Female pied kingfisher resting on a jetty. Kowie River, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2022) - iNaturalist A large, black-and-white kingfisher, with a long, black bill and short crest. Male has a double breast band, while female has a single, incomplete breast band.Juveniles like females, but with the feathers from chin to breast edged buff. 23… Continue reading Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)
Tag: Eastern Cape
Goliath heron (Ardea goliath)
Goliath heron cruising in the shallows. Kowie River, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2022) - iNaturalist The largest heron, with a massive, heavy bill. Rich chestnut brown head, neck and underparts, which recall the much smaller purple heron. Unstriped head and blackish legs and bill. In flight, the huge, broad wings beat slowly and deeply. Juveniles… Continue reading Goliath heron (Ardea goliath)
Yellow-billed duck (Anas undulata)
Couple of yellow-billed ducks synchronously swimming on a farm dam. The Walsingham Farm, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024). A dark brown with a distinctive, bright yellow bill with a black saddle. Blue-green speculum narrowly edged with white and grey underwings in flight. Pale feather edges give it a scaled appearance at close range.Sexes virtually alike,… Continue reading Yellow-billed duck (Anas undulata)
Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
Adult grey heron cruising the river in search of food. Kowie River, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2022) - iNaturalist A large, greyish heron of wetland habitats. Told in flight by its uniform grey underwing. Adult has mostly white head and neck, with black eye stripe ending in a wispy plume. Foreneck streaked black, with broad,… Continue reading Grey heron (Ardea cinerea)
Southern periwinkle (Afrolittorina knysnaensis)
Gang of Southern periwinkles hiding in a rock crack. Port Alfred, Eastern Cape (2024) - iNaturalist Aperture rounded and closed by a transparent, horny operculum. Shell smooth, with a short conical spire. Colour from flecked brown with a dark ring around each coil to almost pure black. Usually under 10 mm. Congregates in crevices, or… Continue reading Southern periwinkle (Afrolittorina knysnaensis)
Chili pepper sponge (Tedania anhelans)
Probable specimen of chili pepper sponge on the side of a rock pool, surrounded by a mat of Spirobranchus kraussii. Port St Johns, Wild Coast, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Reddish-brown, also reported as orange-green or blueish. Massive sponge with conical oscular elevations, and thinner blind-ending fistules and projections. Surface smooth, consistency soft, compressible and… Continue reading Chili pepper sponge (Tedania anhelans)
Cape false-limpet (Siphonaria capensis)
Two Cape false-limpets (Siphonaria capensis) in a shallow rock pool. Mosselbaai, Western Cape (2022) - iNaturalist Apex of the shell almost central. Outline oval but slightly swollen on the right to accommodate a siphon that extends outwards from the lung cavity. About 40-50 low, flat ribs that are roughly equal in size and scarcely project,… Continue reading Cape false-limpet (Siphonaria capensis)
Marine springtail (Anurida maritima)
Springtail cruising on a rock surface. Doringbaai, Western Cape (2020) - iNaturalist Minute, mauve-coloured, six-legged, wingless creatures, covered in short waxy hairs. About 2-3 mm. During high tides, shelters in air pockets under rocks and shells, or in crevices. Emerges during low tide to scavenge, sometimes congregating around dead or dying animals. Often seen floating… Continue reading Marine springtail (Anurida maritima)
Mauve sea cucumber (Pentacta doliolum)
Contracted mauve sea cucumber found under a boulder. Old Woman's River, Eastern Cape (2021) - iNaturalist Body tough. Upper surface mauve-black, becoming pale grey on the flattened underside. Tubefeet strongly suctorial and restricted to five regular bands, each consisting of a double row. Ten irregularly-branched tentacles. A filter-feeder which forms dense beds on shallow reefs… Continue reading Mauve sea cucumber (Pentacta doliolum)
Pondoland river crab (Potamonautes danielsi)
Crab hoping to intimidate its handler. Assegaai Trails, Eastern Cape (2020) - iNat Purple, reddish-brown or greenish-brown carapace, fairly uniform in color. Tips of dactyli - the part of the legs that touch the ground - and chelipeds usually displaying a lighter orange color. Smooth to lightly granulated carapace at the flanks and epibranchial regions.… Continue reading Pondoland river crab (Potamonautes danielsi)
F*CK FISH 