My early morning cycle ride in the Cape Point reserve came to a halt as I came across a large family of ostriches. Pa flapped his wings at me so I backed off to watch at a distance. The adults are protective of their young and there were at least 12 chicks.
Pa returned to foraging and I noticed that he was feeding on the showy Trachyandra hirsutiflora, a plant which generally flowers after fire. The tall flower spikes bear multiple white flowers on a headlike raceme and the hairy fruits are bunched below.
The young are well camouflaged against the sandy background and have the same graceful gait of the adults.
A close-up of the flowers, Trachyandra hirsutiflora (Veldkool).
The chick is eating one of the fruits from the Trachyandra hirsutiflora.
The parting shot shows the comparative size between adult and chick as the last chick follows the female over the rise.
Nature on the Edge 
Crazy big birds!
Wow, cool encounter! I wouldn’t want to mess with an angry male ostrich. They can probably run faster than you can bike! 😉
True!! They get up to running speeds of 70 km.
What a lovely sight to come across and beautifully captured Liz 🙂
Thanks Jude, every week thete’s a new ‘player’ coming up to bloom . 🙂
Thanks for sharing this wonderful perspective.
Nice comment, thanks Steve.
Wise to keep a safe distance from them feet.
For sure 🙂
What a fascinating piece as always Liz and a wonderful encounter!
Thanks Jane :).
What a lovely way to start the day! The flower is interesting too, it looks a little similar to the asphodels that grow in Spain.
Yes, what a way to start the day – especially if spiced with a little adrenalin – never quite know what/who i’ll encounter out there on my bicycle! I googled the asphodels, amazing that they are so similar.
Amazing ! I love the picture of the ostrich and the chicks on the road. I’d love to see that scene for real.
Yes amazing and also a tad adrenalin enriching… again out cycling this morning I came across the whole family and counted 15 chicks. The adults are really protective, jittery so i made off in the other direction.
How lucky you were to see these ostriches on your ride. The photos are amazing, LIz. Love the pretty wild flower too. 🙂