Rietvlei Nature Reserve through Greenies' Eyes

[Toko]

Hellow crab lovers

In Southern Africa there are only 19 species of freshwater crabs found and they belong to a single genus Potamonautes.
In Gauteng only 4 occur: Potamonautes warreni, P. unispinus, P. sidneyi and P. clarus. And it is not P. clarus

[Lisbeth]

Danke Frau Professor

[nan]

already 2 different species... maybe

[Amoli]

Excellent Toko - I have also now learnt this for the first time

Thanks for the kind remarks BB and Flutss..

[steamtrainfan]

Whew - lovely sighting of 4 little BBJ;s and as for the fluffball

[steamtrainfan]

Decided to do an early morning visit on Thursday 27 February as Joan had to work that night.

A very early arrival at 05:30. The first sighting was a giant eagle owl slap bang in the middle of the road. Saw him very clearly with these two huge golden orbs staring straight at me. Grab for the camera but it does not want to focus. Looked down at my camera to see what adjustments I could make and when I looked up again I just saw him take off and was gone. Never the less a moat amazing sighting and a first for me.

Next up was this guy next to the road. It was such a dull photo I turned it to black and white.



Next was a roadblock of 3 rhino sleeping in the middle of the road. As I stopped the one got up and was quite agitated so I did a U-turn and drove back to the main road.

The morning dawned dull and grey so photography was not the best.



Near Otter Bridge saw these two ladies.




Approaching Island View Hide I got these two doing their early morning leg stretches.




A lot more to follow.

[steamtrainfan]

Some shots from the hide.

Common moorhen and chick.


I have been told that this is the lesser swamp warbler - a first for me. Seems to have lost its tail feathers????????




Saw this rather pretty flower from the walkway to the hide.


This black backed jackal was asleep right next to the road and he allowed me to stop right next to him and gave me this rather bleary eyed look.


After a while he got up and started snuffling around in the short grass.


Quite a lot more to follow.

[nan]

wow love the Zebra and Eland with the Cattle Egret
the flower too and the "tail missing"

[Amoli]

Great pictures STF

The owl was a special sighting.

[Lisbeth]

Lots of nice photos, STF The warbler has not lost anything; that's the way it looks