unusual.

Once satisfied with the images I noticed a number of surfers in the sea – not unusual as this is a favourite surf spot, but the light was so perfect for photography that I could not resist trying my hand at some “surf’s up” images.

Further on we found a parking spot to enjoy our tea and watch the passing birds – the Cape Cormorants are regulars at the Point and once again the light was still good enough to capture a couple in flight, on their way to their roost somewhere further up the coast.

Land of Beauty, The World around Us

Mossel Bay – The Point

March 19, 2021 Don Reid 2 Comments

Mossel Bay, like most coastal towns, has many weather moods, from sunny and bright to overcast and stormy

These photos were taken during one of our regular visits to The Point at the western end of the bay, our favourite place for a take-away coffee which we enjoy while sitting in the car and soaking up the calm that the scene brings to us. It also happens to be a great spot for seabird watching, which is dependent on the prevailing winds, ocean currents and tides as to what may pass by, but that is a subject for another day…

These photos are straight from my iphone without any cropping or editing