Neil Gray's birds and other wildlife
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 …
Atlasville, 01 Jan 2006 Thought I’d get my 2006 list going early with a visit to the Marievale Bird Sanctuary. Marievale is a RAMSAR site and one of the best-known wetland sites in South Africa, probably because of its proximity to the large urban areas of the Witwatersrand which make it easily accessible to a …
Atlasville, 21 Dec 2005 Spent today in the Borakalalo National Reserve. Borakalalo is centred around the Klipvoor Dam in the Moretele district in the north-eastern corner of North West province and is managed by the North West Parks Board. It is within easy reach for a day trip, albeit with an early rise and departure …
Atlasville, 28 Nov 2005 At 06:00 on Monday, 21 November, 2005, an excited group of 200 birders and guides began assembling at the N-shed passenger terminal in the Port of Durban for the “Mega Pelagic” aboard the MV Madagascar. The 6-night trip would take us via the Almirante Leite Bank, Hall Tablemount and Jaguar Seamount, …
Atlasville, 09 Nov 2005 My father has been visiting from the UK so we decided to head down to Cape Town as we have not been to that part of the country in 8 years, although I must admit I had a hidden agenda. Having booked a berth many months ago on the ‘Mega-Pelagic’ Indian …
Atlasville, 04 Oct 2005 Just back with my wife from 3 nights in the Mopani Camp of Kruger National Park. Mopani is the newest of the main rest camps in Kruger, having been established in 1989. We have stayed in all the other rest camps and all of the Bushveld camps over the years and …
Atlasville, 02 Aug 2005 Ever since the birding weekend undertaken by me and fellow members of the East Rand branch of the Witwatersrand Bird Club, when we took the Sani Pass up the Drakensberg into Lesotho, I have wanted to take my wife to see this special place. So we are just back from a …
