After breakfast we left KarMichael Farm for the Durban airport to fly to Capetown.

A last clearer view from our room at KarMichael.

Pond beyond the fence

Along our drive to Durban

There was an accident on the main highway we were coming in on and the highway was closed.  We didn’t know this soon enough to avoid it and got stuck on the highway about 4 kilometers from the accident without an exit before it.  We sat there for about an hour and a half.  We had left early, 6:45, to make our plane at 10:45.  It’s about a 2.5 hour drive.  It was clear this accident was going to keep us from making our plane so Greg got on the phone and finally got us rescheduled on a flight at 7:00.  It’s a 2 hour flight to Capetown and then another hour to where we were staying in Simon’s Town so it was going to be a late night.

Large Mall in Durban

 

In the meantime we had a day in Durban.  Our first stop was a sewage treatment plant.  If you’re not a birder you may not realize how many sewage treatment plants are frequented by birders.  Many of the plants create special boardwalks and viewing areas.  This one directed birders to an area with water where there were many ducks and waders.

These are from the sewage treatment plant.

It was very hot so we didn’t stay long before we moved to a shadier place.  This turned out to be Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve in the heart of an upscale urban area of Durban.

by the entrance

There were some new birds there.

Kurrichane Thrush

Thick-billed Weaver

There were lots of Vervet Monkeys at the entrance.  Apparently they can be a problem for the local homeowners. We had lunch nearby at a great restaurant with lots of fresh unusual salads and sandwiches.

This beautiful Jacaranda was near the restaurant.

Then we moved on to one more stop before the airport–the Hawaan Lagoon.  There was a path through forest where we found a Black-throated Wattle-eye and a

different millipede.

Then we came to a boardwalk across the Lagoon with lots of reeds.

And more Weavers building nests.

And a Speckled Mousebird was there too.

We made it to our destination for the next 2 nights–The Whale View–at about 10:30.  There had been much discussion about the next day as we were scheduled for a Pelagic boat trip for either Saturday or Sunday depending on weather.  The captain of the boat decided later in the evening that it was a go for Saturday so after a late night we had to get up early, have breakfast and be at the dock at 6:45.

The next morning we got up early and got to the dock on time.  It was raining but they insisted that wouldn’t last long and would be clear so we could still go.  BIG MISTAKE!

In the boat.

Looking out the bow.

It did sort of clear but instead of rain we got wind.  BIG wind! We went through swells that were 9 to 12 feet.  They threw us up and then dropped us down with a bang.  All the dramamine we took didn’t keep us from being seasick.  Of the 10 passengers on the boat all but two felt sick and at least 4 of us actually threw up. Denny was in the  stern to throw up over the rail and a big wave came along and threw him up in the air and down on the floor and splashed all over him and the camera.

This is the last picture taken on the camera which subsequently died.  We do have a small point and shoot camera so all pictures are not over, thank goodness.

When we turned around to go back the waves didn’t bother us but at that point we were too sick and cold to care.  We went back to our room and took a long hot shower.  It was about 2:00 and we all didn’t  get back together until dinner which I still wasn’t much interested in but managed a bowl of soup.  Denny wasn’t feeling as bad and had a little more to eat.

We did manage to see some seabirds however –2 Shearwaters, a Petrel and 3 Albatross so it wasn’t a total loss but I doubt we’ll be going on another Pelagic trip for a long time.