Steenbok

Back blipped on 24th

We're now in the part of South Africa called the Karoo.  We decided that today we would drive around and see the area.  First we called at the small market in Prince Albert, and bought some figs.  Then a quick visit to the tourist information office, where W was able to replace the hat he left somewhere a couple of days ago.  We also got some information about where to see birds.

We set off on a recommended “birding” route.  This was along a gravel road for about 30km, some parts very rough – barely passable in our normal saloon car - at which point we were supposed to be able to go through a gate into a nature reserve around a dam.  But the gate was firmly padlocked, despite a sign saying open sunrise to sunset.  Thwarted!  We saw very few birds – it was very hot, I expect they were all doing the sensible thing and sitting in the shade waiting for the evening.  But we did see a couple of buck, and one even posed beautifully for my Blip.  It's a steenbok – recognisable by those big well marked ears.  We saw 2 other buck, both almost certainly also steenbok.

We drove all the way back to the village, had a smoothie and a cake, then set off in a different direction.  We thought birds would be more visible by water.  We did find water, but with it we also found mozzies, resulting in a rapid retreat!  We saw fleeing small animals, probably mongoose, and a bird perched over a small pool that I've identified from the rather blurry photo as a white-throated swallow.

But one of the main things we saw today was the landscape.  Arid, semi desert, with outcrops of rocks, and some great plants.  In extras is a lovely fluffy grass, an outcrop of rock on the edge of a hill looking like a dinosaur's back, and a line of wonderful old fenceposts, reportedly almost 100 years old.

Edit - to save on extras, I've combine the extras into a collage