Sorry for the delay but we did not have a internet connection so here is a summary of the last couple of days. The trip to Welkom was uneventful, all the roads were good with a LOT of cars broken down on the shoulder. Met up with old friends and played golf at Oppies with…
Month: February 2020
Day 17 – Pretoria
Not much happening today, resting before going down to Welkom to meet old friends. Spent the morning, as usual, birding in the backyard and then to Austin Roberts to look for the Black Heron. Had the windscreen of the Pajero replaced. I know, I know, unnecessary details. https://lightedfeathers.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Black-Heron-by-UvdW.mp4 Video of Black Heron by Ursula van…
Day 11 – 16
A lot happened but nothing dramatic, everything kinda went to plan, with some plans working out better than the original plan. We got to Orlando Airport on time, flight to London via Charlotte, NC and spent eight hours layover in Heathrow to get on the flight to South Africa, both flights with extra legroom, which…
Day Ten – Panama City Beach, FL to The Villages, FL
We spent three days on a beautiful beach, with some South African OT friends, Amelia and Delores, have been in the States aboutt as long as we have,starting off working for the same company (Atlas Therapy). It is great how you can just pick up where you left off, not having seen them in 25…
Day Seven – Biloxi, MS – Panama City, FL
For once we left when the sun was already up and did a little birding along the way, had lunch in Alabama and arrived at our weekend house in Panama City, FL. Looking forward to meeting old friends and relaxing for the weekend. Total mileage to date 2737 with about 250 to go on Monday…
Day Six – Lafayette, LA – Biloxi, MS
Got a bit of a later than usual start this morning, ans spent two hours birding along the Atchafalaya Swamp, the largest river swamp in the US. Got a new lifer,#761- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Now in Biloxi, Mississippi with wonderful white beaches and no people. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker…
Day Five – Columbus, TX to Lafayette, LA
We started early, still dark with Ingrid driving and me doing the navigation, we managed to see the other side of Houston two hours after we started, we then headed toward the Louisiana Coast. We managed to get a Roseate Spoonbill and then later on about twenty of them with about 2000 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. A…
Day Four – Van Horn TX to Columbus TX
Day Four was spent basically just driving through the vast state of Texas, (about 70% of the size of South Africa), We drove 564 miles today and did not stop for birding along the way. We stayed on the I10 East all day long, with a little stesful time through San Antonio. I can just…
Day Three – Gila Bend, AZ to Van Horn, TX
Today we pushed it,559 miles, but not before picking up a lifer along the way in Tucson, AZ. #760 = Abert’s Towhee, We saw an amazing sunset over the Great Western Sky, in Van Horn tonight. Day Three Route Lifer #760 – Abert’s Towhee Vermillion Flycatcher (not a lifer but always a welcome sight) Rock…
Day Two – 29 Palms to Gila Bend, AZ
Day Two started with aband in Joshua Tree National Park wit me adding three lifers to my birding list, 757 – Verdin, 758 – Cactus Wren and 759 – Black-throated Sparrow. We experienced some amazing plants, the Cholla Cactus, in which the Cactus Wren makes a nest, Joshua Trees and Ocotillo. Took an interesting back-road…