Retiring Adventurously – Getting used to all this free time!

2015-02-22 | puppy1952

Back to the question of “What do you do all day now that you’re retired?” I could answer that fairly easily in the past few weeks as I have been busy tying up things to do with Bird Club, the Caravan and the house. Earl is hyperactive and makes sure he has one project or another on the go and so doing things together has taken a bit of a back seat for now. He did comment that I was spending too much time reading and indulging in other useless occupations so I said “I could get some relief work at one of the schools.” which sent him into a panic and shut him up completely. While I was teaching he was doing all the shopping and cooking but I have reclaimed those duties and even bring him cups of tea and snacks while he industriously labours on the boat he has been commissioned to fit out. Once this is done there is no knowing what he will take on next. I am of course most grateful to him for taking on these jobs as it does add to the ‘not so full anymore’ coffers! And I am a lady used to her little luxuries.

On Thursday we were both up bright and early – Earl to go fishing and I to join a midweek bird club outing! The venue was one of my favourite spots – The False Bay Ecology Park – which Earl and I often visit on our own- but to go with other like-minded friends and an expert guide makes it extra special.

Dave, our leader explained the importance of this birding area

The False Bay Ecology Park’s man-made wetland system is amongst one of the top five bird watching areas in Southern Africa. It is an IBA (Important Birding Area) because of the number of species that it attracts. Many birds from across the seas use it as a stop off spot or destination as they traverse the world’s migratory flight paths. One hundred and sixty eight species of bird have been recorded in the park. Seventy-six of these are freshwater wetland species. Eighteen are are coastal species that visit the area to roost or breed.

Checking out one of the ponds with binoculars

The stilt is a common resident.

We delighted to find a grey-headed gull among the usual Hartlaub’s gulls

There were many swift terns fraternising with the gulls too

In the shallow waters we found a wood sandpiper

And there were plenty of stints in the water and in the air

The barn swallows visit us every year

It is truly a beautiful spot right here on our doorstep

For us here in the Deep South, it is an adventure just to go ‘over the mountain’ for any kind of excursion or outing. Visiting the V&A Waterfront is as good as going to a foreign city. And heading to the theatre in the very cosmopolitan Camps Bay is just as much fun. On Thursday night we went to Theatre on the Bay with Heather and Peter and were wonderfully entertained by Pieter-Dirk Uys. He has been presenting satire since the sixties and is still as amazing as ever. This show was called ‘An Audience with Pieter-Dirk Eish’ On the stage were rows of numbered boxes – reminiscent of the old Pick a Box radio show of the sixties – Various members of the audience were invited to pick a number and then Pieter Dirk dressed up in the contents and did one of his famous characters. My personal favourite is Nowell Fine – a Kugel from Constantia one of the first he ever created. She is older now but still has Dora her maid who has her own car in which she takes the grandchildren out for dinner. No more cooking for her! We were in fits of laughter watching Uys take on one persona after another and perform them perfectly! If you live here in Cape Town I highly recommend you attend the show.

So nothing too adventurous happened this week. We ended it with a lovely family steak braai and we shall see what next week brings!

Grandpa doing what he does best

The Cape Bird Club Beginners’ Course Outing to False Bay Ecology Park

2013-09-01 | puppy1952

A Birding Paradise

There’s a place that was once a sewage farm,

But now the ponds are settled and calm,

And filled with wild and wonderful birds;

A perfect place for Avian Nerds

As you travel along the many dirt roads,

Look out for crabs and occasional toads.

Perhaps you’ll find a mongoose or buck

There will certainly be a yellow-billed duck.

The pelicans swim the swallows they fly

And maybe you’ll hear the fish eagle cry.

There are stilts and avocets, teal and coots.

A purple swamp-hen chews on roots.

And as well as all these waterfowl

You may even spot the eagle-owl.

The long claw with its orange throat

Sings out with a meowing note.

In rain, in shine, no matter what

You’re bound to see a helovalot.

Come join us at the Ecology Park

We’ll show you more than just a lark.

Today members of The Cape Bird Club took the delegates from Heather’s Beginners’Course on an outing to The False Bay Ecology Park where they put their newly acquired birding skills to the test. The rain had stopped and the skies were clear – we saw a beautiful rainbow – but the roads were somewhat muddy. Nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the beginners though and the ‘guides’ were just too thrilled to show off this amazing place. We loaded the cars with each one having a window seat and each car set off to separately find the 27 target birds plus anything else that might show up. When we stopped to compare notes the vibe of excitement was tangible as the beginners shared what they had seen. Personally I never get tired of seeing the flamingos doing their amazing ballet in the shallows or impersonating ducks in deeper water. It was hugely rewarding to share my passion with others.

False Bay Ecology Park is next door to Zeekoeivlei – Strandfontein Beach in the Background

Red-knobbed Coot swim among the flamingos

Close up

Red-knobbed Coot by Earl

Purple Swamphen

Red-billed teal and Cape Shoveller with head hidden on the right by Earl

Cape Teal by Earl

Pelican with white-breasted cormorants

Preening

Jay’s Picture

Swimming

Black-crowned Night Heron

Pied Avocets

A Sleepy Spotted Eagle-owl

Taken with eyes open at another time – wouldn’t open his eyes for us today.

African Black Oyster-catchers – same place but better than the pics I took today

Moorhen taken at another time

Little Grebe – we saw lots – but this picture taken at another time

Cattle Egret in Breeding Plumage – taken by Earl

Black-necked grebe – on of the many we saw today.

Mongoose taken by Jay

Common Waxbill taken by Jay

Cape Longclaw taken by Jay

Back in the Classroom – Funscapes

2012-08-24 | puppy1952

24 August 2012

Those of you who follow and read my Blog regularly will know that at my school there is always something exciting happening. Each term we offer the learners a mini-break from regular school activities. The teachers (and a few kind friends of the school) have to come up with a fun club which the learners can apply for a small fee to participate in. The fee covers the costs involved plus a percentage which goes into school funds. We call these clubs, Funscapes. I cannot even begin to tell you how much effort, organisation and creativity goes into organising these events. In the first two terms we have ‘mini’ one day clubs which involves just the grade but in the third term two day Funscapes are offered and the children have to apply to join the one of their choice. Many wonderful things are on offer – cake decorating, fabric painting, ceramic painting, ice-skating, surfing, horse-riding, hiking, mini Olympics, Prince and Princess tea parties, amazing race and computer gaming, young scientist – the list goes on. How to compete with all these amazing clubs is something of a challenge. My passion as most of my readers know is Bird Watching. I have offered this as a Funscape before, but that was when I was a parent/grandparent. Then I took just 6 children in my own vehicle to visit a venue where water birds abound. Now that I am back in the classroom, I am expected to have at least 20 in my club. This means having to persuade parents to help with lifts – and on two days in a row this could be a challenge. Also if I don’t get the number of subscribers I desire I could be relegated to help with another over-subscribed Funscape. This is what happened to me last year when only 6 applied. But luck was on my side this year – I worded my advert differently, opened it to a wider age range and it worked. I had 21 young enthusiasts and 5 parents willingly offered to help with transport.

On Day 1 – I gathered my birders together in the classroom and gave them a super quick lesson on water birds and presented a slide show on what they were likely to see. After weeks of cold and wet weather, I prayed for a sunny, windless day as the wind can keen through those hides and I did not want my beginners to be put off for life. My prayers were answered when Thursday dawned crisp and clear and by the time we arrived at 11:00 a.m. the chill had turned to warm. We were the only school there and met up with just one other adult. My charges were extremely well-behaved and although I apologised to the gentleman for invading his peaceful morning he smile indulgently and said, “It’s great to see the young ones being introduced to birding – they’re no trouble at all.”

There were not too many birds but it was a good introduction and the kids were not confused by having to find the different species among a mixed flock.

Hippo frequent to waters of Rondevlei and the children were fascinated when I showed them evidence of where they emerged to graze at night. Maybe we will see one, they declared. No, I explained – they only come out at night and we won’t see them from the hides because they are further out in deep water during the day. (I have only once seen Hippo at Rondevlei)

We ended the excursion with a visit to the museum where they could study the stuffed models and get to see up close what the different birds and animals looked like in terms of colour and size.

First Hide at Rondevlei

Reed cormorant

Southern Pochard and White-breasted Cormorant

Today, (Friday 24.8.12) we headed for Strandfontein Important Bird Area. Each child was given a Chart with the birds they were likely to see and a tick list. The settling ponds were alive with bird activity and there was lots to see. Each car had a walkie talkie and I kept up a constant commentary on what we were seeing, where to find the bird on their charts and now and then we stopped and got out of the vehicles to get a better view of the birds – but this was only when I was sure the movement of the children would not frighten our feathered friends away.

Recently in the news there has been reports of a hippo escaping from Rondevlei and wandering around the Zeekoevlei area. Residents of the suburb had been warned that this animal might wander around at night and could graze on their lawns. My young charges knew the story and knew too that we were going to a place right next door to Zeekoevlei. My colleagues at school were a tad nervous that we were going to escaped hippo territory and warned me to be careful – You might run into the hippo – please be careful. (The media really gets to people) I laughed and said, We should be so lucky!

The birding was great – we saw flamingos, red knobbed coots, yellow-billed ducks and Cape Teal. Hadedas, sacred and glossy ibis drew squeals of delight and this all before we very far into the sanctuary.

As we drove past one of the ponds – S7, I saw what looked like a block of wood floating in the distance. I ignored it as such until my walkie talkie crackled and an excited parent called – We see a Hippo. I thought I’d better check out my piece of wood with my binoculars and sure enough there it was – the stray from Rondevlei right under our noses! I hopped out the car and instructed the children to keep calm and gather at on the bank for a better look. Of course they were excited but they managed to contain themselves sufficient and did not yell and scream. The hippo cooperated beautifully and swam closer and closer to the bank. I guess he was just as curious about the children as they were about him. We spent a good half hour enjoying this unusual visitor to the old settling ponds of Strandfontein and then reluctantly moved on to enjoy some more feathered creatures.

Looking at the hippo

There he is

Hi Kids – Welcome to Strandfontein Important Bird Area

This was not the last exciting sighting of the day. Two porcupine made a brief appearance and quite a few of the children saw them well – my vehicle, unfortunately “dipped” on that one.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at the tern roost and watched the flamingos flying in and settling right in the pond right in front of us.

The children were thrilled to get a list of over 35 bird species and all declared that they had had an awesome outing. I hope this introduction to bird watching remains a hobby that they can do for the rest of their lives.