Rietvlei Nature Reserve through Greenies' Eyes

[Bush Brat]

Wow stf, great stuff!
Looks like it was a really great day!! Plus you had such a variety of birds and a kill even - very lucky indeed!!!

[steamtrainfan]

Great captures of the BSK, steamtrainfan

The butterfly is Danaus chrysippus, African Monarch

Thanks very much Toko and also for the butterfly ID.

beautiful capture of the BSK and what about the Lezard, Toko

Thanks nan. I think it was a snake but it could have been a lizard.

The cuckoos are beautiful STF... I will stay clear of the BSK and the snake..

Thanks Amoli. Not to worry that BSK and snake were very far away.

You saw quite a lot of black-shouldered kites - my favorite small raptor

We also the BSK with those orange eyes that stare at one.

Wow stf, great stuff!
Looks like it was a really great day!! Plus you had such a variety of birds and a kill even - very lucky indeed!!!

Hey B.B. . It is so great to hear from you again. Hope you had a great holiday.

Thanks for the lovely comments. You are right we did see a wide variety of birds.

[Flutterby]

Lovely sightings and pics!!

[Amoli]

Some good sightings I saw today .....

While giving my attention to a Long-tailed Widowbird, I picked up a movement in my rear view mirror.
Four young Black backed Jackal and they had no fear of the car.



A Crab trying to cross the road, and would suddenly move back the wall - only for me to realise he heard a car coming long before me.



Unknown helmeted-white.eye-fluffball

[nan]

nice to see a crab
"heard" the vibrations

[Amoli]

"heard" the vibrations

amazing Nan - and twice it moved over the edge through an opening, and hang there until the vehicle had passed.
I have not seen the dam this full before and just maybe the crab is waiting for the rushing waters to die down.

[Bush Brat]

Nice Jackal sighting Amoli!

[Mel]

Those crabs - where do the come from... I always only associate them with the coast, but not inland.
First flying cheetah in KNP, now you in Rietvlei reporting having seem them. Pretty special sighting, methinks.

[Amoli]

Those crabs - where do the come from... I always only associate them with the coast, but not inland.

Crabs are quite common inland near to water.. in South Africa.

I remember during my high school years I set one in resin ( ) and it was the size of a side-plate. (It was a dead one though)

Sure Toko would give a much better explanation of our freshwater crabs.

[Flutterby]

Lovely jackal sighting!! I like the fluffball!