Page 18 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 8 2024

NATURE

SEARCHING FOR LARKS AND OTHER L.B.Js IN
THE NORTHERN CAPE

ur first port of call was park to the Oranjekom view sight where northeast of Pofadder is the very impressive
Augrabies Falls National Park, we saw a Verreaux’s Eagle, and then to Konkoonsies solar power plant which has
where we were booked for an Echo corner. Rock Agamas were often 40,000 solar panels covering 30 hectares
overnight stay. After checking seen, as were Klipspringers. Another of land and generates 11 megawatts of
Oin to our well-appointed interesting sighting was a Rinkhals power. This is enough energy to power some
chalets, we walked along the boardwalk to spitting Cobra which I photographed from 5000 average homesteads. Overnight was
the falls viewing spot. The word Augrabies is a safe distance. spent in the very comfortable Pofadder
derived from the Khoi word meaning ‘place Hotel.
of noise’ and indeed the falls can be heard The next morning we set off towards the
long before one catches one’s first glimpse. town of Pofadder, situated on the main On our way to Springbok, Dantes took a
When the Orange River is in flood, the N14 road, but just before the town our gravel road in the Aggeneys district to the
falls are the sixth largest in the world and guides deviated north along a gravel road only farm water trough for miles around.
even at this dryer time in April, they were a to Onseepkans on the Orange River and Here we spent some two hours watching
splendid sight. bordering Namibia. Here we searched for birds come and go, attracted by the only
the Rosy-faced Lovebird which we eventually fresh water in the otherwise parched
Birds seen around the chalets and in the found in a nest under the road bridge landscape. Interesting sightings included
park included Mountain Wheatear, Black- spanning the Orange River. Other birds Grey-backed Sparrow Lark, White-
chested Prinia, Red-eyed Bulbul, Swallow- seen in areas around Pofadder included throated Canary, Sociable Weavers and
tailed Bee-eater and Karoo Scrub-Robin. Black-eared Sparrowlark, Ludwig’s Bustard, two area specials - the Red Lark and
Dantes and Dennis drove us around the Karoo Chat and Rock Martin. Just 32km Sclater’s Lark.

16 DPL issue 8 2024