From White Christmas to African Sunshine: Birding, Bush and Beach.
After a magical white Christmas in Europe, it was pure bliss to feel the African sun on my skin again. I’d truly missed the warmth and the daily dose of sunshine. More than anything, I longed for the early mornings filled with the sounds of African birdsong, a natural alarm clock announcing the start of each new day.
This past week has been a whirlwind, but I carved out some precious time for short birding excursions. My visit to Rondevlei was a bit quiet, but it spurred me on to a refreshing 6km hike across the dunes along the beautiful Wolwe River Valley.
Next, I explored the Swartvlei area. The cheerful calls of Pied Kingfishers Levaillant’s cisticolas and Karoo Prinias immediately caught my attention, although the waders were too distant to identify. It seems the Helmeted Guineafowls enjoyed a successful breeding season – chicks and older siblings were everywhere, busily trailing their parents through the tall grass. I even spotted a group of tiny chicks near my home, which immediately made me worry about the neighborhood cats!
Beach hikes also revealed evidence of successful breeding seasons, with adorable Black Oystercatcher chicks and young Kelp Gulls dotting the shoreline.
The unmistakable smell at the Goukamma mouth led me to the sad sight of a massive whale carcass washed ashore during our absence.
Near Platbank, a large baboon crossed my path, maintaining a cautious distance before scrambling up the petrified sand dunes to observe us as we passed.
I also took a short walk through the forest at Woodville, but it was unnaturally quiet. Only a few birds made an appearance. Perhaps the heat wave we experienced for a day or two was the cause of this unusual stillness.
A quick trip to Groenvlei yielded some lovely photos of Black-backed Puffback. I enjoyed watching some Water-thick-knee, Olive Thrush, Chorister Robin-chat, Collared Sunbird, African Olive Pigeon, and a very busy Angulate tortoise. It’s always the little moments like these that make being back in the bush so special.
