This trip report was provided by Graeme Hatley.
The morning started with low visibility in the cold mist. Despite not being able to see much, I did hear the birds calling from the fields around me. The ever-present Egyptian Goose honked in the distance; a group of Pied Starlings squawked just a bit further up the road; and a Large-billed Lark called out from the adjacent field.
I slowly made my way along the road, listening for any other calls and hoping to get a sighting of something close by in the mist. To my surprise one the first birds I encountered was a Karoo Korhaan. This is the closest I’ve encountered them to Stanford.
As the morning progressed the sun burned off the mist. The visibility, and birding, got significantly better. I can’t recall encountering so many Agulhas Long-billed Larks in such a short section. Some of the other LBJs included a Plain-backed Pipit and Red-capped Lark.
Approximately half-way to Klipdale I came across a Spotted Eagle-Owl. It was on a fence post alongside the road, but was quickly spooked by my arrival and flew down to a much more photogenic location on some rocks by a small pool.
By the time I got to Klipdale the sun was out and high. As the temperatures warmed I headed back via Napier and picked up Southern Black Korhaan en route. That was a good ending to a chilly, but successful, morning out!