Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
Pearl-spotted Owlet |
Lawson’s Birding and Wildlife Tours
P O Box 16849
West Acres, Nelspruit
Mpumalanga, South Africa 1211
Tel : +27 13 741 2458
Email : info@lawsons.co.za
Web : www.lawsons.co.za
Temperature Range: 10 – 35 Degrees Celsius
Total Birds Seen: 310
Total Mammals Seen: 40
Bird of the Trip: Pearl-spotted Owlet; Bateleur and Southern Ground Hornbill.
Note:
The species mentioned in the report are only some of the species seen at each locality. Please refer to detailed checklists at end of the report for all species seen on this specific tour.
Trip Breakdown
Day 1: Sunday, 15th November 20097 ~ Dullstroom
Route: Johannesburg to Dullstroom.
Weather: Partly cloudy and mild, thick mist PM.
Temperature range: 16 - 28˚C.
Day 2: Monday, 16th November 2009 ~ Dullstroom
Route: district roads in the Dullstroom region.
Weather: cool, misty with light rain at times.
Temperature range: 10 – 15˚C.
Day 3: Tuesday, 17th November 2009 ~ Blyde River Canyon
Route: Dullstroom to the Blyde River Canyon via Mount Sheba and the Taita Falcon eyrie.
Weather: cool and misty.
Temperature range: 10 - 18˚C.
Day 4: Wednesday, 18th November 2009 ~ Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, KNP
Route: Blyde Canyon to Pretoriuskop via Phabeni Gate.
Weather: cool and cloudy.
Temperature range: 13 - 20˚C.
Day 5: Thursday, 19TH November 2009 ~ Skukuza Rest Camp, KNP
Route: Pretoriuskop to Skukuza.
Weather: cool and rainy.
Temperature range: 13 - 17˚C.
Day 6: Friday, 20th November 2009 ~ Skukuza Rest Camp, KNP
Route: Drives in the Skukuza region.
Weather: cool and rainy.
Temperature range: 15 – 19˚C.
Day 7: Saturday, 21st November 2009 ~ Satara Rest Camp, KNP
Route: Skukuza to Satara.
Weather: cool with rain in the morning.
Temperature range: 15 - 20˚C.
Day 8: Sunday, 22ND November 2009 ~ Satara Rest Camp, KNP
Route: Drives in the Satara region.
Weather: clear and hot.
Temperature range: 18 - 30˚C.
Day 9 to 12: Monday, 23RD to Thursday 26th November 2009 ~ Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Route: Satara to Elephant Plains Game Lodge; game drives in the reserve.
Weather: partly cloudy and hot.
Temperature range: 18 - 31˚C.
Day 13: Friday, 27th November 2009 ~ Nelspruit
Route: Nkorho Bush Lodge to Nelspruit and Kaapsehoop.
Weather: partly cloudy AM; rain and mist PM.
Temperature range: 17 - 28˚C.
Day 14: Saturday 28th November 2009 ~ Departure
Route: Nelspruit to Johannesburg.
Weather: cool and overcast.
Temperature range: 16 - 24˚C.
Daily Report
Day 1: Sunday 15th November 2009.
I met Janet, Alan and Ellie at the Green Palms Guest House near O. R. Tambo International Airport at a respectable nine o’clock in the morning, kicking off the tour on a partly cloudy and warm Highveld morning. We soon loaded up all the luggage and photographic equipment into our VW Caravelle and headed eastwards out of the city into the maize and extensive beef farming regions of western Mpumalanga. Our first major stop was at a small, shallow pan not far off the highway, which gave us a good start to the bird list indeed. Significant birds recorded here included Black-necked Grebe, Yellow-billed Egret, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Greater Flamingo, Cape Shoveller, Cape teal, Southern Pochard and Maccoa Duck, while on the dirt road leading off the highway we recorded Black-chested Prinia, Cape Sparrow, Capped Wheatear and African Pipit, among others. After getting back on the highway for a while we turned south at the Carolina turn-off and stopped at a South African Cliff-Swallow nesting colony, where we got good views of the birds. Further down the road we stopped at another small pan, where we recorded White-backed Duck, while Long-tailed Widowbirds were seen fluttering phantom-like over the green grass in open fields all along the morning’s route. We then got back on the highway and continued on to Belfast, where we turned off and climbed into the highlands on our way to Dullstroom. With the weather looking rather stormy we decided to try and get in some birding while we could and took the Uitkyk Road, a circular route that deviates off to the north-west of the tar road. This is a good route for Blue Cranes, and we spotted a pair up on a hillside with two tiny chicks at their feet, and we also came a cross a colony of Suricates, the first sighting of these cute critters I’ve had in the Dullstroom area. We arrived in town with a little time to load up with snacks and then took the dirt road out towards Tonteldoos to fill up the rest of the day. Other birds recorded for the afternoon included Steppe and Jackal Buzzards, Black Sparrowhawk, Red-winged Francolin, Crowned, Blacksmith and African Wattled Lapwings, Greater-striped and Lesser-striped Swallows, Banded Martin, Mountain Wheatear, Ant-eating Chat, Cape Grassbird, Cape Longclaw, Drakensberg Prinia, Cape Weaver, Yellow Bishop and Cape Canary, among others. With the weather looking somewhat worse – a thick mist had rolled in over the town – we arrived back in town and had time to freshen up before a wonderful dinner at Plat de Jour, a French bistro type restaurant in town.
Daily Total: 94
Trip Total: 94
Birds of the Day: Cape Longclaw
Day 2: Monday 16th November 2009.
We awoke to mist and a very light rain, not ideal weather conditions for birding in the highlands. Undaunted though we left town early, taking the road up into the Steenkampsberg Range, where the altitudes peak at around 6500 feet and the road bisects the Veloren Valei Nature Reserve. In a way we were lucky in that birding was still possible despite the inclement weather, and we recorded species such as Southern Bald Ibis, African Snipe, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Buff-streaked Chat, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Bokmakierie, Pied Starling, Malachite Sunbird, Village Weaver, Yellow-crowned Bishop and others. It was a good morning despite the weather and we headed back to town for a late breakfast at Harry’s Pancakes. We then stocked up with snacks and headed out on a long route via Tonteldoos and back along the Veloren Valei road. This route coves some slightly drier habitat and the slightly lower altitudes kept us out of the worst of the mist. Birds seen included Amur Falcon (a male / female pair of early arrivals from the Palearctic), Steppe Buzzard (above left), Swainson’s Sprufowl, Denham’s Bustard, Whiskered Tern, Red-chested Cuckoo, Malachite Kingfisher, Zitting and Levaillant’s Cisticolas, Neddicky, African Dusky Flycatcher, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cuckoo Finch, Southern Red Bishop, Red-collared Widow and Common Waxbill, among others. We also saw several Yellow Arum Lilies in flower (right), a species that is unique to the rocky highlands around Tonteldoos. Despite the heavy mist on the plateau we headed to the offices of the Veloren Valei Nature Reserve and picked up a guide to take us to look for the Wattled Cranes that are breeding in the reserve. We walked into the reserve for a while, through wet grass and thick mist and after a quarter of an hour or so came across the male Wattled Crane, getting reasonable views through the scope. Feeling rather wet and bedraggled we headed back to town and had time to dry off before a superb meal at Mrs. Simpson’s, another one of Dullstroom’s fine dining establishments
New Birds of the Day: 30
Trip Total: 124
Birds of the Day: Wattled Crane.
Day 3: Tuesday 17th November 2009.
Once again we awoke to cold and misty conditions, with the only positive being the fact that it wasn’t too windy or raining very hard, for the time being anyway. We left Dullstroom early and drove for an hour-and-a-half to Mount Sheba, a hotel on the escarpment close to Pilgrim’s Rest. The attraction here is the large patch of mist-belt forest, where some interesting forest birds can be seen. We arrived at about seven thirty AM, and were pleased to find that the hotel and forest were just below the mist level, so visibility wasn’t too bad and the birding could go on. Birds recorded for the morning included forest specials such as Narina Trogon, Sombre Greenbul, Orange Ground-Thrush, Chorister Robin-Chat, White-starred Robin, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Bar-throated Apalis, Cape Batis, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Knysna Turaco and Forest Canary, among others. Of course there were birds that were heard but not seen, as is often the case with forest birding, but we did quite well and after a good breakfast and some more birding, during which we came across a troop of Samango Monkeys, we left the hotel and headed back down Robber’s Pass and northward towards the Taita Falcon site. Here we met up with Michael, the local guide and guardian of the flacons, who soon pointed out one of the birds perched on a ledge high up on the cliff. Good scope views were obtained before we continued on to the Blyde River Canyon and our accommodation for the night. After arriving and having a little time to settle in we took a walk up to the resort’s view site of the Three Rondavels and lower canyon. Birds seen on the walk included a nesting pair of Black-collared Barbets, White-throated Robin-Chat, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Lazy Cisticola, Lanner Falcon, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Cardinal Woodpecker, Southern Black Tit, African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-backed Puffback, Red-winged Starling, Cape White-eye and Yellow-fronted Canary, among others. We also had an awesome encounter with a trio of Klipspringer, a small rock-dwelling antelope species, watching them scent marking with excretions from their pre-orbital glands not twenty feet away from us. We then headed back to the rooms and had a little time before dinner and a bottle of fine South African wine in the resort’s restaurant.
New Birds of the Day: 34
Trip Total: 158
Birds of the Day: Narina Trogon; Black-collared Barbet.
Day 4: Wednesday 18th November 2009.
Wednesday started with slightly improved weather conditions, and we met up for a cup of coffee before heading out on a pre-breakfast birding walk to the lower view site. Birds seen included Speckled Pigeon, Alpine Swift, Kurrichane Thrush, Familiar Chat, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Southern Boubou, Violet-backed Starling, White-bellied Sunbird, Spectacled Weaver and Streaky-headed Seed-Eater, among others. We then had breakfast and departed, taking in a couple of the view sites of the canyon before heading down the escarpment via Kown’s Pass, grabbing a bite to eat in Hazyview and entering the Kruger National Park via Phabeni Gate. We then made our way slowly to Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, our first camp in the Kruger. We arrived in time to get organised, and then headed out on an afternoon drive in the area before heading back to camp for the evening. New birds seen included Purple Heron, Water Thick-Knee, African Green Pigeon, Brown-headed Parrot, Purple-crested Turaco, Levaillant’s Cuckoo, Striped and Woodland Kingfishers (and brief views of an African Pygmy Kingfisher), Little Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Common Scimitarbill, Crested Barbet, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Rufous-naped Lark, Mocking Cliff-Chat, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Pale Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Longclaw and many others. We also came across some lions, but they were asleep in the grass so the views were not too good and we didn’t spend that much time with them, hoping for better sightings over the next few days. We arrived back in camp before the gates closed and enjoyed a chicken barbeque before calling it a night.
New Birds of the Day: 52
Trip Total: 210
Birds of the Day: Little Bee-eater.
Day 5: Thursday 19th November 2009.
The day the rain started… we awoke to heavy overcast and light rain, and set off after a cup of coffee on our morning drive, which proved to be a rather good one indeed. Not far into it we came across two large, wet male Lions lying not far off the road. Unfortunately they were facing away from us, and with the constant rain seemed to be sleeping contently for the morning. We were patient though and eventually one of them got up and walked over to rouse his mate, and the pair crossed the road right in front of us to disappear into some long grass to the south. After that we came across four White Rhino grazing right next to the road, giving us superb views, and not long after that a male Black-bellied Bustard puffed up in display (left). We then came back to camp for breakfast, and afterwards began the journey to Skukuza Rest Camp in steadily strengthening rain. After arriving at Skukuza we unpacked and then headed out on a drive along the Sabie River, though conditions weren’t great for photography, to say the least. New birds for the day included Hamerkop, Marabou Stork, Comb Duck, Hooded and White-backed Vultures, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, Bateleur, African Fish Eagle, African Goshawk, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Crested Francolin, Kurrichane Buttonquail, African Jacana, Three-banded Plover, White-crowned Lapwing, Common Sandpiper, Jacobin and Diedrick Cuckoos, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Pied Kingfisher, Purple Roller, Red-billed and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills, Sabota Lark, Wire-tailed Swallow and many others. All in all not a bad day for game and birds, despite the rain (which we hoped would be ending soon after a full day without cease). We then had a little time to relax before a Spaghetti Bolognaise dinner on the veranda of Ellie’s room.
New Birds of the Day: 40
Trip Total: 250
Birds of the Day: Black-bellied Bustard; Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl.
Day 6: Friday 20th November 2009.
We awoke to the steady drip of rain, with the disappointment palpable as we had a comforting cup of coffee before heading out into a rather wet reserve. This time we took the Doispan Road, looping around via Watergat. Big mammals were scarce, probably due to the weather in the main, but we did record some new birds such as Lesser-spotted and Martial Eagles, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Mosque Swallow and Magpie Shrike. With the rain still coming down steadily we headed back to camp for breakfast, and as it wasn’t possible to do any birding on foot in the camp we headed out once again in the vehicle. By now the rain had saturated the thirsty earth and the run-off was adding up, with small creeks that had been dry for eight months or more beginning to flow strongly. Myriad species of frogs were heard calling from the flooded grasslands and it was deemed to be ‘happy duck’ weather indeed. We then headed on to Lake Panic bird hide, where we spent over an hour getting good views of species such as Green-backed Heron, Goliath Heron, Pied Wagtail, Black Crake, African Darter, Lesser-masked and Village Weavers. After heading back to camp for a little break we decided to head out once again, this time via the Sand River and returning via the Sabie River road. It proved to be a good route, and not far on we came across a female Leopard up in a big Marula Tree off to our right. We had pretty good views, and were quite excited with the first Leopard of the trip. We watched her for a while before she climbed down and disappeared from sight. Heading on we came across a huge Elephant bull, who was determined to walk down the road towards us. We began backing up sensibly, but soon there was a jam of cars behind us and further reversing became impossible, so we just had to sit tight and be calm and wait for him to move off, which he eventually did. Exciting stuff indeed! We then headed back to camp for the evening, and new birds seen included Saddle-billed Stork and Southern Ground Hornbill. Back at camp we had a little time to unwind before dinner at the Selati Restaurant, the highlight of which was a Thick-tailed Bushbaby climbing around in the rafters above us while we ate.
New Birds of the Day: 13
Trip Total: 263
Birds of the Day: Goliath Heron.
Day 7: Saturday 21st November 2009.
Rain again. We awoke to the steady patter of another rainy day, making it two full days of non-stop precipitation. We decided to do a short morning drive and then leave the area, hoping that the rain would at least be a bit lighter to the north. No cats were forthcoming on the drive and after a hot breakfast of eggs and bacon we packed the van and began the 92 kilometre journey northwards to Satara in the southern reaches of the central region. About half-way up the rain miraculously eased up and finally stopped, though the heavy skies did not exactly inspire much trust in better weather. At Leeupan we had a great encounter with some adult bull Giraffes, and after arriving at the camp and settling in we headed out on a drive northwards from the camp. New birds for the day included Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Kori Bustard, Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Red-capped Lark, African Mourning Dove, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Eurasian Golden Oriole, African Hoopoe and Namaqua Dove. Mammals seen for the day included Chacma Baboon, Cape Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Black-backed Jackal, Kudu, Leopard (poor views), Slender Mongoose, Vervet Monkey, White Rhino, Warthog, Common Waterbuck, Blue Wildebeest and Burchell’s Zebra. With the clouds thinning out we headed back to camp, and later enjoyed a kebab barbeque dinner, did our daily bird and mammal list and called it a day.
New Birds of the Day: 12
Trip Total: 275
Birds of the Day:
Day 8: Sunday 22nd November 2009.
We awoke to a beautiful, clear day, with everything shining and sparkling after the recent heavy rains. After a cup of coffee we set off on a long morning drive, heading for the Timbavati Picnic Site. We got some reports of lions on the way, but couldn’t manage to find them, suspecting that they had already moved off by the time we got to the area in which they had been seen. The rest of the drive didn’t produce any cats, disappointing especially considering that the area is renowned for a healthy Lion population. Rain means that the grazers disperse into areas that had no surface water during the dry season, and the predators follow them in turn, which explains the lack of big cats during the last few days. We returned to camp for breakfast and then had a walk around the camp, which was quite productive, with many nests and young birds spotted. The highlight was a trio of Pearl-spotted Owlets, seen up close at their day-time roost on a shaded branch. Other birds seen and photographed in camp included African Scops Owl, Woodland Kingfisher, Grey Go-Away Bird, African Hoopoe, Crested Barbet, Arrow-marked Babbler, Chinspot Batis, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Burchell’s, Cape Glossy and Greater Blue-eared Starlings, Red-billed Oxpecker, Marico and White-bellied Sunbirds, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Southern Masked and Lesser-masked Weavers and Blue Waxbill, among others. After the walk we headed out on a short afternoon drive, the highlights of which were a Bateleur feeding on a Natal Francolin in the road (above) and a family of six Southern Ground Hornbills foraging through the veld, with the adults feeding rain frogs and centipedes to the single youngster. We then headed back to camp in time for the sunset drive with the National Park guide, which produced Barn Owl and mammals such as Honey Badger, Lesser Bushbaby, Spotted Hyena, Scrub Hare and White-tailed Mongoose, but no cat species unfortunately. We partly made up for this though with a superb steak barbeque, which was interrupted several times by a large Baboon Spider and large, fast-moving solifuge or Sun Spider, both attracted by the lights and insects.
New Birds of the Day: 10
Trip Total: 285
Birds of the Day: Pearl-spotted Owlet; Bateleur and Southern Ground Hornbill.
Day 9: Monday 23rd November 2009.
We had our last morning drive in the Kruger, setting off after coffee along the Sweni Road. At the Sweni Waterhole we came across two Spotted Hyenas feeding on a buffalo carcass, and saw some nice birds such as Saddle-billed and Marabou Storks, Tawny Eagle, Little Sparrowhawk, Jacobin Cuckoo, Red-breasted Swallow and Village Indigobird, among others. Still no cats though, but fortunately there were still four days in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve ahead to remedy the situation. Back at camp we packed up and had breakfast and then headed out of the reserve via Orpen Gate, recording Coqui Francolin and Retz’s Helmet-Shrikes on the way and narrowly missing out on a leopard sighting. We arrived at Elephant Plains Game Lodge at lunch time, and I left Janet, Alan and Ellie there for two nights, after which they moved on to Nkorho Bush Lodge for a further two nights. During their stay at the private lodges they were treated to numerous close up sightings of Leopard and Lion, and also recorded several new bird species, and on top of that had wonderful weather for the entire time!
New Birds of the Day: 6
Trip Total: 291
Birds of the Day: Coqui Francolin.
Days 10 – 12: Tuesday 24th to Thursday 26th November 2009.
Twice daily game drives in the reserve, as well as optional bush walks after breakfast.
Day 13: Friday 27th November 2009.
I arrived at Nkorho Bush Lodge at 10:30 AM to pick up Janet, Alan and Elinor and we boarded the van and headed out of the reserve, not before coming across a couple of leopards however on the lodge’s ‘drive way’. We found Mvula, one of the areas adult males, lying just off the road in the short grass of the firebreak, and a female leopard high up in a Knob-thorn tree close by, obviously not too keen on coming down to socialise with Mvula. It was a great send-off from the reserve and we exited at Gowrie Gate and drove for about two hours to Nelspruit under steadily darkening clouds. By the time we arrived at The Arches Guest House and got ready to go birding at Kaapsehoop the Blue Swallow guide had phoned to say that it was misting over and it wouldn’t be worth the effort searching for the endangered swallows. We headed up to Kaapsehoop anyway, stopping off at the farm Beaumont to search for the Crowned Eagle juvenile, but without success. It then began raining, and by the time we reached Kaapsehoop the mist had closed in and all we could see were the buildings next to the road and a herd of ‘wild’ horses close by. So defeated by the weather once again we came back to the guest house to use the time to get fully packed in anticipation of a productive last day of the tour.
New Birds of the Day: 7
Trip Total: 298
Birds of the Day: African Black Duck.
Day 14: Saturday 28th November 2009.
We awoke to overcast and drizzle, not boding well for our last day. Still, we were only kicking off at 07: 30, so there was still time for things to improve, which they did. The rain stopped but the clouds remained, making for ideal conditions for birding in Nelspruit’s Lowveld National Botanical Gardens. On the way to the gardens we recorded Golden Weaver and White-fronted Bee-Eater, bringing us to within reach of the 300 species mark. The wonderful botanical gardens are bounded by the Crocodile and Nel Rivers, with the cataracts on the Crocodile in a spectacular spate of flood after the recent rains. We spent some time viewing the falls and then got down to some serious birding, eventually going on to record 12 new species and reach well over the 300 mark. The new birds included African Finfoot as a highlight, a male bird seen from the bridge and viewed well for several minutes, as well as Green Twinspot, a special bird in general and a great record for the gardens. Other ‘newbies’ included Ashy Flycatcher, Thick-billed Weaver, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Bronze Mannikin, African Firefinch, Mountain Wagtail, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird and Klaas’s Cuckoo. This last day rounded off the trip wonderfully and at least partly made up for the wash-out the day before. We left Nelspruit at 13:00 and arrived at the airport well in time for check-in, where we said our farewells and called it an official end to a wonderful tour.
New Birds of the Day: 12
Trip Total: 310
Birds of the Day: African Finfoot; Green Twinspot.
Summary:
All in all this tour was a great success, measured by the enjoyment derived by all involved and by the huge numbers of birds and animals seen, despite the adverse weather experienced during much of the tour. There’s always a risk of rain in summer, but the other side of the coin is the incredible birding to be had, and thanks to Janet, Alan and Ellie for appreciating this and not letting the rain get the better of us. It was a pleasure to lead the tour and thanks to the participants for joining Lawson’s Birding and Wildlife Tours for their South African experience.
Bird List - 310 species.
6 Great Crested Grebe
7 Black-necked Grebe
8 Little Grebe
55 White-breasted Cormorant
58 Reed Cormorant
60 African Darter
62 Grey Heron
63 Black-headed Heron
64 Goliath Heron
65 Purple Heron
67 Little Egret
68 Yellow-billed Egret
71 Cattle Egret
74 Green-backed Heron
76 Black-crowned Night-Heron
81 Hamerkop
86 Woolly-necked Stork
83 White Stork
88 Saddle-billed Stork
89 Marabou Stork
90 Yellow-billed Stork
91 African Sacred Ibis
92 Southern Bald Ibis (E)
93 Glossy Ibis
94 Hadeda Ibis
95 African Spoonbill
96 Greater Flamingo
99 White-faced Duck
101 White-backed Duck
102 Egyptian Goose
104 Yellow-billed Duck
105 African Black Duck
106 Cape Teal
108 Red-billed Teal
112 Cape Shoveler (E)
113 Southern Pochard
115 Comb Duck
116 Spur-winged Goose
117 Maccoa Duck
121 Hooded Vulture
122 Cape Vulture (E)
123 White-backed Vulture
125 White-headed Vulture
12b Yellow-billed Kite
127 Black-shouldered Kite
132 Tawny Eagle
134 Lesser Spotted Eagle
135 Wahlberg’s Eagle
140 Martial Eagle
142 Brown Snake-Eagle
146 Bateleur
148 African Fish Eagle
149 Steppe Buzzard
152 Jackal Buzzard (E)
157 Little Sparrowhawk
158 Black Sparrowhawk
160 African Goshawk
163 Dark Chanting Goshawk
169 African Harrier-Hawk
172 Lanner Falcon
173 Eurasian Hobby
176 Taita Falcon
180 Amur Falcon
181 Rock Kestrel
188 Coqui Francolin
189 Crested Francolin
191 Shelley’s Francolin
192 Red-winged Francolin
196 Natal Francolin (NE)
199 Swainson's Spurfowl (NE)
203 Helmeted Guineafowl
205 Kurrichane Buttonquail
207 Wattled Crane
208 Blue Crane (E)
213 Black Crake
228 Red-knobbed Coot
229 African Finfoot
230 Kori Bustard
231 Denham's Bustard
237 Red-crested Korhaan
238 Black-bellied Bustard
240 African Jacana
249 Three-banded Plover
255 Crowned Lapwing
256 Senegal Lapwing
258 Blacksmith Lapwing
259 White-crowned Lapwing
260 African Wattled Lapwing
264 Common Sandpiper
266 Wood Sandpiper
269 Marsh Sandpiper
270 Common Greenshank
284 Ruff
286 African Snipe
295 Black-winged Stilt
303 Bronze-winged Courser
298 Water Thick-Knee
315 Grey-headed Gull
338 Whiskered Tern
339 White-winged Tern
347 Double-banded Sandgrouse (NE)
348 Rock Dove
349 Speckled Pigeon
350 African Olive-Pigeon
352 Red-eyed Dove
353 African Mourning Dove
354 Cape Turtle-Dove
355 Laughing Dove
356 Namaqua Dove
358 Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove
361 African Green-Pigeon
363 Brown-headed Parrot
370a Knysna Turaco (E)
371 Purple-crested Turaco
373 Grey Go-away-bird
377 Red-chested Cuckoo
380 Great Spotted Cuckoo
381 Levaillant's Cuckoo
382 Jacobin Cuckoo
385 Klaas’s Cuckoo
386 Diderick Cuckoo
391a Burchell’s Coucal (NE)
392 Barn Owl
396 African Scops-Owl
398 Pearl-spotted Owlet
401 Spotted Eagle-Owl
402 Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
415 White-rumped Swift
417 Little Swift
418 Alpine Swift
421 African Palm Swift
424 Speckled Mousebird
426 Red-faced Mousebird
427 Narina Trogon
428 Pied Kingfisher
429 Giant Kingfisher
431 Malachite Kingfisher
432 African Pygmy Kingfisher
433 Woodland Kingfisher
435 Brown-hooded Kingfisher
437 Striped Kingfisher
438 European Bee-eater
443 White-fronted Bee-eater
444 Little Bee-eater
447 Lilac-breasted Roller
449 Purple Roller
451 African Hoopoe
452 Green Wood-Hoopoe
454 Common Scimitarbill
457 African Grey Hornbill
458 Red-billed Hornbill
459 Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
463 Southern Ground-Hornbill
464 Black-collared Barbet
470 Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird
471 Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
473 Crested Barbet
483 Golden-tailed Woodpecker
486 Cardinal Woodpecker
494 Rufous-naped Lark
496 Flappet Lark
498 Sabota Lark (NE)
500 Eastern Long-billed Lark (E)
507 Red-capped Lark
515 Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark
518 Barn Swallow
520 White-throated Swallow
522 Wire-tailed Swallow
524 Red-breasted Swallow
525 Mosque Swallow
526 Greater Striped Swallow (E)
527 Lesser Striped Swallow
528 South African Cliff-Swallow (E)
529 Rock Martin
530 Common House Martin
534 Banded Martin
538 Black Cuckooshrike
541 Fork-tailed Drongo
543 Eurasian Golden Oriole
545 Black-headed Oriole
547 Cape Crow
548 Pied Crow
550 White-necked Raven
554 Southern Black Tit
558 Grey Penduline Tit
560 Arrow-marked Babbler
568 Dark-capped Bulbul
572 Sombre Greenbul
576 Kurrichane Thrush
577 Karoo Thrush (E)
579 Orange Ground-Thrush
580 Groundscraper Thrush
581 Cape Rock-Thrush (E)
582 Sentinel Rock-Thrush (E)
586 Mountain Wheatear (NE)
587 Capped Wheatear
588 Buff-streaked Chat (E)
589 Familiar Chat
593 Mocking Cliff-Chat
595 Ant-eating Chat (E)
596 African Stonechat
598 Chorister Robin-Chat (E)
599 White-browed Robin-Chat
600 Red-capped Robin-Chat
601 Cape Robin-Chat
602 White-throated Robin-Chat (E)
606 White-starred Robin
613 White-browed Scrub-Robin
643 Willow Warbler
644 Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler
645 Bar-throated Apalis
648 Yellow-breasted Apalis
651 Long-billed Crombec
653 Yellow-bellied Eremomela
656 Burnt-necked Eremomela
657a Green-backed Camaroptera
661 Cape Grassbird (E)
664 Zitting Cisticola
672 Rattling Cisticola
677 Levaillant’s Cisticola
678 Croaking Cisticola
679 Lazy Cisticola
681 Neddicky
683 Tawny-flanked Prinia
685 Black-chested Prinia (NE)
686b Drakensberg Prinia (E)
689 Spotted Flycatcher
690 African Dusky Flycatcher
691 Ashy Flycatcher
694 Southern Black Flycatcher
696 Pale Flycatcher
698 Fiscal Flycatcher (E)
700 Cape Batis (E)
701 Chinspot Batis
710 African Paradise Flycatcher
711 African Pied Wagtail
712 Mountain Wagtail
713 Cape Wagtail
716 African Pipit
717 Long-billed Pipit
725 Yellow-breasted Pipit (E)
727 Cape Longclaw (E)
728 Yellow-throated Longclaw
731 Lesser Grey Shrike
732 Common Fiscal
733 Red-backed Shrike
735 Magpie Shrike
736 Southern Boubou (E)
740 Black-backed Puffback
741 Brubru
743 Brown-crowned Tchagra
744 Black-crowned Tchagra
746 Bokmakierie (E)
748 Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike
751 Grey-headed Bush-Shrike
753 White-crested Helmet-Shrike
754 Retz's Helmet-Shrike
758 Common Myna
759 Pied Starling (E)
760 Wattled Starling
761 Violet-backed Starling
762 Burchell’s Starling (NE)
764 Cape Glossy Starling
765 Greater Blue-eared Starling
769 Red-winged Starling
772 Red-billed Oxpecker
775 Malachite Sunbird
779 Marico Sunbird
783 Southern Double-collared Sunbird (E)
785 Greater Double-collared Sunbird (E)
787 White-bellied Sunbird
791 Scarlet-chested Sunbird
792 Amethyst Sunbird
793 Collared Sunbird
796 Cape White-eye (E)
798 Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver
801 House Sparrow
803 Cape Sparrow (NE)
804 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
805 Yellow-throated Petronia
807 Thick-billed Weaver
810 Spectacled Weaver
811 Village Weaver
813 Cape Weaver (E)
814 Southern Masked-Weaver
815 Lesser Masked-Weaver
816 Golden Weaver
819 Red-headed Weaver
820 Cuckoo Finch
821 Red-billed Quelea
824 Southern Red Bishop
826 Yellow-crowned Bishop
827 Yellow Bishop
828 Fan-tailed Widowbird
831 Red-collared Widowbird
832 Long-tailed Widowbird
834 Green-winged Pytilia
835 Green Twinspot
840 African Firefinch
844 Blue Waxbill
846 Common Waxbill
856 Red-headed Finch (NE)
857 Bronze Mannikin
860 Pin-tailed Whydah
867 Village Indigobird
869 Yellow-fronted Canary
872 Cape Canary
873 Forest Canary (E)
881 Streaky-headed Seed-Eater
884 Golden-breasted Bunting
886 Cinnamon-breasted Bunting
Mammal List:
3 Baboon, Chacma
4 Badger, Honey
5 Bat, Fruit (Peter's Epauletted)
6 Blesbok
7 Buffalo
8 Bushbaby, Lesser
10 Bushbaby, Thick-tailed
11 Bushbuck
17 Civet, African
20 Duiker, Common
23 Elephant, African
25 Genet, Small-spotted
26 Giraffe, Southern
28 Hare, Scrub
29 Hippopotamus
30 Hyaena, Spotted
31 Impala
32 Jackal, Black-backed
33 Jackal, Side-striped
34 Klipspringer
35 Kudu, Greater
36 Leopard
37 Lion
39 Mongoose, Dwarf
40 Mongoose, Slender
42 Mongoose, White-tailed
44 Monkey, Samango
45 Monkey, Vervet
49 Nyala
50 Oribi
54 Reedbuck, Common
56 Rhebok, Grey
58 Rhinoceros, White
64 Squirrel, Tree
65 Steenbok
66 Suricate (Meerkat)
68 Warthog
69 Waterbuck, Common
72 Wildebeest, Blue
73 Zebra, Burchell's