Greater Flamingo scientifically classified as ‘phoenicopterus roseus’

They appear mostly white at rest.                                                                                                                                                     

In flight you can clearly see the salmon- pink on the wings and the black flight feathers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

This is the larger of the two African flamingos.They have very long legs and neck.

The face and bill are pale pink with a black bill tip.                                                                                                                            

What a pleasure to observe this beautiful flock enjoying new feeding grounds as the Bot River Lagoon fills up.

My husband and I spotted this magnificient adult Black Shouldered Kite sitting on a telephone pole on our way to the Bot River Lagoon mouth with a dead rodent clutched firmly in its claws.

You can clearly see the grey and white feathers, distinctive black shoulder patches and striking red eyes with beautiful white tail.

This beautiful open- country raptor often perches on telephone poles and lines and hunts from these high up positions mainly for small diurnal rodents. It also hunts by hovering and then parachuting onto prey with wings forming a deep V

What an awesome privilege and great opportunity we have to get close to nature and experience the wild endangered African Penguin – ‘Spheniscus demersus ‘

The sad reality that demands awareness; 

In September 2010, The African Penguin was added to the USA Endangered Species Act.

It has been said that of the millions that existed years later in 2010, the number was estimated to be around 55,000.

>Commercial Fisheries have forced the penguins to search for food farther off shore eating less nutritious prey.

>Global warming has also had an impact on the food source.

>Oil spills.

>Guano was removed for use as fertilizer, eliminating the burrow material used by the penguins.

>Up until recently, ( mid twentieth century) the eggs were considered a delicacy and being collected for sale.

This is the only penguin that breeds in Africa.

Stony Point, in Betty’s Bay Marine Protected Area is a rare land based breeding colony which was discovered in 1982.

The board walk takes you through the colony so you can witness first hand how these magnificent creatures go about their daily activity;frolicking, fishing, diving, swimming,basking in the sun and doing what penguins do best.

Take a jacket or wind breaker along when visiting.

Interesting Facts:

*The African Penguin is also known as the Black foot penguin or Jackass penguin because of its donkey- like braying call.

(Illustration: Kate Boyes  Photo: Joan Ward)

*Size: Height = 65cm – males are slightly bigger than females

*Mass: 3.1kg – female  3.6kg – male

* Start breeding at 4 years old and lay two eggs.

*Food: pilchards, anchovies, herrings, sardines, squid and small crustaceans.

* Able to dive 130m but on average to 30m holding their breath for about 2,5 min.

*Lifespan: 10 to 11 years, many live as long as 20 years and the oldest known was 27 years

*The feathers insulate penguins from the cold but deteriorate and need to be replaced annually.

At Stony Point they molt in November and December.

              (Photo: Joan Ward)

*The average swimming speed is said to be 7 km per hour but I have heard hear say of them being able to reach 10 – 19 km per hour hunting or to escape danger.