De Mond Nature Reserve

Maarten, Rob, Delana & I piled into the car on 16th December for a trip to De Mond Nature Reserve, which is around 90 kms from Pearly Beach. As soon as we got off the coastal plain, we saw a flock of around 70+ Alpine Swift, with at least 2 African Black Swift swooping low in a feeding frenzy. A Martial Eagle flew high overhead, which is a very uncommon bird here. A good start to the day. 

Lovely beach & bay.

We had to walk quite a way.

Maarten

Caspian Tern

A distant Damara Tern

Our first stop was a patch of coast around 9 kms from De Mond, which is a well known Damara Tern spot. It was quite a scenic place & we did manage to spot 2 Damara Terns, although they were a long way away! This species is declining in the western Cape & I believe there are only two known breeding colonies left.

De Mond Nature Reserve

There is some excellent coastal vegetation here.

The estuary.

White necked Raven.

This species is common here, even at sea level.

We then drove around to De Mond, which is a very pretty little spot. The reserve protects a nice example of coastal vegetation & dunes & the Heuingnes River, which flows into the sea here forming an estuary, which is a magnet for wetland birds.

Delana.

Cape Francolin, easily seen around the entrance

 to the reserve.

Greater Flamingo

Little Egret

Whimbrel

Bar tailed Godwit

A very uncommon bird this far south.

Curlew Sandpiper & Common Ringed Plover

Curlew Sandpiper & Red Knot

Red Knot is a very scarce species down here.

When I first found this bird I was excited

 as I thought it was a rarity in South Africa.

It isn't!

You can see some good ID features here.

It was the closest wader to us.

Barn Swallow

Denham Bustard

Rob spotted this on the drive home.

The female walked off & left the chick
 hiding in a bush!

Birds:

Greater Flamingo 78; White breasted Cormorant 12; Cape Cormorant 3; African Sacred Ibis 45; Hadeda Ibis 6; Grey Heron 1; Black headed Heron 2; Little Egret 5; Cattle Egret 18; White Stork 1; Spur winged Goose 2; Egyptian Goose 8; Yellow billed Duck 35; Martial Eagle 1; Yellow billed Kite 10; Black shouldered Kite 3; Jackal Buzzard 7; Steppe Buzzard 6; Rock Kestrel 1; Ostrich 4; Cape Francolin 3; Helmeted Guineafowl 5; Blue Crane 6; Denham's Bustard 2; African Oystercatcher 10; Crowned Lapwing 4; Grey Plover 14; Kittlitz's Plover 40; White fronted Plover 55; Common Ringed Plover 300+; Whimbrel 23; Bar tailed Godwit 1; Red Knot 1; Common Greenshank 7; Ruddy Turnstone 1; Sanderling 1; Curlew Sandpiper 75; Little Stint 110; Kelp Gull 150+; Hartlaub's Gull 40; Caspian Tern 12; Sandwich Tern 25; Swift Tern 14; Damara Tern 2;  Speckled Rock Pigeon 20; Red eyed Dove 3; Cape Turtle Dove 8; Alpine Swift 70+; African Black Swift 2; Little Swift 3; White rumped Swift 2; Pied Kingfisher 1; Red capped Lark 20; Barn Swallow 150; Greater Striped Swallow 4; Fork tailed Drongo 1; White necked Raven 3; Black Crow 2; Pied Crow 1; Cape Bulbul 50; Sombre Bulbul 2; Cape Robin Chat 1; Karoo Prinia 4; Fiscal Flycatcher 2; Cape White- eye 20; Cape Wagtail 10; African Pipit 1; Southern Boubou 4; Fiscal Shrike 4; Pied Starling 8; Red winged Starling 5; Common Starling 50; Cape Sparrow 3; House Sparrow 40; Cape Weaver 10; Southern Red Bishop 90; Yellow Bishop 1; Pin tailed Whydah 1; Cape Canary 5.

80 species.