ARRIVAL

After several absurdly long flights we arrived in South Efrica [note phonetic spelling] and immediately transferred to our beach house in Hout Bay named the Beach House. It is a cool little place surrounded by white sand and with good views from some rooms to the beach and the impressive hills that surround the bay.

Of course this is a birding trip and soon, the Australian contingent at least, started birding. Kelp and Hartlaub's Gulls, Common and Swift [Crested] Terns, Cape and White breasted Cormorants, Speckled Pigeons, White-rumped Swifts, Rock Martins and White throated Swallows and Red winged Starlings plus Eurasian Starlings were added. Our mammal list kicked off as well with several bull fur seals.  

Afro-Australian Fur-seal [aka - Cape Furseal] plus Harlaub's Gull

Red-winged Starlings

Cape Cormorant

Enroute from the airport a few other spp were added; Glossy and Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Lapwing [or Plover], Black headed Heron, Egyptian Geese and perhaps most impressively, Greater Flamingoes.

BIRD OF THE DAY!! - Speckled Pigeon [V. Lee]