Tag Archives: Pretoria

Celebrating our natural heritage

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It is the Heritage Day long weekend in South Africa, and yesterday we packed the Duster with picnic baskets and grandparents and set out for a most enjoyable morning at our local Rietvlei Nature Reserve. Large sections of the reserve have recently received management burns to clear moribund grass cover (fire being an essential component of Africa’s grassland and savanna landscapes), and the first spring rains have spurred the growth of new grass, attracting a wide range of birds and animals to these areas.

Reed Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Reed Cormorant
Yellow Mongoose
Yellow Mongoose being chased by a Capped Wheatear
Black-backed Jackal
Crowned Lapwing
Yellow-billed Ducks
Yellow-billed Ducks
Red Hartebeest
Long-tailed Widowbird (female)
Spotted Thick-knee
Spotted Thick-knee
Buffy Pipit
Buffy Pipit
Spur-winged Geese
Ostrich
Hadeda
Capped Wheatear
Blesbok
Lesser Swamp Warbler
Eland
Eland
Eland
White Rhinoceros
Black Wildebeest
Plains Zebra
Red Hartebeest
Blesbok lying on their path

 

Another quick nature fix at Rietvlei

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Just as we were starting to experience withdrawal symptoms after spending almost a month exploring eight of our country’s beautiful national parks we were saved from the agony by a good friend who organised his birthday party at our local Rietvlei Nature Reserve yesterday.

Ostrich and zebra in the Rietvlei landscape
White rhino bull (dehorned to protect against poaching)
Blowing a massive cloud of dust (photo by Joubert)
African Wattled Lapwing
African Wattled Lapwing (immature)
African Darter in flight
White-breasted Cormorant in flight
White-throated Swallow
Plains zebra
Long-tailed Widowbird (female)
Rufous-naped Lark
Blacksmith Lapwing
Crab holding on for dear life at the weir (photo by Joubert)
Yellow-crowned Bishop (female)
Eland bull
Eland herd

A month of monochrome memories: Wading Old-Timer

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This lone buffalo bull enjoyed the refreshing coolness of a stream flowing through the Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

Rietvlei 06122015 (13)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Rhino Trio

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These white rhinos in Rietvlei Nature Reserve presented a formidable front as they approached the road!

Rietvlei 06122015 (12)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Agitated Eland

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This Eland cow in Rietvlei Nature Reserve got so irritated by the swarm of flies buzzing all around her that she set of running to try and get rid of them!

Rietvlei 06122015 (11)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Preening Darter

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With its serpentine neck, the African Darter is easily recognisable. The photographic hides at Rietvlei Nature Reserve usually presents excellent opportunities to photograph this and other aquatic bird species.

Rietvlei 06122015 (10)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.

A month of monochrome memories: Watchful Chat

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Ant-eating Chats are unusually bold and confiding birds, and a familiar sight in Rietvlei Nature Reserve.

Rietvlei 06122015 (9)

Our end-of-year 2015 holidays were absolutely packed to the brim. Apart from our ten-day visit to the Kruger National Park (read more about our time at Lower Sabie, Olifants and Shingwedzi in December), we also made day trips to five other reserves, and will be sharing photos from those (except Suikerbosrand, which we introduced in a post all of its own) daily through the month of February, in a series we call “a month of monochrome memories”.