Peninsula

Work on the peninsula continued, and having a photographer on hand has been awesome!

Stimulating conversation? Photograph by Shirley Van de Voorde.

Fieldworkers. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

African Spoonbills. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Greater Flamingoes. Photograph by Suzete Witteveen.

White-fronted Plover. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Kelp Gull, nibbling a leg. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Sedgefield

While my family was here we carved out some time to visit Sedgefield where we went to a spectacular, somewhat secluded beach for a walk and picnic dinner. It was a wonderful time! We walked, collected a large number of a variety of shells, and had a delicious dinner while watching the sun set over the ocean. The fact that I was able to share that with my family made it perfect!

A beautiful place indeed! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Dad investigating the floor. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

With my favourite brother! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Rock pools are really interesting! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Oystercatcher awesomeness

We had a wonderful morning of oystercatchers, I got some awesome photos of a foraging adult finding breakfast for the family. We then found one of the first hatched chicks, much excitement about that! The parents were quite agitated and so it was a good chance for a photo session.

Breakfast.

What a cutie!

A watchful pair of parents.

Fynbos ringing

Fynbos ringing is always a good morning out, and much to my dads delight he was here for a session of ringing! We caught a good number of birds of a variety of species, and dad got a number of ringing lifers, a happy day!

Dad ringing a honeyguide while Michelle watches. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Shirley extracting birds. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Paradise Flycatcher. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Olive Thrush. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Cape Grassbird. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork continues even on the wildly windy days, though we don't stay out too long!

Breakfast buffet! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Happy fieldworker with our motor boats! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Just a little windy! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Gulls +1! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Hazards of working with gulls. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Lookout

Having extra hands around makes fieldwork easier and faster, and so we were able to spend more time trapping birds. We managed to catch another cautious oystercatcher and ringed it, and spent some time enjoying the beach!

Starting a morning's fieldwork. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Enjoying the beach! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Another Oyc caught, and now with a colour ring. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

An interesting Oyc eye.

Beautiful birds!

White-fronted Plover. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Little Egret. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Cooling down after a successful morning! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Hello world!

Water Thick-knee chick.

Party on the peninsula

Our expanded research team headed over to the peninsula, mostly appropriately attired. Nic and Mom wandered the beach looking for shells, while Dad, Shirley and I got down to business! Mom and Nic were not at all interested in coming into the colony where the likelihood of being pooed on, and hit on the head, was quite high! Mom became the official project photographer and got some amazing action shots!

Shirley being mobbed! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

An angry bird! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

A close one! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Sanderlings. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

A beautiful Caspian Tern! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Penguin peril

My family made the trek from Westville to Plett to spend 2 weeks with me, happiness! But of course birds don't stop breeding because I have guests and so I gained 3 helpers. On the first trip to Robberg we came across an adult African Penguin that didn't seem to be doing so well. We shaded it and decided to continue with what we came to do and check on the bird on our way back. Fieldwork is so much easier with a dedicated helper! Dad was the best field appy and made my work so much faster! After checking on all the nests, including one with the first chick of the colony, we headed back to the beach, and the penguin. It was still there and looking decidedly listless. We put it into a backpack to make the half hour hike back to the car. From there it went to Tenikwa, and then on to SANCCOB, and hopefully was released back into the wild.

My fieldwork site, the island. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Adult African Penguin.

Shirley on her way to fieldwork on the island. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Dad and I hard at work. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

On the edge. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Happy to have my dad here! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

First chick for Robberg!

These birds breed in the extremes. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Hot hot hot! Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Gathering the penguin to be put into the backpack. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Starting the walk back, penguin on dad's back. Photograph by Suzette Witteveen.

Sanderlings

I have thoroughly enjoyed the other species that are found on the peninsula, and these Sanderlings are especially wonderful! Watching these little birds forage is always an entertaining episode! It is terribly easy to get distracted while out and about supposed to be doing fieldwork..