Northern Farm
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:11 pm
On Saturday 7 February I took a trip to Northern Farm. This is a working farm that is open to the public at weekends. Many, many cyclists use the tracks.
It is situated just West of Diepsloot on the R114 and at the moment is a little difficult to find because the R114 is being completely rebuilt. I managed to drive past and had to double back to find the entrance which is just to the west of where the R114 crosses over the N14.
My first tip is to ask at the office for a map and for the combinations to the hides.
There are two hides on the property but I only found one of them (because I didn't have a map) and I couldn't access it (because I didn't have the combination).
The farm is huge, it goes from the point where the R114 crosses the N14 almost to the end of the runway at Lanseria Airport. There are many tracks and quite a few dams which you can get very close to - if you can't get close in your car, you can get out and walk.
There are plenty of birds to be seen but I would consider it a bird-spotter's venue rather than a bird-photographer's venue. I did manage to get some interesting pictures but most of them were at extreme range even for my 150-600mm lens.
Reed Cormorant.
Palm Swift.
Red Bishops.
Lesser Striped Swallow.
Glossy Ibis (didn't see any on the ground).
Wandering Glider Dragonfly.
Redknobbed Coot.
Blackheaded Heron.
LBJ. (Lis : that means Little Brown Job)
Amur Falcon.
Steppe Buzzard (I think).
Yellowbilled Kite.
Greater Kestrel.
It is situated just West of Diepsloot on the R114 and at the moment is a little difficult to find because the R114 is being completely rebuilt. I managed to drive past and had to double back to find the entrance which is just to the west of where the R114 crosses over the N14.
My first tip is to ask at the office for a map and for the combinations to the hides.
There are two hides on the property but I only found one of them (because I didn't have a map) and I couldn't access it (because I didn't have the combination).
The farm is huge, it goes from the point where the R114 crosses the N14 almost to the end of the runway at Lanseria Airport. There are many tracks and quite a few dams which you can get very close to - if you can't get close in your car, you can get out and walk.
There are plenty of birds to be seen but I would consider it a bird-spotter's venue rather than a bird-photographer's venue. I did manage to get some interesting pictures but most of them were at extreme range even for my 150-600mm lens.
Reed Cormorant.
Palm Swift.
Red Bishops.
Lesser Striped Swallow.
Glossy Ibis (didn't see any on the ground).
Wandering Glider Dragonfly.
Redknobbed Coot.
Blackheaded Heron.
LBJ. (Lis : that means Little Brown Job)
Amur Falcon.
Steppe Buzzard (I think).
Yellowbilled Kite.
Greater Kestrel.
You are certainly putting your new lens through its paces! 
