Life Trove: vulture

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Showing posts with label vulture. Show all posts

Showing posts with label vulture. Show all posts

5 May 2015

Doing the Gxalingenwa hike in The Southern Drakensberg

Oh how I love the mountains. And no mountain comes more beautiful than The Drakensberg. I absolutely loved my time here - so good for the soul. I'm so grateful to Chrisèl for inspiring me to come here.

Our first stop was the Southern Drakensberg where we stayed at the lovely and very tranquil Sani Pass Backpackers.

Highlights of the two nights here included:

Delicious home made pancakes with lots of gooey cheese.
Homemade marzipan from the little shop.
Making a scrumptious omelette with home made herbs from the garden and blue cheese.
Doing the stunning Gxalingenwa Hike which started right at the backpackers. 6 hours long, it took us up onto a plateau, then further up and over a little pass and down into a river gorge where I got to leap into a freezing green mountain pool. Then a walk along the lip of the gorge back to civilisation past some of the hugest granite boulders I've ever seen.
Seeing a Cape Vulture.
Doing a naughty short cut over a fence to visit a waterfall on the walk back, and cutting off lots of walking along the road.
Chilling out in the peaceful garden after the hike, watching the sun set.
Lazing by the fire at night, reading, and snuggling up to the cats. One of them was a renowned "psycho" but turned out to be a lovely pussy cat at heart.

The climb up the first ridge on the Gxalingenwa hike provided this beautiful view of the surrounding lake ...

... and a great baboon sighting, including a very cute youngster.

Up on the plateau, looking down onto the valley.

Here we are at the highest point of the hike.

Descending down into the river valley ...

... to a stunning pool ...

... and an exhilarating but freezing leap into the water!

Hiking along the river ...

... one of the most scenic sections of the hike ...

... with enormous granite boulders.

Overjoyed to be in such a beautiful part of the world with strong feet.

Stopping off at a beautiful waterfall on the walk back to the hostel after a cheeky short cut over a fence.

So excited to see a Cape Vulture.

The awesome Sani Pass Backpackers with its peaceful garden ...

... and perfect setting right in the heart of the mountains.

A gorgeous view of the moon from the hostel.

16 April 2014

World of Birds - birds

12 November 2012

Birds of the Kruger National Park

European Bee-Eater

Lilac Breasted Roller

Lilac Breasted Roller

Lilac Breasted Roller

White Crowned Plover

White Crowned Plover

Jacana

Grey Heron

Grey Heron

Goliath Heron

Pied Kingfisher

Pied Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Giant Kingfisher

Brownhooded Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

Ground Hornbill

Ground Hornbill

Ground Hornbill

Long Tailed Shrike

Helmeted Guineafowl

Crested Guineafowl

Three banded Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Ruff

Knot

Giant Eagle Own

Bateleur

Bateleur

Tawny Eagle

Martial Eagle

Brown Snake Eagle

African Fish Eagle

African Fish Eagle

Hawk Eagle

Steppe Eagle

Tawny Eagle

Kite

White Faced Vulture

Whitebacked Vulture

Raptors in flight

Hamerkop

Yellow Billed Hornbill

Yellowbilled Hornbill

Redbilled Hornbill

Stilt

Stilt

Blackbellied Korhaan

Blackbellied Kornhaan

Kori Bustard

Redbilled Oxpecker

Rednecked Francolin

Rednecked Francolin

Crested Francolin

Doublebanded Sandgrouse

Orange Breasted Bush Shrike

Bennetts Woodpecker

Darter

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Egyptian Goose

Masked Weaver

Saddlebilled Stork

Storks

Various

Various

A Redbilled Oxpecker searches for yummy ticks...

Birds seen during my stay