Family Camping weekend

25 - 27 October 2025 - AlMega, Dinokeng

We had planned a family camping weekend to one of our favourite camping sites hardly an hour from home without traffic.

AlMega is a well managed and maintained camp site with electricity in the heart of the Dinokeng with lawned sites along with firewood and ice available daily.

Birdlife is pretty abundant with many species visiting the camp sites and others seen on walks around the perimeter. Some of our camp visitors included mixed bird parties foraging on the lawn - Arrow-marked Babbler's

Arrow-marked Babbler (Turdoides jardineii)

Southern Pied Babbler - the bush snowball

Southern Pied Babbler (Turdoides bicolor)

and Red-billed Buffalo Weavers whose numbers have increased since our last visit, also considered one of the small 5.

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver (Bubalornis niger)

There were numerous Cuckoo's and I was able to find a half obliging Red-chested

Red-chested Cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius)

Walking around the site over the 2-days, I also had Crimson-breasted Shrike

Crimson-breasted Shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus)

Neddicky

Neddicky (Cisticola fulvicapilla)

Cardinal Woodpecker

Female Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicos fuscescens)

And Willow Warbler

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

I heard a commotion of angry birds and saw them all scolding a Pearl-spotted Owlet in an Acacia Tree - here it is showing its 'false eyes'

Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum) with Southern Pied Babbler and Southern Masked Weaver

The Owl flew off - but I was able to relocate it with thanks to this Southern Pied Babbler shouting its head off from the top of a tree

Southern Pied Babbler (Turdoides bicolor)

The Owl was unfazed though, in thicker cover

Pearl-spotted Owlet (Glaucidium perlatum)

The Southern Pied Babblers were quite prolific and I had some more photo opportunities with them on one of the mornings

Southern Pied Babbler (Turdoides bicolor)

Whilst sitting around the fire, we had a pair of Lesser Bushbabies come through the tree above us

Lesser Bushbaby (Galago senegalensis)

We also had a resident Tree (Blue-headed) Agama on the lawns between our tents - this male did put on a show

Male Southern Tree Agama (Acanthocercus atricollis)

A Dragonfly couple that I still need to ID

Male Dragonfly sp.

Female Dragonfly sp.

Looking forward to camping again at this site in 2025