The Crags is definitely a tourist stop and boasts Monkey Land, Birds of Eden, and a Snake Sanctuary. Okay, that last one got our attention and we ask our host, Toni, about snakes. She calmly responds that, 'yes, we have them' but quickly assures us they don't come inside and, for the most part, are not to be feared. For the most part??? Think we'll stick with birds for our wildlife outing!
Turns out to be a wonderful choice and we spend a delightful couple of hours on a gorgeous sunny day in a huge bird sanctuary with the most colorful birds we're ever seen. This beauty greets us as soon as we walk through the plastic curtain entrance (no air-lock entry here). Try as I might to identify this in our 'Identification Guide' I was unsuccessful. Dubbed him the 'welcome bird'.
Not long after we meet our first golden pheasant - an absolute beauty!
This sanctuary is so well-designed; the birds are everywhere. There are feeding stations all along the elevated walkways, and the birds are so habituated to people it's like we're not even there.
Turns out to be a wonderful choice and we spend a delightful couple of hours on a gorgeous sunny day in a huge bird sanctuary with the most colorful birds we're ever seen. This beauty greets us as soon as we walk through the plastic curtain entrance (no air-lock entry here). Try as I might to identify this in our 'Identification Guide' I was unsuccessful. Dubbed him the 'welcome bird'.
Not long after we meet our first golden pheasant - an absolute beauty!
This sanctuary is so well-designed; the birds are everywhere. There are feeding stations all along the elevated walkways, and the birds are so habituated to people it's like we're not even there.
We saw a number of these - I checked off a Livingston toluca (think I got it right) - and they were quite happy to pose. This sanctuary was built in 2005 at a cost of 9 million rand and used unskilled workers from the local township of Kurland (a township is an entirely black community, and the workers then had skills that they were able to use in the construction industry). The sanctuary covers 2.1 hectares and is home to over 200 species of birds.
The original covering was supported by a mesh netting which weighed 80 tons. A few years later, fearing the weight of the netting was stressing the supporting beams, the original covering was replaced with one made out of stainless steel weighing a mere 8 tons. A shot of one of those beams and what our ID guide tells us is a von der Decken's hornbill - a male since he has a yellow beak tip and black cutting edge.
Many of these birds were actually abandoned domestic pets - parrots and such - that people no longer wanted or couldn't care for (think of the African grey that can live for upwards of 80 years and frequently pines away if their owner dies or can no longer care for them). We couldn't help but think this determined fellow was once domesticated. He seemed to be making a bid for going home with Paul by repeatedly trying to untie his shoelaces!
Another toluca. . .
A green-napped lorikeet at a feeding station . . .
And then the water birds which were a visual delight. A scarlet ibis seemed to be posing for us.
The extravagantly-colored Mandarin duck.
A flamingo who appears to be doing the Narcissus thing . . .
And a great grey heron.
One of the suspension bridges over the tropical regions below.
And the last, but perhaps the most fun, observation was this nesting tree within feet of the waterside cafe where we ended our visit with coffee and a sweet. We watched the parent birds dealing with what were obviously two adolescents. One of teens actually took off while we were there, made it to the water's edge and then looked longingly back at the nesting tree as if to say 'what do I do now?'
Our other nature excursion was on the Titsitkamma National Park trail - a short hike to 'the Big Tree'. When we got there, the four of us looked at each other and went 'well duh'. Yes, it's old, kinda big, not identified as to type, and after you've seen really big trees in the California redwood forest, this was a big ho hum. What do you think?
The real treat was still in store. Headed up the narrow country road to our charming cottage in the woods, Paul abruptly brakes, and the four of us are positively gobsmacked. For a second or two, we are so stunned we can't believe what we are seeing: a baboon family group! Yes, this is a rural setting, but it is not a game park. There are several lodgings close together, a number of private homes, a horse facility, and a lot of people just out and about, walking their dogs, and doing stuff that country people do.
And these fellow primates are just out, lounging about, doing what baboons do (no dog walking).
A couple of young ones hangin' in the branches of a tree . . .
And this big fella makes his way across the road right in front of us!!
Absolutely amazing!!!
I'll close this post with a bird-related item; there were several of these on our cottage porch, and the birds loved them.
This has to be the most ingenious bird feeder we've ever seen. Definitely having a go at making one of these when we get home.
