South Africa 2016 - Hermanus (Whale Watching)

The last leg of the holiday (for me!, as Liz would stay another week and do some touring with a friend), was to the Whale Watching town of Hermanus. We would stop by at Agulhas and try for a special bird at Rooiels.

The southern most tip of the African Continent

 

 

The drive from Agulhas to Hermanus gives stunning views of the Babilonstoring Mountains 





somewhere along the way a Jackal Buzzard

 

and a Steppe Buzzard

 

 

We arrived in Hermanus and stayed at the wonderful Hermanus Beach Villa guest house, literally yards from the coastal path with views of the Southern Right Whales.

 

Not a bad view from the front of our accommodation...... and the Whale information board along the coastal path

 

 

Close ups of the Southern Right Whales

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Just above the town is Fernkloof NR, we didn't have time to walk the trails or passes but spend some time at the lower levels in the gardens and picked up some common birds.

 

Cape White-eye

 

Cape Sugarbird 

 

Southern Double-collared Sunbird

 

Malachite Sunbird 

female Malchite Sunbird

 

Olive Thrush

 

What should have been a quick trip to Rooiels took longer than expected, firstly I somehow missed the only turn for the town and then the bird was a little trickier than I anticipated. But three hours later we got it.... or should I say them as we saw a pair.

Somewhere out there is a Cape Rockjumper.  Along way off!

Heavily cropped

Last stop Stony point  penguin Colony ay Bettys Bay.



South Africa 2016 - Southern Coast: De Hoop NR

We had visited De Hoop NR in 2013 but only spent a single night there which only gave us a snippet of what was on offer.

We travelled from Cape Town via the N2 to Swellendam where we stopped for an excellent lunch at a small coffee shop called MonKens Coffee Shop (53 Voortrek St) where we came away satisfied after an excellent (and rather large) lunch and with three oil paintings chosen from the many that adorn the walls from local artists that are for sale at very affordable prices.

We headed to De Hoop along the dirt track via Spitskop and Ouplaas. The whole 40km journey passes through farmland which I hoped would give me a good chance to pick up some Larks, Pipits and Raptors. As it happened the journey didn't disappoint. Capped Wheatear sat on virtually every fence post available, while I managed two life birds along the way with Agulhas Long Billed and Large Billed Larks.

Agulhas Long-billed Lark

 

 

Large-billed Lark

 

 

Capped Wheatear

 

 

the raptors didn't disappoint either

Yellow-billed Kite

 

 

Jackal Buzzard

 

 

Rock Kestrel

 

 

The drive from Swellendam to De Hoop passes 45km of farmland along 4x4 tracks.......

 



 The stunning Blue Crane were usually in pairs but we managed to find a group of 9

 

 



Cape Longclaw

 

  

 

The view of De Hoop NR looking down onto the reserve sitting on the banks of the estuary, while in the far distance the sand dunes and sea.

 

 

We stayed at the wonderful Otter Suits which were surrounded by the local wildlife which included Ostritch, Eland, Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok and Chacma Baboon

 

Not bad for the garden......Eland with Cattle Egrets

 

 

Bontebok

 

 

Ostrich ....... Beep beep! or is that a Roadrunner??

while a crowned Lapwing stays at a safe distance in the foreground.

 

 

Chacma Baboon.... noisy neighbours

 

 

Cape Mountain Zebra

 

 

around the rondavals  and the estuary we had Cape Spurfowl, Cape Sugarbird, African Pipit, Brown Throated Martins, Pearl Breasted Swallows, Alpine Swifts, Pied Starlings, Cape Canaries, Yellow Canaries, Capped Wheatear, Cape Bulbul, Caspian Tern, Cape Shoveler, a single juvenile African Fish Eagle, Greater Flamingos, Little and Great Crested Grebe

 

and this confiding pair of Southern Boubou

 

 

White Necked Ravens

 

 

Bockmakarie

 

 

Cape Robin Chat

 

 

Grey Headed Gull

 

 

Great White Pelican, and if you  look closely you will just about make about an African Darter

 

 

casting a reflection.....

 

A drive around the reserve on a Quad Bike nature trek was exhilarating and our guide  Louis was an excellent companion for the morning.

 

Later in the morning we drove down to Koppie Allen and the Sand dunes as of course De Hoop is noted for its excellent Whale Watching as dozens of Southern Rights Whales come into the coastal waters to give birth.

We were fortunate to see 6 individuals in the area while we were down on the Dunes.

 

Koppie Allen..... a good place for refreshments

 

 

White Horses

 

Southern Right Whale

 

 

a few birds displayed well down at the coast with Swift Terns, Karoo Prinias, Cape Bunting, Familiar Chat, Greater Double-Collared Sunbirds and a pair of African Oystercatchers

 

Cape Bunting

 

 

 Karoo Prinia

 

 

 African Oystercatchers

 

 

 

Back at the reserve this Fiscal Flycatcher tried its best to eat most of the annoying midges while we sat out and enjoyed a beer before the sun set.

 

 

Bar-throated Apalis

 

Looking down onto the estuary from the Otter Suites while the early morning sea mist sits on the water and a Cape Robin-chat looks on in silhouette. 

A fine 6am start to any morning

 

 

Familiar Chat in the car park

 

 

and on the thatched roof of the restaurant

 

 

Just before we left this Acacia Pied Barbet let me get one last image

 

 

Next stop Hermanus and some seriously close Whale Watching