A September outing took us up a farm road, offering a spot of birdwatching, and then past the Sugarbird Nature Reserve that was rich with flowers as the vegetation regenerated after a previous fire.
Continue reading “Springtime in the Overberg, Part 2: Feathers, farmlands and flowers”
Two outings in September exposed us to an array of spring flowers spiced with a sprinkling of birds seen on farm roads and nature reserves in the Overstrand area of the Overberg in the Western Cape.
Continue reading “Springtime in the Overberg: Some fynbos flowers (and shaggy monkey beetles)”
Although the males are unmistakable and conspicuous in the breeding season, initially I didn’t recognize the first non-breeding pin-tailed whydahs I saw in our Western Cape garden.
Continue reading “The pretty and pugnacious pin-tailed whydah”
Fynbos shrubland is characteristic of much of the Western Cape’s natural vegetation, but in some patches that are not subjected to high fire danger, remnants of woodland and forests do exist. In the Walker Bay region of the Overberg, between Gansbaai and Hermanus, the Swartkransberg complex of lowland forest patches survive despite historical and ongoing threats to their survival.
Continue reading “Exploring Platbos – Africa’s southernmost forest”
One morning in April we went walking in the Phillipskop Mountain Reserve, which is not far from Stanford in the Overberg. A highlight turned out to be watching chacma baboons climbing a rock face after they emerged from a large cave.
Continue reading “A mountain walk and baboons climbing at Phillipskop Mountain Reserve”
This summer, charismatic Cape sugarbirds (Promerops cafer) have been regular visitors to our garden. Named sugarbirds as they are largely nectar feeders, they are closely associated with proteas for food and shelter. Cape sugarbirds occur only in the fynbos regions of the Western Cape and into parts of the Eastern Cape.
Continue reading “Cape sugarbird: Summer visitors to our garden”
Of the 270 naturally occurring species of pelargoniums in the world, about 219 species occur in South Africa. Of these, I focus here on just two – and one hybrid – that grow in our garden. And a true geranium also makes an appearance. Be it the leaves, the flowers or the seeds, pelargoniums are always interesting to photograph.
Continue reading “Pelargonium flower portraits and a geranium too”
In the nick of time before 2024 draws to a close, lets celebrate BirdLife South Africa’s Bird of the Year, the gorgeous eagle known as the bateleur. By championing an individual species each year, BirdLife South Africa hopes that the year-long information campaigns highlight the conservation importance of each named species and of South Africa’s amazing birdlife more generally. The bateleur is listed as an endangered species and so it needs all the help it can get.
Continue reading “The Bateleur Eagle – South African Bird of the Year 2024”
Arid it is in the Tankwa Karoo, but there is life to be found on the stony ground if one slows down and refocuses – generally a satisfying thing to do, and especially so when travelling to new places. And the rocks and stones are interesting not only to geologists and archaeologists. Their variety in colour, form and density are interesting to anyone – though the stones do have their drawbacks for those travelling by road!
Continue reading “Tankwa Karoo Part 2: Plants and birds and rocks and things”