Cape parks - flowers and penguins *

[Tina]

As some of you might know, we started our trip to South Africa in CT this year. Thus, I am going to split the trip report into two parts and start with WCNP, Kirstenbosch and Boulders

17.09.2014

We arrived in Cape Town at 10:30 am, passed immigration and picked up our rental car. By 1 pm we were on the way to Langebaan.

It was rather chilly, overcast and rainy the whole time.

Table Mountain was hiding

[Tina]

but there were nice flowers at Dolphin Beach

Dune Spinach Tetragonia decumbens



Lesser Purple Ragwort Senecio arenarius

[Tina]

and a Levaillant’s cisticola

[Tina]

My SO was driving but suddenly he moved off the road - he had fallen asleep. Obviously he did not sleep that good on the plane although we were lucky to fly business class from Dubai to Cape Town. Thus we took a short break, seeing more flowers

this one looks like a lupin to me





and I think this is the same one we saw in Tankwa - Ruschia spinosa

[Tina]

even one with a bug



I drove the last stretch. We had planned to drive through WCNP but we had to renew our wild card. There was a very friendly guard at the gate who tried to help us and even phoned someone at wild card for us but a renewal by phone was impossible. Thus, we took the main road and arrived at our lodge at 5 pm which was not that bad as by now it was pouring. As both of us were tired we had dinner at the restaurant of the lodge and went to bed early.

[Tina]

some pictures taken around the lodge

accomodation



cleaning up after breakfast



cenaeus carnifex?



speckled pigeon

[Tina]

we found out where STF’s garden birds came from





they have an aviary but are allowed to come and go as they want.

cape wagtail with nesting material



a common starling – the first one we ever saw in South Africa



an emu

[Tina]

cape weaver



blacksmith lapwing



african sacred ibis



red poppy



these caterpillars were all over the place



I think this is a jackal buzzard

[Tina]

The lodge has a small game viewing area and we had our first sightings here



could this be a black springbok



black wildebeest – another first for us

[Toko]

Wow, Tina you spotted some interesting species


The caterpillar might be a mid instar of Mountain White Spot (Mesocelis monticola), some say these are pests in the Western and Northern Cape

Cenaeus carnifex for the Red Bug (new one for our book )

Love the birds

What lodge is this?