Neil Gray's birds and other wildlife
Hotazel, 15 Jun 2006 Since the middle of May I have been working on a new project, a drilling programme to evaluate the potential for a new manganese mine in the Hotazel area of the Northern Cape. The work takes place on a farm, Umtu, due west of the small town of Hotazel, whose name …
Atlasville, 03 Apr 2006 Well I said I’d revisit Nylsvlei, which is exactly what I did today. Very much a repeat of my first visit some 7 weeks ago, although fewer numbers of ducks about. The larger water birds are much more evident this trip – Squacco Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-headed Heron, Black Heron, …
Atlasville, 26 Mar 2006 Well it only took 2 weeks to get back for another day birding the Zaagkuilsdrift road and Kgomo-Kgomo wetland. Just for variety I approached from the west this time starting in the Kgomo-Kgomo area and working my way back along the Zaagkuilsdrift road. Some of the better photos of the day …
Atlasville, 19 Mar 2006 Today I made a day trip to the Pilanesberg National Park, a drive of just over 200 km and about 2½ hours. This meant an early departure as I entered the park just before 09:00. It was my 11th visit since my first in 1985, when we lived in Stilfontein, only …
Atlasville, 11 Mar 2006 I have been urged by some of my birding friends to visit this area, so today I took a drive along the Zaagkuilsdrift Road to the Moretele River floodplain at Kgomo-Kgomo, an area that combines both Bushveld and wetland birding. I was not disappointed, chalking up 3 lifers, Black-winged Pratincole, Common …
Atlasville, 02 Mar 2006 With work on my last major project temporarily suspended and only a few very short jobs in the pipeline I have a lot of time on my hands before the next full-time project starts, hopefully in May, so I will get in as much birding as I can before then. My …
Atlasville, 14 Feb 2006 Paid a visit today to Nylsvlei Nature Reserve near Naboomspruit (now Mookgophong) in Limpopo Province, a 211 km (2½ hours) drive almost due north from Atlasville with over 90% of the journey on the main R21 and N1 highways, so a relatively easy drive. Nylsvlei like Marievale is a RAMSAR site, …
Atlasville, 21 Jan 2006 Just back yesterday from our January timeshare week at Ngwenya Lodge. This is the 7th consecutive year that my wife and I have been to Ngwenya from the second Friday in January. This was, however, the first trip where I arrived armed with my Canon and zoom lens, with high hopes …
Atlasville, 08 Jan 2006 Arriving back from our trip to the northern Kruger Park I discovered that a rare visitor to inland South Africa had pitched up at my ‘home patch’, Marievale. A pair of Black-tailed Godwit had been wowing the local birders for the past few days while I’d been in Kruger. Not wishing …
Atlasville, 06 Jan 2006 Our daughter has been visiting from the UK with her fiancé, a South African whom she met in London. We got back yesterday with my wife from 3 nights in the northern Kruger Park. We made a spur of the moment decision to fit in a few days up north in …
