15 November 2008    
Nylsvlei    
     

We were up relatively early this morning, but it was still overcast and raining. We headed off to Vogelfontein again, but the light was terrible!! The highlight however was a pair of Marsh Owls flying around. They came reasonably close and had we had better conditions, it may have made for some great photographic opportunities. At about 08h30, the skies clear and we had sunlight, but it was time to head back to the lodge for breakfast. On the way back, we skidded to a halt as a lifer for me crossed the road in front of us - a Snouted Cobra. Unfortunately, I didn't have too much time to get photos before it disappeared off the road into the bush. Back at the lodge, we were treated to a great breakfast and then we spent a bit of time walking around the grounds to see what was there (well, some of us actually took a siesta!!) We then visited Nylsvlei Nature Reserve and took a drive through some fantastic woodland on the back side of the reserve (not generally accessible to the public) where I was able to get a photographic lifer - Bushveld Pipit as well as a full lifer in the form of Cape Rough-scaled Lizard. The late afternoon was once again spent at Vogelfontein where I eventually managed to get a photo of Orange-breasted Waxbill and we also saw a albino Southern Reedbuck. Then it was back to the lodge for dinner, after which we all showed some of our recent photos at an informal slide show. When everyone was eventually too tired and headed off to bed, I was once again drawn to the frog choruses and Margaret and I spent the next hour or so frogging finding a couple of additional species not seen last night.

     
male Afircan Stonechat Red-billed Teal Marsh Owl
     
Lesser Striped Swallow Barn Swallow Greater Striped Swallow
     
Diderick Cuckoo Great White Egret White-rumped Swift
     
Yellow-billed Stork juvenile White-throated Swallow Hamerkop
     
White-faced Duck African Pipit Snouted Cobra
     
Chinspot Batis Dark-capped Bulbul Montane Speckled Skink
     
Cape Dwarf Gecko Common Myna Arrow-marked Babbler
     
male African Paradise Flycatcher juvenile Marico Sunbird male Red-headed Weaver
     
Burchell's Starling Rock Monitor male Comb Duck
     
Wattled Lapwing Cape Rough-scaled Lizard Bushveld Pipit
     
Lilac-breasted Roller Orange-breasted Waxbill Red-breasted Swallow
     
Guttural Toad Common Caco Common Platanna