Tdgraves 11th big year 2024

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @TonyQ probably not many to add as we are going to KTP….

[PeterHG]

On 8/24/2024 at 9:49 PM, Tdgraves said:

as we are going to KTP….

Have a great time there!

[Tdgraves]

Thanks @PeterHG

[xelas]

Come prepared, local newspapers are predicting cold fronts! We will be mere 1000 km north.

[Tdgraves]

12 hours ago, xelas said:

Come prepared, local newspapers are predicting cold fronts! We will be mere 1000 km north.

brrrr, we’ve had that before - enjoy!

[Tdgraves]

Looks like it’ll have passed through by the time we get there…..

[Kitsafari]

Hope you're enjoying SA!

 

@xelas

We were smack in the middle of a cold front - reckoned it was down to 5 degrees that evening in the Kariega bush. brrrrrrr. 

[xelas]

5 degrees above?! Lucky you, we were 5 degrees below Zero 🥶

[Kitsafari]

On 9/9/2024 at 7:47 PM, xelas said:

5 degrees above?! Lucky you, we were 5 degrees below Zero 🥶

 

 

arggghhh!

[Tdgraves]

Sat in CPT waiting for our flight home. Zero was lowest temperature on one morning game drive, but the cold front had definitely passed and spring was in evidence.

[xelas]

We must have shared the airspace above Africa; my flight from JNB started Sat at 18:00. 
It is starting to heat up in Botswana, Nxai Pan was 37C. All dry and dusty, including the ellies 😅. 

[Tdgraves]

Managed one more walk in the UK before our trip. We had planned to go to a cricket county championship game at the Oval, but there was a train strike and only about 200 runs to be scored, so we decided against it and had a walk in the botanical gardens and a pub lunch instead! Probably fewer birds than I would have guessed (we've never been before), but there a lot of people, given it was a Sunday. Anyway, it took me until the end of August to see this species...I saw a couple more yesterday.

 

Cambridge Botanical Gardens, UK, 25/8/24

 

Canon R5, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1000, f7.1, 1/500, EV +1

 

6W4A5330 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon R5, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1600, f7.1, 1/1250, EV +1

 

6W4A5339 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

390) Goldcrest 

[Tdgraves]

I think people must feed the water birds, as they were very bold....

 

6W4A5466 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

6W4A5490 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

6W4A5515 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

6W4A5377 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

6W4A5404 by tdgraves, on Flickr

[pedro maia]

It took me quite a while to catch up here which means you´ve been busy (and still are busy).

 

Great collection from the states, I loved that ridiculous long billed curlew, it can be easy to live with that hanging from your head. What a pity you didn´t see the roadrunner, me to I would love to see a beep beep.

 

Congrats on all the centuries!

[Tdgraves]

I have half processed the KTP trip so I can get started, with the beginning and end at least.

 

Brown's manor B&B, Upington, South Africa, 31/8/24

 

Canon R3, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/400

 

015A3376 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

Canon R, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1600, f7.1, 1/1000, EV + 1 1/3

 

015A3400 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

391) Speckled pigeon

[Tdgraves]

 

Brown's manor B&B, Upington, South Africa, 31/8/24

 

Canon R3, 100-400 mark II, ISO 2500, f7.1, 1/640, EV + 1 1/3

 

015A3409 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

392) Orange River white-eye

[Tdgraves]

Brown's manor B&B, Upington, South Africa, 31/8/24

 

Canon R3, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1250, f5.6, 1/500, EV + 2

 

015A3449 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

393) Red-eyed (aka black-fronted) bulbul

[Tdgraves]

African Vineyard B&B, near Upington, South Africa, 11/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1000, f7.1, 1/1600

 

D14I2983 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

394) African sacred ibis

[Tdgraves]

African Vineyard B&B, near Upington, South Africa, 12/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 6400, f5.6, 1/1000

 

D14I3036 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

395) Cape wagtail

[Tdgraves]

African Vineyard B&B, near Upington, South Africa, 12/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 2000, f5.6, 1/1250

 

D14I3029 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

396) White-backed mousebird

[Tdgraves]

African Vineyard B&B, near Upington, South Africa, 12/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/1250

 

D14I3078 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

397) Cape sparrow

[Tdgraves]

That's all from the B&Bs. Probably fewer than usual, although some were duplicates. All the birds were enjoying the irrigated vineyards....

 

D14I2968 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I2958 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I2960 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I2953 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I3001 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I3007 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I2926 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

D14I3021 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

[Tdgraves]

Still ploughing through the safari photos, so on to Cape Town. We saw two distant pairs of blue cranes on our drive down, as well as numerous water birds from the road, but alas, nowhere to stop. Our brief stay was to see friends and so the only proper birding was a walk around a very cloudy Helderberg nature reserve. Of course, the day we left was beautiful blue skies and sunshine - the start of spring. I will start with the lifers. This one must have been seen before, just never registered...

 

Helderberg Village, Western Cape, South Africa, 13/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 1000, f7.1, 1/2000, EV +1

 

D14I3294 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

398) Kelp gull

[Tdgraves]

Helderberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa, 13/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 500, f7.1, 1/800, EV +1

 

D14I3172 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

399) Karoo prinia

[Tdgraves]

Helderberg Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa, 13/9/24

 

Canon 1DX mark III, 100-400 mark II, ISO 400, f7.1, 1/1600, EV +1

 

D14I3122 by tdgraves, on Flickr

 

400) Red-headed cisticola