A visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Monday 26th.

After the thrills of yesterday's pelagic it was time to get into South Africa's land birds.  Kerstin and I took a taxi out to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in the morning and slowly worked our way up through the different habitats and the different birds that they held.  The gardens are a celebration of the fantastically diverse flora of South Africa, with the main section dedicated to the local 'fynbos' habitat, dominated by ericacea and proteas. Stunning really.

The birding was good too, and we enjoyed African Goshawk, African Dusky Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbul and Cape Batis in the taller vegetation.  Southern Double-banded Sunbirds were widespread in the fynbos, but the star was a Cape Sugarbird sitting quietly in the middle of a bush in the midday sun. Somewhat bizarrely, Helmeted Guineafowl (apparently introduced) and Cape Spurfowl are common and tame in gardens around Cape Town, which given that they are also popular to eat doesn't seem like a sensible strategy for survival.

We used Uber taxis in Cape Town, and given the controversy surrounding this service around the world, I was interested to see what it was like.  Firstly the 'app' is very efficient, having posted your location as the start point, and your destination, it assigns you a driver and tells you which vehicle to look for.  A newish car turns up on time (you can see its progress on a map in the app) and you take a very comfortable journey to your destination.  The price is less than the city taxis, and from speaking to the drivers, they earn more money.  You get to rate the driver and his vehicle, and the driver gets to rate you as a customer.  We got to try out a conventional taxi later in the week and the difference in quality and price were noticeable, and the driver did not seem happy with the amount of work he was getting.  It seems like a win-win to me, unless you own a taxi company of course!

The gardens with Table Mountain in the background

Kerstin in full birding mode

Part of the gardens with Table Mountain in the background

African Dusky Flycatcher

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Spurfowl

Helmeted Guineafowl

Karoo Prinia - later to become an 'ever-present' species

Common Waxbill

A Cape Town pelagic

I got up early and joined a group taking a pelagic seabirding trip.  We were driven to Hout Bay where we boarded a surprisingly small boat with two monster 250 hp engines at the back.  Steve, the skipper took us rapidly out to the continental shelf edge.  Bruce Dyer was our guide, and very good he was too.  His careful identification of the adult and sub-adult albatrosses was exemplary.  We passed a group of breaching humpback whales, which was pretty spectacular.  The first albatrosses we saw were Shy Albatross, which was a new species for me.  However, the species I really wanted to see were Atlantic and Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross.  We saw a number of these, which made for good practice in how to separate these.  We found a trawler eventually, and it was mobbed with seabirds and also Cape Sea-lions, which were following the trawler too. That is, until a pod of Killer Whales tried to take one out.  I don’t think they succeeded.  

Leaving Hout Bay. Bruce Dyer, our guide, is on the left

A Shy Albatross

Great Shearwater - notice the pale panel at the greater coverts

Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross - note the grey head

Cape Gannet

Sub-adult Black-browed Albatross

Pintado/Cape Petrel

Part of the seabird flock at a trawler

Dusky Dolphin

Cape Sea-lion fleeing Orcas

More of the seabird flock

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

Stunning coastal scenery just north of Hout Bay

Settling in at Cape Town

Saturday 24^th

I had planned on going to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens today, but opted instead to do some shopping and catching up with work.

View from the apartment balcony

Kerstin arrived mid-afternoon with Ilka Win so we watched the first half of the South Africa v’s New Zealand Rugby World Cup semi-final in the apartment, then went to find a bar where they were showing the match.  Well we found a bar and I soon realised that we were the only whites.  Not that there was any trouble.  I was encouraged to see black South Africans cheering on the Springboks – this isn’t always the case.

Kerstin and I went for a meal at a local restaurant called Eastern Food Bazaar.  It was a series of counters serving different kinds of middle easterns and Indian food.  It was incredibly cheap, not just because of the current strength of Sterling.

SA 2015 - AMS to Cape Town

I got to the airport in plenty of time for my flight at 10.00 which departed on time.  I was a bit grumpy at first because they moved my seat to the back of the aircraft . Bit they changed the seats for several people because they put on a bigger plane, so I got a whole row to myself.  Who cares if I'm a bit later getting off the aircraft.

The flight over North Africa has been incredible. The bleakness, and lack of signs of natural life seems harsh, though no doubt if you were to stop anywhere in the desert, a local would suddenly appear and try to sell you something. Gradually, as we reached northern Nigeria and the Sahel, you could see field structure appear. 

The Chott el-Gharsa in Tunisia

Nothingness of the Libyan desert

Nothingness gives way to low
intensity farming in Nigerian Sahel

I had a chat with Jared Wilson (Marine Scotland) during the flight who is going to the same conference. We arrived some 10 1/2 hours later in Cape Town - all a bit gruelling, but it could have been worse. I saw LEIF NILSSON and his wife and Steve Votier at passport control.  My pre-booked shuttle into town wasn't waiting for me. I gave them 15 minutes, but considering I hadn't pre-paid, I didn't feel too concerned about using one of the local shuttle companies.  That was an advert on behalf of Way 2 Go (not!).

I shared with a local medic and a woman from New York. The latter was being dropped off in Long Street right in the heart of all the bars.  Probably safe enough, but not likely to get too much sleep.

My apartment, which I will be sharing with Kerstin Kober when she arrives, is in Lower Long street and is nice and spacious with what should be good views over the harbour.

Sleep! Unpacking can wait until tomorrow.