Entrance to the Potberg section of the reserve.
Looking towards the Potberg Mountains.
pretending to be an adult male!
We rose early on the 8th October & set out for De Hoop Nature Reserve. A few kilometers outside of Pearly Beach a Cape Golden Mole ran across the road in front of us! This is my first sighting of this rarely seen species. A good way to start the day!
Plains surround the mountains.
it is hard to believe that this species
was once close to extinction.
Cape Vulture
was once close to extinction.
We entered the reserve through the Potberg section because we wanted to see the Cape Vultures which breed here. This is their last remaining colony in the western cape region. The breeding site is not open to the public but at least 70 Cape Vultures were seen circling overhead.
Blue Gums are established along the river.
Delana
can clearly be seen.
After watching the vultures we walked along the river which is heavily infested with exotic trees, but it was shaded & we saw around 6 Cape Siskin at very close quarters. This species used to be a fynbos specialty but recently have taking a liking to exotic gums & pines & consequently getting commoner.
Roads in the reserve are good.
Coastal fynbos is the dominant vegetation type.
De Hoop Camp in the distance.
The camp is situated next to a huge lake.
We then drove around into the main section of the reserve & down into the De Hoop Camp. it is beautifully situated next to the lake & associated flood plains. We took a walk around doing a little birding.
Black Harrier, on the drive to Koppie Alleen
Terrible photo but the sea fret was rolling in fast!
Jackal Buzzard
Beautiful hot weather here!
But in a short time.......
But in a short time.......
Koppie Alleen
We then drove to Koppie Alleen, but the sea fret came in & we couldn't see the stunning coastal scenery & it got cold! So we beat a hasty retreat home arriving around 17.30 pm in time for sun-downers on the veranda overlooking the ocean!
Birds:
White breasted Cormorant; Cape Cormorant; Grey Heron; Black headed Heron; Cattle Egret; Black crowned Night Heron; Hadeda Ibis; Sacred Ibis; Spur winged Goose; Egyptian Goose; Yellow billed Duck; Cape Teal; Cape Vulture 70+; African Fish Eagle; Jackal Buzzard; Black Harrier; Yellow billed Kite; Black shouldered Kite; Rock Kestrel; Cape Francolin; Helmeted Guineafowl; Ostrich; Red Knobbed Coot; Common Moorhen; Blue Crane 130; Denham's Bustard 2; African Black Oystercatcher; Black winged Stilt; Three banded Plover; White fronted Plover; Crowned Plover; Blacksmith Plover; Wood Sandpiper; Kelp Gull; Grey headed Gull; Hartlaub's Gull; Caspian Tern; Swift Tern; Speckled Rock Pigeon; Red eyed Dove; Laughing Dove; Namaqua Dove; Little Swift; White rumped Swift; Speckled Mousebird; African Hoopoe; Agulhas Clapper Lark 3; Large billed Lark; Red capped Lark; Agulhas Long billed Lark; Greater striped Swallow; Barn Swallow; White throated Swallow; Brown throated Martin; African Rock Martin; Fork tailed Drongo; White necked Raven; Pied Crow; Black Crow; Cape Bulbul; Sombre Bulbul; Olive Thrush; Familiar Chat; Capped Wheatear; African Stonechat; Cape Robin; Karoo Robin; Bar throated Apalis; Cloud Cisticola; Neddicky; Grey backed Cisticola; Spotted Prinia; Fiscal Flycatcher; Cape White eye; Cape Wagtail; African Pipit; Common Fiscal Shrike; Southern Boubou; Southern Tchagra; Bokmakierie; Red winged Starling; European Starling; Cape Sugarbird; Malachite Sunbird; Southern Double collared Sunbird; House Sparrow; Cape Sparrow; Cape Weaver; Southern Red Bishop; Yellow rumped Widow; Common Waxbill; Yellow Canary; Bully Canary; Cape Canary; White throated Canary & Cape Siskin 6.
97 species for the day.
Birds:
White breasted Cormorant; Cape Cormorant; Grey Heron; Black headed Heron; Cattle Egret; Black crowned Night Heron; Hadeda Ibis; Sacred Ibis; Spur winged Goose; Egyptian Goose; Yellow billed Duck; Cape Teal; Cape Vulture 70+; African Fish Eagle; Jackal Buzzard; Black Harrier; Yellow billed Kite; Black shouldered Kite; Rock Kestrel; Cape Francolin; Helmeted Guineafowl; Ostrich; Red Knobbed Coot; Common Moorhen; Blue Crane 130; Denham's Bustard 2; African Black Oystercatcher; Black winged Stilt; Three banded Plover; White fronted Plover; Crowned Plover; Blacksmith Plover; Wood Sandpiper; Kelp Gull; Grey headed Gull; Hartlaub's Gull; Caspian Tern; Swift Tern; Speckled Rock Pigeon; Red eyed Dove; Laughing Dove; Namaqua Dove; Little Swift; White rumped Swift; Speckled Mousebird; African Hoopoe; Agulhas Clapper Lark 3; Large billed Lark; Red capped Lark; Agulhas Long billed Lark; Greater striped Swallow; Barn Swallow; White throated Swallow; Brown throated Martin; African Rock Martin; Fork tailed Drongo; White necked Raven; Pied Crow; Black Crow; Cape Bulbul; Sombre Bulbul; Olive Thrush; Familiar Chat; Capped Wheatear; African Stonechat; Cape Robin; Karoo Robin; Bar throated Apalis; Cloud Cisticola; Neddicky; Grey backed Cisticola; Spotted Prinia; Fiscal Flycatcher; Cape White eye; Cape Wagtail; African Pipit; Common Fiscal Shrike; Southern Boubou; Southern Tchagra; Bokmakierie; Red winged Starling; European Starling; Cape Sugarbird; Malachite Sunbird; Southern Double collared Sunbird; House Sparrow; Cape Sparrow; Cape Weaver; Southern Red Bishop; Yellow rumped Widow; Common Waxbill; Yellow Canary; Bully Canary; Cape Canary; White throated Canary & Cape Siskin 6.
97 species for the day.
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