21 December 2020
It pays to be out early in South Africa’s wild places, and the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park is no exception. Even when the sky is still heavy with rain and the sun nowhere to be seen.
A damp sunrise over the Serpentine
African Reed Warbler
Beware of children being followed by guineafowl and tortoises…
Pelargonium
Unidentified flower
Unidentified flower
Ertjieblom (identified with the kiind assistance of Bonnita Hill)
Sombre Greenbul looking even more glum in the rain…
Wild Camphor Bush
Grass Flower-heads
Red-eyed Dove
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Greater Striped Swallow
After breakfast we felt like exploring a little further afield, and so headed to the Woodville indigenous forest a few kilometers away from Ebb-and-Flow. We explored the wet forest, marveled at the enormous Outeniqua Yellowwood that rules over it and kept a lookout for birds and other creatures trying to hide from us, until we could stand the pestering mosquitoes no more!
Woodville Forest
Woodville Forest’s giant Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus)
Woodville Forest – Common Arum Lily
Common Arum Lily
Unidentified flower
Woodville Forest
Woodville Forest
Woodville Forest’s giant Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus)
Woodville Forest’s giant Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus)
Large Wild Iris
African Paradise Flycatcher
African Paradise Flycatcher
Common Bush Brown
Forest Buzzard
Forest Buzzard
From Woodville we extended our joy ride to Rondevlei and the Swartvlei beach, and then had a quick look around the holiday town of Sedgefield, of which I have many happy childhood memories, before heading back to camp.
Unidentified flower
Unidentified flower
Water droplets on a blade of grass
Unidentified flower
White-breasted Cormorant
Cross-berry
Swartvlei Beach with Gericke’s Point
Kelp Gull scavenging on the beach
Just being outside at Wilderness was such balm for the soul. You don’t always have to be out chasing the “hairy and scary” animals for which Africa is famous to enjoy yourself in our wild places…
African Hoopoe
Common Star-Apple
Grass Flower-head
As yet unidentified tree in Wilderness
Sooty Blue butterfly
Another Wilderness mystery plant
Unidentified flower
Sour Fig
Guineafowl feather
Water droplets on aloe leaves
Bar-throated Apalis
More frog hunting before bed-time resulted in these photographs of Raucous Toads:
Raucous Toad
Raucous Toad
If you’d like to read more about the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park, please have a look at this special feature about it that we published a while ago.
-33.990019
22.608483
Dumbelton Rd, Wilderness, 6550, South Africa
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I loved all these photos – and I agree with Anne, extra special to see the nesting flycatcher. Well spotted!
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Thank you, Carol!
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Die blomme en die voels is pragtig! Verlang sommer na my grootword plek!
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Ek glo nie enigiemand sal jou dit kwalik neem nie, Aletta.
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Amongst all those beautiful things you spotted a Paradise Flycatcher in its nest! WHAT a find – I feel rather envious of you 🙂 🙂
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We were very pleased with ourselves for noticing it too! 😀
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Quite exotic plants and flowers, and great looking birds. It must be like a large garden. Thanks, D. 🙂
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Indeed, H.J. There’s a reason we call this pocket of our country the “Garden Route”! Thanks for coming along.
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Flowers and birds (mostly). Just right for today. I recognized some of the flowers and birds as those I’ve seen around here or elsewhere. That Hoopoe however is quite something.
janet
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Thanks, Janet! Hoopoes are endearing birds that we all love to see. And I agree about the flowers and birds – small things matter!
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You do have the best adventures!
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Don’t we, Lois? We are blessed.
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That unidentified flower (5th pic) is called the ertjieblom by the locals here in the Stilbay area (Polygala family). A recent publication, which I’ve found very useful is: Layman’s Guide to the Common Trees of Hessequa by Naomi v Schalkwyk. Most pics are by Patrick Duddy.
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Thanks very much for the id and the tip on the book, Bonnita!
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Beautiful birds and flowers! Very enjoyable. Thank you!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Hien. Thank you.
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