Atlasville, 29 May 2007
Paid 2 very quick visits to the exploration site in the Hotazel area in the past month. First visit was on 30th April, arriving 4pm and leaving the following morning. I timed my departure very well, driving past the main waterhole at 09:45 as +/-40 Burchell’s Sandgrouse flew in for their morning drink – joining a solitary pair of Namaqua Sandgrouse that were already there.
One pair, quite uncharacteristically – as my previous experience in this area is that they are very skittish – walked towards my bakkie, getting to within 10m, affording me my best shots yet of this species.
I returned this morning from the second overnight trip. Late yesterday afternoon there was a fair bit of bird activity around the exploration yard and I managed to get photos of Fork-tailed Drongo, Kalahari Scrub Robin, Chestnut-vented Warbler, Familiar Chat and Short-toed Rock Thrush.
