Curfew hours have now changed from 8pm to 5am, but are favourable and this means I can get to the gate when it opens at 6am. The early start at this time of year does make a difference.
I made a detour on the way to the marsh, stopping for one of the many resident Crested Lark's in the warm glow of the early morning sun
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| Crested Lark (Galerida cristata) |
Followed by a Namaqua Dove a little further on
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| Male Namaqua Dove (Oena capensis) |
Today there was a cracking adult Black-winged Kite on the overhead lines and this one had extensive black shoulder patches
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| Black-winged Kite (Elanus c. vociferus) |
Again I walked the soggy patch adjacent to the reeds and had a brief view of this Caspian Reed Warbler, before it disappeared back into the reeds
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| Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus s. fuscus) |
There quite a few of the Bembix Hover Flies drinking from the wet sand
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| Bembix sp. |
At the marsh, no Stilts, as they were elsewhere - so it was relatively quiet. But the White-tailed Lapwings were there to greet me
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| White-tailed Lapwing (Vanellus leucurus) |
Walking back to my car, I was really surprised to see a Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin appear in a scrubby area. Earlier on other birders who were at the site had seen Common Starling and European Robin - quite bizarre
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| Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin (Cercotrichas galactotes) |
I tried the scrubby areas for Courser and found less than the previous week
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| Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorius cursor) |
And even the Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark numbers seemed reduced
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| Black-crowned Sparrow-Lark (Eremopterix nigriceps) |
I checked the smaller open pool and found a Ruff coming out of summer plumage that had me thinking it could have been a Spotted Redshank until it flew - cracking plumage
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| Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) |
A few Green Sandpipers were also present in this area
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| Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus) |
and at least three Common Kestrel
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| Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) |
I spent quite a long time photographing the Barn Swallows drinking from the pool, trying to get that one shot. What is interesting, is that after scooping the water, they seem to hold a drop in their bill and then swallow it after gaining some height..
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| Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) |
I believe, I did..
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| Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) |
Followed closely by a Sand Martin
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| Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) |
After this 45-minute stint, I needed the car AC and called it a morning
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