Northern Farms

[Connection]

Hello all

 

Have started riding more regularly at Northern Farms and have a few questions:

 

1. What time does it open and what time does it close?
2. Is there somewhere that has a map of the rides and which routes are closed to bikes etc?
3. Why are some routes closed to bikes? I can understand the horse trails area being closed to riders but for example, the dam walls seem closed off too.  I used to love riding along there and checking out the ducks etc.

On a related topic, for those that are into that sort of thing, some "cool" birds and animals i have spotted there in the last few weeks are:

 

• Black backed jackals and 2 pups (5 metres away from pups!)
• A HUGE leguaan - must have been close to 2 metres and seen quite a few smaller ones
• Purple Gallinule
• Half-collared kingfisher
• Great crested Grebe
• Maccoa Duck
• Whitewinged Widow
• Fish Eagle
• Spoonbill

Lots of other "ordinary" birds of course.  Seen some big barbel too plus saw some kind of goose (not a Gypo) that I couldn't find in the bird guide.  Looked like a Pygmy Goose in colours but bigger. 

 

What other "cool" things have others seen?

 

Cheers

 

[dirtrider]

I also always see lotsa birds there ! Did not know somebody named them !!

[Cois]

Jip and there is also lots of ants.  My sack still hurts.  Maybe that is why I am walking funny today...

[RockCoach]

This should answer some of your questions:

http://www.northernfarm.co.za/index.html

 

 

 

[Connection]

Thnks Slick.  I was hoping something more useful than Cois and Dirtrider's comments might be forthcoming - not that I am not enthralled by the physical wellbeing of Cois' scrotum and the fauna that is found in his groin area.  :-)

 

Do others feel that there are too many areas closed off to cyclists?  I am a bird watcher and I don't believe I would mind having the odd bike coming past whilst I am watching.  I mean these are not dirt bikes/scramblers.  They (should be) quiet.

 

[Cois]

I found that while birding a bike now and then isn't that bad.  I usualy go to Groenkloof and others in PTA.  The true bird bloke hate anyting that might scare away a bird eg a bright object moving at speed.

[madcyclist]

On the 24th Nov - Bird Life's Birding day spotted the following at NF:

Pied Crow

Pied Starling

Greater Striped Swallow

White-throated Swallow

African Stonechat

Great Egret

Helmeted Guineafowl

African Black Duck

Red-knobbed Coot

African Darter

Yellow-billed Duck

Steppe Buzzard

Wood Sandpiper

Long-crested Eagle

Amethyst Sunbird

Swainson's Spurfowl

Reed Cormorant

Red-collared Widowbird

Blacksmith Lapwing

African Wattled Lapwing

Southern Red Bishop

Three-banded Plover

Little Grebe

Southern Masked-Weaver

Great Crested Grebe

White-winged Widowbird

Little Egret

Black-headed Heron

White-breasted Cormorant

Southern Pochard

Common Moorhen

Red-crested Pochard

African Fish Eagle

Gabar Goshawk

Spur-winged Goose

Pin-tailed Whydah

Pink-billed Lark

Speckled Pigeon

Black Sparrowhawk

Red-breasted Swallow

Cape Turtle-Dove

Crested Barbet

Red-faced Mousebird

Yellow-fronted Canary

Cattle Egret

Green-backed Heron

Pied Kingfisher

Pale Flycatcher

Grey Go-away-bird

 

 

[Troi Sport]

I saw some naked nutcases on bikes this weekend

quiet rare, I believe

[Joe Low]

I found that while birding a bike now and then isn't that bad.  I usualy go to Groenkloof and others in PTA.  The true bird bloke hate anyting that might scare away a bird eg a bright object moving at speed.

 

Should be ok then  Hubbers are not that fast, & not that bright.

 

 

Joe Low2007-12-03 09:38:42