Zim Girl's 2nd Big Year 2019

[Zim Girl]

117.  (SA 5)  Sombre Greenbul

Kirstenbosch  -  08/11/19

[Zim Girl]

We saw these birds pretty much everywhere but they were extremely tame at De Hoop.  I had the whole brood around me at breakfast outside our cottage.  The adult and youngsters were sat on my lap trying to pinch my muesli!!

 

118.  (SA 6)  Cape Spurfowl

Kirstenbosch  -  08/11/19

De Hoop  -  14/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

119.  (SA 7)  Cape Sugarbird

Kirstenbosch  -  08/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

120.  (SA 8)  Cape Bulbul

Another bird that was seen everywhere we stayed.

Kirstenbosch  -  08/11/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

121.  (SA 9)  Red-eyed Dove

Klein Bosheuwel garden  -  08/11/19

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by Zim Girl
Changed ID of bird

[Tdgraves]

@Zim Girl your dove is red-eyed. I'm sure you must have some ring-necked (turtles) as well....

[Zim Girl]

The next day we drove up the coast to Clanwilliam, via Lambert's Bay.  On the way out of Cape Town we stopped just off the R27, I think just before the Rietvlei wetland area.  These were also seen at De Hoop.

 

122.  (SA 10)  African Black Oystercatcher

Outside Cape Town  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

5 minutes ago, Tdgraves said:

@Zim Girl your dove is red-eyed. I'm sure you must have some ring-necked (turtles) as well....

 

Now, I had this as a Red-eye initially then changed my mind because I had another with a much more obvious red eye.  Ok, thanks, I will change.

[TonyQ]

A great bird to start your SA collection, and lots of beautiful birds from places we are familiar with from last year. I remember the Spurfowl outside the De Hoop cottages!

[Zim Girl]

At Lambert's Bay we visited Bird Island, which is connected to the small harbour by a causeway.  It has one of only six Cape Gannet breeding colonies and is monitored daily according to the Cape Nature information. It is also an important breeding site for Cape Cormorants and Kelp gulls.  There is a 2 level hide in front of the gannet colony.  The lower floor is enclosed with large glass windows and the top is open.  We were there right in the middle of nesting season so the colony was very busy.  There is also a breeding population of Cape Fur seals which can be seen easily.  We loved this place and spent around an hour and a half wandering about and watching from the hide.  We could have spent longer but a (very) late lunch called and we needed to get to Clanwilliam.  We ate at Isabellas on the harbour as recommended by @Ritsgaai, this was our best meal of the holiday (and we had a lot of good meals).

 

View of the Cape Gannet colony from the hide with the Fur seals in the background.

 

123.  (SA 11)  Cape Gannet

 

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

 

 

[Zim Girl]

124.  (SA 12)  Kelp Gull

 

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

125.  (SA 13)  Hartlaub's Gull

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

126.  (SA 14)  Cape Sparrow

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

127.  (SA 15)  White-fronted Plover

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

These two were spotted by Adrian lurking by themselves on the beach.  A bonus as we weren't expecting to see them.

 

128.  (SA 16)  African Penguin

 

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

129.  (SA 17)  Cape Wagtail

Another bird we saw everywhere we went.

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

NC  (SA 18)  Common Tern.  Already in UK count.

I wasn't sure about this one at first, but it is either in non-breeding plumage or is a 1st winter bird.  The info board on the island says they are one of two tern species there.

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by Zim Girl
Correct number sequence

[Zim Girl]

And here is the other one.  You can see the size difference.

130.  (SA 19)  Swift Tern

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

 

[Zim Girl]

131.  (SA 20)  Cape Cormorant

 

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

132.  (SA 21)  White-breasted Cormorant

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

And the last of the 3 resident cormorant species.

133.  (SA 22)  Crowned Cormorant

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

 

[Zim Girl]

This is my last bird from Lambert's Bay, but also seen in Wilderness.

134.  (SA 23)  Pied Kingfisher

Lambert's Bay  -  09/11/19

Wilderness  -  16/11/19

[xelas]

@Zim Girl, You will be sorry about skipping the LBJ's as ST bird experts are very knowledgeable and always willing to help us greenhorns.

 

Lovely start and I am sure many will follow.

[michael-ibk]

Great opening post of the Turaco, and also love the Gannet colony! Looking forward to see what else you found.

[Ritsgaai]

I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your meal at Isabella's, @Zim Girl! 

Enjoying to read this. Thank you.