Large Water Birds

Although I've posted a similar photo of this Goliath Heron with its "catch" before, I believe its so special that I'm adding it again today. Larger than all the other herons (about 1.4m), it also tends to hunt in deeper waters than most of the other herons. The Goliath heron tends to stand motionless for long periods of time - waiting patiently for prey to appear - or otherwise is seen walking about slowly.

Even if the Blackheaded Heron isn't as large as the Goliath heron (just under 1m), I still think of it as an imposing water bird. It is known as a more commonly found resident than the Goliath heron, yet I've seen the former more often than the Blackheaded heron. The Blackheaded heron isn't only found near water, but also frequents grassland/pastures/farmlands.



The Grey Heron is similar to the Blackheaded heron (size-wise & profile), but differs in that it has a white (instead of black) crown and a yellowish bill. The Grey heron also tends to stand motionless for long periods or creeps stealthily forward in a crouched way whilst skimming the water for prey.



Another large water bird that tends to crouch stealthily whilst hunting, is the Great White Egret (similar in size to the above-mentioned herons), otherwise its also found standing motionless in shallow water. The Great White egret's habitat is rivers, dams, estuaries and flood-plains, and it's distinguished by its entirely black legs and feet. This egret's normally orange-yellow bill turns black during the breeding season.

Did you know that egrets are herons? The "secret" is in the colour - the white ones are know as egrets.

At approx. 64cm, the Little Egret is much smaller than the birds mentioned above. This egret is a slender and fairly common resident with a black bill and legs - but yellow feet. The Little egret is always found near water and is known as an "active" hunter - darting, twisting and turning to catch its prey. When food is aplenty, Little egrets sometimes gather in hundreds, although otherwise known as solitary feeders.

I tend to think of the most commonly found Cattle Egret as a "chameleon" heron/egret because of its variable form - it's "buffed" during the breeding season whilst more slim and appearing taller at other times. The iris is yellow (> red during breeding season) and the bill is yellow (> red-orange when breeding). Immature Cattle egrets can be similarly classified as "variable" in that they have black legs and feet - in contrast to the adults with yellow or coral-coloured legs. Although the Cattle egret tends to feed on insects disturbed by grazing animals, they are also often seen perched on the backs of large animals (mammals) - yet it's also a water bird and and sometimes fishes in shallow water. Large flocks of Cattle egrets are known to gather during evenings around dams and pans, where they drink before roosting.

Did you know that although the Cattle Egret is often thought of as a "tick-bird", ticks are seldom part of its diet? Instead the Cattle egret feeds mainly on other insects like grasshoppers, earthworms and caterpillars, other than spiders, scorpions, lizards, frogs and even nestling-birds.

Other, larger birds found near water include cormorants - known as mainly fish- and frog-eating waterbirds. The Cape Cormorant is an abundantly found resident along our coastal regions which, like all cormorants, habitually stands perched out of the water with its wings outspread to dry. Cape Cormorants habitually fly in long lines over the sea and tend to fish in flocks.

Did you know that cormorants hunt their prey under water and then surface to swallow it?

When seen from afar, I've often overheard people (to my silent amusement) identifying the Whitebreasted Cormorant as a penguin. This confusion doesn't occur though when this cormorant is standing perched statue-like, spreading its wings to dry (now don't confuse this cormorant - on the right - with an eagle = "Reichs-Adler" in German!! ha-ha). At approx. 90cm, the Whitebreasted cormorant is the largest of the southern African cormorants, frequenting coastal areas or large inland waters.

Last (but not least) today is one of my photos of a Darter, which can be distinguished from cormorants by its longer and thinner neck with its characteristic "kink". A Darter's bill is also straight (> hooked) and it has a more slender appearance than cormorants. Darters swim with only their heads and necks visible above water (> parts of their back) but like cormorants, also perch with outspread wings to dry after swimming.

A Gem in the Karoo

The picturesque town of Graaff-Reinet is often referred to as the "Gem of the Karoo" - and I certainly think this term is spot-on.

Graaff-Reinet is situated amongst the foothills of the Sneeuberg mountain range in the Eastern Cape Province and is "tucked" into a horse-shoe bend of the Sundays River. It is said that this town contains more proclaimed national monuments than any other town in South Africa. It was established in 1786 as the most important trading centre in an otherwise barren and by then, still untamed country. To this day, Graaff-Reinet has retained much of the character of a a typical, 19th century, rural town.

The imposing Dutch Reformed Church is situated at the centre of the old town and was built in 1886 along similar lines to the Salisbury Cathedral (UK). I think it is the most attractive church building in our country.

The cottages in Stretch's Court were once occupied by emancipated slaves (after 1834). Once renovated, they now form part of the Drostdy Hotel complex.




A true gem and interesting example of Cape-Dutch architecture is Urquhart House with its unusual gable. It now forms part of the Reinet House period-museum- complex. It houses a collection of Victorian furniture and the peach-pip floor in the kitchen is rather unusual.

This old and enormous grapevine in the garden of the Reinet House museum complex was apparently planted in 1870 - and is still growing!






Also in this garden is an old water-wheel/mill next to the wagon house, still in a working condition.




Standing sentinel over the charming town is Spandau Kop - part of the Karoo Nature Reserve, which surrounds Graaff-Reinet.





Also in the Karoo Nature Reserve is one of Nature's wonders - the unique Valley of Desolation. The precariously balanced columns of rocks/formations originated during geological events occurring many millions of years ago.

Did you know that Karoo means "land of thirst"?

Many visitors specifically come to The Valley of Desolation with the specific goal to experience what the region (the Karoo in general) is also famous for - its magnificent sunsets. This photo of such a sunset is definitely one of my most "prized" photos.

Flower Power

Usually, when I return from a tour, I tend to share photos I took of wild animals or birds along the way. Today I'm "diverting" in the sense that I'm publishing some photos of flowers.


Right now, coral trees all over our country are in bloom.









I've posted photos of our national flower, the King Protea, before but since it represents such an attractive "model", here's yet another one.





Clivia, illuminated by the afternoon sun.











I have no idea what these flowers are called, but I snapped them in the Drakensberg region of our country during a hike, with a local guide, to view some of the fascinating San paintings for which this region is famous (other than it's magnificent nature).



I believe that this flower belongs to the daisy family, and I was attracted by the delicately pink hue of this particular flower.










More daisies - this time from our garden at home.










Another flower from our garden, which again, I must confess, I haven't a clue what it's called.

In the Mood

I'll be "on the road again" with a group of German-speaking visitors until 27 September.

Will post more photos as soon as I return.


I'm in the mood today to share photos I "store" under the caption........ "mood" (surprise, surprise). The photo (left) was taken just after sunset across Table Bay (Cape Town).



I think that mist or clouds often add a mysterious kind of note to certain settings - as I believe is the case on the next photo, taken at the small fishing harbour of Houtbay (Cape Peninsula).


The same applies (left) - mist and clouds moving in from the Indian Ocean across "The Heads" at the Knysna lagoon (Western Cape).





Early morning mist (right) covering the valleys at Hluhluwe Game Reserve (KwaZulu-Natal).






Clouds adding a "special" mood (left) to this setting - taken in Swellendam (Western Cape).






The famous table-cloth (right) "spreading" over Table Mountain in Cape Town - as seen from the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.



After the rain - a rainbow, which luckily for us at the time, heralded the end of rain so that we could enjoy the visit to the Kirstenbosch Botanic Garden (Cape Town).



Magnificent lightning - a common occurrence on the Highveld during summer, although not always as spectacular as my last 2 photos today represent (taken from our home here in Johannesburg).

Birds in Flight

I'd want to dedicate this "posting" to birds in flight. As I've confessed before, I'm crazy about photographing birds - and in flight, they often represent interesting "targets" to me.

I happily snapped away recording these interesting bird formations - without even knowing what birds they were. The location: the Chobe River in the Chobe National Park, Botswana. The objects of interest: Openbilled Storks - I managed to identify them eventually.

Now they are closer and I'm still fascinated by their flying patterns. Openbilled storks are known as uncommon, localised residents, appearing mostly single and only in such large flocks - as I witnessed - during the breeding season. They also tend to soar in flocks when on the move.

This is what these Openbilled storks look like once they settle down (right) - then the open gap between the mandibles is also visible (from which these birds derive their name). Mostly, southern African storks (in general) are found near water and bill-"clapping" is used as a greeting between pairs. In comparison to most storks, the Openbilled species is relatively small.

In my eyes, watching an African Fish eagle (left) soar high in the sky AND emitting its pleasantly ringing, far-carrying call, symbolises African nature - at its best! This eagle calls whilst perched on a branch or when circling in the air.






I had some "fun" (right) with the previous photo by using the caleidoscope-option (Nero Photo-snap).





A soaring Black eagle (left) with the characteristic white "flashes" at the base of the wing-tips clearly visible. I took this photo at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden (Roodekrans site), where a pair can be seen all year round. These Black eagles are one of only a few breeding pairs in an urban environment, but their future is in jeopardy - human/housing developments encroach on the eagles (previous) hunting territory.

Did you know that Black eagles (and some other eagles too) are known for the "Cain & Abel"-phenomenon? Of 2 eggs lain in a nest, Cain (the first hatched chick) commences to kill Abel, which constitutes Cain's first "meal".



Although most Bird Books display what eagles and vultures look like during flight, I haven't been able yet to identify this bird (right). I nonetheless admire the photo (taken by our son-in-law, Quinton, with a much more "powerful" camera than mine).






For something else - the Cape Gannet (left), a large seabird, found as a "colony" at Lambert's Bay (on the West Coast of SA). During a family-trip, we admired their characteristic plunge-diving apart from them "zooming" in like "dive-bombers".

Now that we've "landed" at the sea, here's a photo (right) of a Hartlaub's gull in flight. Gulls, in general, are known as scavenging sea and shore birds, which don't dive into the water but rather pluck refuse from the sea surface (or from land). The Hartlaub's gull is "at home" along the western coastal regions of our country.

I took this photo of (flying) White pelicans (left) during a boat "cruise" at Walfish Bay (Namibia). Other than thinking that this is a pretty good "shot", I'm always grateful for these photo-opportunities, which I have whilst guiding tourists through our country and also accompanying them whilst visiting our neighbouring countries.

Latest Photos

After sorting the photos taken during my last two back-to-back tours, I decided to "publish" some of the best ones today. The one I love most is this photo (right) of a cute young hippo appearing momentarily above water propped up on its mother's back.

Spotting klipspringer (left) in any of our game parks is quite a difficult process, because they are mostly well-camouflaged, apart from belonging to the smaller antelope species. It was therefore quite amazing to find three on the same spot and appearing "glued" to the spot. They had probably detected a threat (a carnivore?) and instinctively tried to ascertain if their life was in danger. We also tried to determine if that was the case, but were unsuccessful.


As we left the Kruger National Park by bus, we were "treated" to this magnificent sunset (right) and shortly afterwards, to the "alingment" of the sun amongst the branches of a tree (below).








It's always a pleasure to also "spot" a small creature like the chameleon (right) as happened in Stellenbosch amongst the plants in a garden of the house-museum-complex.


In-between two tours, I stayed with my sister, Lydia, in Cape Town. Since the weather was so great, she took me and our parents for a drive to Bloubergstrand, from where one has this magnificent view of Cape Town with Table Mountain flanked by Devil's Peak and Lion's Head.

After the cable-car "scare" in May (about which I "reported" on this blog-site soon afterwards), I am proud to announce I had the guts to "do it all again". I'm proud, because I never thought that after getting stuck in the cable-car on the way down, I'd ever go up Table mountain again. Well, I did, however scary I thought it was, and not only once, but twice (because I accompanied two different groups of tourists). Just as our dad told us when we learned to ride horses as children: "you fall off, you get right back on".

The last two photos today are of African penguins (formerly known as Jackass penguins) taken at Boulders Beach, where two pairs settled in 1982 on the mainland and since then have multiplied to 3 000!!

Since I often take visitors to this penguin colony, I was pleasantly surprised to see how active the penguins are at this time of the year. Apart from loudly "braying", they were in and out of the water - in contrast to past visits, when we mostly found them "just hanging around".

On Tour again

I'm off on tour again with another group of German visitors to our country. Will be back again on 21 August.