Rietvlei Nature Reserve through Greenies' Eyes

[Penga Ndlovu]

Last weekend it was time for yet another trip to Rietvlei.

One of our first sightings was a beautiful Eland bull resting in the grass



A bit further on I spotted something hopping in the grass
Yeah!!! A lifer for me

A Orangethroated Longclaw.



He did not like his picture taken and objected



Next a beautiful baby Zebra boy



It was going to turn out a day full of lifers for me

A Stone Chat



And an Ant Eating Chat ??????? (Dewi!! Help)



A Black Shouldered Kite inbetween



And then a tree full off ?????? again (Please help again Dewi)



Here is a close- up



Then this magnificent beast



And another youngster



An Ostrich in it's mating colours



A Red Hartebeest



And then the start of a great sunset

[Dewi]

Hi Penga.

You have the first two ID's spot on. (The Longclaw is now called Cape Longclaw).

The LBJ's look like Bishops, either Southern Red, or Yellow-crowned. Difficult to tell apart, but Yellow-crowned tends to have a white belly with streaks on the flanks & breast and Southern Red all over the underbelly. Not sure if you have both species in your pic? I don't know if they go around in mixed flocks?

Nice photos.

[Amoli]

Travelling through Rietvlei yesterday.... :D

eland


Black shouldered kite


laksman (no book with me)


Stone chat


These were little goslings some time 2 months or so ago....


Wonder if this blesbok is thinking of the new grass sprouts that will show in a few months time..


Still a lotta practise to be done....

[Flutterby]

Lovely pics Amoli!!

[Dewi]

Nice one Amoli, I love seeing pics from this reserve.

[nan]

nice pictures, nice sightings

[Amoli]

I have become very spoilt with Rietvlei - only a hour's drive from home.
Had a lovely trip yesterday and I normally spend about 6 hours in the park.
It was wonderful to meet up with Eland and Mads.. and sit watching some rhino. oY:

I saw some of the regulars and I could also tick two/three lifers (once they are identified -O )

I love the waterbuck... even though his horns seem the wrong way round...





And a favourite for me ...



Happy family shots... :D





And no trip complete for me without a LBR... -O



The contrast of the beautiful eland and the burnt veld, was in a way beautiful for me..



This is my first lifer... and I know it is not an Orange throated .... but I forgot now Thanks Dewi. It is a Cape Longclaw



Is this bird the same on both pictures, or are they two different types. Dewi says they are all three Long Tailed Widowbirds.





This just for an encore... once again the burnt grass made a good background... for me. -O

[Sprocky]

Great shots Amoli!!!

[Dewi]

Lovely photos Amoli.

Such a great little reserve.

Your birds are Cape Longclaw and Long-tailed Widowbirds. Nice shots of them.

[nan]

nice serie of birds... my prefered... the Eland