Knysna and the Coast (5/6)

We left the Battlefields area and travelled back to Johannesburg to catch an internal flight to George on the south eastern coast. The flight was two hours, the distance to drive from the Battlefields to George would have been over 800 miles. The normal projections of the world on a map really distorts the true size of the countries. South Africa looks to be about the same size as the UK. It is actually over five times bigger. It was a good decision on my part not to self drive the holiday.


Our hotel was in Knysna on the Indian Ocean coast. A beautiful area and much more affluent than the countryside that we had traveled through so far. The hotel grounds were less extensive than I had become accustomed to but it was only a couple of minutes walk down to to the Knysna River estuary and an early morning walk gave me a good selection of birds.

Grey Heron

A Grey Heron, a bit of a disappointment, but on the other side of the tree a Black-headed Heron, much more satisfying.

Black-headed Heron

On the water front, Sacred Ibis, Kelp Gull, Yellow-billed Duck, Reed Cormorant

Sacred Ibis

Yellow-billed Duck

Kelp Gull

Reed Cormorant

There were also a good assortment of birds in the bushes and on the jetty.

Speckled Mousebird

White-throated Swallow

Cape Bulbul

Cape Wagtail

One from Home - Common Sandpiper

Red-wing Starling

Fiscal Flycatcher

African Dusky Flycatcher

Sombre Greenbul

Black-backed Puffback

We had an organised trip in the afternoon that I was looking forward to. It was a boat trip across the estuary to the Featherbed Nature Reserve. The estuary was OK but the nature reserve was a bit of a disappointment. I thought I would have the chance to wander around taking pictures of the birds. Instead it was an organised walk along a set path. I hardly saw a bird at all.


                               

African Black Oystercatcher

   

Cape Cormorant

Sacred Ibis and Whimbrel

there is always a story about the one that got away. In this case it was a Black-headed Oriole. My first ever Oriole of any kind. I followed the song for about half an hour without seeing the bird. It finally appeared in the top of a tree for a few seconds. I got the shot but of course it had its back towards me and kept its head in a shadow. Not much of a picture but I like it.

Black-headed Oriole

Next the Capetown area.

Indaba (1/6)

I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks. I have been away in South Africa on a "see it all in two weeks tour". We thought about driving ourselves around but the distances involved are huge and with me wanting to stop every time we see a new bird, progress would have been slow. On an organised tour using coaches and internal flights you get to see a lot more of the country but can't always do exactly what you want. Best of all you get to sleep while someone else does the long distance driving.

This was a touring holiday not a birding holiday but I can usually rely on a couple of hours birding before breakfast, whilst Sue prepares herself to face the day. We also like Botanical Gardens and then there are the few photographs grabbed here and there, in gardens and on rubbish tips, whilst I wait for Sue to exit from yet another souvenir shop.

There is so much that I could write about the country - the scenery, the people, the contrast between rich and poor, but this is a birding blog so I will steer clear of other issues.

Hadeda Ibis

The itinerary for most of these trips are similar. A day in Johannesburg, the Kruger National Park, Swaziland, the Battlefields area, then fly down to George for the Garden Route, the Winelands and a couple of days in Cape Town.

Researching the hotels before we went the first night in Johannesburg at the Indaba Hotel looked really promising. The hotel has its own garden bird list with 110 birds listed and cross referenced to the Sasol Birds of South Africa. There is also the Montecasino Bird Gardens just a few kilometres away with a lot of free flying birds using the gardens. This was going to be one of the highlight of the holiday

Just one problem. we had a 20 hour delay at Heathrow. We arrived at the Indaba at six o'clock in the morning and were scheduled to leave for the Kruger at nine o'clock. My days birding had just disappeared. Most people probably slept. I managed a couple of hours birding, a shower, and a quick breakfast, before we had to move on. Not ideal but better than nothing.

Black-eyed Bulbul

A confusing bird to start off with. One of the most common and easily seen but what to call it? Black-eyed Bulbul or Common Bulbul  Pycnonotus barbatus or should I be calling it Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolour or perhaps one of the other common or binomial names given to it across Africa. Black-eyed I like.

Blacksmith Lapwing (old name Blacksmith Plover)

Cape Sparrow

Karoo Thrush

Fiscal Flycatcher

Grey Lourie  (Go Away bird)

Myna

Red-headed Finch

Red-headed Finch (Female)

Red-eyed Dove

Speckled Pigeon  (Rock)

Fly over Sacred Ibis

Southern Masked Weaver

Southern Masked Weaver - nest building

At least I got a few pictures. Also seen but not photographed or perhaps I should say photographed but pictures really poor, Pied Crow, Cape Starling, Laughing Dove.

Some  of these pictures were taken in low light levels so are on a high ISO setting but they are a good start for my Africa collection.


Further Blogs on the South Africa trip to follow.