Grey Heron on a pole

This Grey Heron was taking a break on a pole in the Sundays River at Colchester and wasn't really bothered when we cruised past it on the Sundays River Ferry. The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae and grows to about one meter in height with a wingspan … Continue reading Grey Heron on a pole →

Malachite Sunbird in Addo

Addo Elephant National Park boats with over 450 different bird species making it not just great for elephant and game watching, but also bird watching. I'm not always too bothered with trying to photograph birds with my superzoom as it isn't really fast enough to take proper pictures of them, but on my last visit … Continue reading Malachite Sunbird in Addo →

Flamingo take off

I wonder how many people driving the Swartkops road on a regular basis don't even notice the flamingos anymore. I think its awesome to have so many flamingos on the Swartkoms estuary right here close to the city. I walked the Flamingo Trail recently and snapped this pic of the flamingos taking off as we … Continue reading Flamingo take off →

Death on the beach

Maybe its just me, but its always sad when I find a dead marine bird, shark or something on the beach. I went for a walk along the Sacramento Trail at Schoenmakerskop and spotted this departed Cape Gannet from some distance away already. The rest of my group walked by without even a glance while I … Continue reading Death on the beach →

You can’t help but smile when you watch a penguin

One of the things that Libby Sharwood at the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) in Port Elizabeth always say is, "You can help but to smile when you watch a penguin." The African Penguin is highly endangered with only just over 20 000 breeding pairs left in the world, most of these … Continue reading You can’t help but smile when you watch a penguin →

A Saturday morning hike on the Flamingo Trail

I'm probably the most overweight, unfit active guy there is. There is no hesitation to go if I get the opportunity to get out and about and because of my love for the outdoors I make an effort to explore and do as much as possible. I've been fortunate that I've had the opportunity to … Continue reading A Saturday morning hike on the Flamingo Trail →

The crowning pigeon

I don't quite think I would like to be a statue. Yes, people walk past you and remember you every day, tourists stop by and take pictures and you have lots of feathered company but the problem is those same feathered friends and what they leave behind when they fly off again. Passing Queen Vic in … Continue reading The crowning pigeon →

Wading flamingo’s

I was very fortunate to go on a guided walk along the Flamingo Trail next to the Swartkops Estuary the other day and got some great flamingo sightings along the way. After posting the view of the flamingo's from the top of the hill I thought I'll follow it up with a picture taken from the … Continue reading Wading flamingo’s →

Flamingo’s on the Swartkops River

Walking on the Flamingo Trail a week or so ago we did one of the loops up onto the escarpment next to the Swartkops River and this was one of the views down. The pink specs are flamingo's on the Swartkops Estuary.

Egret nesting ground

Ornithologists, or just plain bird lovers for those who don't know the big word, visiting the town of Montagu in the Western Cape gets drawn to the Leidam like a mouse to cheese. For the last two years we spent a week in Montagu during our summer holiday and during both visits I spent some … Continue reading Egret nesting ground →