Local birding

Passing storm...

Storm passes...

The wonder of kite surfing - we went down to Tableview to watch them...

 Whose that??  The Darter has spotted something in the grass...

If you look carefully you can see it - its a Cape Clawless Otter which we watched swim across the Pond and then exit onto the grass and wander round before hurrying back into the water.Off course the Egyptian Goose spends her days here with her two chicks, and would be just the kind of meal the Otter is looking for.  I was amazed at just how agile and quick the Otter is - the chicks just wouldn't stand a chance and Mama Goose would have no way of defending them.

After swimming around, he was gone.  Another wonderful sighting, which we've not often seen down this end.  Sometimes we see a family of Otters in one of the channels, and they're quite curious and will come and swim round our canoe to investigate us.

Early morning

Good Morning beautiful dawn.
After the gale force wind of the last few days, this morning's calm Pond was too amazing to behold - complete with setting moon.

Sometimes we can't believe that we actually live here...

We decided to make the most of the lovely morning, so my man paddled down to the beach  and I met him there for an early morning sea swim.  The water in False Bay is still warm and the waves were just right - a nice size and frothy and foamy:)  And to think heaven is going to be even more beautiful than this...

The Spurwing Goose stayed until the evening and we haven't seen it again...

Amazing birds this morning - unusually so

This Fiscal Shrike frequents our lawn, and may be the youngster we saw last summer, now full grown.  He loves to perch on the dead branches we put in the garden for the birds.  Somehow, in the dry grass, he manages to find an array of things to eat.  He seems to stay for a few weeks and then disappears, to re-appear sometime later.

I don't recall having a Spurwing Goose visit us - what a magnificent specimen!  Our neighbour called this afternoon to say that he'd not see one here in front of our home since he's lived here.  They have been seen in the area and on Zandvlei but haven't visited our front lawn - what a blessing.

Just flapping, not going anywhere...

Spot the four species - Darter, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Goose and Pied Kingfisher on the perch.

Howling South Easter this morning

Gale force SE today - you can effects of the wind on the water.  It's been blowing for the past 3 days now.

Mama Egyptian Goose is sheltering out of the wind with her 2 chicks.  Her gander is "Limpy" who hasn't been here this morning.  We presume he was injured in a territorial fight - this is the second time now.  The first time his leg was slightly injured but this time we thought he'd lost the use of it, but time has healed and its a lot better.  The foot still hangs under the leg, but he's  managing much better.  Their first clutch of eggs realised 7 goslings, with 3 gone missing during one night and the four went another. Now they're trying to raise a second clutch this summer.  We've seen a family of otters in the Pond, and we reckon that's where the chicks go.