We arrived home at Pearly Beach mid-afternoon on 1st December after another long drive. It was great to be back & the house was all clean & tidy. After unpacking I managed to sneak in a quick sea-watch before we retired to the pub! 38 Arctic Skua & 2 Giant petrel sp. were seen within thirty minutes at dusk.
Cape Sugarbird
Once you put the feeders out,
they arrive in large numbers!
Immature male Malachite Sunbird
Regular visitors to the feeders.
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
The next day was spent doing odd jobs around the house. After a brief shower 8 African Black Swifts flew over the house. Didn't do any more birding until a sea-watch on 4th December which produced a distant White chinned Petrel.
Crowned Cormorant
A near endemic to this coast.
Adult on the left, immature on the right.
Cape (Kelp) Gull
Whimbrel
African Black Oystercatcher
This species is doing well here.
White-fronted Plover
Delana & I had a walk around the village on the morning of 5th December. Weather was good, but we didn't record anything out of the ordinary. Yet again no Skuas materialized in the evening watch & a distant Giant Petrel sp. was the only bird of note to be recorded.
The next day we were up early driving to Cape Town. I had an appointment for a PET scan at Panorama Hospital. The procedure was painless & everything went off without a hitch. We then spent most of the day in Hermanus, which was very pleasant.
Sunset from the veranda.
Back at Pearly the evening sea-watch produced 121 Arctic Skuas.
Early morning on the 7th December produced 17 Common Swift feeding low over the sea before moving slowly eastwards along the coast. Later on in the morning 262 birds also flew east. I wasn't birding in between these observations, so it is possible that the movement was continuous & I missed them.
I was up early the next morning hoping for a repeat of the Common Swift movement, but nothing doing.
Pearl breasted Swallow
We went for an early morning bird walk around the village on 10th December, recording a creditable 53 species. Highlights included: a pair of Egyptian Geese with eight goslings; six pairs of White-fronted Plovers nesting along the beach; African Marsh Harrier; 2 Steppe Bustards; a very dark Peregrine dashing along the beach; Black Saw-wing & Pearl-breasted Swallow. It was a really nice outing & I felt OK.
Our Christmas card for 2023.
King Penguins on South Georgia Island.
The next morning we had to drive back to Hermanus for shopping. On the way 2 Alpine Swift flew over the road. The evening sea-watch back at Pearly produced 116 Arctic & 2 Pomarine Skuas.
Cape Cormorants
Just a small part of the feeding flock
4,300 Cape Cormorants were feeding opposite the house early morning on 12th. The evening sea-watch produced 72 Arctic Skuas.
The evening sea-watch on 13th December produced 162 Arctic & a Pomarine Skua. Nothing of note was recorded until 15th December when I discovered quite by chance, that Pearly Beach had a sewage works! We had been clearing vegetation in the garden but the usual dump was closed. A local informed us of where we could dump the vegetation & low & behold we found the sewage works! It is a modern one but has large areas of shallow open water (which is in very short supply around here). It was quite birdy with a nice selection of common water birds present: 8 Cape Teal; 5 Cape Shoveler; 2 Little Grebe & 3 Water Thick-knee were the pick of the bunch.
It was lovely weather.
Our next birding was a walk along the beach westwards on 17th December. Nothing of note was recorded but it was a lovely walk in good weather.
An early morning sea-watch on 18th December produced a White-chinned Petrel; 2 Giant Petrel sp. & a Pomarine Skua loafing around just offshore. Kevin Shaw then arrived to stay for a couple of nights. He is an old friend of Delana's university days! So one can say they have known each other quite a while! In the evening 186 Arctic Skuas came into roost. There was also a movement of 22 Common Terns east.
Hartlaub's Gull
African Black Oystercatcher with two chicks.
Ruddy Turnstone
On the 19th we took a drive towards Danger Point & then along the short 4x4 Birkenhead Trail which run s along the coast. This particular stretch of coastline is quite stunning.
Birding was interesting with a large flock of Ruddy Turnstones on the rocks & a pair of African Black Oystercatchers with two chicks.
On the way home we passed the newly discovered Pearly Beach Sewage Works: 15 Cape Shoveler; 16 Cape Teal; 3 Little Grebe & 3 Water Thick-nee.
Agulas National Park
Kevin & Delana
We then made a quick trip up the escarpment to look at the fynbos flowers in bloom. It was a nice couple of hours, just wandering around, looking at the spectacular plants still in flower.
Kevin & I had a walk around the village on 20th December. It was quiet bird wise, but a male Namaqua Dove was a bit of a surprise, as were 9 Common Swifts feeding over coastal vegetation.
The next day we said our goodbyes to Kevin. It had been very pleasant to have him around & we hope he returns soon.
Clare & I
In the afternoon Delana & I drove into town & on the way saw a pair of Blue Cranes & a fine Black Harrier. We continued to Cape Town International Airport to pick up my daughter Clare who would be spending Christmas with us. Her husband Ahmed is a pilot & was working over the Christmas period.
A mixed species flock roosting at low tide.
Common Tern
Clare, finally in Pearly.
On 22nd December we saw 21 Common Terns roosting on the rocks at low tide opposite our house. We then dove along the coast to show Clare what Pearly Beach was like. As we were having sundowners on the deck 12 Glossy Ibis flew west over the sea. A good record for the village.
We received a lovely Christmas gift from Jonathan & Rowan, which we proudly displayed on our bar!
Walking in Blue-bay
The next day a large (3,400) flock of Cape Cormorants were feeding opposite the house. Then we walked along the coast to Blue-bay. It was a nice morning out but no birds of note were seen.
Delana & Clare
I saw four species while we were here!
On the 24th we drove up the escarpment into the Agullas National Park for Clare to see the fynbos flowers. Unfortunately, it was blowing a gale & no birds were seen. But the flowers were still spectacular for this time of year.
Christmas Eve at the house.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Clare's first Christmas in Africa!
We then returned to the house to prepare for our Christmas Eve dinner.
Walker Bay Nature Reserve
Clare & Delana
It is Christmas Day! After breakfast we drove the short distance to the Kelders section of the Walker Bay Nature Reserve. Kelders means caves & there are several large ones at the base of the cliffs. It is a very scenic spot, lovely for walking. We the met up with Francois & Juantelle, who were fishing a little further along the coast.
We all enjoyed a lazy day around the house & nearby beach on Boxing Day. Nothing to report, apart from 82 Arctic & an immature Pomarine Skua coming into roost in the evening.
The 27th December was a sad day as we had to take Clare back to the airport, for her flight back to the UAE.
We stopped in Hermanus along the way to show her the town & had lunch at the Bintang restaurant which is at the bottom of the cliffs in a spectacular setting. Delana & I then drove home & enjoyed a quiet evening.
Very pleased with himself!
Meanwhile Francois was fishing & he caught a decent sized fish!
There was a raging south-easterly gale overnight, so I tried a sea watch on 28th but no birds at all!
The coast at Pearly Beach, with a dramatic sky!
Cape Clawless Otter
My best sighting was a pair of
Angulate Tortoises fighting!
On 30th December I had a walk along the coast, without seeing any special. However, further along the coast at Reitfontein Francois & Juantelle saw a Cape Clawless Otter! They were in the right place at the right time!
At Jonathan & Rowan's pub!
DJ & Rowan best friends.
Gabe, Nicci & Justin celebrating at home.
New Years Eve was quite a quiet affair this year, but very enjoyable all the same. Meanwhile in the UK! So the year ended! What a year: the first six months were excellent & the last six months less so. My health wasn't too bad over the festive period & I could enjoy most things. Let us see if I can make it to the next New Year!
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