I can't believe it! It is 1st January 2022! Delana & I didn't get to bed until 4am, so had a bit of a lay in until 9am. Big mistake! Pieter was sea-watching at Hermanus & had had an adult Sabine's Gull go by! I quickly got showered & dressed & was on the veranda! There was a full south-westerly gale blowing & there were birds about! Who knows what I would have seen if I had been up watching at dawn. But it still wasn't bad: 2 Southern Giant Petrels; 7 Northern Giant Petrels & 13 Giant Petrel sp.
Southern Giant Petrel
Taken from the veranda!
Northern Giant Petrel
Always difficult to photograph from land.
Another sea-watch at mid-day produced 1 Southern Giant Petrel; 4 Northern Giant & 1 Giant Petrel sp. The evening sea-watch saw 79 Arctic Skuas come to roost & 14 Giant Petrel sp. feeding on some kind of dead body floating on the surface of the sea. It was a good day but I couldn't help but wonder what I would have seen if I had been up at dawn.
Sunset on 2nd January.
Up at dawn on 2nd January, but a soon as I looked outside I knew the promised winds had not materialized overnight. I put nearly three hours in, being rewarded with 2 African Penguins; 2 Southern Giant Petrel & 4 Giant petrel sp. However the undoubted highlight of the morning was a Bryde's Whale passing west, unfortunately too far to get a photo.
The reason we had access is because
we had friends staying there.
which I have not found anywhere else
in this area.
Delana & I then visited Klein Paradise which is about 4kms from the house. It has a varied mixture of habitats included protea covered hillsides.
There is a good path to the hill.
Protea covered slopes.
Star-eyed Aristea
Cape Snow
Erica sp.
Delana, hiking up the hill.
Black Harrier
Great to see this species so close to home.
Declining due to loss of habitat for nesting.
Orange breasted Sunbird
This locality is only 4kms from the house,
but I have never recorded them in the village.
It seems they like the slopes of the hills.
We enjoyed a nice walk up the hill, best birds being: Black Harrier; Cape Rock Thrush & 7 Orange-breasted Sunbird. It was a very nice morning out in good weather.
Getting my booster shot
after the hike!
An evening sea-watch from the house was very productive: 300 Arctic Skuas (exact count); an immature Pomarine Skua & best of all an immature Long-tailed Skua!
Weather didn't look too promising when we set off.
Then this happened!
Me walking along the beach.
Kelp Gull
This bird knew there was food in the cool box!
Caspian Tern
African Oystercatcher
White fronted Plover
Rock Kestrel
Common along the coast.
A walk east along the beach with Delana on 3rd January was very pleasant, but nothing out of the ordinary seen. The evening sea-watch produced 166 Arctic Skuas; an immature Long-tailed Skua (different plumage than the night before) & 8 Giant Petrel sp.
Common Swift
An erratic & uncommon species, this far south.
There was an astonishing spectacle over the house on 4th January when 2,350 Common Swifts flew west in a short space of time. A short while later a further 700 came in off the sea & spent the next hour feeding over the foreshore. This is the first time I have recorded this species in this area.
Cape Francolin
Cape Cormorant hiding under a
bush in a garden!
Sombre Greenbul
Singing.
Cape Wagtail
Pearl breasted Swallow
Breeds here in small numbers
Adult
Adult & young bird.
A walk around the village in the early afternoon was quite productive, with 51 species seen. I also finally managed photos of Pearl breasted Swallow! The evening sea-watch was quiet with just a Giant Petrel sp. noted.
Rock Martin
They roost on the side of the house every evening.
No birding done on the 5th apart from an evening sea-watch from the house which produced 225 Arctic & an immature Pomarine Skua.
Common Swift
I was up at dawn sea-watching on 6th January but the gales which were forecasted never materialized here & there were no seabirds of note. However I counted 409 Common Swifts coming in off the sea just after dawn. Are they roosting above the sea at night, then flying to land to feed in the daytime? An intriguing possibility!
Arctic Skuas
Pomarine Skua
Immature Pomarine Skua
Lester, Dean & myself after a successful sea-watch.
I was joined for the evening sea-watch by Dean & Lester, two local birders. Luckily for me birds turned up after a slow start! 165 Arctic Skua; 3 immature & a light phase adult Pomarine & 2 Long tailed Skuas (a sub-adult & an immature). The boys were very pleased! All the skua photographs are courtesy of Lester van Groeningen. I think he did pretty well, considering the poor light & distance involved. I big thumbs up to Lester. Thank you very much.
Common Dolphins
Up early on 7th sea-watching. A small pod of Common Dolphins were fishing offshore & an immature Pomarine Skua was scavenging for scraps from the surface of the sea. 6 Arctic Skuas were also around. The evening sea-watch produced 47 Arctic & one of the same Long tailed Skuas from last night based upon plumage.
Little Egret
Out of focus but shows the long red legs nicely.
Same bird, showing white rump.
Different bird, showing extensive white primaries
& white rump.
Arctic Tern
Roseate Tern for comparison.
Notice the bill shape & length, of both birds.
Same bird as the above.
Out of focus, but shows the underwing nicely.
The morning of the 8th January was calm & it was low tide exposing lots of rocks along the shore. I managed to pick out 2 Roseate Terns which flew east. Both were first winter birds. A couple of hours later Delana & I walked the coast but the wind had picked up & it was blowing a gale! However we managed to pick out a further 3 Roseate Terns & a first winter Arctic Tern fishing close inshore. I believe there were five Roseate Terns in total.
Common Swift
Yellow Bishop
Brimstone Canary
It was beautiful weather the next day on 9th January & I decided to cycle around the village. it was a lovely morning the highlight being 660 Common Swifts feeding low over the dunes.
Arctic Skuas
Pomarine Skuas
The evening sea-watch on 10th January was pretty quiet by recent standards: 47 Arctic & 2 immature Pomarine Skuas. But at the tail end of one of the skua flocks was an adult Sabine's Gull in winter plumage! I was very excited & pleased with this record, one of my most wanted birds to be seen from the house. Unfortunately it was a little far out for any meaningful photos.
The family!
My youngest daughter Rowan & her husband Jonathan arrived for a short stay on 11th January. Most of the day was spent driving to Cape Town Airport & back. However, we did have drinks on the veranda in the evening.
Delana
Now, one of these people lives here &
the other two are visitors.
Can you pick between them?
African Grey Mongoose
On 12th January we all had a walk along the coast to familiarize Rowan & Jonathan with the area. It was a very hot day, devoid of birds!
A bit of a beast, this one!
A good time was had by all!
In the evening we went to the Whale Brewery to celebrate Rowan's birthday. her actual birthday is the 10th, but she was flying on that date.
Evening drinks at our bar.
Sunset
The next birding was the evening sea-watch on 13th January: 167 Arctic Skua; 2 immature Pomarine & an absolutely lovely full adult Long tailed Skua! This latter species came in very late, too dark for a photo.
Views from the Raka Winery Estate.
Just above our heads was a......
White rumped Swift nest, located just above
our heads on the veranda.
Evening sea-watch on the 14th January produced 124 Arctic & 3 immature Pomarine Skuas.
Fernkloof Nature Reserve
There are some nice trails which give
access to the uplands.
Rowan & Jonathan
Jonathan & Rowan
Spectacular scenery.
Klipspringer
Cape Sugarbird
Some birds were singing.
Piping Cisticola
A different race from the
one found further north.
Cape Grassbird
Common on the Protea
covered hillsides.
There is a nice patch of montane forest
with a small waterfall in it.
Immature male Orange breasted Sunbird
We enjoyed a nice hike in the hills at Fernkloof Nature Reserve on 15th January. A pair of Forest Buzzards were calling & noteworthy in the hills. Other nice species included 2 Cape Rock Thrush; Cape Grassbird & plenty of Orange breasted Sunbirds.
Arctic Skuas
The evening sea-watch produced 5 Pomarine, 138 Arctic & the fine adult Long tailed Skua, which looks like the same bird as before.
Dead Fur Seal pup.
Southern Giant Petrel
Not my best shots!
African Oystercatcher
White fronted Plover
The evening sea-watch on 16th produced 269 Arctic, 2 Pomarine & the same adult Long tailed Skua. A Southern Giant Petrel was also noted.
A small part of the Cape Cormorant flock.
Highlight of 17th January was the massive Cape Cormorant feeding flock, estimated at 11,600 birds. A Giant Petrel sp. was also seen.
Rietfontein.
Delana & Rowan doing some intensive birding!
White breasted Cormorants
Great crested Terns
We had a run out to Rietfontein section of the Agulhas National Park. It is a beautiful stretch of coastline & we spent a bit of time on the beach. Two first winter Roseate Terns were seen, but too distant to photograph.
Strangely only one Arctic Skua was noted on the evening sea-watch. They must have roosted somewhere else this evening.
The southern most tip of Africa!
And if you don't believe me....
Here is the proof!
There is a nice walkway to ease footfall pressure
on the sensitive vegetation.
The obligatory photo!
Jonathan being silly!
Me straddling the two oceans:
not being silly at all!
The excellent monument of Africa.
We had a run out to Cape Agulhas on 18th January for Rowan & Jonathan to see Africa's most southerly point. It was an enjoyable trip. We stopped at a wetland along the way which produced 64 Greater Flamingoes & 17 Great White Pelicans.
Several Tern species in the bay.
Sandwich Tern
Sandwich Tern & first winter Roseate Tern
First winter Roseate Tern,
different bird to the above.
Two individuals are problematic here:
the isolated bird at top &
the individual with wings outstretched
bottom right.
Cropped photo of top bird.
Cropped photo of bottom bird.
A stop in the village of Agulhas produced great views of roosting terns on the rocks in the bay.
Five Fulvous Whistling Duck
with assorted wildfowl species.
Please note, only four birds are in this photo.
White faced Whistling Ducks
We then stopped for lunch at The Earth Padstal just outside the town of Struisbaai. A bit of a surprise here, as on the small wetland were 5 Fulvous Whistling Ducks! I believe this is the first record for this region. Pleased with that one!
Arctic Skuas on the sea.
Arctic Skuas with an immature Pomarine Skua.
Can you spot the Pomarine?
Immature Pomarine Skua
Pomarine Skua, a different individual.
Adult light phase Pomarine Skua
Adult light phase Pomarine Skua (left hand bird)
with Arctic Skuas.
Notice the broader based wings & broader
primaries of the Pomarine Skua.
Adult & immature Pomarine Skua.
Immature Long tailed Skua
Immature Arctic Skua.
Notice the differing profiles of this bird
& thee above bird.
Arctic Skuas
Arctic Skuas
More Arctic Skuas
Three Arctic Skuas & an immature
Pomarine Skua.
During the afternoon the wind really picked up & by the time I got home it had developed into a full blown north-easterly gale! Started sea-watching but Skuas were already passing! I was late! A very exciting sea-watch: 339 Arctic Skuas; 21 Pomarine Skuas; (including five adults with full tails); an immature Long tailed Skua & an adult Sabine's Gull which was feeding on the sea for a few minutes just before dark. A pretty good day for a supposedly non-birding day out!
Jonathan & Rowan
We all enjoyed a relaxing time at The Lomond Wine Farm on 19th January. It was a lovely afternoon out: best birds were Purple Heron & African Goshawk.
A massive sea swell built up through the afternoon, It was spectacular watching from the house. i was hoping for some great sea-watching but it was a little disappointing. 108 Arctic & 4 Pomarine Skuas being the highlight.
Cape Fur Seal
The 20th was largely taken up with taking Rowan & Jonathan to the airport. We spent some time in Kalk Bay & managed to see some Cape Fur Seals, which is always entertaining! Managed to squeeze an evening sea-watch in; 153 Arctic & a Pomarine Skua recorded.
African Rock Martin
Up to 21 birds roost on the side of the house
every night.
Barn Swallow
This individual roosted with the Rock Martins
for two nights.
Very unusual behaviour!
The only birding done on 21st January was an evening sea-watch, which was very poor. Only 10 Arctic Skuas were noted & nothing else of note seen.
Evening sea-watch on 22nd was more productive with 176 Arctic Skua & 2 immature Pomarine Skuas noted.
Common Swift.
I was up early on 23rd January & the first bird I saw was Common Swift! In the next hour at least 12,500 flew by, all eventually heading east along the coast. It was quite a spectacle! I also recorded my first Little Swift for the village.
A breakfast stop late on in the morning at Groeneweide Restaurant produced another 250 Common Swift & a pair of Amethyst Sunbird in a nearby garden. My first record of this sunbird in the area.
End of this blog for the month, as we head for the Southern Oceans in the morning on The Flock to Marion 2022!
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