Marital bliss is...

[Richprins]

Interesting water, Peter...

I also thought salinity? Go and throw some muddy salt water in your pool, and take a pic!

Eek...forgot to buy rusks today!

[Peter Connan]

The morning of the 15th dawned cloudy, and pretty much remained so all day. After lying in till six or so I perambulated around looking for forest birds, but without much luck.
I did see some fishermen head out to sea,



Another bungee worm:

And a bushbuck ewe:


A tortoise came to visit our campsite:


Later, I took a drive, mainly to charge up the batteries. Just on the entry road, to the (un-marked) reserve boundary. This was more productive.
Leopard spoor:

Green-backed Twinspot:

A Crested Guineafowl:

And a Burchell's Coucal:


I had arranged to meet a couple of friends residing in Maritzborough for some 4x4ing at Bainage, a 4x4 trail in the region on the morning of the 16th. The weather was once again fairly foul, cloudy with intermittent drizzle throughout the day.


Coming back I took a detour through town to get some of the things we had forgotten at home, and to replace the monkey's theivery. Back in camp I spent the afternoon on the lookout platform.
Grey Heron:

Crocodile:

Cattle Egrets:

Some more Whimbrel:

and Southern Boubou put in cameo appearances before it became too dark.

[Toko]

4x4ing looks like fun

Green Twinspot fantastic sighting, he is pretty and smaller than the thorns

[Lisbeth]

I love your photos, Peter. The green twinspot is a wow!!

[Dewi]

Rather green with your green twinspot sighting and great photo of it too.

The others are also excellent, but I'm too excited about the twinspot to comment on them at the moment.

[Peter Connan]

As the weather remained cloudy, it was difficult to prise myself out of bed in the mornings, but on the 17th I made my way down to the reception office, where there is a patch of reeds with lots of nesting yellow weavers.



A butterfly:


Another wormy-type crittur:
\

And a White-eared Barbet:

Our second-model Pinkfoot had stepped in a thorn, and after our abortive efforts to extract it without surgery, we decided not to take chances and headed back to Pietermaritzburg to find a medical professional. They were unfortunately also unsuccesfull, and the thorn is still in there now. The afternoon was spent mostly on the beach.




In the evening, the clouds mostly cleared and I headed to the beach after dinner for some star photography.

[Peter Connan]

Thanks for all the kind comments.

Toko, they say if you haven't gotten stuck, you're not trying hard enough. Fortunately that wasn't me though.

[Toko]

And now a White-eared Barbet

Good birding there Love the Yellows Your are extracool

The Golden Piper must be careful, the wings will wear out soon

Pill Millipede

PS Whenever I got stuck it was without tring hard

[nan]

love the meeting of the sea nd river
and another worm
stuck in the sand
Green Twinspot and white-eared Barbet

formidable

[Lisbeth]

Absolutely fabulous The person fishing has a look of ecstasy on his face

White eared barbet You are a lucky fish