Summertide Diary: Departing from Bontebok

22 Replies

20 December 2020

With our next destination, the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, relatively close we can afford to have a leisurely start to our final morning at Bontebok National Park. Marilize and Joubert opt to sleep in, while I start my morning attempting to get photographs of the Cape Serotine Bats catching moths around the outside lights in the camp before setting off on a drive. By the time I get back we have breakfast together before packing the car and heading to reception to check out.

Cape Serotine Bat
Scrub Hare
An as yet unidentified mystery bird sitting in the road
Common Quail
The only tortoise to been this early in the morning
Bontebok
Bontebok
Bontebok lamb
Karoo Scrub Robin
Blue Cranes in flight over Bontebok National Park
Rain Spider Wasp (Tachypompilus ignitus) photographed by Joubert

If you’d like to learn more about the Bontebok National Park, have a read through this special feature we published after a previous visit. For more about the beautiful Bontebok antelope, read here.

Map of Bontebok National Park, from a brochure published by SANParks

22 thoughts on “Summertide Diary: Departing from Bontebok”

    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      O defnitief, Toortsie. Die piekniekplek langs die rivier is so netjies en as julle in die week gaan glo ek sal julle die plek amper vir julself he. Die diere en voels is glad nie skaam nie – selfs nie langs die staproetes nie. As ek nou die kans sou kry om met n klap van die vingers Bontebok toe verplaas te word gryp ek dit beslis met albei hande aan.

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    1. de Wets Wild Post author

      Thanks, H.J!
      It most certainly is one of the Larks, I agree, but M. cheniana unfortunately it is not; Bontebok is almost a 1000km outside their natural distribution range. It’s a youngster of one of the other 5 larks that do occur there and I have to go dig up some more clues – as if those little brown jobs aren’t already difficult enough to identify in adult plumage! (That combined with my being colour-blind!)

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      1. sustainabilitea

        I can understand that. On mornings when I’m going to walk, I want to get out there right away, even if I’d like to “sleep in” (which for me isn’t all that late.) When I’m traveling, I’m up early and eager to get on the road. Enjoyed this post and look forward to the next…as always.

        janet

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