Pearly Beach

 Delana & I spent the next few days in Pretoria, mainly getting the Mobi Lodge caravan sorted out. Thankfully the maintenance people were pretty good & they managed to fix the skylight, which saved us quite a lot of money.

We left on 11th September, spending the night at the Hanover Hotel, which was very nice indeed. The next day we had another long drive, but it is a very scenic one. 

Driving through the Swartberg Mountains.

As we drove through the pass we could see the tremendous damage that had been caused by recent storms to this area. The road was closed for several weeks & had only recently re-opened. 

We stopped for lunch at Ronnies Sex Shop, which isn't a sex shop at all! The story goes that after a drunken night out his friends upon leaving, painted the word Sex in red paint on his white wall. Soon after there was an upturn in business, so the word remained!

After two very long driving days,

 it was nice to be home!

We woke up the next day to this view!

Cape Francolin in the garden.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird

I conducted an evening seawatch on 12th September, which was reasonably productive: 2 Brown (Sub-antarctic) Skua; 2 White-capped Albatross; 9 Giant Petrel sp. (impossible to identify to species level in the poor light); 1 White-chinned Petrel & 54 Cape Gannet. This proved to be the last of the winter visitors seen over the sea. I saw very little over the next few days, although I wasn't feeling too great. In fact I suffered from fatigue & still trying to recover from my Stoma reversal surgery. When I consented to the major operation on 9th May, I had no idea that it would take me so long to recover. Prior to the operation I was doing well. However, the upshot of having the operation is that I know for certain that there are no active cancer cells in my body.

Southern Right Whale

Cape White-eye

I did a couple of walks along the coast, without seeing anything unusual. The weather was very variable often with all four seasons in one day. However, the Southern Right Whales are back, with up to six animals seen at one time in the shallow waters of the bay.

Cape Agulhas National Park

This is the first time in a long time,

 that I have been strong enough to

 carry my camera.

Cape Sugarbird

On 23rd September we ventured out to the nearby Cape Agulhas National Park, mainly to see the flora of this amazing area. We did manage to see Black Harrier; Cape Grassbird; Cape Sugarbird & Orange-breasted Sunbird. It was a lovely morning out.

After a night of high winds, dawn on 24th September revealed some very rough seas & so I conducted an hour long seawatch: 4 Giant petrel sp.; 1 distant White-chinned Petrel & the first Common & Sandwich Terns for the season. There was also a feeding flock of 14,500 Cape Cormorants offshore.

Southern Right Whale

All photos taken from our verandah.

A brief morning seawatch on 25th September revealed 7 Giant Petrel sp., but little else of note. Southern Right Whales are present daily & several may be seen with even one glance at the ocean. Most seem to be mothers with their calves. 

Blue Crane

Next to the road, close to Gansbaai.

We arrived back home late afternoon on 5th October after our little sojourn around the Swartberg Mountains. The next few days were mainly taken up by wedding arrangements, but I did manage a short seawatch on 8th October, best being 105 Common Terns in the bay. This is the first time this spring I have been any numbers returning to the area. Nothing of note to report until 9th October, when I conducted an evening seawatch: 1 Southern Giant Petrel; 12 Arctic Skua came in to roost on the sea late on (my first record of the spring); 1 Antarctic Tern, adult in full summer plumage, so easy to pick out & 542 Common & 13 Sandwich Terns going to roost. We saw a Black Harrier on the R43 on 10th October. 

Pearly Beach Sewage Works 

on a very dull morning.

Red-billed Duck

On 13th October we enjoyed a days birding a little further afield. We started off at Pearly Beach Sewage Works. This is the only significant body of freshwater within the village & we should really check it out more often: 15 Cape Shoveler; 3 Yellow billed Duck; 12 Cape Teal; 9 Red billed Duck; 2 Little Grebe & a Water Thick-knee.

Large-billed Lark

We then birded the Struisbaai Road. This little used gravel road is often excellent for birding, as it has a series of pans close to the road & both agricultural land & rough grazing. Common Quails were calling from the fields (the first time I have heard them this spring). The odd Blue Cranes were around along with Red-capped; Large-billed & Agulhas Long-billed Larks & plenty of Capped Wheatears. On one pan were saw 3 Southern Pochard & 29 Whiskered Terns, now in full summer plumage.

A brief visit to the Springfield Salt Pans produced 17 Maccoa Duck; 21 Cape Shoveler; 17 Cape Teal; 5 Little & 2 Black necked Grebes + 180 Red-knobbed Coot. The water levels were very high so no chance of seeing Flamingoes or the localized Chestnut-banded Plover. 

Female Maccoa Duck with ducklings

Male, trying to be invisible!

Red-knobbed Coot with nesting material

At the Padstal further down the road there was a pair of Maccoa Duck with six ducklings. We recorded 89 species during the day, which we thought was quite good for this time of year.

Our little house in the morning sun.

The bay.

The drainage ditch which provides

habitat for Water Thick-knee, two

species of Kingfisher & Black Saw-wing.

On 14th October I was feeling pretty good! I had a lot more energy & my balance is getting better, so I decided to go for a walk around the village. I did my usual route along the coast & back through the resort to my house. It is a circuit of just under 5kms & although I felt tired towards the end, I also felt pretty good! This was my first real walk after my Stoma reversal surgery on 1st August. I feel that I am getting slowly stronger every day, although it is a slow process! If my balance continues to improve I hope to commence gentle cycling again in the near future. I recorded 52 species the best being: 1 African Marsh Harrier; 1 Klaas's Cuckoo (first of the spring); 2 Water Thick-knee; 1 Common Sandpiper (the first one back); 1 Malachite Kingfisher; 3 Pied Kingfisher; 1 Southern Tchagra; 1 Cape Grassbird & 2 Black Saw-wing inspecting the banking in the drainage ditch again. I conducted an evening seawatch but didn't see anything of note.

Delana spent the afternoon. putting the 

lights on the house.

Sunset from the house.

On 16th October an evening seawatch produced 52 Arctic Skuas coming into roost. The first Sooty Shearwater of the season & 3 Little Swift, which is a rare bird in the village. The next evening 24 Arctic Skuas came into the bay.

Uilenkraal Estuary

Part of the flock of Great-crested Terns

Great-crested Tern

On 18th October I made a quick visit to the Uilenkraal Estuary. The afternoon light was fantastic but it was a very high tide, so no small waders seen. 385 Great-crested Terns were bathing & roosting on the last available piece of terra firma, together with a good count of 117 Whimbrel. An evening seawatch produced 13 Arctic Skuas on the sea.

Normally this post would run until the end of the month, but I am closing it now, as Delana & I have a wedding celebration which will be the subject of the next post!