Love dance

Ostriches pair up for life and during the mating season a male ostrich would do a love dance for his female. He would go down on his haunches, open his wings and sway from side to side to get her attention. Its always funny when you visit one of the ostrich show farms at Oudtshoorn … Continue reading Love dance →

Gannet of flight past

I know this isn't the happiest of pictures, but it still fascinated me when I saw it and I couldn't help taking a picture of it. It is a dead Cape Gannet which was washed up on the rocks at high tide. I have actually posted another dead gannet photo before (macabre isn't it?) which … Continue reading Gannet of flight past →

Black Oyster Catcher

I am always glad when I see African Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus moquini) on the beach or next to an estuary. This oystercatcher is a protected bird with a population of less than 5,000 adults. They are noisy plover-like birds with completely black plumage, red legs and a strong broad red bill used for smashing or … Continue reading Black Oyster Catcher →

Baby ostriches

A couple of baby ostriches at one of the ostrich farms just outside Oudtshoorn

Fire bird

During the recent fires around Port Elizabeth I headed over to Fairview to get some fire shots. I came across this very interesting sight. This black headed heron (one of three I could see) was patrolling all along the fire line. There were literally hundreds of grasshoppers and other insects fleeing from the fire and … Continue reading Fire bird →

Hallo ugly

Only a mother can love a face like this

Klein Karoo sunset

The world's biggest bird walking down a fence in the Klein Karoo near the town of Oudtshoorn at sunset..For more awe inspiring pictures from all over the globe featuring the sky, visit Skywatch.

Ostrich Show Farm

There is an Afrikaans song that says "Oudtshoorn is 'n groot voël paradys..." (translates to Oudtshoorn is a big bird paradise). And that is so true. Oudtshoorn is called the ostrich capital of the world as 95% of the world's captive ostriches are found around the town. In the early days ostriches were farmed purely … Continue reading Ostrich Show Farm →

Oudtshoorn area

We spent the first week of our holiday in the Oudtshoorn area. Oudtshoorn is situated in the Klein Karoo and its economy is basically split between farming and tourism. The word Klein means small or little in Afrikaans (also in Dutch) and Karoo is a Khoisan word that means Place of Thirst.The Klein Karoo is … Continue reading Oudtshoorn area →

Spotted Dikkop

The Spotted Dikkop (Burhinus capensis) must be one of my favorite birds. I was surprised to find this pair and their chick (picture below) at the bottom of the Donkin Reserve. The Dikkop is a fairly big bird with a height of 34-43cm. The are normally found in pairs and prefer walking over flying. When … Continue reading Spotted Dikkop →