Struisbaai -Two Oceans Marlin Competition

2016-02-24 | puppy1952

When there is a fishing festival or event, our quiet little fishing town wakes up and shows its true colours. The Tenth Two Ocean’s Marlin Competition held here last week, ( I mentioned it briefly in a previous post) seemed doomed to failure as the weather provided only one good fishing day which was last Friday. The boats that got to the 45 mile bank were confronted with green and cold water but worked their way back to Halfway House where the water was better and managed to get a few big yellowtail and a Dorado.

Other boats fished outside of the 12 mile bank where they found shoals of small yellowfin tuna. No marlin were hooked but some were sighted.

It’s a marlin competition so no other species counts for the trophy. So when the weatherman predicted that Sunday’s conditions would be perfect, they decided to extend the competition by one day! And this is how the competition was saved with one boat catching and releasing a 90kg marlin, the only one caught, thus winning the competition!

Our harbour was graced with many beautiful boats and brought many locals and visitors down to have a look.

Some of the boats that graced our harbour

Gwaza is done for the day

I love the name of this boat!

And this one – translation – Hectic Leaks

@Work – Good name – Fun Boat

@Work’s towing vehicle – Just love it!

Black Pearl with crew on board

Le Boss coming back after a fun day at sea

And Marco Polo are the winners!

The seagulls certainly welcomed them as did our friendly stingrays who were only to happy to accept the scraps from fish cleaning that were thrown into the sea.

Waiting for a hand-out

Dozens of Cape Gulls – adults and juveniles

Fish guts are a great meal for a gull

This juvenile Kelp Gull nabs a sanck

Others want a bit too!

One of the stingrays

Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club were amazing hosts and each evening good food and company was provided.

A lovely braai being prepared

The amazing catering team

The prize-giving was a happy affair and there were some lovely prizes handed out.

A great new tackle box.

The winning team – Skipper – Rikus holding the trophy

Enjoying the prize-giving

Share your world Week 8 2016

2016-02-23 | puppy1952

Here are my answers to Cee’s Share Your World Week 8

What household chore do you absolutely hate doing?

Cleaning windows. I don’t mind any other household chores but somehow the cleaning of windows is too much for me – I just can’t get them clean. So I never clean them – instead I employ somebody else to do it. It’s well worth the money.

What was the last URL that you bookmarked?

It was about making a Banting Toasted sandwich – but I haven’t tried it yet! Low Carb toasted sandwich

Close your eyes. Listen to your body. What part of your body is seeking attention? What is it telling you?

My stomach is telling me that I am hungry. I’ve been busy doing household chores, made the salad and am now ready for some flash fried tuna. (Hubby is going to make it!)

Would you rather have a two-bedroom apartment in a big city of your choosing or a mansion in the country side in the state or country where you currently live?

I am happy with the house at the sea-side where I live. My caravan is also an attractive option. The mansion would require too much time doing household chores – imagine all those windows!

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for the stunning weather we’ve been having -lovely sunny days but not too hot and we’ve even had a shower or two of much needed rain. I’m making the most of the sunny days and usually have a morning and afternoon swim in the sea. Whatever the coming week has to offer I am sure I’m going to love it.

Share Your World Week 5 – Happiness

2016-02-03 | puppy1952

Cees Share your World Challenge

If you had a shelf for your three most special possessions (not including photos, electronic devices and things stored on them, people or animals), what would you put on it?

This is a tough one because my photographs and electronic devices are the first things that I’d grab if my house were on fire! My favourite pieces of art hang on the wall so they wouldn’t go on the shelf – I have a painting of a house that hung in my grandmother’s house that I really treasure. The artist was 11 years old when he painted it. He grew up to become a successful and very well-know artist in this country and is now about 70 years old.

Another painting was done specially for me by my Aussie friend Wendy – I love Rainbow lorikeets and she painted the most beautiful picture of them for me.

There are others – too many to mention so I’ll save them for another time. Other things I treasure are my jewellery – specially a gold and diamond necklace given to me by my darling husband. Then there are all the cards our kids have given us over the years. I keep those in a file. I have a little memory year book made for me by a class I taught a few years back – well it was organised by Ashleigh’s mum – but it has a message and a drawing from each child – and that is probably my most prized possession of all.

If you had a box labelled ‘happiness’, what would you put in it?

Lots of things make me feel happy – the view from the top of Sir Lowry’s Pass, arriving in Kruger National Park on the first day of a holiday there, plunging into the sea early on a summer morning. But I can’t put these things in a box – I would have to put photographs or a poem about them inside the box instead.

What do you want more of in your life?

Not much, actually. I have pretty much everything I’ve ever wanted. However, I would love to travel to Australia again. I’d also like to go to some places I’ve never been to before -India, USA, Italy and Holland. Also another trip to the Greek Isles wouldn’t be shunned.

Daily Life List: What do you do on an average day? Make a list of your usual activities you do each day.

Now that I’m retired I’m asked this question quite often. It’s not easy to answer as I don’t have a routine and we’re not always in the same place for long so what we do differs from week to week. But when I’m at “home” my day would go something like this.

Wake up any time between 7 and 8:30 – Check my emails and Facebook in bed – sometimes, not always. Get up and do 45 minutes of gym ( I have a space set up for this) After this run (slowly) to the beach and have a swim in the sea. This is the best part of my day.
Hubby brings my towel to the beach and drives me home. He then cooks me breakfast which we enjoy at a leisurely pace.
While he is cooking I make the sugar water solution for the birds so that we can enjoy the sugar birds, sun birds and witogies who partake of this treat while the seed eaters enjoy the seed we put out for them.

The Hoopoe doesn’t rely on us for seed or sugar water – he is a worm eater

Sugarbird at the sugar water feeder

After breakfast anything can happen. I try to do all the necessary household chores first. Monday and Thursday are my house cleaning days when the house gets a thorough doing but on other days it’s usually just the kitchen and bathroom that has a proper cleaning. Then there is washing ironing which might get done in the afternoon. (Boring I know – but it has to be done!)
We sometimes take a trip to watch birds or to shop in our nearest big town – Bredasdorp. Sometimes we’ll even take a longer drive just to explore other places in the Overberg.
The computer consumes quite a bit of time – I organise functions for The Bird Club so emails have to be sent and dates organised. Hubby does a lot of business on his computer and often yells for me to help him with this and that. I blog and check facebook. I sort out and edit photographs.
Then there’s my new hobby – crochet. I am busy on a blanket at the moment. I also read a lot.
Most afternoons I head to the beach for an afternoon swim and/or surf on my boogie board.
Then there’s shopping and dinner to be cooked.
I’ve left out socialising. We don’t have a huge circle of friends in Struisbaai but we often have people to stay. Having said that friends of ours have moved to Struisbaai now and we’ve seen quite a lot of them!
After dinner we usually watch television – we have a media player and have just finished watching the entire series of Downton Abbey which we loved. We’re now on Suits and White Collar. We seldom watch SABC television and we don’t have DSTV.
Sometimes I read before going to sleep – this includes reading Blogs.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I am grateful for the great weekend we had with friends and I’m looking forward to spending this weekend in Cape Town.

Struisbaai and The South League Competition

2016-01-31 | puppy1952

What a successful South League Off-shore competition it was for Team Kiora – Earl, Gus and Karla (10) and Team Red-Head – (Sam (18) Gareth (22 and Chris (Die ou man at 31)

They all had brilliant catches but Karla was the hands-down winner! This amazing little girl who has been fishing with her dad since she was barely out of nappies caught two yellow-fin tuna 13,39kg each and two skipjack tuna, 4 Kob, 1 Santer and a red stump.

The men on Team Kiora caught a yellow-fin tuna each, Gus caught 2 skipjack and they each caught 5 Kob.

Team Red Head also did quite well with some yellowfin and red stump.

All the other teams did well too so it will be interesting to see the final results.

Kiora coming onto the trailer – Struisbaai Harbour

Karla at the weigh-in with her Yellowfin Tuna

The smaller species count heavily towards points

Quite a catch for a 10-year-old girl. She beat all the participating junior boys!

Team Red-Head – Sam (Skipper) Chris and Gareth

It was a rewarding day. But after the fun, the cleaning of the boats and fish as well as the cooking thereof must follow. Karla was exhausted but she still willing did her share of the work.

Still smiling while cleaning the fish

Totally exhausted but still prepared to fry the delicious fresh fish

Sam, Chris and Gareth ready to partake of a feast of fish

Fishermen’s Friend, Andrew who mans the shore-based radio communications joined us for Earl’s famous fried fish

It was very late when everybody finally got to bed and I can assure you nobody was up with the early sparrows chirping outside my bedroom window! We decided that cooking breakfast was not an option so instead we headed to Potpourri in Agulhas and enjoyed their delicious fare instead.

It was way cooler outside than in and what a happy brekkie it was

Birding on The Agulhas Plain and Fun with Friends

2016-01-30 | puppy1952

It was fairly windy on Wednesday so we did not expect to see many birds when we set off for a drive. And, no we didn’t have record breaking sightings but still we enjoyed ourselves

Roberts No 1 – Ostriches in the company of cattle egrets

I am always happy to see our National Bird although this time they decided to keep their distance.

Later in the day this Blue Crane posed obligingly

It was good to see a number of Steppe Buzzards on the telephone lines and also hunting in the farmlands.

This was one of many that we saw on the ground

At lunch time we stopped at a farm called Nachtwacht which has a restaurant for fine diners. As it was the middle of the week we found ourselves to be the only patrons there. Nevertheless we were served with the most beautifully prepared rack of lamb served with mash and vegetables. The service was friendly and the waiter treated us like Royalty. There was also an interesting art gallery in an old stable.

Nachtwaght Restaurant between Bredasdorp and Arniston

A fine place to dine

The rack of lamb was stunning

We found a Paradise Flycatcher in the garden

On the way home we found a troop of baboons who scarpered into the bush at our approach except for a few brave ones who obliged us with a photo shoot

This little baby felt quite safe on Mommy’s back.

When we arrived home Earl discovered that his friend, Gareth from England had arrived in Struisbaai so he invited him for supper. We cooked a chicken in the Weber and had a very pleasant evening catching up. The next morning Gareth came for breakfast before moving from his accommodation to stay with Clive who was down for the weekend.

There is a South League competition this weekend so quite a few Capetonians are here for the weekend. Friends of ours from Aba Dabi are arrived on Thursday too. Earl took Gareth around Struisbaai and Agulhas this morning and he was amazed to see how the place had grown since his last visit. In the afternoon I went for a swim and met up with Clive and Gerald – another chap from the past!

We all got together for dinner at Seagulls. What a great evening we had.

Gareth and Clive enjoying their first pre-dinner beer

Ray and Percilla

Percilla’s photo of Earl and Me

Gus, Jacqui and Karla arrived for the competition after 8 last night having been held up by all the roadworks on the way. We’d already had a lovely braai by the time the boys, Gareth, Sam and Chris arrived but they had stopped to eat at The Spur in Caledon. They’d towed Sam’s new boat down.

This morning the fishermen and one fishergirl were up before five and ready to launch at 6. Jacqui and I had a wonderful day to ourselves. We walked down to the beach for a swim then went to Potpourri for breakfast. It is now almost 4 o’clock and we have just heard the call for lines up on the radio. We will soon be invaded by the gang and hopefully it will be fish for supper tonight!
Tomorrow I will publish the photographs.

Struisbaai and Share Your World Week 4

2016-01-26 | puppy1952

It seems a while since I’ve posted anything about Struisbaai so I thought I’d write something today and combine it with Share Your World Questions.

1. What one thing are you really glad you did yesterday?

I’m going to replace the yesterday with today!

This morning we got up later than usual. I have always been an early riser and thought during retirement that I would continue to be up with the sparrows – but not so – Sometimes I only get up after 8 o’clock! Usually, I do a bit of gym then run to the beach and have a swim before breakfast. Today we skipped the gym part, drove to the beach and had a delicious swim just after 9 o’clock before returning to an ‘Early Breakfast’ of giant black mushrooms and fried banana, tomato, bacon and eggs. “To die for doll!”

After breakfast, we walked to the harbour to see what the boats had brought in. I will never grow tired of Struisbaai Harbour! It must be the most picturesque and interesting little harbour in the Western Cape. Or maybe I’m just biased.

Commercial Fishermen rowing back from their moored boat

I’m sorry I didn’t take photos of the huge yellowtail being off loaded from one of the ski-boats but believe me there were some beautiful fish. I concentrated on the commercial fishermen gutting on the slipway and throwing the guts to the stingrays and gulls.

I am glad we did this today as afterwards we sat at Pelican’s Cafe and had a cup of coffee and met a couple from Cape Town and had a great chat with them. I overheard them talking about birds which is what started the conversation!

2. Are you generally focused on today or tomorrow?

Definitely I am focussed on today although I do make plans for tomorrow. But especially in my retired state, I let things happen on a daily basis! So far I’m having a fabulous day!

3. Would you want to have a guardian angel/mentor? What would they tell you right now?

I am convinced that my guardian angel works overtime on me! Why else would my life be so good and full of good things happening in it. I think she would tell me to take every opportunity that comes my way and to enjoy every minute of my life.

4. Would you rather live in a cave house or a dome house made out of glass?

I would definitely choose a cave. One of my fondest memories is staying in cave accommodation in Kagga Kamma – a private game reserve in the Cedarberg Mountains. Originally this area was home to the San people who lived in caves. Caves have cleverly been recreated using artificial rock to blend in with the surrounding mountainside. They are so cosy and it was great fun staying there.

kagga-kamma-game-reserve-accommodation-480

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

On the mountainside of Fish Hoek which is near to where I lived in Cape Town, there were horrific fires which threatened the homes of my sister, aunt, sister-in-law and many friends. I am grateful that none of them lost their homes in spite of being evacuated or nearly evacuated (some refused to leave in order to fight the fires themselves). I am grateful to the amazing firefighters and helicopter pilots who worked so bravely to beat the fiery monster.

Next week I am looking forward to entertaining friends and fishermen who are coming up for an angling competition. It will be great to have a houseful again.

Wine Farm and Beaches

2015-12-16 | puppy1952

On Monday afternoon we went down to say farewell to Struisbaai beach as we the following day we would be heading to Cape Town to spend the Christmas holidays with the kids in Cape Town. The water was stunning. How lucky we are to have this on our doorstep.

The tide was quite high

Abri’s boat on anchor in the background

Holiday Makers having fun on a jet ski

Earl thinks he might like to have one!

We woke up early yesterday, washed the linen and towels and made sure the house was in order for our holiday tenants. While the washing was drying on the line, we decided to try out the new restaurant on the Main Road. It is called 55 Knots and has a magnificent view of the sea. As it was a stunning morning we decided to sit out on the deck.

We made friends with a couple at the neighbouring table and the gentleman kindly took this photograph for us.

The first thing I want to know about a new restaurant: – Is the coffee good? – and I am relieved to say that Yes – 55 Knots has passed the test! Our breakfast – a three egg omelette with a choice of three fillings @ R45 was superb. So they will definitely be seeing us again soon. And the new owners have trained their staff well. Our waitress was wonderful. She was quick, efficient and friendly. The owner also came to check on us and we were pleased to give her positive feedback. They have only been open a week but we are sure they will have an excellent season.

The linen and towels were dry when we got home and so after packing everything away we bidding the house farewell, we dropped the keys off at the agent and set off for Robertson. It was a pleasant drive and we did some high speed birding but didn’t get an impressive list.

Before meeting Abri went to the tasting centre and enjoyed the dam and birds for a while. A white-throated swallow posed and performed beautifully for me.

A lovely place to relax – the dam at Springfield Wine Estate

White-throated swallow at the edge of the jetty

About to fly off

We’d come to Springfield to collect some wine which Abri is generously donating for an old members reunion at Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club next month. But we were also invited to a ‘light’ lunch.

Our host preparing calamari and prawns for lunch

Our lunch was a gastronomic delight served with my favourite Springfield Sauvignon Blanc “Life from Stone” of course

A family of geese have taken over Abri’s Swimming Pool

After our excellent lunch and the wonderful company of Abri and his daughter Emma we made our way to Cape Town. So it is in another holiday town that we find ourselves. I grew up on Fish Hoek Beach so I will always have a soft spot for it but it does tend to get terribly crowded during the season! Although the same can be said for Struisbaai, it is a longer beach and you can always find a place to put your towel!

This morning I decided to beat the crowds and go down to the beach early. I rallied the troops who complained bitterly at having to drag their sleepy bodies out of bed at the rude hour of 7:00 am. Josh was somewhat more enthusiastic than Jay and I am so grateful that they accompanied me on a run down the beach. They decided against the swim afterwards – Jay said he was too exhausted and Josh had a blood nose! He did run faster and further than Jay and I managed so maybe that’s what brought it on.

Initially the water was freezing – far colder than Struisbaai – but once I was in it was glorious. The shark net wasn’t up yet so I kept a close eye out for monsters. I wallowed for ages and chatted to some other Fish Hoekites – there were very few young ones in the water – we were all over 50!

Fish Hoek Beach

It was pretty early

Shark net going out.

Earl was up even earlier and went off fishing but didn’t get too much – It’s calamari for supper tonight!

All creatures wild and wonderful in Struisbaai

2015-12-14 | puppy1952

Having been away for over a week we returned to find the vegetables doing okay in spite of our neglect! The tomatoes had gone wild and we had to set up a trellis to support them. The little rockery was quite overgrown and the poor flowers swamped by the tomatoes and parsley. But now it’s looking a little better! We are still working at getting the lawn into shape and were delighted to find most of the bald patches looking green.

The lawn is beginning to grow at last.

We popped down to the harbour as soon as we arrived

Our picturesque harbour looking at its beautiful best

We were delighted to find the resident stingrays swimming in the shallows but some kids were throwing sand and pebbles into the water. The parents were not saying a word and I wouldn’t mind my own business. Actually I consider that it is my business to educate small boys on how to take care of our wildlife. So I told them the rays would stop visiting if they insisted on abusing them. All I got was a defiant stare from them and a cross look from their parents.

The stingrays fortunately ignored their oppressors

Because we are letting the house we have to pack up all our personal belongings, check the inventory and make sure everything is in order for the tenants. In between doing the chores we have been enjoying the birds in the garden.

In past years we never got sparrows visiting the feeding table but now they are the most frequent diners. We get three species – The Cape Sparrow, The House Sparrow and the Southern Grey Headed Sparrow.

I think the Cape Sparrow is the most striking of the three – this is the male

The female is somewhat duller

Southern Grey-headed sparrow

Speckled pigeons, Red-eyed doves, Cape Turtle doves and Laughing doves also come and take their share but the sparrows rule.

Speckled pigeon

Laughing dove taking a rest

The Cape Weaver used to be our most common visitor but only a few visit these days.

Our new sugar-water feeder is a hit and needs filling twice a day! The witogies and sugarbirds love it the most but there is interspecies tension when the weavers try to get a lookin too.

Mr Sugarbird is the usually boss and even chases Mrs Sugarbird away

But the Cape Weaver is a force to be reckoned with

It’s my turn now!

Well we have a better view from up here while we wait

Another frequent visitor to our garden

We have seen some really interesting creatures in Struisbaai and once even had a steenbok trot down the road a few months ago. But one creature I never expected to see blew me away yesterday. Earl was visiting Abri and came racing back to fetch me – “Bring the camera and come quickly!” but he wouldn’t tell me what he’d seen. I guessed it would be the steenbok but instead

This little creature and his brother on the lawn of Abri’s sister’s holiday house

Quite unconcerned about the attention and behaving like meerkats behave

Jeannette explained: Their mother abandoned them and Abri flew to fetch them from a game farm in The Freestate for me to take care of.

She lives on a farm in Robertson and has raised wild orphans before. The vet is used to her turning up with strange pets. These two do not have cages and roam free in her farm garden although they sleep indoors. Because they don’t have other meerkats to cuddle up to for warmth they have to have blankets and a hot-water-bottle! Her German Shepherd is quite okay with the strange pets and does not try to eat them!

You just never know what you’re going to come across next!

Tomorrow we return to Cape Town for the Christmas Holidays.

#NABLOPOMO 16 A day of Preparation

2015-11-16 | puppy1952

NABLOPOMO

I am full of excitement today. At my age I still count the sleeps till the day of departure arrives. There weren’t too many to count this time because it was a fairly last minute decision to take the caravan to Addo Elephant park – so I’ve been like a kid waiting for Christmas.

Although we’ve done a lot of travelling this year, this little trip has me just as thrilled as the past trips. I just love getting out into the bush!

We returned to Struisbaai from Cape Town yesterday after stopping at Napier for a delicious lunch. The young waitress recognised us and was very attentive. She saw the caravan and asked what our plans were. We told her that our lives now revolve around caravanning and travelling at a whim. She found that was something to envy! And it is! Anyway if ever you pass through Napier – do stop at the little restaurant at the side of the road – it is stunning. I did not feel like anything on their menu – lovely Boere kos – so she said she’d ask the chef to make me a chicken salad. Oh wow – it was fantastic

The cappuccino was good

Earlie had a burger to die for

The burger was stacked with a porcupine quill!

My chicken salad was divine – a variety of greens, avo and camembert cheese topped with kiwi fruit

When we got home I loaded the washing machine and we started packing the caravan. Today I had to sort out Earlie’s new laptop and get his email set up – I won’t go into details but I got only so far before I called the local expert. Thanks Jaapie for loading Windows Live Mail! Much easier than what I was trying to do with Microsoft!

Once that nightmare was over I could concentrate on preparing for tomorrow’s departure – I ironed our clothes, did some last minute shopping, printed the check lists and packed the last minute things into the caravan.

Our home on wheels for the next 10 days!

We leave at 7 tomorrow morning – stop at Riversdale for brekkie then onto Ebb & Flow, Wilderness for 2 nights. Then four nights in Addo Elephant Park. After that we will spend two days with our friends, Jim and Maureen in Jeffrey’s Bay!

Watch this space for our safari story.

More touring in our own backyard – Struisbaai, Elim, Gansbaai, Buffelsjag and Die Dam

2015-10-25 | puppy1952

The morning dawned bright and sunny and Maureen and I set off at 7 for a walk towards Cape Agulhas – half an hour out and half an hour back. We arrived back to a delicious breakfast cooked by Earl. The wind was coming up so it was decided that a fishing trip was not an option. Instead we set off on another birding adventure. This time we followed the gravel road to Elim then made our way to Gansbaai returning via Buffelsjacht and Die Dam.

Our Route – We left at 10 and returned at 6

We set our goal to 60 birds but hoped to better that.

The first bird of the day was a flying yellow-billed kite and we continued to see plenty of them all day. In the winter our most common bird of prey was a jackal buzzard with just the odd YBK so lovely to see them so active in the area now.

There is a lot of temporary water lying around from the winter rains and this attracts birds but means the permanent water is less productive than usual.

We find a lovely reed cormorant sunning himself near a puddle next to the Elim road.

We pass through the Agulhas National Park and so often see ostriches. Today we found them right on the road.

Mom hurried the chicks and warned them of the dangers of canned people

Mom hurried the chicks along and warned them of the dangers of canned people

Lots of legs and only one head?

Come and help me with this lot, please Dad!

We took a short detour towards the salt pans to find the flamingos and were successful but they were too far for good photographs. On our way back to the Elim road, Maureen yelled – Secretary Bird and we managed to spot two but they ran off very quickly. Mega tick for the day!

We saw a secretary bird just like this but didn’t get the photo! This is from a previous occasion

The birding was good and we soon had quite a long list but mostly we enjoyed just watching the antics of the birds.

yellow-billed ducks trying to hide from us

We also enjoyed spotting the odd mammal

Rheebok are common in Agulhas National Park and on some of the farms in the area

Levaillant’s Cisticola

White-faced ducks are not that common in the area

By the time we arrived in Gansbaai the wind had got up and was blowing strongly. We went to the Great White House for coffee and muffins/croissants. The patio area was sheltered and we enjoyed the sun on our backs and watched the sunbirds, weavers and witogies drinking at the feeder.

Gansbaai is famous for its shark cage diving and whale watching tours. We watched a boat come in and I spoke to one or two of the passengers when they disembarked from the wale watching trip. It had not been pleasant in the very choppy waters and many were sea-sick – but don’t be put off – choose a calm day and the experience can be amazing!

A whale watching boat coming in from a very rough sea

In the harbour

A tractor pulls them out

I find a white-fronted plover scampering about on the harbour wall

We continue exploring the coastline and find some more interesting birds

A little egret find sea fishing productive

Two gorgeous oyster catchers

A hartlaub’s gull in breeding plumage

At Buffelsjacht we spot whales in the bay.

A gull with a mussel

A swift tern takes a bath

The beach at Die Dam

the dune above the beach

It was an exciting day and by the time we got to Die Dam we had over 60 bird species on our list. We were pretty tired but the challenge now was to beat 70 which we had got with Tommy and Megan a few weeks ago. Just when we thought we’d seen all the possibles for one day we had some really fun sightings.

A distant but obliging Denham’s Bustard

Two Caspian Terns

Our national bird posed beautifully in the dam

A green shank

We finally ended up with 72 species which pleased us enormously.

We cooked a Banting Cottage Pie for supper and all opted for an early night!

Birding in the Overberg – Day 1

2015-10-24 | puppy1952

Overberg is an area of the Western Cape, east of Cape Town and beyond the Hottentots-Holland mountain range. The name, Overberg is derived from Over ‘t Berg, which means over the mountain and is a reference to the region’s location relative to Cape Town.

It stretches along coasts where beautiful beaches can be enjoyed, and over mountain ranges with interesting geological formations, abundant birdlife and fynbos. The landscapes are stunning explosions of different greens, browns and golds and now that we live in this beautiful area we are enjoying exploring and discovering all its hidden corners.

Our friends, Jim and Maureen from Jeffrey’s Bay visited us this week. They too, are keen on wildlife and birds and so we spent a couple of fabulous days doing what we love best – enjoying nature and finding birds – and the Overberg is just the place to do it.

On Tuesday evening J&M insisted on taking us to dinner so we introduced them to the wonderful cuisine offered by Seagulls restaurant in Cape Agulhas. On cold winters evening there is a roaring fire in the grate but today it was warm so no need for that. Jim, Earl and Maureen ordered Spare Ribs which they said were good, while I settled for their delicious beef stroganoff – the Banting version comes with a Greek salad instead of pasta.

Jim and Earl enjoying beer together

Maureen and I prefer wine

Friends together again

The next morning we were all up bright and early and Maureen and I decided to walk to Cape Agulhas – about an hour on foot from Struisbaai. And what a wonderful route it is along the rugged coastline.

The lighthouse at Agulhas

Sharon and I did this last week and M being a race walker was keen to do it too. The men went off to explore the harbour and the beach and met us at Potpourri the best place in the area for breakfasts, light lunches and delicious cakes.

We then did the compulsory standing at the Southern Tip of Africa thing and got the photo.

On our way back we found this puffy disappearing into the grass on a vacant plot. Stay there, Puffy, or a vigilant gardener might decide to decapitate you with the edge of his spade.

We went home to freshen up and then went off on a bird watching drive to Arniston. Now Arniston is an easy 40 minute from Struisbaai if you go straight there. But if you are tuned into nature it takes a lot longer than that. No prizes for guessing why. We took the gravel road through the farmlands and of course stopped for every bird and creature of interest. The beautiful flora growing in the veld also had us oohing and aahing.

Struisbaai to Arniston and Back

The weather had turned chilly so Maureen and I were very pleased that we’d done the walking thing early. The game was on to find more than 60 species and in spite of the weather we did quite well.

Always special to see spoonbills

Red-capped larks were everywhere

Agulhas Lark sang beautifully

Common Ringed plover

Black-winged stilt

Pretty flora too

When we got to Arniston we realised we did not have enough fuel to get home and there is no petrol station in Arniston! But the kind staff of the hotel helped us out with a can so the day was saved.

As Maureen and I made our way to the hotel restaurant we found Phil and Richard about to depart in a most amazing chariot. We chatted to them and they told us they’d shipped the vehicle from the UK to Durban and were travelling around South Africa in it. There next stop would be Hermanus and then Stellenbosch. Wow – totally open top – in all weather!

We meet interesting people on our excursions

We enjoyed coffee and cheesecake before exploring Arniston

We decided not to do the cave as the tide was wrong, it was cold and we did not feel like slipping on the rocks. We’ve all been in the cave before so didn’t really miss the experience but it is well worth it on a good day.

We found some more birds for our list on the dunes and around the village.