Back to paradise

Much the same as yesterday morning around the beach and pool in Lambert's Bay plus 3 Three-banded Plovers, a pair of Cape Shovelers and 3 Pied Kingfishers here today.

Pied Kingfisher

Several Haviside’s Dolphins offshore but not being acrobatic today in the calmer sea.

Few birds seen on the drive to De Hoop with both Red and Yellow Bishops, several Yellow-billed Kites, Blue Cranes, Spur-winged Geese, Greater Striped Swallows and a probable Verraux’s Eagle of note.

1+ Agulhas Long-billed Larks, Yellow Bishop, Fiscal Flycatcher, Hadeda Ibis and several Blue Cranes along the road into De Hoop park mid afternoon.

Agulhas Long-billed Lark

A short walk around the campsite showed several Horus Swifts, Karoo Prinia, Capped Wheatear and an African Hoopoe.

Horus Swift

Capped Wheatear

African Hoopoe

6+ Southern Right Whales present off the beach early evening but very inactive and also many Bontebok, Eland and 3 Cape Mountain Zebras seen.

Bontebok

Cape Mountain Zebra

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

Several Greater Flamingoes, 2 Cape Teal and a family of South African Shelducks on a pool behind the beach at Lambert's Bay in the morning, and nearby several Haviside’s Dolphins jumping offshore but fairly distant and 2 White-fronted Plovers and several Hartlaub’s Gulls on the beach and more unusually a Pied Kingfisher feeding in rock pools.

White-fronted Plover

South African Shelduck

Several hundred Cape Gannets present on Bird Island giving superb close views along with many Crowned Cormorants and a few White-breasted and Cape Cormorants.

Cape Gannet

Cape Gannet colony
Cape Cormorant

2+ Jackass Penguins seen briefly here along with several Swift Terns, a Pearl-breasted Swallow and many Hartlaub's and Kelp Gulls.

Hartlaub's Gull

Kelp Gull

An hour-long boat trip into the bay produced amazing views of 12+ Haviside’s Dolphins which came to play around the boat almost continuously but were frustratingly difficult to photograph being so fast moving. Also many Cape Fur Seals around the rocks.

Haviside's Dolphin

Cape Fur Seal

Another drive towards Eland Bay produced much the same as yesterday but also Common Waxbill, Hadeda and Sacred Ibises, Yellow Canary, Lesser Double-collared and Malachite Sunbird, male Pin-tailed Whydah, 3+ European Bee-eaters and a lone Blue Crane.

Blue Crane

Several whales blowing distantly offshore but not seen to be able to identify them confidently, and later on 1+ Southern Right Whale blowing and lob-tailing seen from the hotel balcony late afternoon.

On the road again

Few birds seen on a quick look round the Quivertree Restcamp first thing, with Dusky Sunbird, Mountain Wheatear, Rock Martin and Cape Sparrow again present.

Rock Martin

The Cheetahs seen patrolling around the edge of their vast enclosure as we left.

Cheetah

Nearby, a Red-faced Mousebird just outside Keetmanshoop briefly.

1 Goliath Heron and 2 African Black Ducks on the Orange River at midday on a very short stop before we crossed back into South Africa.

Very little seen on the long drive south between here and Lambert’s Bay, with Damara Canary, Ludwig’s Bustard and several Greater Striped Swallows by the road of note. A short drive along the track towards Eland Bay late afternoon was very productive with several Cape Francolin, Karoo Scrub-Robins, Bokmakieries, a Cape Bunting and a family of Stonechats around the scrub.

Cape Bunting

Bokmakierie

Karoo Scrub-robin

Also many Cape Gannets and cormorant spp. offshore.