Back in the swing

Different hiking group, same walk. We did the Silvermine River walk from the car park up to the dam, always a pleasant one and especially in summer when the shade from the tall trees is most welcome. This has turned out to be a particularly mild January, without the fierce heat we are used to, and long may it continue. Thin cloud overhead also kept the temperature down, and we even extended the hike a little by going around the dam instead of just across the wall. What a peaceful and pleasant place to be of a morning!
The rustic and rocky picnic sites were empty as kids are back at school, but a few brave youngsters were having a dip on the other side - I suspect the water was cold as they didn't exactly leap in. Yellow-billed ducks came to say hello as we crossed the bridge over the blooming waterlilies and we watched the blue dragonflies and small red ones as they hovered around over the flowers. A lone cormorant sat on a signpost, waiting for lunch.
This is not the best time of year for fynbos flowers, but we were still treated to some showy watsonias, protea cynaroides buds just waiting to burst, dark pink ericas and a beautiful little aristea dichotoma. Didn't have my camera, so no photos. You cannot win.
Best of all was a wonderful sighting of a pair of Cape Batis, delightful curious little birds with striking colouring and not at all nervous. Many other birds calling, but not clever enough to identify.