Cape Peninsula in One Day

Cape Peninsula is a rocky peninsula that juts out into the the Atlantic Ocean. Cape Town, South Africa and Table Mountain are on the northern end of the peninsula..At its southern end is the Cape of Good Hope, the most south western point on the continent of Africa..The Cape of Good Hope, formerly the Cape of Storms was named for the hope engendered by opening up an eastern route to India. 

Cape Town & Table Mountain with "Table Cloth"
Best view I got, as weather quickly closed in.

Satellite image of Cape Peninsula
courtesy of Wikipedia

How was I to see this peninsula? Drive myself on winding roads on the left-hand side..um..no..Take a standard tour in a minivan and not be able to stop for pictures when I wanted to, no, not that either. With luck I found James Gradwell, a South African native who guides personal photo tours..Voila! Perfect! 

James Gradwell, photo guide extraordinaire http://www.photographytours.co.za/about.php

We drove along the western coast & False Bay.. .and stopped at three village "suburbs" of Cape Town.  False Bay is a true bay, but not Table Bay, and sailors sometimes got confused.

The beach huts at Muizenberg..everybody photographs these,
you've probably seen them before

I would have liked to stay awhile..

Next stop Kalk Bay, a fishing village

Where the Eared Seals lounge in wait for fish scraps

On to Simontown and Boulder Beach, famous for its colony of Jackass Penguins.The first area we stopped at is where most view the penguins..

I am not a jackass, I just bray like a donkey
..and my eyes are closed

It's beautiful where I live..

I have lots of friends..

Keeping an egg warm

From the main beach, we walked to Boulder Beach...

Spying Rock Hyrax along the way
..thanks to Jame's keen eye

You can see why it's called Boulder Beach

Time to say goodbye

We had been racing the weather all day, tho' the blue skies don't make it seem that way, and after lunch the clouds were closing in..Time to head to the Cape of Good Hope

We stop for Dolphins! Those are Cormorants on the rock

And beautiful views, 'Dolphin Rock' in the far distance

We finally reached the Cape Point portion of Table Mountain National Park, a wild and rocky promontory covered with endemic Cape Fynbos, or native heath/shrub land. It is home to wildlife such as Baboons, Ostriches and Zebra. I saw Ostriches, but did not get a clear picture..

Why did the baboon cross the road?

To eat some heather

Heading off for the evening

The day was ending, and Cape Point was fogged in, so rather than continue to the very point, James and I opted to stop at the Cape of Good Hope & then take cloudy sunset pictures of the wild and rocky coast. 

I practiced a technique James had taught me
and took my first "silky water" shots.

A beautiful end to an exhilarating day.
Look in the far left corner, to see James at work

The Bird of Time has but a little way

To fly..and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing ~ Omar Khayyam-Rubaiyat

Wekiwa Springs State Park

Wekiwa River

Comprising 7.800 acres, including the springs that bubble up to form the headwaters of the Wekiva River, this state park offers a glimpse of what Central Florida might have looked like when Timucuan Indians lived there. More recently though, Creeks and Seminoles occupied the land. These acres are surrounded by innumerable housing developments,whose residents are surprised to see the occasional Black Bear who wanders out of the park..


Wekiwa Springs is a popular swimming, hiking and kayaking destination. I have been there many times, but have never explored properly, nor did I this time..Orlando visits revolve around family.. and this was the first time for nature photography..by foot and by kayak.. 

Brown Anole, a non-native
out-competing the native Green Anoles

Alligator Lillies (Hymenocallis palmeri) were in bloom along the river. 

My first ever close look at a Red Shouldered Hawk

See the eponymous red shoulders?

The Little Blue Herons were numerous and friendly

Curious at the bridge over the swimming hole..

More regal on the river

Intent on fishing

Success!

My time on the river had been short,
but full of wonders

The next evening, I found time for a brief walk along one of the trails..

Sand Pine Scrub Land

Palmetto & Scrub Pine are the dominant species

Lichen on the pines..light was fading..

Time to squirrel myself away (Fox Squirrel)

One does not sell the land the people walk on~ Crazy Horse

Build it & They Will Come: Orlando Wetlands Park

Often when I travel, I look first and ask questions later. This preserves an element of discovery and surprise. My first impression of Orlando Wetlands Park was that of a pre-historic landscape. I was soon absorbed by the scads of birds, like a kid in a candy store; at one point the Vermillion Flycatcher I had seen "advertised" at the entrance flew right by me! So, it was much later that I read the park brochure..


According to the brochure: "Orlando Wetlands Park represents the first large-scale man-made wetland designed to treat reclaimed water and provide wildlife habitat". From the plethora of birds-in-residence, it would seem that they have been..um..wildly successful. This is hopeful..as we may indeed be able to restore a semblance of the wild places we have destroyed.

There were Black Vultures.

E-Gadwall.. a two headed duck!

A pair of Sandhill Cranes.

Heading to visit the vultures..

Who soon left the scene

Heh, heh..

Savannah Sparrows flitted in nearby brush.

A Common Moor Hen..

Or two..

Uncommonly beautiful.

As I wandered, dusk approached..

Now what is this? A Limpkin I later learned, a life bird, very tame, and unconcerned with me..

I have way too many pictures of this Limpkin

As I've mentioned: pre-historic landscape

Why did the Tricolor Heron cross the road?

A covey of Coots heads off one by one..

Dusk is in the wind

And on the wing..

Female Boat Tailed Grackle in the fading light

And her mate.. I'm blurry, but don't you love my blue hue?

An Anhinga roosts for the night

Sun is setting

Cormorants settle in, and the vultures too..

Good night Gracie..

I come more and more to the conclusion, that wilderness, in America or anywhere else, is the only thing worth saving ~ Edward Abbey