Jess and I are snugly ensconced in the old Wakkerstroom Hotel, established for our comfort in 1869. We’re ‘camping’ and eating comfort food and (me) drinking Old Brown Sherry. Jess has stayed indoors in front of a cheerful fire all day. Well-ensconced, the lazy bum. I ventured out to the winter wetland for some interesting birding. Here are my usual amateur pics – some feathers were too fast for me as usual, but I did get these.
The first three all have ‘African’ in their name: Rail, Swamphen and Snipe. The little one is a Stonechat.
Here’s my clearest pic – another African Snipe. He froze and waited politely while I focused. Check the deep orange / russet on his tail.
Ducks – Southern Pochard, Shelduck, Yellowbilled Duck, Red-billed Teal, Hottentot Teal, Egyptian Goose, Cape Shoveler; Herons – Purple and Black-headed; Cattle Egret; African Snipe, African Rail, African Swamphen, Black Crake, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Cape Wagtail, Hadeda, Sacred Ibis, Helmeted Guineafowl, Pied Kingfisher, Blacksmith Lapwing, Bokmakierie, Fiscal Shrike, Reed Cormorant, Black-winged Kite, Stonechat.
Cherry on top as the light started fading over the wetland open water:
Three otters appeared and started baljaar‘ing in the smooth water, creating beautiful ripples and wakes in the sunset-coloured water.
baljaar – frolic
I forgot to include Jess and the hotel! Here they are, waiting for breakfast to be served. That’s the menu on the wall; they should add a chicken to represent the eggs.
Excellent.