TheIsland@GreatBrakRiver
  • Welcome to The Island@GreatBrakRiver
  • Island Blog
  • Island Amenities & Activities
    • Island Amenities & Activities
    • For the Adrenaline Junky
    • Farm Stalls & Craft Markets
    • For the Gourmand - Restaurants & Dining
    • Golf in the Garden Route
    • Park & Playground
    • Tennis
    • Swimming, Splashing & Snorkeling
    • Canoeing & Kayaking
    • Yoga
    • Beach Walking
    • Hiking & Walking >
      • Great Brak River Village - The Art Route
      • Great Brak River Village - Short Walks
      • Great Brak River Village - The Historic Route
    • Running & Cycling >
      • Great Brak River Village - Cycling Routes
      • Great Brak River Village - The Fragrance Route
    • Fishing
    • Whale and Dolphin Watching
    • Birdwatching
  • Island Etiquette & Safety
  • Getting Here
    • Getting Here
    • Vacation Rentals and Properties for Sale >
      • Plot 1
      • Plot 8 - "Water's Edge"
      • Plot 10
      • Plot 11 - "It'll Do"
      • Plot 14 - "Sandiways"
      • Plot 21 - "Hokaai"
      • Plot 22 - "Craigleith"
      • Plot 24 - "linga longa"
      • Plot 28
      • Plot 30 - "Tasvika"
      • Plot 33 - "Island Lodge B&B"
      • Plot 51 - "Joan's Place"
      • Plot 52A
      • Plot 57A
      • Plot 62 - "Offside"
      • Plot 74 - "Reier"
  • Vacation Rentals and Properties for Sale
    • Plot 1
    • Plot 8 - "Water's Edge"
    • Plot 10
    • Plot 11 - "It'll Do"
    • Plot 14 - "Sandiways"
    • Plot 21 - "Hokaai"
    • Plot 22 - "Craigleith"
    • Plot 24 - "linga longa"
    • Plot 28
    • Plot 30 - "Tasvika"
    • Plot 33 - "Island Lodge B&B"
    • Plot 51 - "Joan's Place"
    • Plot 52A
    • Plot 57A
    • Plot 62 - "Offside"
    • Plot 74 - "Reier"
  • Photo Gallery
  • Links & Resources
    • Links & Resources
  • Tide Tables
  • About Me
  • Island Residents' Association

A Day for the Birds (and Birders!)

16/1/2016

2 Comments

 
Well, it's nice to have our sunshine back after a few days of drizzle and grey skies (and yesterday's blustery wind).  From the moment the first rays of the rising sun streamed into the bedroom early this morning, I knew it was going to be good one.  All right, time to put irksome injuries aside (it's been a week of X-Rays and MRI's - don't ask!), quit moping around and get out there.

Aussie Eybers and the rest of his intrepid Great Brak Birding Group provided the perfect excuse for me to, well, stretch my wings and try something new.  Today's mission:  heading over to the Mossel Bay Wastewater Reclamation Plant opposite Hartenbos where they would contribute to South Africa's bi-annual Coordinated Waterbird Count.

I am not much of a birder - oh sure, I know the important ones like "Big Bird", "Tweety", "Woody Woodpecker" and "Huey, Dewey and Louie" (though I admit I can't tell who is who...), and even exotic ones like "Emu", but that's really about it.  

So I really didn't have any idea what to expect with this "Coordinated Waterbirds" business.  Flamingos, maybe?  They've got to be pretty coordinated given they stand around on one leg all day, right?

Turns out it there weren't any flamingos, but we did see quite a few other birds - a lot of Egyptian geese (including goslings), yellow-billed ducks, and various sized/shaped gull-like creatures (I told you I wasn't much of a birder - apparently I also don't have much of a memory for their names, either...).  Oh, and we saw the omni-present wagtails, maybe a weaver or two (I saw a fresh nest - the grass was still green), a couple of varieties of herons, a darter (which I mistook for a cormorant), 3-ringed plovers, white egrets, thick-kneed dikops, coots - I even got a pat on the back for identifying a moor hen (surprising even myself with that one).  Overhead there was an African Fish Eagle with its tell-tale white head, as well as some sort of buzzard.  

​Did I manage to take any photos of the birds?  No, of course not.  But I did get some photos of the birders!  Thanks for the outing, Aussie!

Incidentally, if you are more serious about your birds than I am, and want to find out more about birds and birding around The Island, then you'll find more in the Birdwatching section of this website, including a list of birds that have been spotted here.
Picture
Everyone assembled before Aussie gives us our briefing
Picture
We had folks with apps on their phones, as well as those with the original "app", the good ol' bird book (and you don't have to worry about the sun's glare on your screen)!
Picture
I am told that Dawid Rossouw is a serious birder, having spotted 750+ different varieties. Wow!
Picture
Hey, look at those two down there!
Picture
Hey, look at those four up there!
2 Comments
Nelma Ruschioni link
23/1/2016 03:07:09 pm

Hi, is it possible to send me an e-mail so that I can correspond with you - would like to establish whether you have been on any birding outings on the Fragrance Route. Thanks, Nelma

Reply
Richard link
23/1/2016 04:53:55 pm

Hi Nelma - I can be reached on theislandgreatbrak@gmail.com. But I have to confess to not being much of a birder... If you're interested in birding (on the Fragrance Route or elsewhere in the area), I suggest you check out the public Facebook group "Great Brakriver Birding" (the first link in the post above - or https://www.facebook.com/groups/314323928649557/). Their illustrius ring-leader, Aussie Eybers, can give you more information. Send me an e-mail if you'd like more info.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    TheIsland@GreatBrak features the occasional blogpost in between braaiing and beach walks - stay tuned or drop me a line.

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2018
    December 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All
    2013/14 Holiday Season
    2014/15 Holiday Season
    2015/16 Holiday Season
    Adrenaline
    Anything That Floats - 2013
    Anything That Floats 2015
    Anything That Floats 2016
    Art Galleries & Exhibitions
    Auctions
    Beach
    Beach Walks
    Beer
    Birds
    Bootcamp
    Braai
    Bridge
    Coastal Cleanup
    Cycling
    Diaz Express
    Exercise
    Fishing
    Food
    George Agricultural Show
    Getting Here
    Golf
    Great Brak Muse Fest
    Great Brak River Community Network
    Great Brak River Tourism Initiative
    Hiking
    Island Life
    Kayaking
    Kite Surfing
    Klein Karoo
    Loadshedding
    Load Shedding
    Lost & Found
    Markets
    Meerkats
    Mountain Biking
    Mouth
    Music
    Neat Websites Apps
    Night Time Paddling
    Ocearch-shark-tracker
    Oudtshoorn
    Paddling
    Paragliding
    Photos
    Pilates
    Pinnacle Point Caves Points Of Human Origin
    Rheenendal Ramble
    Road Trips
    Roadworks
    Running
    Sedgefield
    Sharks
    Ships
    Stars
    Sunset
    Swimming
    Things To Do
    Tide Pools
    Trans Agulhas Challenge
    Vacation Rentals
    Village Marching Band
    Vistas
    Where To Eat
    Yoga


    Subscribe in a reader

    Get the latest Island blog updates delivered direct to your inbox:

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner