birds

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SAMREC Penguin Release

A couple of weeks ago I was very fortunate to be at a SAMREC penguin release at Hobie Beach here in Port Elizabeth.  The South African Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) is based at Cape Recife and their main aim is to save and rehabilitate the endangered African Penguins which are found on the islands in Algoa Bay.  Once the penguins have been rehabilitated they are released back into the bay to return to what is said to be the biggest breeding colony of African…

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22/12/2010
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Penguin release

The main objective of the South African Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) based at Cape Recife in Port Elizabeth is to save and rehabilitate the endangered African Penguins which is found on the islands in Algoa Bay.  Once the whole rehabilitation process is completed, the penguins are released back into the bay to return to their colonies.  I was very fortunate to be at such an event the other day where ten penguins were released.After the crates that they were transported in to the…

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08/12/2010
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Flamingoes

Greater Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus roseus) on the saltpans at Swartkops near the old Swartkops Power Station and the Marina Saltworks. 

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22/11/2010
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Old Power Station

The old Swartkops Power Station makes for a very unusual landmark where it stands next to the Swartkops River.  The power station came into operation in 1954 and was used by the Port Elizabeth Municipality to generate power until 1996 when ESKOM (South Africa's power utility) offered them electricity at a rate that couldn't be matched by themselves.  Today the power station with its six 76 meter high chimneys stand empty and nobody really knows what the plans are with…

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10/11/2010
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Birds at Jozi Zoo

Today I just want to post a couple of big bird photos I took at the Johannesburg Zoo to end of the Jozi Zoo trilogy of posts.The Greater Flamingoes (Phoenicopterus roseus) at Jozi Zoo has their own enclosure.A heron in the Buffalo enclosureOk, not quite a bird, but the angel... ... on top of the war memorial at the Military Museum next to the Johannesburg Zoo.  The memorial is visible from the top section of the zoo.

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20/10/2010
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V&A Clock Tower

Probably my favorite building at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town is the old Clock Tower.  Situated on the far side from the main shopping centre area, the Victorian Gothic-style Clock Tower has always been an icon of the old docks and has become an important focal point in the Waterfront's recent developments.  The building was originally the Port Captain's Office and was completed in 1882.

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22/09/2010
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African Penguin

St Croix Island in Algoa Bay is home to the biggest African Penguin colony in the world. Unfortunately the number of penguins on the island has drastically reduced over the last couple of years and the reason for this basically comes down to pollution and over fishing. SAMREC (SA Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre) at Cape Recife takes in marine animals and birds that is injured or effected by pollution and does a great job nursing and caring for them…

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03/09/2010
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Beach birds

A couple of kelp gulls on Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth with Shark Rock Pier and the old slipway at Humewood Beach background.

4 Comments
29/08/2010
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Hospital peacocks

The peacocks at the St Georges Hospital is become an institution over the years. I'm not sure where they originally came from, but they are always found in the hospital's gardens. Sometimes they venture down towards Settlers Park, but the safe bet for them is sticking around the hospital with its security guards. Its a common sight seeing the males show off their tail feathers during breeding season, but on the day I was there nobody wanted to oblige.Footnote: Traci…

3 Comments
16/07/2010
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Love dance

Ostriches pair up for life and during the mating season a male ostrich would do a love dance for his female. He would go down on his haunches, open his wings and sway from side to side to get her attention. Its always funny when you visit one of the ostrich show farms at Oudtshoorn and you get an ostrich approaching a group with their wings open and head down like this. Its probably similar to a love dance and…

4 Comments
06/07/2010