nickmoran76 @ yahoo.co.uk
(All e-mail addresses given have spaces in them to avoid auto-spam-generating web-crawlers – remove gaps when sending legitimate mail)
Despite the alleged non-birding nature of this trip (it was a ‘family’ holiday with my fair-weather bird-watching wife, also including 3 weeks with my ‘late middle-aged but young-at-heart’ parents) & the timing (very few summer migrants had arrived) we clocked up 491 species, including 112 endemics, breeding endemics or near-endemics (as per Sinclair et al. – see Resources). This total included 42 raptors, 8 bustards, 8 barbets/tinkerbirds, 6 thrushes, and 19 chats, robin-chats & scrub-robins, plus some seriously rare, tricky &/or fabulous species such as Taita Falcon, Wattled Crane, African Cuckoo Hawk, Lesser Jacana, Greater Painted Snipe, Chestnut-banded Plover, Cape Parrot, African Finfoot, African Broadbill, Spotted & Orange Ground-Thrushes & Pel’s Fishing Owl. And that’s without mentioning 65 species of mammals with such goodies as 3 leopard and 22 lion sightings, calving Southern right whales & two amazing ‘aards’ on our final night drive: aardwolf & aardvark!
We birded in 6 of South Africa’s 9 provinces (assuming our road atlas is up-to-date), with 4 weeks in Mpumalanga, 2 weeks in KwaZulu-Natal & just under 2 weeks in Eastern & Western Cape. We missed only Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo provinces – to quote a birding friend’s favourite phrase, “that’s a separate trip”. We also did a day trip through the Sani Pass into Lesotho. We birded in all of the biomes mentioned in Sinclair et al., with the exception of the Namib Desert, & found South Africa a truly fascinating & diverse country for wildlife, scenery & culture.
There are six sections to this report:
1) Transport (including notes on accessibility of certain sites)
2) Security
3) Resources
i. Helpful trip reports & websites
ii. Field guides & other books
iii. Contacts
4) Our itinerary
5) Site details (with brief notes on accommodation)
6) Annotated species list
Throughout the report, the following abbreviations are used:
NP = National Park
NR = Nature Reserve
GR = Game Reserve
SA = South Africa
GT = Gauteng
ML = Mpumalanga
KZN = KwaZulu-Natal
EC = Eastern Cape
WC = Western Cape
FS = Free State
JB = Johannesburg
CT = Cape Town
R = Rand
Plus N, E, S, W, NE, SW etc for points of the compass.
Note: exchange rate at time of writing approximately R12 = £1
1. Transport
General:
The road network SA is extensive, though of variable quality. Most toll roads are well maintained but ‘N’ does not stand for ‘No potholes’ as we found on the awful N11 Ermelo to Volksrust (N of Wakkerstroom). Road signs are impressively/depressingly reliable: e.g., ‘Cattle for 165km’ & ‘Potholes for 60km’. The only signs that didn’t hold true for us were the intriguing “Owls for 5km” on the N2 east of JB and the worrying “Hijacking Zone” signs, also around JB.
Watch out for drivers going far too fast or far too slow. Tortoised-paced trucks regularly pull out without warning, & there are a variety of F1-wannabes who seem intent on becoming one with your bumper, before veering round you & into the on-coming traffic. I found minibuses (especially in central CT) the worst culprits of excessive & dangerous tail-gating. Flashing the driver’s side indicator to a following vehicle means that it is (deemed) safe to overtake, & a couple of flashes of the hazard warning lights are used to say thanks. Many vehicles will pull on to the hard-shoulder on single-carriageway roads to let others pass – if you do this yourself be wary of debris, potholes, baboons etc on the hard-shoulder! Flashing headlights (during the day) to on-coming traffic usually means there’s some kind of danger ahead, such as an accident or a speed trap.
We hired a Toyota Corolla for 4 adults, switching to a Toyota Tazz after my parents left, both from Tony’s Car Hire in JB (see Contacts). The cars were reliable and economic on fuel, & the Tazz was especially good value at R158/day for a month.
Site accessibility and the 4x4 issue:
There are certain sites that you just won’t be able to get to in a 2-wheel drive vehicle. As a 4x4 owner back in the UAE, I was perhaps a little more optimistic about where a Tazz would go than I otherwise would have been. Here is a brief run-down on a few sites/roads that are unpleasant, risky or impossible in a 2-wheel drive, in increasing order of discomfort:
Extra care is needed on gravel roads throughout SA as they can be rough, steeply-cambered (for better drainage), rutted &/or dusty. Some minor roads around Wakkerstroom were rutted & looked like they’d be difficult after rain. Many minor roads in north east KZN were sandy, particularly in the Kozi Bay area. The minor (but most direct, plus very scenic & birdy) road from Giant’s Castle to Underberg (Drakensberg, KZN) via Loteni was sticky in places after a day of rain, though it was a hard-bottomed road & soon to be re-graded, judging by the piles of gravel along the verges. The main track south of the office & accommodation in De Hoop NR (WC) was rough, with many sharp stones, though the ‘4x4 only’ track was only slightly worse than the main track & was passable in 2-wheel drive. The minor roads between De Hoop NR & Swellendam were in excellent condition. Wherever possible, it would be best to get advice from locals on the state of the roads in all these areas, especially in the wet season. Most game reserves we visited had good tracks but watch out for Acacia thorns, especially when parking under shady trees in picnic sites. Broken glass is another hazard to be aware of, again in picnic sites & also in towns & at road junctions!
The Cape Parrot site at Xumeni Forest NR (we received site details from Rob Guy in Underberg) was muddy in places after a couple of days of rain, though it is hard-bottomed & therefore passable in 2-wheel drive as long as you’re not afraid of mud & puddles!
Ngoye (also spelt Ongoye) Forest NR is the site for Green Barbet & therefore on many birders’ agenda. The info at the nearby Dlinza Forest NR stated that 4x4 was essential. The lady at reception told me she thought I’d make it in 2-wheel drive but wasn’t certain. The receptionist at Umlalazi NR (where I got directions & a good map to Ngoye) also thought it was possible, & Mr. Gumbi (see Contacts), the Ngoye Reserve Manager said ‘no problem’ in a 2-wheel drive. My advice is DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! You can get within about 1.5km of the NR boundary easily, though a ford soon after the first sign to the forest could be difficult after rain. However, the last 1km of the track is extremely rocky and steep in places. I did all but the last 500m in the dark, abandoned the Tazz on a steep section because it was beginning to lose grip, then hiked 12km return to find decent habitat (& the bird, thankfully!). On returning to the car, I had a challenging 500m reverse that took 20 minutes, as I had to get out to move rocks every few metres! The track was too narrow & steep-sided for me to turn the car. With 4x4 it should be straightforward to get to the gate & to drive into the reserve to access the best forest, if that is allowed (check with Mr. Gumbi).
Tembe Elephant NP & the Sani Pass to Lesotho (both in KZN) are 4x4 only and 2-wheel drive vehicles are not allowed at either location. Tembe has very soft sand & the Sani Pass has very hard, large rocks! I think it is possible to organize day trips into Tembe at the gate but we did not have time for this. Sani Pass is best visited on an organized tour, e.g., Rob Guy Safaris (see Contacts).
2. Security
Many South Africans told us that crime is a serious problem in and around major cities but almost non-existent in many rural areas. Common sense is the order of the day – NEVER leave valuables on display in the car, & be as discreet as possible about using optical equipment near populated areas. Roadside stops should be judged by considering road safety & the proximity to settlement before the rarity of the bird, if possible! We avoided driving through the night, though we drove until 9pm in the evening on main roads on a couple of occasions. Again, seek current local advice if you are concerned. Thankfully we encountered no personal security problems during our 2 month trip.
3. Resources
Note about digiscoping in Kruger
If you want to digiscope, or use a ‘scope at all in Kruger NP and certain other Game Reserves, its worth taking a beanbag as you are not allowed to get out of your vehicle. My folks picked me up a small screw-on beanbag from Jessops that came in very handy.
i. Helpful trip reports & internet resources
There are plenty of reports about SA on the Internet, though none for July/August. I read 2 reports by Keith Barnes at www.tropicalbirding.com : “Eastern SA - Red, Rare & Reclusive” and “SA Cape, Zululand & Drakensberg endemics clean-up” which were good tasters but understandably lacking in specific detail (Keith is a professional tour guide).
Chris Goodie’s “Two Go Mad In South Africa – 17 days in the Cape and KZN” at www.surfbirds.com was excellent, containing lots of helpful tips, site details and up-to-date contact information (not all of which is reprinted in this report).
The Zululand Birding Route in KZN was a revelation – not only is there a highly informative website www.zbr.co.za but also the key sites are signposted from the main roads (once you’ve realized what the brown signs with “Z.B.R 12.6” etc on them mean!). Duncan Pritchard was as helpful as he could be given the very short notice we gave him! He can be e-mailed (see Contacts) or you can visit the office, which is now in the reception of the Protea Hotel in Richard’s Bay. To find it follow signs to the campsite, the entrance to which is next door to the hotel entrance.
Bird and mammal lists are available for most of the National Parks & Game Reserves at www.game-reserve.com/southafrica.html
Other websites worth visiting include:
www.places.co.za – for excellent all-round information & Ideas on visiting SA
www.sabirding.co.za/birdspots/index.htm - for region-by-region birding locations
www.capetownbirding.com – homepage of Birding Africa with details of pelagics (www.capetownpelagics.com) etc
www.tropicalbirding.com/siteguides/SG_Cape.html - a commercial site for trips in the south-west but contains good ideas of places to visit & the species to expect there
www.kruger.com – everything you need to know about Kruger, including a link to book accommodation on- line
www.kruger2canyons.com/home.htm - travel, accommodation & other information in the Kruger NP & Blyde River Canyon area
www.mpumalanga.com/home/home.asp - the homepage of the Mpumalanga Tourism Authority
www.aventura.co.za – for the often birdy Aventura resorts
www.farmstay.co.za/index.htm - for cottage & farm accommodation
ii. Books
SASOL Birds of Southern Africa by Sinclair, Hockey & Tarboton, 3rd Edition, Stuik Publishing 2002.
The essential field guide. It’s easy to be critical of field guides – I find the squiggly-lines layout of the plates a bit awkward, for example – but for the most part it is accurate and informative. Last I heard the long-awaited new edition of Roberts is due out in October 2005 but I understand this will be a reference work rather than an easily-portable field guide.
Field Guide to the Larger Mammals of Africa by Chris & Tilde Stuart, Struik Publishing 2000.
Helpful for all those herbivores & good background info on many of the well-known African mammals. A southern African-specific version by the same authors is available, dealing with mammals of all sizes – we chose this one with a view to using it on future trips elsewhere in Africa, at the expense of not being able to ID rats, mice & bats!
Essential Birding Western South Africa by Cohen & Spottiswoode, Struik Publishing 2000.
The title sums it up! As with all such guides, some maps/directions are already outdated, for example the De Hel sign in the Constantia Greenbelts, CT, is almost completely obscured from the road by vegetation, and the Cerebos saltworks at Velddrif are closed to the public. However, with a birder’s nose & some improvisation, it’s still extremely useful.
Top Birding Spots in Southern Africa complied by Hugh Chittenden, Southern Book Publishers 1992.
Although this book is becoming outdated and the maps are extremely basic, it contains good background information on lots of sites, & is excellent for ideas when looking for places to stop over on long drives. I found a 2nd hand copy in Sabie town (ML).
SASOL Birding Map of Southern Africa by Hardaker & Sinclair, Struik Publishing.
A bit of an impulse buy, this was a nice pre-trip browse but did not have enough detail to be useful as a road map whilst traveling. I looked at it once during 2 months in SA.
The Official Checklist of Birds in Southern Africa complied by Malcolm Drummond, Struik Pbl. 2004.
In alphabetical order, rather than chronological – perhaps a bet-hedging exercise given the on-going work on taxonomy, but frustrating considering the order of the SASOL field guide with which it is supposed to be used.
We also picked up an Engen South Africa Road Atlas which provided sufficient detail for almost all our needs, & the excellent Kruger Map at the park gate, crucial when working out exactly how much time you need to leave to get to the gate/camp in time! The Lonely Planet was indispensable as ever, though we had only managed to find the southern Africa version in Abu Dhabi, which was a bit skimpy on detail & presumably bulkier than the South Africa-only version.
iii. Contact information
When telephoning from within SA, drop ‘+27’ and add ‘0’
Nick Moran
British School – Al Khubairat
PO Box 4001
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
E-mail: nickmoran76 @ yahoo.co.uk
Tony’s Car Hire
Tony De Phino
Kempton Park, JB
Tel. +27 11 393 1895
Cell. +27 83 253 2550
E-mail: tony @ sacarhire.co.za
Website: www.sacarhire.co.za
Richard Huggett
Jim’s Gold Guesthouse, Kaapsehoop
PO Box 645
Ngodwana 1209
Tel. +27 13 734 4419
Trevor Hardaker & John Graham
Zest for Birds
Cape Town
www.zestforbirds.co.za
Cell (Trevor): +27 82 780 0376
Cell (John): +27 84 222 1385
E-mail (Trevor): hardaker @ mweb.co.za
Dave Winter
Birding Africa
Cape Town
E-mail: david @ birdingafrica.com
iv. Special thanks & recommendations
Most people we met in SA were friendly & helpful, particularly those in the birding world. In order of our acquaintance with them, we are particularly grateful to Richard Huggett at Jim’s Gold B&B in Kaapsehoop, for his incredible welcome & hospitality (which extended to ringing the publishers of the new Roberts book to find the latest release date, putting us in touch with Edward & wiping the ice from our car at 7.30am!). Edward Thembe, also in Kaapsehoop, was the only local guide we used outside NPs, and was punctual, enthusiastic, knowledgeable & successful – thanks to him we saw our only Bush Blackcaps of the trip, plus our first Grey Cuckooshrike, Swee Waxbill, Olive Bush-shrike & Forest Canary, among others. He trained with BirdLife SA in Wakkerstroom & is highly recommended. John McAllister greeted us warmly in Wakkerstroom & we were grateful for the use of his B&B accommodation (now on the housing market) & the excellent advice he gave us about birding in the area. My only regret is that we weren’t able to go birding with him, & that we didn’t hire another local guide here. Steven & Andy Piper were the perfect hosts in Underberg, quite a feat considering they’d moved in to the main house from the guest accommodation 1 week earlier & we gave them 48 hours notice of our arrival! Steven is a retired professor from Durban (a/the world expert on Cape Vultures & Long-tailed Wagtails) – he is now doing the lion’s share of trips up the Sani Pass with Robin Guy Expeditions, whilst his wife Andy caters & cares for the guests. Rob Guy himself still does some of the driving, & we enjoyed a lovely evening meal with him, his wife Bella, Steven, Andy & gran on our last evening in Underberg. I am particularly grateful to Rob for his sketch map of the Cape Parrot site, without which I would not have seen that mega-rare parrot. Trevor Hardaker & John Graham very capably organized & expertly guided my thoroughly enjoyable Zest for Birds pelagic on 20th August. They also gave me some helpful current advice on where to find birds on the West coast. Thanks also to Dave Winter of Birding Africa for his efforts to organize me a guided day in the Tanqua Karoo, despite the fact that he & several of his colleagues were away at the UK Bird Fair on the dates we were available. Finally, a huge thank you to our friends Steve & Carol James for their wonderful hospitality & company at their idyllic house in Sabie Park. Steve produced an excellent suggested itinerary for the ML leg of our trip & directed me towards &/or printed for me several of the web-based SA birding resources. He also provided top-drawer birding- and veranda sun-downer-entertainment for us all! Steve is in the process of writing a bird & mammal viewing guide to southern Kruger, so watch this space…
4. Our Itinerary
Many of the sites we visited are well summarised in Chris Goodie’s trip report. I have therefore listed the places we visited, in chronological order, followed by brief details of sites I have not seen covered elsewhere. The majority of the accommodation we used is listed in the Lonely Planet, so I have not included contact details. We used backpackers & self-catering accommodation, & found the vast majority of it excellent value, especially in game reserves (where your entrance fee is included in the accommodation cost, except in Kruger). We did some camping in coastal KZN. We usually rang ahead either on the day or the day before traveling to a new location (hiring/buying a SIM card is a very good idea), & had little trouble finding places to stay. The main exception to this was Kruger NP (book at least 2 months in advance in the high season to guarantee your preferred accommodation/locations). Pelagics (& other organized tours) should be booked as far in advance as possible to secure your preferred dates. If you want to visit the Lammergeier hide at Giant’s Castle NP, bookings start the previous November & you must book early!
Approximate traveling times (including stops) given in brackets for journeys 3+ hours long.
Provinces are only given when we moved from one to another.
30th June Delayed in Nairobi. Refused a $60/person 3-hour trip to Nairobi NP, instead watching an Olive Thrush feeding inside the grubby hotel restaurant. Arrived JB midnight & stayed in Airport Backpackers, Rhodesfield, JB.
1st July Drive to, bird & stay at Ezemvelo private GR, GT province, north of Bronkhorstspruit.
2nd July Birding at Ezemvelo.
3rd July AM Birding at Ezemvelo then drive to & stay in Dullstroom, ML province. PM Birding on road to/beyond Verloren vlei NR
4th July Full day walk in Verloren vlei NR
5th July AM Birding road to Vermont. PM Drive to Kaapsehoop. Stay Jim’s Gold guesthouse B&B
6th July AM Guided birding with Edward Thembe in forest at Kaapsehoop. PM Birding in Nelspruit botanic gardens. Stay Kaapsehoop
7th July AM Birding ‘limestone pavement’ at Kaapsehoop. PM Drive to & stay at Sabie Park private GR by the Paul Kruger gate into Kruger NP.
8th-15th July Birding on foot in Sabie Park, with several day drives into Kruger NP, a day trip to do ‘tourist things’ in Sabie town, & a 10 hour return drive to drop Charlie Moores at JB international airport, with en-route birding around Dullstroom
16th-20th July 5 nights in Kruger NP (2 at Satara camp, 3 at Olifants camp) with 1 night drive at each camp
21st July AM Game drive to Kruger NP Orpen gate. PM Drive to & stay at Aventura Swadini resort, Blyde River Canyon.
22nd July Birding & sight-seeing at Blyde River Canyon
23rd July AM Birding & sight-seeing. PM Drive to Aventure Blydepoort (top of canyon) for more of the same!
24th July Drive to Crystal Springs private GR via waterfalls & Pilgrim’s Rest
25th July Birding & game viewing at Crystal Springs
26th July AM Forest birding at Mount Sheba. PM Visit God’s Window
27th July Drive from Crystal Springs to Wakkerstroom (5hr with birding stop at Wooitgedacht Dam NR)
28th July Birding in Wakkerstroom area
29th July AM Birding in Wakkerstroom. PM Drive parents to JB airport (3hr), return to Wakkerstroom
30th July AM Birding in Wakkerstroom. PM Drive to & camp at Ndumo GR, KZN province (5hr)
31st July Birding & game viewing in Ndumo NR
1st August AM Birding in Ndumo GR. PM Drive to & stay at Kozi Bay
2nd August AM Forest birding at Kozi Bay. PM Drive to & camp at Sodwana Bay
3rd August AM Forest edge birding at Sodwana Bay. PM Drive to & stay at Mkhuze GR
4th August Birding & game viewing at Mkhuze GR. 2 leopard night drive!
5th August AM Birding at Mkhuze GR. PM Drive to & stay at Greater St. Lucia
6th August AM Birding in Greater St. Lucia & St. Lucia GR (road to Cape Vidal). PM Drive to & camp at Richard’s Bay
7th August AM Birding at Richard’s Bay. PM Drive to & stay at Umlalazi NR
8th August AM Forest birding at Umlalazi NR. PM Drive to & bird Dlinza Forest NR. Stay at Eshowe
9th August AM Birding at (O)ngoye Forest NR. PM Drive to & stay at Giant’s Castle NR, Drakensberg (4.5hr)
10th August Hiking & birding at Giant’s Castle NR
11th August Birding at Giant’s Castle NR. PM Drive to & stay at Underberg (4hr with birding stops at e.g., Kamberg NR)
12th August All day birding expedition up Sani Pass into Lesotho with Steven Piper
13th August AM Birding in Xumeni Forest NR. PM Drive to & stay at Jeffrey’s Bay, EC province (11hr)
14th August AM Seawatching at Cape St. Francis. PM Drive to & stay at Knysna, WC province (3+hr with birding stops)
15th August Early AM Birding at the Heads & Woodbourne Pools, then hiking & birding in Diepwalle Forest
16th August AM Birding at the Heads & Woodbourne Pools. PM Drive to & stay 15km north of Oudtshoorn (5hr with birding stops at Swartvlei, Rondevlei, Langvlei & Woodville ‘Big Tree’)
17th August AM Birding at the Swartberg Pass. PM Drive to & stay at De Hoop NR (5hr with limited birding stops)
18th August AM Birding & whale-watching at De Hoop NR. PM Birding drive along roads between De Hoop NR & Swellendam
19th August Early AM Birding Vlei trail at De Hoop NR. Late AM/PM Drive to & stay in CT, birding the Harold Porter botanic gardens at Betty’s Bay en route (5-6hr with birding stops)
20th August Zest for Birds pelagic from CT. Late PM birding at Kommetjie
21st August Birding, sight-seeing & hiking in Table Mountain NP (Cape Point & Cape of Good Hope) & Chapman’s Peak Drive
22nd August Early AM birding at De Hel, Constantia Greenbelts. (If Knysna Warblers and feral Chaffinches are not your thing, my wife highly recommends a township tour!). Late AM hiking & birding in Silvermine NR. PM Rain-dodging in CT…
23rd August AM Birding, game- & flower-viewing in West Coast NP. PM Birding at Paternoster and Velddrif
24th August AM Birding at Paarl Mountain NR. PM Drive to & stay at Karoo NP (4hr from Paarl Mtn NR). Fabulous night drive!
25th August AM Birding in Karoo NP. PM Drive to Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam, FS province (7.5hr)
26th August AM Birding in Sandveld NR. PM Drive to JB (5hr via minor roads, with birding stops)
27th August 11.30am flight back to Dubai via Nairobi
5. Site details:
No details of sites covered in Essential Birding Western South Africa or Chris Goodie’s trip report are given, unless to amend or add information. Sites are mentioned in the order we visited them.
Ezemvelo private GR is in GT province, north of the N4. The majority of the reserve is highveld grassland, with a small dam, some wooded slopes & kopjes (rocky outcrops). Follow signs for Bronkhorstspruit then the R25 north towards Verena, taking the signposted gravel road east (right) to the reserve. There are good chalets, plus camping facilities but no restaurant & very limited food in the reserve shop so take supplies. The Wilge River circular walk is fantastic – in addition to plenty of game & some great scenery, we also saw 2 Verreaux’s Eagles & our only Ovambo Sparrowhawk & Short-toed Rock Thrush of the trip. There are basic maps of the reserve available in Reception. A combination of car & foot is probably best to maximize your chances of connecting with the various larks, cisticolas and francolins present, though walking is better for exploring the kopjes and wooded areas.
Verloren vlei NR, in ML province near Dullstroom, is a vast highveld grassland & mountain reserve with several vleis where Wattled Cranes breed. In the summer, Yellow-breasted Pipit also breeds, as do a host of other highveld grassland species. Turn left off the R540 onto a gravel road about 8km northeast of Dullstroom. The entrance is about 9km further, on the left. You need to obtain a permit from the office (R30), where there is also parking. However, the gate was not always open when we drove past & I’m not sure about access arrangements when this is the case but there was a ‘phone number for guided tours on the gate. We did a 15km hike, bird highlights being our first Cape Vultures, Cape Canaries & Cape Buntings. The gravel road both before and after the reserve provided the best birding, however, with the burnt edges yielding Southern Bald Ibis, Sentinel Rock Thrush, Mountain Wheatear & Secretarybird. If you continue to the end of the gravel road & turn right onto the tarmac towards Vermont, there are some excellent stands of Protea & rocky slopes where we saw our first Gurney’s Sugarbirds, Buff-streaked Chats & Ground Woodpecker.
Kaapsehoop indigenous forest & grasslands in ML province hold some globally vulnerable species such as Blue Swallow & Bush Blackcap. A permit is required to enter areas where these birds can be found. I strongly recommend using Edward Thembe (contact via Richard Huggett – see Contacts) – even if you decide not to use his guiding services, he is very willing to organize permits for visiting birders. The grasslands were quiet during our visit but we had a great morning in the forest, getting good views of Bush Blackcap & Olive Bush-Shrike, plus our first Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk & only Peregrine of the trip. With Edward’s help we learned the call of Barratt’s Warbler but failed to clap eyes on one, despite chasing several (I finally saw one at God’s Window whilst doing tourist things but to my disgust, my dad didn’t even make this beautiful Bradypterus his Bird of the Day!).
Nelspruit botanic gardens in ML province are on the west side of Nelspruit, near the Riverside mall, & are well signposted. There is a small entrance fee (c.R10). There’s quite a bit of forest here, along the Crocodile River gorge. Species we saw included our first Southern Black Tits, Red-capped Robin-Chats & Yellow-streaked Bulbul, plus a stunning, obliging Half-collared Kingfisher along the riverside walk (where there are also several signs asking you if you have seen the finfoot yet… to which our answer was ‘no’!). I did see a Cape clawless otter from the main bridge.
Sabie Park in ML province is a private residential game reserve 3km from the Paul Kruger gate into Kruger NP. You can only enter as a guest of one of the home-owners. It has a big advantage over Kruger in that you can walk about during daylight hours as the ‘only’ dangerous animals in the park are leopard & spotted hyena (though Steve did have a morning’s birding curtailed shortly after we left when he stepped out of his back door to find a lioness in his garden!). Small birds we saw here that were much more difficult from the car in Kruger included Stierling’s Wren-Warbler, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Grey Penduline Tit, Brown-backed Honeybird & Dusky Indigobird. Read about our ‘Sabie Park winter day list record’ at http://www.charliesbirdblog.com/~charlie/sabie10jul05/sabie10jul05_01.html
A visit to Kruger NP is the highlight of many people’s visit to SA & birders are unlikely to be disappointed. In fact, whilst some hardened game viewers grumble about the lack of game on display, birders tend to be celebrating Southern Ground-hornbills, Saddle-billed Storks or African Finfoots… We saw all 3, with a male finfoot showing off below the bridge by Paul Kruger gate in the middle of the afternoon on one of our trips into Kruger! Some highlights among the other goodies we caught up with in Kruger were White-headed Vulture, African Cuckoo Hawk (from Lower Sabie restaurant), Greater Painted Snipe (Sabie River at Skukuza & Balule bridge over Olifants river), White-crowned Lapwing, Double-banded Sandgrouse & Burnt-necked Eremomela. In general, the northern areas are drier, have less game but also some birds & mammals on the southern edge of their range, occurring nowhere else in SA, whilst the southern areas are wetter, with a greater diversity of species. The Satara area is famous for cats, though our priceless sightings of a leopard disturbed from its day resting place by 5 lions, & the following day the same 5 lions killing & eating a male impala, were both from the spectacular viewpoint at Olifants camp. Entry to Kruger is R120/person/day. Accommodation is paid for separately, & includes options for most budgets. Due to the relatively thick bush, the 2 night drives we did were not as productive as those in more open reserves such as Mkhuze & the Karoo NP but we still saw several nocturnal mammals such as large- & small-spotted genets and African wild cat.
Blyde River Canyon in ML province is justly famous for its scenery more than anything else. Taita Falcons can be seen nearby though, at the Abel Erasmus pass. Coming from the north, pass through the tunnel and continue for 1.3km. Park at the craft stalls on your left, opposite a large rock with the slogan ‘Place of birds’ painted on it. Cross the road (with care!) & scan the cliffs towering above you, with your back to the rock. There are a couple of local guys who will show you the nest… & expect a tip for their efforts. It’s on the cliffs above the craft stalls. We saw 2 arrow-like Taita Falcons within 15 minutes of arriving, & had incredible views of them attacking a pair of Verreaux’s Eagles! Keep an eye on any large raptors in the area as the falcons will readily mob them. This was also one of only 3 places we saw Mocking Cliff-Chat, the others being Kaapsehoop & Olifants camp in Kruger. The Blydepoort dam is artificial & therefore of limited value for birds but we did see our second Half-collared Kingfisher here, on a boat trip. Unfortunately our boat man had no idea about where to find the White-backed Night Herons which are reputed to be in the area.
We found Crystal Springs private GR a much more attractive alternative than nearby Pilgrim’s Rest (in which we spent 20 minutes in total!). It’s 20-30 minutes drive west of Pilgrim’s Rest on the winding R533, on the right hand (north) side, & offers cosy chalets with spectacular canyon views. The track into the game reserve (which is not fenced off from the accommodation area but separated by a large ‘exotic plantation’) is quite rough but there are plenty of animals & a few walking trails. We did the Kudu trail, seeing species like Olive Woodpecker, Cape Rock Thrush & Purple-crested Turaco, plus eland, giraffe & black-backed jackal. The trail (name beginning with ‘T’) at the opposite side of the reserve to the accommodation area was closed during our stay due to a broken bridge & a new buffalo enclosure.
The turn-off for Mount Sheba hotel & NR is 6-8km further from Pilgrim’s Rest than Crystal Springs, on the left hand (south) side. The gravel access road seems a long 10km. There is excellent indigenous forest at Mount Sheba, with various well-marked trails. Ask permission in the hotel reception – the receptionist was very helpful, giving us a trail map & bird list to use. We walked the 5km Marco’s Mantle trail, & saw at least 5 Orange Ground-Thrush, a Narina Trogon, the back end of an Olive Bush-Shrike, 2 Knysna Turaco (from the excellent restaurant!) & the unusual sight of 4 Chorister Robin-Chats, 2 Cape Robin-Chats & an Olive Thrush feeding next to each other on the hotel lawn as we arrived early in the morning!
Wakkerstroom is a famous birding area in southern ML province, & is well covered in the literature. John McAllister lent us a copy of Warwick Tarboton’s guide to bird- & other wildlife-watching in the area – this guide should be available at the BirdLife SA offices at Wakkerstroom wetlands, if not over the internet. Although we were too early to locate the endemic Botha’s & Rudd’s Larks singing, we did see Blue Korhaan & Blue Crane in the grasslands, plus African Snipe & a good selection of ducks in the wetlands & at nearby Fickland’s Pan.
We camped at Ndumo GR in NE KZN, which would have been more comfortable if we’d brought cooking gear, as only those renting chalets can use the kitchen (where there is a full time cook who cooks what you bring him). However, the birding more than compensated for 2 days of peanut butter sandwiches and Romany creams, particularly the guided walks we did along the South Pongola River. In one afternoon & one early morning walk we saw 3 African Broadbills (one posing for crippling digiscoping opportunities), a Black-throated Wattle-eye, 2 or 3 Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers, a Grey Sunbird, an African Finfoot & best of all, a fabulous Pel’s Fishing Owl. The latter was found by our guide on the morning walk on our 2nd day – although one had been seen the previous morning, our afternoon guide that day couldn’t relocate it. Check in the sightings book or with the Receptionist on arrival for the latest information. Other good birds at Ndumo included Pink-throated Twinspot (1km west of the gate in bushes by the perimeter fence), Red-backed Mannikin, Southern Brown-throated Weaver (the last 2 near the Natal Bird Club hide), several surprisingly confiding Eastern Nicators & quite a few waders on the accessible pan.
Nearby at Kozi Bay we stayed at the only seriously overpriced place we encountered in SA, the Kozi Bay Lodge (R390/person for dinner, B&B – the food was uninspiring & we wished we’d gone for the self-catering option at R200/person). The access road was also quite sandy in places – I was grateful for my sand-driving experiences in the UAE. One of the employees did take us into the adjacent sand forest for R60 & though his bird knowledge was very limited, he gave me a good route to follow the next morning, where I saw Woodward’s Batis, Livingstone’s Turaco & Brown Scrub-Robin. A nice surprise on returning to the chalet was a pair of Green Twinspots in the garden. A quick, impulse drive out of lodge along the access track at dusk instantly scored a Swamp Nightjar over the grassland, which was a bonus.
We camped alone in the vast Sodwana Bay campsite, just down the coast from Kozi Bay. This was a bit un-nerving as we had been informed by a genuinely upset ranger that the 5km sand-forest trail starting opposite the gate was closed indefinitely due to several attacks on tourists. This also limited the birding to the campsite area, where large numbers of Yellow Weavers & Black-bellied Starlings, a Grey Waxbill & a disheveled Rudd’s Apalis starred. Red duikers were very common here.
Mkhuze GR, SE of Sodwana Bay, is mentioned by Chris Goodie. However, after our success at Ndumo we didn’t bother with the Fig Forest walk, instead focusing our attention on the Nsumo Pan for waterbirds such as Pink-backed Pelicans, a night drive during which we saw suni, white-tailed mongoose & 2 leopards, and the amazing Kumasinga hide. The latter is built in a waterhole, facilitating great views & photography opportunities of plains zebra, nyala, impala, baboon, warthog & white rhinoceros, plus a host of passerines coming to drink. The birds were more apparent in the afternoon – the mid-morning herbivore drinkathon seemed to discourage them from settling. Black-collared Barbet, Dark-capped Bulbul, Yellow Weaver & Emerald-spotted Wood Dove were all numerous, whilst visits to the waterhole by Greater Honeyguide, Purple-crested Turaco, Green Twinspot & a brilliant Little Sparrowhawk were welcome surprises. We also saw our only Black-bellied Bustard on a game drive in this reserve.
Greater St. Lucia is covered in Chris Goodie’s trip report – I too birded the Gwalagwala trail in the SW corner of the village, finding a couple of smarter Rudd’s Apalis. I also birded the estuary mouth (keep an eye out for the gigantic crocs if you wander upstream), where White-fronted Plovers were common, plenty of Cape Gannets were milling about offshore & a distant petrel (White-chinned?) & albatross (Indian Yellow-nosed?) gave me my first taste of SA seawatching (soon to be bettered!).
Richard’s Bay, home of the Zululand Birding Route, is a top spot for birding, despite the surrounding industry. In fact, the campsite next to the Protea hotel could have been in the middle of the bush & only the variously-spelled Thulasihleka Pan felt seriously industrial, with 2 of the hides built on the conveyor belt of a factory, hanging like hirundine nests under the eaves. We jammed a Palm-nut Vulture over the main road as arrived in the town, whilst a morning at Thulasihleka Pan produced the only Little Bitterns, Squacco Herons, Osprey & best of all, Lesser Jacanas of the trip. Both here & at the nearby Lake Mzingazi I recorded single Allen’s Gallinules, summer visitors to the region, according to Sinclair et al. Another summer visitor was a pair of Sandwich Terns with a large roost of Swift Terns in the harbour, & there were also several Whimbrel on the mudflats.
Umlalazi NR, S of Richard’s Bay at Mtunzini, is a well-known spot for Mangrove Kingfisher, along with reliable Palm-nut Vultures, wintering Spotted Ground-Thrush & a regular Bat Hawk in recent years. I had no gen on the kingfisher, so I looked & listened for it along the short, disturbed area of mangroves NE at the carpark at the end of the road past the campsite & chalets. It was a holiday weekend & many motor boats were belting around this area of the river so I wasn’t surprised to only see a brave or stupid Pied Kingfisher toughing it out. A Grey Crowned Crane, looking a bit out of place on a sand bar, was a good trip tick but despite hanging around the carpark area, which overlooks a reasonable chunk of forest & a large bend in the river, I once again failed to see a certain bat-munching raptor. The next morning I went back to the same carpark and followed the forest trail that runs SW from there, connecting with 4 Spotted Ground-Thrush & a single Palm-nut Vulture in the first 300m!
We stayed at the George Hotel in Eshowe, W (inland) of Mtunzini. Having met a West Midlands birding couple who stayed at Hugh Chittenden’s place in Eshowe, I wish I’d known about the latter earlier. The only contact details I have for him is are address from his Top Birding Spots book: PO Box 360, Eshowe, 3813. We birded the nearby Dlinza Forest, where the spectacular if short aerial walkway gives fantastic views of the forest canopy, & the understorey seemed to be crawling with Spotted Ground-Thrush (we saw at least 7). We only went for a couple of hours in the afternoon so I wasn’t surprised to miss Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon but we did get good views of African Harrier-Hawk & Trumpeter Hornbills. There was a large roost of the latter in big trees not far from the entrance to the forest, easily found by following the constant stream of birds heading there from the day’s feeding! I did Ngoye Forest NR from Eshowe – in retrospect it would have been easier from Umlalazi. I suggest an organized trip here if you don’t have a 4x4 vehicle (see Transport). For directions, ask for a map from Umlalazi NR reception or contact Duncan Pritchard at ZBR for advice. I found a pair of Green Barbets at 8.30am, just before I had to leave, without tapes or really knowing the call (being a barbet, it’s one of the few easy calls to recognize from the written description in field guides!). I also saw Grey Cuckooshrike and the beautiful Ngoye red squirrel.
Giant’s Castle NR, Drakensberg, KZN province, is set in spectacular scenery. Too bad the day we decided to do a 20km walk happened to be the first day of rain (& sleet & snow) in 2 months! We used the free trail map available at Reception to the walk to the start of the Langalibalele Pass. We climbed from 1780m to 2670m… this proved just enough because as soon as the grass-covered hills gave way to rocky gullies at the mouth of the pass, 2 fantastic Drakensberg Rock-jumpers appeared, right on cue! They were in a rocky gully on the S side of the pass, just after the path crosses the river to the S side & begins to climb. On the squelchy walk back, we flushed 5 Grey-winged Francolins (at c.2300m) & a Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk circled over the wooded valley near the cave paintings about 2km from the chalets. The following day was clear & cold – Becca walked to the cave paintings whilst I tried to photograph the Southern Bald Ibis colony on fenced rocky out-crop on the right as you enter the wooded valley heading towards the cave paintings. Later we watched 2 Lammergeiers from the road below the feeding station (c.4-5km) from Reception towards the park gate, plus 2 distant Verreaux’s Eagles & at least 15 Cape Vultures. We saw at least 4 more Lammergeiers along the minor road from Giant’s Castle to Loteni, & by sheer fluke, 3 heat-hazy Wattled Cranes on the far side of the vlei where the road passes through Kamberg NR for a couple of km (no entrance fee or permit needed). Another roadside tick in this area were 4 exquisite Black-winged Lapwings.
Sani Pass is a 4x4 expedition, & we went with Steven Piper (see Contacts) from Robin Guy Expeditions in Underberg. Although only Layard’s Tit-Babbler, Drakensberg Siskin, Large-billed Lark & Lanner were new birds, the endearing Sloggett’s ice rats & the awe-inspiring plateau & mountain pass scenery were worth the trip in themselves. Steven also took us to a spot for Half-collared Kingfisher & whilst he & I were admiring a Cape Grassbird, Becca came up trumps with the kingfisher. Other birds seen included 2 majestic Lammergeier at their nest site, plus 1-2 other birds earlier in the day, Sentinel & Cape Rock Thrush, Buff-streaked Chat, Gurney’s Sugarbird & a good selection of waterfowl at Dieu Donne Dam, near the start of the road to the pass. Rob Guy also gave me very accurate directions to find Cape Parrot in Xumeni Forest NR, to round off an excellent stay in Underberg.
Cape St. Francis, c.100km W of Port Elizabeth, was a surprise addition to our itinerary after we decided to end our longest drive of the trip (11hr) at the surfing hotspot of Jeffrey’s Bay. I hadn’t seen this cape mentioned in any trip report but after a quick look at the map & the weather, reckoned it might be worth a look. In a 1hr seawatch 2-3 African Penguin, 3-4 Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, 1 Shy Albatross, 2 obligingly close Southern & 1 Northern Giant Petrel, c.900 Cape Gannet, c.20 Cape Cormorant, 8 Subantarctic Skua, 2 African Black Oystercatcher & a small pod of humpback whales close inshore represented the most successful seawatch I did from land anywhere in the country! We also encountered our first Karoo Scrub-Robins in the gardens of the backpackers in ‘”J’s Bay”, plus Forest Buzzard & Cape Sugarbird en route to Knysna.
The sites we visited on the Garden Route, the Cape and in the Karoo NP are all amply covered in Essential Birding Western SA, suffice to say that there are lots to choose from, & many birds & mammals to see in some wonderful countryside. Personal favourites were the Swartberg Pass (our only Cape Rock-jumpers, plus Booted Eagle, Pale-winged Starling etc), De Hoop NR & surrounding farmland (Black Harrier, Karoo Korhaan, Denham’s Bustard, stacks of Blue Cranes & over 35 Southern right whales watched from a deserted, wind-swept beach), West Coast NP (Southern Black Korhaan & Chestnut-banded Plover at nearby Velddrif), Paarl Mountain NR (Protea Seed-eater, finally, on the top path in the flower garden, c.100m down from the ugly concrete water tank) & the Karoo NP (Rufous-eared Warbler, Karoo & Sickle-winged Chats, Fairy Flycatcher, Horus Swift & an amazing night drive where the first of several strictly nocturnal & bizarre-looking creatures we saw was an aardvark!).
The only site not mentioned was the tern roost at Paternoster, where both Common & Antarctic Terns were present in large numbers, along with a few Swift Terns & a single Sandwich Tern. Roseate Tern has recently been recorded here too. To find the roost, follow the road to the left (W) in Paternoster, passing ‘Die Winkel Op Paternoster’ (Paternoster shop). The road then goes between posh white holiday homes on the right and less salubrious white houses on the left, before becoming gravel. Follow signs to the beach camp, & park as soon as you get to the gate (which was un-manned when we were there). The roost is easy to see from the top of the beach near the gate, on the SW side of the rocks.
To break the long drive from Karoo NP to JB in suitably birdy fashion, we chose the N12 instead of the N1 & stopped at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (picked from the Top Birding Spots book). The N12 produced roadside views of Northern Black Korhaan, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk & several Sociable Weaver colonies. Sandveld NR is well-signposted (as ‘Bloemhof Dam NR’ until you reach the gate), from the main road through Bloemhof c.10km from the village, on the S side of the R700 to Hoopstad. Although we were informed on arrival that the game reserve itself was closed because they were catching game (!), & the accommodation had an air of ‘former glories’ about it, the next morning dispelled all fears of a disaster as I birded the fairly open Acacia scrub N of the chalets (back towards the Hoopstad road) & quickly saw many species that are right on the southern edge their range here. These included Fawn-coloured Lark, Ashy Tit, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Black-faced Waxbill, Scaly-feathered Finch, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater & the stunning Crimson-breasted Shrike. I also said goodbye to some ‘old friends’ from early in the trip, such as Crested Barbet, Common Scimitarbill & Cardinal Woodpecker. That afternoon on our drive back to JB, we added a few common species previously missed, with White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, South African Cliff Swallow & Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark taking bronze, silver & gold for the last 3 birds of the trip!
Species Lists
Locations are only given for sightings of:
1) scarce residents, scarce or localized endemics
2) species outside or at the edge of their normal range
3) species listed as summer visitors in Sinclair et al.
Dates are only given where relevant (i.e., for summer visitors & rarities)
For more information on locations for certain species, see also Site Details.
For convenience, all names follow the nomenclature used in Birds of Southern Africa (Sinclair et al.), 3rd Edition.
All pelagic seabirds were seen from the Zest for Birds pelagic on 20th August, unless stated.
English names in bold indicate lifers
E = Endemic; NE = Near-endemic; BE = Breeding endemic (Sinclair et al.)
1. Common Ostrich Struthio camelus
2. African Penguin Spheniscus demersus E
- 3 off Cape St. Francis, several from pelagic & hundreds at Boulders Bay (WC)
3. Great-crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
4. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
5. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
6. Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora
- 3 from pelagic 20/8 was an unprecedented number
7. Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta
8. Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophris
9. Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri
10. Southern Giant-Petrel Macronectes giganteus
11. Northern Giant-Petrel Macronectes halli
12. Southern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides
- 1 from pelagic 20/8 had been seen a few weeks earlier
13. Pintado Petrel Daption capense
14. Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata
- 6-10 from the pelagic 20/8 were rather late in the season (& a welcome relief!)
15. White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis
16. Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus
17. Wilson’s Storm-Petrel Oceanites oceanicus
18. Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
19. Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens
20. Cape Gannet Morus capensis BE
21. Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis BE
22. Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus E
- regular in small numbers around CT coast, especially rocks/boats near Simon’s Town harbour, & Kommetjie
23. Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus
24. Crowned Cormorant Phalacrocorax coronatus E
- regular around CT coast, in larger numbers than Bank Cormorant. Kommetjie was good for this species
25. African Darter Anhinga rufa
26. Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
27. Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
28. Goliath Heron Ardea goliath
29. Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
30. Great Egret Ardea alba
31. Little Egret Egretta garzetta
32. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
33. Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
34. Green-backed Heron Butorides striata
35. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
36. Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
37. Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
38. White Stork Ciconia ciconia
39. Black Stork Ciconia nigra
40. Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus
41. African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus
42. Saddle-billed Stork Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
- only recorded in singles or pairs in Kruger NP
43. Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumeniferus
44. Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis
45. African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
46. Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus E
- flocks of 2–27 regular at Wakkerstroom & Dullstroom (ML), Giant’s Castle NP (KZN), favouring burnt areas
47. Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
48. Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
49. African Spoonbill Platalea alba
50. Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus
51. Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor
52. White-faced Duck Dendrocygna viduata
53. White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus
54. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca
55. South African Shelduck Tadorna cana E
- seen singly or in pairs at Wakkerstroom wetlands, a few roadside dams (KZN) & West Coast NP (WC)
56. Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata
57. African Black Duck Anas sparsa
58. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos
59. Cape Teal Anas capensis
60. Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota
61. Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha
62. Cape Shoveler Anas smithii E
63. Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
64. Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
- 1 male on the main vlei at De Hoop NR (WC) with Southern Pochards 19/8 has been returning to the area for several years. Some local birders feel there is a case for genuine vagrancy. I ticked & ran.
65. Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos
66. Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis
67. Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa
68. Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius
69. Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus
- at least 10 individuals in 2 days, 6 at/near Giant’s Castle NP (KZN) & 4 over the Sani Pass
70. Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus
- only recorded in Kruger NP, where 2-8 birds were seen on several days
71. Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres E
72. White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus
73. Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotus
74. White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis
75. Yellow-billed Kite Milvus parasitus
76. Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
77. African Cuckoo Hawk Aviceda cuculoides
- 1 at Lower Sabie, Kruger NP & 2 along the road to Cape Vidal, eastern KZN
78. Verreaux’s Eagle Aquila verreauxii
- singles or pairs at several locations inc. Ezemvelo GR (GT), Abel Erasmus Pass (ML) & Giant’s Castle NP (KZN). Great views of an adult near its nest from the fenced viewpoint at the top of the Klipspringer Pass in Karoo NP (WC)
79. Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
80. Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
- 1 pale phase from the Karoo-side of the Swartberg Pass
81. African Hawk-Eagle Hieraaetus spilogaster
82. Long-crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis
83. Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus
84. African Crowned Eagle Harpyhaliaetus coronatus
- 1 adult over plantation just E of Piet Retief (ML)
85. Brown Snake-Eagle Circaetus cinereus
86. Black-chested Snake-Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
- 1 adult from road to Cape Vidal, eastern KZN
87. Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus
88. Palm-nut Vulture Gypohierax angolensis
- singles over main road into Richard’s Bay & from the start of the forest walk at Umlalazi NR (KZN)
89. African Fish Eagle Haliaeetus vocifer
90. Steppe Buzzard Buteo vulpinus
91. Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus E
- several seen in forested areas along the Garden Route (EC)
92. Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus E
93. Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus
94. Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris
- singles at Kaapsehoop (ML), Giant’s Castle NR (KZN) & Paarl Mountain NR (WC)
95. Ovambo Sparrowhawk Accipiter ovampensis
- 1 at Ezemvelo NR (GT) at the southern edge of the species’ range
96. Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus
97. Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus
- of interest was a melanistic male seen on 2 separate days at Kommetjie on the Cape Peninsula
98. Shikra Accipiter badius
99. African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro
100. Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk Melierax canorus NE
101. Dark Chanting Goshawk Melierax metabates
- 1 adult in Kruger NP
102. African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus
103. Black Harrier Circus maurus E
- 1 adult over farmland just outside De Hoop NR & 2 in West Coast NP (WC)
104. African Harrier-Hawk Polyboroides typus
105. Osprey Pandion haliaetus
106. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
107. Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
108. Taita Falcon Falco fasciinucha
- pair ferociously attacking 2 Verreaux’s Eagles at Abel Erasmus Pass (ML)
109. Rock Kestrel Falco tinnunculus rupicolis NE
110. Crested Francolin Peliperdix sephaena
111. Grey-winged Francolin Scleroptila africanus E
- coveys of 5–14 seen above 2300m in Giant’s Castle NR (KZN) & the Sani Pass, & 2 at De Hoop NR (WC)
112. Red-winged Francolin Scleroptila levaillantii
113. Orange River Francolin Scleroptila levaillantoides NE
- a covey of 3+ birds at Ezemvelo were the only ones recorded
114. Cape Francolin Pternistis capensis E
- very common in De Hoop, Table Mountain & West Coast NRs (WC)
115. Natal Francolin Pternistis natalensis NE
- very common in Kruger & eastern KZN
116. Red-necked Spurfowl Pternistis afer
117. Swainson’s Spurfowl Pternistis swainsonii NE
- common in ML e.g., Ezemvelo GR & Kruger NP
118. Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris
119. Crested Guineafowl Guttera pucherani
120. Wattled Crane Burgeranus carunculatus
- 3 at far side of vlei in Kamberg NR, Drakensberg (KZN)
121. Blue Crane Anthropoides paradisea E
- small groups of 2–4 birds near Wakkerstroom (ML) & Underberg (KZN), & over 200 in farmland near De Hoop NR (WC)
122. Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum
123. African Rail Rallus caerulescens
- heard at Wakkerstroom wetland, 1 seen at Rondevlei & 1 at Langvlei W of Knysna (EC)
124. Black Crake Amaurornis flavirostra
125. African Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio
126. Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni
- 1 adult Lake Mzingazi, 1 immature Thulasihleka Pan, Richard’s Bay (KZN)
127. Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
128. Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
129. African Finfoot Podica senegalensis
1 male from bridge by Paul Kruger gate into Kruger NP (ML), 1 female from bridge over Blyde River, near Swadini resort (ML) & 3 in 2 days at Ndumo GR (KZN)
130. Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori
- only seen in Kruger NP, usually singly but 7 were feeding on a large, still-burning area along the S40
131. Denham’s Bustard Neotis denhami
- 14 in a day in De Hoop NR (WC) & surrounding farmland, with 10 in the field on the right just before the road to De Hoop NR enters fynbos.
132. Blue Korhaan Eupodotis caerulescens E
- up to 16 in a morning in grassland above Wakkerstroom (ML)
133. Karoo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsii E
- 10 in farmland N of Malgas, near De Hoop NR (ML) & 2 adults with a cryptic chick in Karoo NP (WC)
134. Red-crested Korhaan Eupodotis ruficrista
135. Black-bellied Bustard Eupodotis melanogaster
- 1 female during a game drive in Mkhuze GR (KZN)
136. Southern Black Korhaan Eupodotis afra E
- a rain-soaked pair in West Coast NP (WC), exactly where it says in the Essential Birding book!
137. Northern Black Korhaan Eupodotis afraoides NE
138. African Jacana Actophilornis africanus
139. Lesser Jacana Microparra capensis
- 3 from ‘Lesser Jacana Point’ at Thulasihleka Pan, Richard’s Bay (KZN)
140. Greater Painted Snipe Rostratula benghalensis
1 female on the river at Skukuza, plus 2 females & a male from Balule bridge near Olifants, Kruger NP
141. African Black Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini E
142. Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
- 2 at Velddrif on 23/8 were the only records (WC)
143. White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus
144. Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus
- 8 in the Cerebos salt works, viewed from the raised road S of the bridge in Velddrif (WC)
145. Kittlitz’s Plover Charadrius pecuarius
146. Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
147. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
148. Crowned Lapwing Vanellus lugubris
149. Senegal Lapwing Vanellus lugubris
- 2 on our way out of Kruger NP, by the road to Orpen gate
150. Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus
- 4–5 in a burnt field near Kamberg NR, Drakensberg (KZN)
151. Blacksmith Lapwing Vanellus armatus
152. White-crowned Lapwing Vanellus albiceps
- only seen in Kruger NP, with 2 by the river at Nkuhlu picnic site & several from Olifants camp viewpoint
153. African Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus
154. Ruddy Tunstone Arenaria interpres
155. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
156. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
157. Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
158. Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
159. Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
160. Little Stint Calidris minuta
- singles at Woodbourne Pools, Knysna (EC) on 15/8 & Velddrif (WC) on 23/8
161. Sanderling Calidris alba
- only seen on the beach at Greater St. Lucia (KZN), where a flock of c.15 were present on 5/8
162. African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis
163. Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
- 2 at Velddrif on 23/8 were a surprise, though I later found out they had been present for several weeks
164. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
- small numbers at West Coast NP (WC), (23/8)
165. Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
- 1 at West Coast NP (WC), 23/8
166. Common Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
167. Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
168. Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
169. Spotted Thick-knee Burhinus capensis
170. Water Thick-knee Burhinus vermiculatus
171. Double-banded Courser Rhinoptilus africanus
- 1 at Karoo NP by the 13km loop road SE of the chalets
172. Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola
173. Subantarctic Skua Stercorarius Antarctica
- c.8 from Cape St. Francis & common on the pelagic
174. Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
175. Hartlaub’s Gull Larus hartlaubii E
176. Cape Gull Larus vetula
177. Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
178. Swift Tern Sterna bergii
179. Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
180. Common Tern Sterna hirundo
181. Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata
- only seen on 23/8 at the Paternoster tern roost (see Site Details)
182. Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
183. Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua NE
- 2 ‘probables’ at De Hoop NR (WC), before Becca spotted an obliging roadside pair in Karoo NP (WC)
184. Double-banded Sandgrouse Pterocles bicinctus
- c.5 seen on the loop road to the Olifants river viewpoint NE of Olifants camp in Kruger NP
185. Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea
186. African Olive-Pigeon Columba arquatrix
187. Red-eyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata
188. African Mourning Dove Streptopelia decipiens
189. Cape Turtle-Dove Streptopelia capicola
190. Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
191. Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
- 1 in farmland off the R50 SE of JB was the only one we saw
192. Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove Turtur chalcospilos
193. Tambourine Dove Turtur tympanistria
194. Lemon Dove Columba larvata
195. African Green-Pigeon Treron calvus
196. Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus E
- 2 pairs near a nest site in Xumeni Forest (KZN)
197. Brown-headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus
198. Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix E
- 2–3 at Kaapsehoop (ML) with Edward Thembe & 2 from the restaurant at Mount Sheba (ML)
199. Livingstone’s Turaco Tauraco livingstonii
200. Purple-crested Turaco Musophaga porphyreolopha
201. Grey Go-away-bird Corythaixoides concolor
202. Burchell’s Coucal Centropus burchelli NE
203. Marsh Owl Asio capensis
- 2 at Ezemvelo GR (GT) & 2 in the grasslands near Dullstroom (ML)
204. African Scops-Owl Otus senegalensis
205. Southern White-faced Scops Owl Ptilopsis granti
206. Pearl-spotted Owlet Glaucidium perlatum
207. African Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense
- 1 in Kruger NP
208. Spotted Eagle-Owl Bubo africanus
- 1 hunting around the offices & accommodation at De Hoop NR (WC) was much easier to safely view than the couple we saw on roadside telegraph poles as we drove past!
209. Pel’s Fishing-Owl Scotopelia peli
- 1 roosting along the South Pongola river walk at Ndumo GR (KZN) prompted me to hug our guide!
210. Fiery-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis
211. Swamp Nightjar Caprimulgus natalensis
- 1 over grassland along the entrance track to Kozi Bay Lodge (KZN)
212. Square-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus fossii
- 20+ over the Olifants river each evening, viewed from Olifants camp in Kruger NP
213. African Black Swift Apus barbatus
214. Horus Swift Apus hours
- 6–8 with Little Swifts over Reception at Karoo NP (WC), 25/8
215. Little Swift Apus affinis
216. Alpine Swift Apus melba
217. African Palm-Swift Cypsiurus parvus
218. Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus
219. White-backed Mousebird Colius colius NE
220. Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus
221. Narina Trogon Apaloderma narina
- singles seen at several locations, including Ndumo GR (KZN) & Mount Sheba NR (ML)
222. Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
223. Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima
224. Half-collared Kingfisher Alcedo semitorquata
- singles at Nelspruit botanic gardens (ML), Blydepoort Dam (ML) & on the road to the Sani Pass (KZN)
225. Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata
226. Brown-hooded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris
227. Striped Kingfisher Halcyon chelicuti
228. White-fronted Bee-eater Merops bullockoides
229. Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus
230. Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundineus
- 3–4 at the day visitor picnic site at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
231. Lilac-breasted Roller Coracias caudatus
232. Purple Roller Eurystomus azureus
- 1 bird seen in Kruger NP
233. African Hoopoe Upupa africana
234. Green Wood-Hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus
235. Common Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
236. Trumpeter Hornbill Ceratogymna bucinator
237. African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus
238. Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynchus
239. Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus leucomelas
240. Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus
241. Southern Ground-Hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri
- several groups of 2–5 birds seen in Kruger NP but nowhere else
242. Black-collared Barbet Lybius torquatus
243. Acacia Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas
244. White-eared Barbet Stactolaema leucotis
245. Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea
- a pair seen in Ongoye forest, with 3+ calling there
246. Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus
247. Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus chrysoconus
248. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus bilineatus
249. Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii
250. Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator
251. Scaly-throated Honeyguide Indicator variegatus
252. Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor
253. Brown-backed Honeybird Prodotiscus regulus
254. Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus E
- 1–3 birds at several locations including the road to Vermont near Dullstroom (ML), Wakkerstroom (ML) & the Drakensberg (KZN)
255. Golden-tailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni
256. Bennett’s Woodpecker Campethera bennettii
- 1 in the camp at Orpen gate, Kruger NP
257. Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
258. Bearded Woodpecker Dendropicos namaquus
259. Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocephalus
260. Red-throated Wryneck Jynx ruficollis
261. African Broadbill Smithornis capensis
- 3 seen & 1 heard on two South Pongola river walks at Ndumo GR (KZN)
262. Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana
263. Rufous-naped Lark Mirafra africana
264. Fawn-coloured Lark Mirafra africanoides
- 1 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS), on the edge of the species’ range
265. Sabota Lark Mirafra sabota NE
- several seen in Kruger NP, & 1 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
266. Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris E
- 1 in farmland near De Hoop NR (WC)
267. Eastern Long-billed Lark Certhilauda semitorquata E
- fairly common, especially on burnt ground, in the Dullstroom & Wakkerstroom areas
268. Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata E
- fairly common along the 13km loop road in Karoo NP (WC)
269. Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata
270. Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea
271. Large-billed Lark Galerida magnirostris E
- fairly common at the top of Sani Pass, with a few seen in Western Cape province
272. Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark Eremopterix signatus
273. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
274. White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis
- a ‘breeding summer visitor’, this bird was common near water in Eastern & Western Cape, first seen on 16/8
275. Wire-tailed Swallow Hirundo smithii
276. Mosque Swallow Hirundo senegalensis
277. Greater Striped Swallow Hirundo cucullata BE
- 1 in Sabie Park (ML) & a few at Kommetjie on the Cape peninsula
278. Lesser Striped Swallow Hirundo abyssinica
279. South African Cliff-Swallow Hirundo spilodera BE
280. Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula
281. Grey-rumped Swallow Hirundo griseopyga
282. Brown-throated Martin Riparia paludicola
283. Banded Martin Riparia cincta
- another summer visitor, 2 at West Coast NP (WC) on 23/8 being the only ones we saw
284. Black saw-wing Psalidoprocne holomelas
285. Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava
286. Grey Cuckooshrike Coracina caesia
- 1 at Kaapsehoop (ML), 2 at Ongoye forest (KZN) & 1 at Diepwalle Forest, Knysna (EC)
287. Fork-tailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis
288. Square-tailed Drongo Dicrurus ludwigii
289. Black-headed Oriole Oriolus larvatus
290. Cape Crow Corvus capensis
291. Pied Crow Corvus albus
292. White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis
293. Ashy Tit Parus cinerascens E
- 2–3 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS), towards the edge of the species’ range
294. Southern Black Tit Parus niger
295. Grey Penduline-Tit Anthoscopus caroli
- only seen in Sabie Park (ML), singly or in pairs
296. Arrow-marked Babbler Turdoides jardineii
297. Bush Blackcap Lioptilus nigricapillus E
- 2–3 at Kaapsehoop (ML)
298. Cape Bulbul Pycnonotus capensis E
299. African Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans NE
300. Dark-capped Bulbul Pycnonotus tricolor
301. Terrestrial Brownbul Phyllastrephus terrestris
302. Yellow-streaked Greenbul Phyllastrephus flavostriatus
- 1 at Nelspruit botanic gardens (ML)
303. Sombre Greenbul Andropadus importunus
304. Yellow-bellied Greenbul Chlorocichla flaviventris
305. Eastern Nicator Nicator gularis
306. Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyanus
307. Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus
308. Karoo Thrush Turdus smithi E
309. Spotted Ground-Thrush Zoothera guttata
- 3–4 at Umlalazi NR & at least 7 at Dlinza Forest, Eshowe (KZN)
310. Orange Ground-Thrush Zoothera gurneyi
- 5–6 aling the Marco’s Mantle trail at Mount Sheba (ML), & 1 in the track through Xumeni forest (KZN)
311. Groundscraper Thrush Psophocichla litsipsirupa
312. Cape Rock-Thrush Monticola rupestris E
313. Sentinel Rock-Thrush Monticola rupestris E
- common at the top of Sani Pass, & fairly common on burnt, rocky ground near Dullstroom (ML)
314. Short-toed Rock-Thrush Monticola brevipes pretoriae NE(E)
- 1 at Ezemvelo GR (GT)
315. Mountain Wheatear Oenanthe monticola NE
- singles & pairs infrequently encountered at Dullstroom & Wakkerstroom (ML), the Drakensberg (KZN) & the Karoo NP (WC)
316. Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
317. Buff-streaked Chat Saxicola bifasciatus E
318. Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris
319. Sickle-winged Chat Cercomela sinuate E
- 1 near De Hoop NR (WC) & 2–3 at the top of the Klipspringer Pass in Karoo NP (WC)
320. Karoo Chat Cercomela schlegelii NE
- 2 seen well at lower levels in Karoo NP (WC)
321. Mocking Cliff-Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris
322. Anteating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora E
323. African Stonechat Saxicola torquatus
324. Chorister Robin-Chat Cossypha dichroa E
- seen in various forest locations such as Kaapsehoop (ML), Mount Sheba (ML) & the Knysna area (EC)
325. White-browed Robin-Chat Cossypha heuglini
326. Red-capped Robin-Chat Cossypha natalensis
327. Cape Robin-Chat Cossypha caffra
328. White-throated Robin-Chat Cossypha humeralis E
329. White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata
330. Cape Rock-jumper Chaetops frenatus E
- 3 seen after a rock-jumping scramble W of the top of the Swartberg Pass (WC)
331. Drakensberg Rock-jumper Chaetops aurantius E
- 2 at 2670m in Giant’s Castle NP (see Site Details) & 3 near the top of the Sani Pass (KZN)
332. White-browed Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas leucophrys
333. Karoo Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas coryphaeus E
334. Kalahari Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas paena NE
- 1–2 in Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam, on the edge of the species’ range
335. Brown Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas signata E
- 1 at Kozi Bay & 1 on the Gwalagwala trail in Greater St. Lucia (KZN)
336. Bearded Scrub-Robin Cercotrichas quadrivirgata
337. Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler Parisoma subcaeruleum
338. Layard’s Tit-Babbler Parisoma layardi E
- 2 on the Lesotho side of the Sani Pass, near the Lammergeier nest
339. Lesser Swamp-Warbler Acrocephalus gracilirostris
340. Little Rush-Warbler [H] Bradypterus baboecala
341. Barratt’s Warbler Bradypterus barratti E
- several heard at Kaapsehoop, 1 finally seen at God’s Window (ML)
342. Knysna Warbler Bradypterus sylvaticus E
- 3 calling, 1 seen very well (no tape) at De Hel, Constantia Greenbelts, CT
343. Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla
344. Bar-throated Apalis Apalis thoracica
345. Yellow-breasted Apalis Apalis flavida
346. Rudd’s Apalis Apalis ruddi E
- 1 at Sodwana Bay & 2 at Greater St. Lucia (KZN)
347. Long-billed Crombec Sylvietta rufescens
348. Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis
- seen fairly regularly in Sabi Park (ML)
349. Burnt-necked Eremomela Eremomela usticollis
- only seen in the Satara rest camp, Kruger NP, in the yellow-barked acacias opposite the restaurant
350. Green-backed Cameroptera Camaroptera brachyura
351. Stierling’s Wren-Warbler Calamonastes stierlingi
352. Cape Grassbird Sphenoeacus afer E
- singles at Table Mountain NP (CT), Ezemvelo GR (GT), & the road to the Sani Pass (KZN)
353. Desert Cisticola Cisticola aridulus
354. Cloud Cisticola Cisticola textrix
355. Wing-snapping Cisticola Cisticola ayresii
356. Wailing Cisticola Cisticola lais
357. Rattling Cicticola Cisticola chiniana
358. Levaillant’s Cisticola Cisticola tinniens
359. Lazy Cisticola Cisticola aberrans
360. Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla
361. Tawny-flanked Prinia Prinia subflava
362. Black-chested Prinia Prinia flavicans
363. Karoo Prinia Prinia flavicans E
364. Drakensberg Prinia Prinia hypoxantha E
365. Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis E
- 1 on the 13km loop road at Karoo NP (WC)
366. African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta
367. Ashy Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens
368. Grey Tit-Flycatcher Myioparus plumbeus
- 2–3 seen in Sabie Park (ML) & 1 at Ndumo GR (KZN)
369. Southern Black Flycatcher Melaenornis pammelaina
370. Marico Flycatcher Bradornis mariquensis
371. Pale Flycatcher Bradornis pallidus
372. Chat Flycatcher Bradornis infuscatus
- 2 groups of 3–4 birds on the 13km loop road in Karoo NP (WC)
373. Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens E
374. Cape Batis Batis capensis E
375. Chinspot Batis Batis molitor
376. Pririt Batis Batis pririt NE
377. Woodward’s Batis Batis fratrum
378. Black-throated Wattle-eye Platysteira peltata
379. Fairy Flycatcher Stenostira scita E
- common around the interpretive centre in the Karoo NP (WC) & 1 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
380. Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher Trochocercus cyanomelas
381. African Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis
382. African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
383. Mountain Wagtail Motacilla clara
384. Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
385. African Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus
386. Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis
387. Buffy Pipit Anthus vaalensis
388. Striped Pipit Anthus lineiventris
389. Cape Longclaw Macronyx capensis E
390. Yellow-throated Longclaw Macronyx croceus
391. Common Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris
392. Magpie Shrike Corvinella melanoleuca
393. Southern Boubou Laniarius ferrugineus E
394. Crimson-breasted Shrike Laniarius atrococcineus NE
- 3 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
395. Black-backed Puffback Dryoscopus cubla
396. Brubru Nilaus afer
397. Southern Tchagra Tchagra tchagra E
- singles on the top path at The Heads, Knysna (EC) & the vlei trail at De Hoop NR (WC)
398. Brown-crowned Tchagra Tchagra australis
399. Black-crowned Tchagra Tchagra senegalus
400. Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus E
401. Gorgeous Bush-Shrike Telophorus quadricolor
402. Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike Telophorus sulfureopectus
403. Olive Bush-Shrike Telophorus olivaceus
- singles at Kaapsehoop & Mount Sheba (ML)
404. Grey-headed Bush-Shrike Malaconotus blanchoti
405. White-crested Helmet-Shrike Prionops plumatus
406. Retz’s Helmet-Shrike Prionops retzii
407. Southern White-crowned Shrike Eurocephalus anguitimens NE
- 1 in Kruger NP with another 2km from the Paul Kruger gate
408. Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris
409. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
410. Pied Starling Spreo bicolor E
411. Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea
412. Burchell’s Staring Lamprotornis australis E
- common in Kruger NP. Very restricted range in SA
413. Cape Glossy Starling Lamprotornis nitens
414. Greater Blue-eared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus
415. Black-bellied Starling Lamprotornis corruscus
416. Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio
417. Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup NE
- 2 on the Karoo side of the Swartberg Pass (WC) & 2–3 from the fenced viewpoint in Karoo NP (WC)
418. Red-billed Oxpecker Buphagus erythrorhynchus
419. Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer E
- 2 in a flower-nursery near Knysna (EC), 4+ on the Swartberg Pass (WC) & frequently encountered in fynbos on the Cape peninsula
420. Gurney’s Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi E
- common on the Vermont road near Dullstroom (see Site Details). Also seen around the chalets at Giant’s Castle NP & in the lower sections of the Sani Pass (KZN)
421. Malachite Sunbird Nectarinia famosa
422. Orange-breasted Sunbird Anthobaphes violacea E
423. Marico Sunbird Cinnyris mariquensis
424. Purple-banded Sunbird Cinnyris bifasciatus
425. Southern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris chalybeus E
426. Greater Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris afer E
427. White-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris talatala
428. Dusky Sunbird Cinnyris fuscus NE
- 1 female on the Karoo side of the Swartberg Pass (WC)
429. Grey Sunbird Cyanomitra veroxii
430. Eastern Olive Sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea
431. Scarlet-chested Sunbird Chalcomitra senegalensis
432. Amethyst Sunbird Chalcomitra amethystina
433. Collared Sunbird Hedydipna collaris
434. Cape White-eye Zosterops capensis E
435. African Yellow White-eye Zosterops senegalensis
436. Orange River White-eye Zosterops pallidus E
- several white-eyes at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS) had pale underparts & showed a peachy wash on the flanks. Any feedback on the range & taxonomy of this species would be appreciated!
437. Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver Bubalornis niger
438. White-browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali
439. Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius E
- several conspicuous thatched telegraph poles along the N12 alerted us to the presence species, & we got good views at one of the nests
440. House Sparrow Passer domesticus
441. Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus NE
442. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus
443. Yellow-throated Petronia Petronia superciliaris
444. Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons NE
- 6–8 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
445. Thick-billed Weaver Amblyospiza albifrons
446. Dark-backed Weaver Ploceus bicolor
447. Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis
448. Village Weaver Ploceus cucullatus
449. Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis E
450. Southern Masked-Weaver Ploceus velatus
451. Lesser Masked-Weaver Ploceus intermedius
452. Yellow Weaver Ploceus subaureus
453. Southern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus xanthopterus
- several in the reeds at the Natal Bird Club hide in Ndumo GR (KZN)
454. Red-headed Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps
455. Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
456. Southern Red Bishop Euplectes orix
457. Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis
458. White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus
459. Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens
460. Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne
461. Green-winged Pytilia Euplectes progne
462. Green Twinspot Mandingoa nitidula
- seen at several locations in KZN, such as Kozi Bay, Dlinza Forest & the Kumasinga hide at Mkhuze GR
463. Pink-throated Twinspot Hypargos margaritatus E
- pairs in the Sodwana Bay campsite, at Ndumo GR & Mkhuze GR (KZN)
464. African Firefinch Lagonosticta rubricata
465. Jameson’s Firefinch Lagonosticta rhodopareia
466. Red-billed Firefinch Lagonosticta senegala
467. Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis
468. Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
469. Black-faced Waxbill Estrilda nigriloris
- 1 at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
470. Grey Waxbill Estrilda perreini
- 1 at Sodwana Bay campsite, with subsequent sightings of singles & pairs on the KZN coast
471. Swee Waxbill Estrilda melanotis E
- first seen at Kaapsehoop (ML) & subsequently in the Knysna area (EC)
472. Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata
- 1 female at Ezemvelo GR (GT)
473. Red-headed Finch Amadina erythrocephala NE
- 10–15 near the R50, in farmland SE of JB
474. Bronze Mannikin Lonchura cucullata
475. Red-backed Mannikin Lonchura nigriceps
- 3–4 in Acaia trees near the Natal Bird Club hide in Ndumo GR (KZN)
476. Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
477. Dusky Indigobird Vidua funerea
- 1 in Sabie Park (ML)
478. Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
479. Yellow-fronted Canary Serinus mozambicus
480. Black-throated Canary Serinus atrogularis
- only recorded at Sandveld NR, Bloemhof Dam (FS)
481. Cape Canary Serinus canicollis
482. Forest Canary Serinus scotops E
- singles at Kaapsehoop (ML) & Xumeni Forest (KZN)
483. Drakensberg Siskin Serinus symonsi E
- only seen around the café at the top of Sani Pass, where it was common
484. Black-headed Canary Serinus alario E
- 10–12 on the Karoo side of the Swartberg Pass (WC)
485. Brimstone Canary Serinus sulphuratus
486. Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris NE
487. White-throated Canary Serinus albogularis NE
488. Protea Seed-eater Serinus leucopterus E
- 2 in the flower garden in the Paarl Mountain NR (WC)
489. Streaky-headed Seed-eater Serinus gularis
490. Golden-breasted Bunting Emberiza flaviventris
491. Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis
Mammals:
1. Chacma Baboon Papio cynocephalus ursinus
2. Vervet Monkey Cercopithecus aethiops
3. Blue Monkey Cercopithecus albogularis
- seen in several forested locations such as Mount Sheba (KZN) & Sodwana Bay campsite (KZN)
4. Southern Right Whale Eubalaena australis
- 35+ just beyond the surf at De Hoop NR (WC) 18/8, giving a spectacular display of breaching, suckling and sailing, amongst other things. An official counter recorded 63 the previous day. We saw a few more as we drove through Hermanus (the Blackpool of whale-watching) but didn’t fancy fighting the hoards for a parking spot…
5. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae
- a pod of 5-6 passed close to Cape St. Francis (EC) 14/8
6. Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus
- a playful fragmented pod of 12–15 gave excellent views from the pelagic off CT
7. Cape Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus
8. Cape Mountain Zebra Equus zebra zebra
- 4 at West Coast NP (WC) & 4 at Karoo NP (WC)
9. Plains Zebra Equus burchelli
10. Square-lipped (White) Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum
- 5 seen in Kruger, 4 in Ndumo (KZN) & 6 in Mkhuze (KZN)
11. Warthog Phacochoerus africanus
12. Common Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius
13. Giraffe Giraffa camelopardalis giraffa
14. Buffalo Syncerus caffer nanus
15. Common Eland Tragelaphus oryx
16. Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros
17. Nyala Tragelaphus angasi
- only seen in Ndumo & Mkhuze GRs (KZN), where they were common
18. Bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus
19. Gemsbok Oryx gazella gazelle
- introduced/reintroduced animals seen at Ezemvelo GR (GT) & Karoo NP (WC)
20. Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus
21. Common Reedbuck Redunca arundinum
22. Mountain Reedbuck Redunca arundinum
- only recorded at Ezemvelo GR (GT), possibly due to our lack of familiarity with this & the next species
23. Grey Rhebok Pelea capreolus
- recorded at several highveld locations (Ezemvelo GR, Dullstroom) & at De Hoop NR (WC)
24. Red Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus caama
25a. Bontebok Damaliscus dorcas dorcas
- only seen at West Coast & De Hoop NPs (WC)
25b. Blesbok Damaliscus dorcas phillipsi
- common in the highveld
26. Blue Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus
27. Black Wildebeest Connochaetes gnou
- 50+ at Ezemvelo GR (GT) & 12 at Kamberg NR (KZN). A highveld species
28. Impala Aepyceros melampus
29. Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis
30. Suni Neotragus moschatus
- a pair on a night drive in Mkhuze GR (KZN)
31. Oribi Ourebia ourebia
- 2 in Giant’s Castle & 3 in Kamberg NR (KZN)
32. Steenbok Raphicerus campestris
- abundant in Kruger, also seen in several reserves in eastern KZN
33. Sharpe’s Grysbok Raphicerus sharpie
- 1 soon after dawn in mopani woodland near Olifants, Kruger NP
34. Cape Grysbok Raphicerus melanotis
- 1 in fynbos on a very wet morning in West Coast NP (WC)
35. Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus
- fairly common in rocky habitats e.g., kopjes in Kruger & the aptly-named Klipspringer Pass in Karoo NP
36. Common Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia
37. Red Duiker Cephalophus natalensis
- common in coastal forest in KZN (e.g., Sodwana Bay campsite, Greater St. Lucia & Umlalazi NR). Also seen singly at Mkhuze GR (KZN) & Karoo NP (WC)
38. Blue Duiker Cephalophus monticola
- only seen at Dlinza & Ongoye forests (KZN), where it was common & advertised its presence by shrieking as it dashed off into the undergrowth
39. African Elephant Loxodonta africana
40. Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis
- good views 1 on night drive in Karoo NP (WC)
41. Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas
- 2 in Kruger (1 sneaking scraps from under a Spotted Hyena’s nose!) & singles at Ezemvelo GR (GT) & Crystal Springs GR (ML). Note this species is reputed to rely heavily on larger carnivores & though there are none present at the latter 2 locations, I think we were too far S for Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus
42. Cape Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis
- 1 from the bridge in Nelspruit botanic gardens (ML)
43. Large-spotted Genet Genetta tigrina
- 2 from night drive at Satara, Kruger NP
44. Small-spotted Genet Genetta genetta
- 1 on night drive at Olifants, Kruger NP & 1 from night drive at Mkhuze GR (KZN). (We found the last 2 species very hard to tell apart & our records are based on discussion between several observers, rather than what we were told by guides, but are not necessarily 100% reliable!)
45. Suricate Suricata suricatta
- 2 separate large groups in the grasslands above Wakkerstroom (ML), 1 group denning with Yellow Mongooses
46. Yellow Mongoose Cynictis penicillata
[Small Grey Mongoose Galerella pulverulenta
- a very pale grey mongoose possibly of this species was seen at dawn at Giant’s Castle NR. Any further information on habitat & distribution of this & Egyptian Mongoose appreciated]
47. Slender Mongoose Galerella sanguinea
48. Water Mongoose Atilax paludinosus
- 1 at dawn in Umlalazi NR (KZN)
49. Egyptian/Large Grey Mongoose Herpestes ichneumon
- a large, solitary mongoose foraging below the fenced viewpoint at Karoo NP was presumably this species
50. White-tailed Mongoose Ichneumia albicauda
- good views of 2 on a night drive in Mkhuze GR (KZN)
51. Dwarf Mongoose Helogale parvula
- pairs seen on 2–3 occasions in Kruger NP only
52. Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta
- singles in Sabie Park & Kruger NP
53. Aardwolf Proteles cristatus
- 1 gave great views, another didn’t on our memorable night drive in Karoo NP (WC)
54. Leopard Panthera pardus
- a serious contender for Mammal of the Trip, with an incredible sequence of events seen from Olifants in Kruger (see Site Details) & 2 in a single night drive in Mkhuze GR (KZN)
55. Lion Panthera leo
- 22 sightings in Kruger NP, relating to at least 14 individuals
56. African Wild Cat Felis silvestris
- 1 on a night drive in Kruger, 1 on a night drive in Karoo NP
57. Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis
58. Aardvark Orycteropus afer
- 1 on our last night drive in SA, in the Karoo NP, was a fantastic finale to our game-viewing in SA
59. Cape Hare Lepus capensis
- 2 during the day in De Hoop NP (WC) & 1 on the Karoo NP night drive
60. Scrub Hare Lepus saxatilis
- common on night drives in Kruger NP
61a. Tree Squirrel Paraxerus palliatus tonaensis
- common, especially in Kruger NP
61b. Ngoye Red Squirrel Paraxerus palliatus ornatus
-excellent views of 1 in Ngoye forest (KZN)
62. Sloggett’s Ice (Vlei) Rat Otomys sloggetti
- great views of several of these endearing rodents at the top of Sani Pass
63. Four-striped Mouse Rhabdomys pumilio
- 1 in the reeds outside the bird hide in Karoo NP (WC)
64. Southern African Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis
- 2 on the ‘ultimate’ night drive in Karoo NP (WC)
65. Epauletted Fruit Bat Epomophorous wahlbergi
- 30+ roosting under the thatched dining areas at Skukuza, Kruger NP. (After limited research on the Internet I think I’ve got the name/species right but please let me know if I’m wrong!)
