Leaving the city lights behind (vol1)

So as some may know we also left for a bit of Rest and relaxation with some bundu bashing (walking & off-road animal searching). I call this 'leaving the city behind' because of the pic I took that night looking back in the direction of the city (Port Elizabeth)...so nice just to hear night sounds of all types of critters and the big old wonderful sky...

Links: To Succulents from the trip: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1216780/
Links: To Wildlife from the trip: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1216902/


This message was edited Aug 29, 2011 9:26 PM

First, a bit of poking fun at myself...on our first stop for breakfast, I decided to see it I could still snap a few with my old point and shoot and picked a chicken running around us to get my skills tuned...

maybe this time...

Sorted...right my dear, "lets go birding!"....

....so full of confidence I left with some breakfast in the tummy to go find birds....here is the sometimes disastrous results...

First we went to a local raptor and reptile rehab centre, always a chance to see some of the locals close-up....

First up a Yellow-billed Kite

Then a wonderful Cape Eagle-owl - more about this one later

And some Spotted Eagle-owls - these will be released soon, basically recovered from injuries..

Another 2 - just love owls and always so difficult to spot them at night - did hear them a few times in the bush though.

Pharaoh Eagle-Owl, Morocco (hope I have it right) - this is the female..they are obviously not local, but rescued from someone who could not care for them.
The female lay an egg (they breed on the ground), but she is not interested in the male, shame...

And here is the beautiful Male - really an eye-catcher..

Enter the Verreauxs' Eagle or Black Eagle - a long-time favourite, and one of the first eagles I ever learned about when still pretty young. They bred on the farm in the Karoo, where I used to vacation and I saw them rear a few chicks (1 at a time), with a huge nest against a rock wall of the mountain.

They get up to 37 inches and hunt rock hyrax mostly. Just stunning birds.

So what about this one, you ask...well, it cannot fly! Why? Because it thinks its a human! The lady said they got it from someone who (against the law) had one but it got too big. It was totally imprinted and got the scare of its life when they gave it a dead rabbit to eat!

They initially thought something was wrong with it, and took it for all types of tests, including wings, etc...nothing was wrong, its a beautiful healthy bird-human!

They got funding to build this large cage for it and it is showing the first signs of trying to fly from some branches...which is encouraging. Unfortunately he is now used for education purposes and we where able to get really touching distance without a reaction. Such a wonderful experience to see them so close and humbling...

Now for some cute silliness - Barn owl - which I could not get focus on because it was in a dark cage and not sitting still...

This one is also imprinted and goes to schools for eduction purposes - a real hit with kids, because of his antics - and as you can see he is full of tricks for us larger humans too..

and now to this side....

So back to the stars of the visit and they really, really got under our skin....I am even smiling now...also imprinted.

This is a stare competition with the Cape Eagle-owl

He absolutely loves a head scratch but is actually a little grumpy in the morning - more of an afternoon bird!

He loves the stare competition - this is their 'mom' and playmate in the afternoon when they chase her around...

With them are 2 Spotted Eagle-owls as well, one loves to be hugged and the other is all about the scratch...here my wife has the honour..

And then she is told to stop and adjust toooo.....

the head -- Please! Such a great experience....hope you can see that!

Rian those are awesome. Love the male Owl and the Eagles. So sad about the Eagle though, but now he serves a purpose. The fact, that he being used to educate others. Thanks for sharing, and love your Elephant shots on the other thread.

Thanks..Lots more to come - I am just warming up - this is only the morning of our first day so far...lol!

And so the birding begins...

Hadeda ibis on its way for day's food hunting

African darter drying off after early morning fishing

Piping cisticola or neddicky warming up

another one

all for now - will go on tomorrow, please check-in again!

Barthroated Apalis really tested my camera

here is another pic

Tambourine dove - a first....yippee!

Spectacled weaver - another first

One of the places we stayed had some resident ducks and other - Black swan

Manderin ducks

Another pic

I waited around to see if some locals would visit and here is a yellow-billed duck

A pair in one of the elephant watering holes later on

A pair of white-faced whistling ducks