I’ve missed my Happy Place not having had a visit there for months so Early and I took a drive there on Thursday afternoon. It was a gorgeous day but there was a bit of a South Easterly wind blowing.
As we expected the flamingos were out if full force, scattered across the first two pans.
It’s the best place to find Greater Flamingos
Most of them were in deeper water upending like ducks.
A flamingo impersonating a dabbling duck
There were a few fraternising with geese and ducks on the shore
Of course the Red-knobbed coots were everywhere
One of the many black-winged stilts wading in the shallows
The one at the back is a juvenile
Cape Teal gathered in large numbers
quack quack quack with a feather on his back
Not always seen so commonly is the White-faced duck
Pelican Island
A Flotilla of Pellies
Gliding gracefully across the pond
A real poser is the black-headed heron
The light on the glossy ibises didn’t make photographing them easy!
The highlight of the day was an African Snipe but he the reeds were either in front of his face or he turned his back to us – these were the best I could get!
First he looked one way
And then the other
I think this is my best side?
We know a place where nine times out of ten we find the spotted eagle-owls. Today we found mother, father and the baby who is quite big now. Photography was not good.
The best I could get of the youngster – look carefully and you will see mom in the shade behind him.
Among many others we also had good sightings of purple swamphen, grey and purple heron but they didn’t pose for long enough.
So with a contented feeling we made our way home but I’m sure it won’t be the last visit we make to False Bay Ecology Park while we are here for the holidays.
Diary of an Adventurous Retiree 