The return *

[nan]

It's just great to travel with three "fans" of birds and photos
Thank you to the three of you for all that I have learned

Yellow Bishop/Euplecte à croupion jaune

Southern Boubou/Gonolek boubou

Karoo Trush/Merle du Karoo

Bar-throated Apalis/Apalis à colier

Pin-tailed Whydah/Veuve dominicaine fem.

[nan]

The day after, we did a big loop... with a marvelous picnic and again lot and lot of birds

Mimosa... or some sort

[Amoli]

Great TT Nan of places I have seen and loved

Love your pics of the 'sewejartjies' and the 'heide' - flowers that are so well known to our country..

The birders that kept you company are of the very best Super pictures.

[nan]

I love the Bar-throated Apalis

Lots of succulents Where exactly are we here?

on the road ... (West Coast) to Darling and to Witzenberg and around
the Apalis was very busy
Toko

[Michele Nel]

First of all I am very grumpy that I did not get notification that you updated your TT Nan....but I have just caught up now. Splendid photos of the Gannets...and no I have not had time to go back to see the chicks..very sad. I am also pleased that I managed to get you to Witzenberg , Nan...we have sold the holiday house....no longer ours. :(
Ha ...but we had a good time there...:)
May I add some photos to your TT , Nan ????

[Michele Nel]

Just adding a few cell phone photos - I cannot believe I actually take photos with my cell but I did...red face...:)
First up...Nan arriving in Cape Town...earlier than expacted but I was ready and waiting...:)



As Nan said we were off to WCNP the next day and before I left I did what we are supposed to do...fill up with fuel, check oil and water and TYRES...!!!! Well that is where the story got interesting - not only did they check the pressure of my tyres they broke a valve. This involved them putting on the spare which they took forever to do - then I had to go to a tyre place in the neighbouring suburb to have said valve replaced - they discovered a nail in the tyre which was about to go bang - so all in all it wasted a whole pile of time... I really am quite organised but something always happens to test me to my limits.... The Jeep flying high but not able to go anywhere...we finally got to WCNP just before 2 pm....my plan was to be there way earlier .....I should not make plans....



and picnic in the car at Lambert's Bay - watching the Gannets built up quite an appetite...:)



and the merriment at Witzenberg -

[Michele Nel]

The plane looks cool, the picnic not so romantic

Not Romantic ????
It was as romantic as one can get in a "harbour"...
and as Nan said the food was lekker so who cares about romantic !!!!!
Anyway we decided not to invite anyone to our picnic...the folk around us were a bit suspect....

[Michele Nel]

And so we moved onto Witzenberg which at the time was our holiday house of the past 15yrs…we were to meet our Birding Buddies, Rob and Glynis there. 
On Saturday we planned a round trip as Nan mentioned….this trip would take us to Ceres, out on the R46 over the Theronsberg Pass. That then becomes the R355 – which happens to be the longest gravel road in SA – but we turned off to the left and drove over the Katbakkies Pass through the Cederberg ending up at Oppiberg. Then we continued back to Ceres via the Gydo Pass. Some pics taken along the way…
Admiring the view atop the Theronsberg Pass



Nan and Glynis stalking a Karoo Lark..in the Karoo…



Another random stop along the way where some of us cannot resist an open road



And some of us have to play “Klipspringer Klipspringer”



Nan was happy to explore the bushes



While I just gazed at the view through the window.



One cannot drive over the Gydo pass without stopping to admire the view…..
The Admirers...



And the View...

Gydo Pass

and all of this in the name of Birding !!!! :)

[nan]

Gymnogène

Southern Red Bishop/Euplecte ignicolore

Karoo Prinia/Prinia du Karoo

Agama

[nan]

fleur blanche

Eland just in front of the chalet

and baby