South Africa: Fairest Cape to Kruger

13 - 27 October 2007

Guide: Benjamin Schwartz

Participants: Nancy Lyman, Gary Sowel, Marsha Salett, Lisa Standley

South Africa is an absolutely spectacular country and has one of the highest numbers of endemics of any African nation. From the unique fynbos of the western Cape to the mammals of Kruger and the high mountains of Lesotho, every day brings new and unforgettable experiences. This tour was arranged to take in as much of the country and see as many of the endemics as possible in three weeks time. Completely unplanned, it turned out that three of the participants had birded together on a previous Tropical Birding tour to Australia, and two of them had done a Tropical Birding tour to China together as well. With similar interests and a similar birding intensity, we all had a great time and managed to pick up 433 bird species and 50 mammal species!

Day 1: Tanqua Karoo

While this was technically scheduled to be an arrival day, a couple of the participants had arrived early and were keen to get out and see some birds. It was decided that a day trip to the Tanqua Karoo would be the best way to maximize our birding. This typically very dry desert was a beautiful way to begin the trip as all the plants were in bloom and the normal brown was turned into a sea of purples and yellows. The birding here was amazing and we managed to pick up all of our key species. These included Rufous-eared, Namaqua, and Cinnamon-breasted Warblers, Karoo Eremomela, and Pririt Batis. Well pleased with our first day out, we headed back to Cape Town to pick up the rest of the participants.

Day 2: Paarl and Kirstenbosch

The first real day of the tour saw us out bright and early and on our way to the Paarl mountain flower reserve. The birding was amazing and we started off the day with a bang as we began ticking off endemics. The flowering proteas were absolutely stunning and attracted the equally stunning Orange-breasted and Malachite Sunbirds. Cape Sugarbird was another excellent endemic as well as species such as Cape Batis, Fiscal Flycatcher, and wonderful views of Booted Eagle soaring overhead.

After taking in the beauty of the flower reserve, we headed to the not quite as stunning (though equally birdy) Paarl water treatment plant, tallying up the number of countries in which we’d all visited sewage plants along the way. Getting to see both Greater and Lesser Flamingos as well as a plethora of other birds, including African Spoonbill, Little Bittern, Cape Shoveler, and Maccoa Duck, more that made up for the rest of the surroundings.

We decided to make our way to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for lunch and a relaxing afternoon stroll before heading back to our beds to try and get over some of the jetlag.

Day 3: Pelagic, Boulders, Strandfontein

Another early start brought us to the dock in Simons Town ready to head off on a pelagic. The water was a little choppy on the way out but no one from our group got overly sick and the birds made it all worthwhile. We soon found a trawler with hordes of birds teaming behind it. Shy Albatross, Pintado Petrel, and White-chinned Petrel were all very common. As the trawler began to pull in his net with the mornings catch, a smaller boat sped up behind him and got the net caught in his props. He quickly pulled them up, untangle the net and drove off but the damage was already done. About ten tons of dead fish were released and floating on the surface of the water. While this was an absolute nightmare for the trawler, who had just lost about a million rand worth of fish, it was heaven for the birds and the sky became thick with them. We picked up both Indian and Atlantic Yellow-nosed as well as Black-browed Albatrosses, Wilson’s and Black-bellied Storm Petrels, and Northern Giant Petrel. While this was an amazing spectacle, the bird of the day was still to come. Scanning through the White-chinned Petrels, we managed to pick out a Spectacled Petrel that sat in the water very close to the boat. This mega rarity is very difficult to find and little known with only an estimated 4000 on the planet. This was definitely the rarest bird of the trip and an amazing find! Heading back towards land, we were able to pick up the endemic Bank, and the near-endemic Cape and Crowned Cormorants.

After arriving back at shore we went just down the coast to the Boulders Beach Penguin colony and got up close and personal views of Jackass Penguins as they lay in the sand and waddled along the water edge. With a couple more hours of sunlight remaining, we decided to make the most of it by heading to Strandfontein to have a look at another sewage plant. Here we were able to pick up quite a few waders and get some great looks at the more of the waterfowl before calling it a day.

Day 4: Darling Wildflower Route, West Coast NP, and Velddrif

Heading north out of Cape Town, we took back roads to the small town of Darling. This route tends to be excellent for birds and we had a wonderful time seeing many new species. Alternately walking and driving along the road provided us with a great chance to see birds such as White-backed Mousebird, Blue Crane, and Capped Wheatear. The magnificent call of the Diederik Cuckoo could be heard in a small patch of trees and we managed to get excellent scope looks. The call turned out to be one that we would get very used to on the trip as it was heard almost every day in the east.

Finishing off the wildflower route we entered West Coast National Park where we made our way to a small pond. The birding here was reasonably good and we managed to pick up our first Bradypterus warbler: Little Rush-Warbler (though I can’t say all the participants were as excited as me at getting looks of this drab skulker). The highlight of the day though was when we tried for African Rail. As with most rails, this species can be extremely difficult to actually see as it hides in the reeds. However, after playing the tape once one was seen briefly crossing an open patch across the pond. We decided to wait and try to get everyone on the bird and to our extreme delight two of them came out in the open as the crossed the pond to our side. Being able to watch this bird swim across the pond out in the open was an experience that none of us will soon forget.

To finish off the day we headed up to the Langabaan quarry where we got great looks at Black Eagle and Grey-winged Francolin. We then went up to Velddrif and easily tracked down a family of Chestnut-banded Plovers before heading back to Cape Town for the night.

Day 5: Koeburg Power Plant and De Hoop

Having had our fill of sewage treatment plants, we decided to try something new and started off the day at the nuclear power plant instead. The power plant is actually surrounded by a nature reserve and the birding here was very good. We managed to pick up all the key species we were looking for here included Bokmakierie, Cape Grassbird, Cape Penduline-Tit, and Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler before we began the long drive to De Hoop. We managed to get to De Hoop with plenty of time remaining to do some birding and were thrilled to quickly pick up some of the areas special species. Agulhas Long-billed Lark was one of the first species encountered and its stunning long bill went a small way towards curing the participants of their aversion to larks and cisticolas. Stopping at another field, we were thrilled to see both a Denham’s Bustard and a Karoo Korhaan before calling it a day.

Day 6: De Hoop to Wilderness

Entering De Hoop NP we were thrilled to get our first real encounter with some of Africa’s mammals as we came upon herds of zebra and one of Africa’s largest antelopes, the eland. Birding around the campsite we managed to pick up some excellent species including Southern Boubou and Southern Tchagra before heading over to the Potburg section of the park where we were planning on looking for a Barn Owl that roosts there. While we didn’t see the Barn Owl, we were extremely thrilled to see a Spotted Eagle-Owl fly in and perch over a dry river bed long enough to get some great scope looks. This was a much better owl to see and everyone was quite pleased to get the eagle-owl over the extremely widespread Barn Owl, which they had all seen on other countries around the world already.

Leaving De Hoop we began the drive to Wilderness by crossing the Malagas River on the only man operated ferry in South Africa. Arriving in Wilderness we spent some time around the lodge watching the wonderful feeder there as Knysna Turaco, Forest Canary, Swee Waxbill, Chorister Robin, and a slew of other birds came in to feed. The late afternoon found us relaxed with plenty of time and energy to head up to Woodville and the large yellowwood tree. As darkness came we were thrilled to hear two African Wood Owl calling in the trees around us. These relatively tiny owls can be rather difficult to find, but we were eventually able to track them down and get descent looks (though they did give us a bit of a chase). Thrilled with our find, we made our way back to the car only to hear Fiery-necked Nightjar calling in the distance. Unfortunately we only got brief looks of this bird flying overhead before everyone decided that it was time to relax with a drink before bed.

Day 7: Wilderness Trails

This day was spent on the numerous trails that run through the forest surrounding Wilderness. The only problem with the tremendous wealth of birds around our lodge was that it made it much more difficult to find the remaining harder species in the forest. Harder or not, we maintained our luck and were able to find some great species. The morning started off views of Amethyst Sunbird in the car park and continued with great views of a Narina Trogon within only a couple of meters of us! A gravel road between trails allowed us our first views of a perched Forest Buzzard and a bird hide overlooking a nearby lake turned out to be excellent for African Fish Eagle. Other forest birds seen included Green Woodhoopoe, Terrestrial Brownbul, and Grey Cuckoo-shrike. A brief stop along the Kaimans River brought us up close and personal views of Malachite and the much more elusive Half-collared Kingfishers. After finding Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler along another trail, there was a call from the back to return to the lodge for a couple drinks before dinner. We all agreed it had been an extremely successful day, but that last bird of the day is often a surprise. As we park our van a bird flew into the tree just in front of the windshield. Looking up, we were thrilled to find Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher perched there just waiting for us to look at him! With the thrill of this almost overflowing, we sat down to watch the feeders and relax with a drink before dinner.

Day 8: Wilderness to Karoo NP via Swartberg Pass and Victoria Bay

While we were are thrilled with the forest birds we had seen thus far, there was still one bird that we all wanted and had so far managed to elude us: the stunning White-starred Robin. We decided our last morning here was best spent in a concerted effort to track this bird down. Walking through the forest up at Woodville we all kept our ears open for the distinctive call of this bird. After hearing a couple but chasing them down to no avail, we were beginning to feel a bit disheartened. Then one was heard very nearby and we were all quickly on high alert. Finally we found the bird and all quickly agreed that the book did not do it justice. The bright yellow belly and grey head with its white post-ocular spot made a stunning combination. After all the effort we had put into finding this bird, we were absolutely thrilled to see another five of them over the final kilometer of the trail!

After the excitement of the White-starred Robin, eagerness to search out another drab, skulking Bradypterus warbler was semi muted. However, as it was our best bet for Knysna Warbler, we decided to give it a brief shot at one of the easiest places to see them: Victoria Bay. Calling so close that we felt we could reach out and grab it if we could just manage to get into the thickets it prefers, all of us ended up getting great looks within a relatively small amount of searching (much less effort than was spent on the robin).

Swartberg pass rises through the mountains that separate the dry Karoo from the coastal forests and it is home to some very special birds. Our main target here was the Cape Rockjumper; a fantastic bird which makes up part of two families endemic to Southern Africa: rockjumpers and sugarbirds. Seeing this bird would clean up the western species belonging to these families and we were extremely excited as we climbed the path. A short walk at the top of the pass proved very easy and we all got great looks as a family clambered around on the rocky slopes.

Descending into the Karoo brought us into habitat that we had not had the chance to bird yet as a group and we couldn’t wait to start the next morning and see what other spectacular species were in store for us.

Day 9: Karoo NP

The short vegetation and dry sand of the Karoo provides spectacular vistas and the feeling of being in another world completely. Despite its appearances, the Karoo is home to an amazing amount of diversity with over one third of the worlds succulent plant species occurring. The dryness of the surrounding area makes the campsites, with their permanent water sources, an excellent place to find many of the birds in the area. We started off our morning in just such a place and were thrilled with the results. It seemed that every bird we said we were going to look for was easily found within moments of turning our mind to it. This made for a whirlwind of a morning with species such as Pririt Batis (not yet seen by those who hadn’t been with us in the Tanqua Karoo), Rufous-eared Warbler, Namaqua Warbler, Long-billed Crombec, and Layard’s Tit-babbler all easily found.

We decided to leave the campsite and head up the plateau as the day progressed and got great looks at a large number of Ground Woodpecker and Pale-winged Starling before lunch. We were also extremely excited to get our first look at Red-faced Mousebird, thus cleaning up all the mousebird species found in South Africa.

The mid-day heat of the Karoo convinced us all that our time would best be spent relaxing and watching a small waterhole where we enjoyed the multitude of weavers as well as getting great looks at African Marsh Warbler (while not a Bradypterus, it was almost as exciting for many of the participants).

As the day started to cool down, we decided to go on another drive before getting ready for the night drive we had scheduled. This proved to be an excellent idea as we picked up some great species. While the Spike-heeled and Karoo Long-billed Larks were tolerated, the highlights of the afternoon were definitely amazing views of Double-banded Courser, and watching the oddly majestic Secretarybird as it raised and lowered its crest in the excitement of hunting on the plains.

The vast amount of land covered by Karoo NP makes it an excellent place for viewing mammals and the night drive provided us with a great chance to see some of these beautiful creatures in their natural activities. There is something about seeing animals at night that reminded us all of just how wild the area we were in truly was. Gemsbok, red hartebeest, duikers, and steenbok were all out in force. We were also lucky enough to get excellent looks at cape mountain zebra and compare these with the much more widespread Burchell’s zebra.

Day 10: Travel Day

Leaving the Karoo after breakfast, we made our way back to Cape Town and then took a flight to Johannesburg to begin our birding in the East. Luckily this provided us with TV access for the night and those of us who were interested got to watch the South African Springboks win the Rugby World Cup!!

Day 11: Johannesburg to Kruger NP

Leaving the city early in the morning, we made our way to Kruger NP and a completely new set of birds. Kruger comprises a huge region and is the epitome of what many think of when picturing Africa in their minds; acacia covered plains teeming with large mammals and spectacular bird life. Our first afternoon here brought us spectacular sightings of some of Africa’s most special mammals; from the giant elephants to the elegant giraffe, and fascinatingly odd-looking warthog. One of the highlights of the afternoon though was the chance to watch a lioness at a kill while a seemingly unconcerned white rhino plodded around only meters away!

Even with all the amazing mammals, birding didn’t take a back seat (most of the time). In just a couple hours we managed to pick up more new trip birds than could possible be mentioned here. Classic species such as Grey Go-away-bird, Bateleur, White-headed and Hooded Vultures, Brubru, Red-billed Quelea, Red-headed Weaver, Yellow-throated Petronia, Kurrichane Thrush, and Lilac-breasted Roller were interspersed with some less common, though absolutely stunning, species such as Purple-crested Turaco, Black Cuckoo-shrike, White-throated Robin-chat, Bennett’s Woodpecker, and three new stunning species of sunbird. Arriving at our camp we were already looking forward to what the next day would bring.

Day 12: Kruger NP

Having a full day to drive around southern Kruger we maximized our day with a pleasant combination of mammal and bird watching. It can be truly difficult to concentrate on identifying cisticolas when elephants, giraffe, and wildebeest are all so close! However, gorgeous birds like Green-winged Pytilia, Blue Waxbill, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Plum-colored Starling, and Purple Roller, do go a fair way towards refocusing oneself!

The birding this morning was once again exceptional but as the heat of the day progressed and the birds started to quiet down, we decided the best plan of action would be to find a bit of shade in one of the hides overlooking a waterhole. This proved to be an excellent chose and we got our first looks at hippo as they lolled in the refreshing water. After seeing these huge beasts looking so cumbersome on land, it is amazing to see how agile they can be in the water. Watching them roar and exposing their huge front teeth is definitely a vision best seen from a safe distance! The waterhole also provided some excellent birds and we were able to get close views of the gigantic Goliath Heron as well as African Jacana before loading back into our vehicle to return to camp.

Day 13: Kruger NP to Wakkerstroom

For our final morning of birding around Kruger, we decided to spend our time walking around the campground where we were staying. Since we came to the east, the call of the Red-chested Cuckoo had been so constant that not having yet seen it was beginning to haunt our dreams. While a widespread species, many of the participants had missed it on other African trips and we decided that one way or another we would find the bird that morning. We began our search but it seemed that every time we located a calling bird, it would go quiet and disappear only to begin calling again a far distance away. While the frustration was mounting, we were convinced that we could find the bird. However, our efforts were slightly distracted by other birds in the area and we found ourselves looking at species such as Black-backed Puffback, Bearded Woodpecker, and the colorful White-fronted Bee-eater. As we were watching the bee-eater we finally got brief looks as a cuckoo flew so fast and low over our heads that we could feel the rush of air in its wake. Having seen where the bird landed not too far away, we managed to find it perched and calling incessantly on an exposed branch where we all got great looks. Having accomplished our goal for the morning we sat down to breakfast and our final looks at Kruger.

Beginning our drive to Wakkerstroom we couldn’t help stopping one last time along a river before leaving Kruger. The birding here was excellent and we ended up staying for quite a while as more and more new birds appeared. Purple Heron, African Wattled Lapwing, and Hammerkop lined the sandy margins and we were thrilled to see both Pied and Giant Kingfishers along the shores. Having said our final goodbyes to Kruger and picked up some more great birds, we decided to make our way to Wakkerstroom in earnest.

Wakkerstroom is a unique area of upland grassland that holds quite a few of South Africa’s endemics and we could all feel our excitement rising as we made our way there. Coming in along the gravel Amersfoort-Wakkerstroom road, we were confronted with a plethora of larks. Searching through the more common species, we were thrilled to find our first specialty of the area: Botha’s Lark. This small lark can be very tricky to find and we were thrilled by our success. This was soon followed by Blue Korhaan and our spirits were soaring. After checking into our lodge, we made our way out on another of the loops in the area and very easily picked up both Buff-streaked Chat and the fanciful Yellow-breasted Pipit; two more of the areas specialties. With the sun setting, we decided to head over to Grey-crowned Crane roost and managed to get there with just enough light left to see this spectacular bird (though better views in full daylight would come the next day). As we were leaving and debating whether we had the energy to try for some owls in the area, the decision was taken out of our hands as an African Grass Owl flew overhead. A great end to an amazing day!

Day 14: Wakkerstroom

We decided to have an early start and look for another of Wakkerstroom's specialty species. Rudd’s Lark is a very localized endemic and better found here than anywhere else in the country. The display of this bird consists of flying in circles high overhead for up to 45 minutes. While we could hear the lark in its display somewhere off in the distance, we couldn’t manage to find it as it soared overhead. As breakfast approached, we felt slightly discouraged but nothing that a nice hot meal wouldn’t fix. While we had missed our target bird for the morning, we did manage to pick up other species such as Red-throated Wryneck, Fan-tailed Cisticola, and amazing looks at Lanner Falcon. Seeing the amazing tail of the Long-tailed Widowbird in breeding plumage went quite a ways to console everyone at having missed the lark.

After breakfast we headed out to the wetlands and found species such as White-faced Duck, Yellow-billed Egret, and African Purple Swamphen before heading off to do another local loop. Unfortunately the weather chose this point to turn foul and for a large portion of the drive we could barely see the road in front of us due to the fog and rain. However, this didn’t stop of from attempting to see three more of the areas specialty birds. Luckily breaks in the storm proved to be sufficient for us to see all three. We started with a roosting site for South African Cliff Swallow and were pleased to see that the rain hadn’t grounded them completely. Driving further along the road we encountered a flock of Orange-breasted Waxbill mixed in with the much more numerous quelea, bishops, and widowbirds of the area. While we were worried that our final specialty for the afternoon may elude us, we were pleased when we found two Barrow’s Korhaan sitting out in a field where we could get excellent looks through the scope. As the rain started pouring down once again, we decided to make our way to the lodge, only stopping for Cape Longclaw and Drakensberg Prinia en-route.

Day 15: Wakkerstroom to Mkuze

Having picked up all the specialties in Wakkerstroom except Rudd’s Lark, some of us decided that the lark was worth one final search before heading off. While those of us with no interest in larks managed to have a relaxing morning, the rest of us headed off at first light to try another spot for this special species. As soon as we opened the car doors we once again heard the distinctive call overhead. Perhaps because of the overcast sky, we were able to pick this species out in its display and were even able to follow it in the scope as it flew overhead. We were quite pleased with our effort and it turned out that the early start was well planned as the cloud level once again dropped so we could barely see the van from where we stood.

After a very filling breakfast, we made our way towards Mkuze hoping that we would be able to leave the rainy weather behind. By the time we reached the park we thought it was clear sailing, but within ten minutes of entering dark clouds once again began to form on the horizon. We decided to make the most of it and ended up seeing some great species despite the weather. Making our first stop, we quickly picked up Pink-throated Twinspot and Neergaard’s Sunbird; both of which are endemic and often quite tricky to track down species. Continuing our drive through the park we came upon a covey of Crested Guineafowl along the roadside as well as great looks of breeding Pink-backed Pelican and a Martial Eagle perched in the open before turning around to head back to our hotel for the night.

Day 16: Mkuze

While the weather still hadn’t quite bent to our will, we were bolstered by the previous days success and were sure to find some more great birds in this amazing park. We started off with a bang as we heard oddly metallic croaking of an African Broadbill near the car. Scanning through the woods we were thrilled to spot the broadbill very close to the vehicle and in plain sight for all to see. This was an excellent start to the day and we were convinced that while the weather might dampen us, it wouldn’t dampen our experience. Our birding continued and we were quite pleased to pick up species such as Jacobin Cuckoo, Black-bellied Bustard, Common Scimitarbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, and Brown-crowned Tchagra before the weather convinced us to call it a day.

Day 17: Mkuze to St. Lucia

Leaving Mkuze after an early breakfast, we began our journey to the St. Lucia wetlands area and a shot at more forest birding. A bit disappointed in the lack of storks around thus far, we decided it would be worthwhile to make a stop at Muzi Pans and see what we could pick up there. This satisfied our desire with nice looks at Yellow-billed Stork and we were all very excited to see the stunning African Pygmy Goose and the often-elusive White-backed Duck as well. Quite pleased, we continued our journey to St. Lucia. Here we began to search for more specialty species and were quite pleased to easily find Livingstone’s Turaco, Rudd’s Apalis, and Black-bellied Starling as well as more common species such as White-eared Barbet, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. The late afternoon was spent with a quick drive up to Cape Vidal where we managed to pick some more new species including Black-chested Snake-Eagle and Pale-crowned Cisticola before calling it a day.

Day 18: St. Lucia to Eshowe

With a couple more key species to pick up, we decided to make an early start of it and see what the forests would reveal. A quick stop along a forest trail ended up taking quite a while as the birds just kept appearing. All enjoyed specialties such as Woodward’s Batis and Brown Scrub-Robin as well as more common species like Crowned Hornbill, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, and Thick-billed Weaver. However, the most stunning bird of the walk was by far the African Emerald Cuckoo. While this species is fairly widespread throughout Africa, the bright yellow belly and dazzling emerald green body always make it a favorite. Leaving the forest trail we took an easy stroll through the nearby campgrounds and were quite pleased at finding some great birds there including Grey Waxbill, Broad-billed Roller, and Red-capped Robin-Chat.

Leaving St. Lucia, we made our way down to Eshowe with a great stop along the way for Palmnut Vulture. Arriving at Eshowe, we went straight to the Dlinzi forest to attempt one of its rarer inhabitants. Within twenty minutes of arrival, we had a Spotted Ground-Thrush hopping along the trail in front of us. We got excellent looks, but were even more pleased when the bird flew to a nest nearby and sat in it watching us. While maintaining a respectful distance, we were all able to get fantastic looks at this shy and elusive species.

Day 19: Eshowe to Creighton

An early start found us all at the top of the tower at Dlinzi forest (the possible birds convincing some to brave their fear of heights). Eastern Olive Sunbird could be heard calling all around us and everyone finally got on it, finishing up all the species of sunbird available to us in South Africa! Red-backed Mannikin fed in the canopy, but our key species was the Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon. Scanning the trees, we finally found three birds perched where we could get good views of them. Named after the bronze nape of the female, we were happy to be able to see both males and females in the tree.

Having cleaned up in Eshowe, we decided to make an early start and see what the rest of the day had in store for us. With a bit of extra time, we decided to make a stop at Oribi Gorge. While this was a little out of our way, it turned out to be well worth the time as we got spectacular looks of both African Crowned Eagle, one of the most stunning raptors in South Africa, and Gymnogene soaring overhead. On top of these spectacular birds, we also managed to pick up one of South Africa’s most difficult endemics: the Knysna Woodpecker. This bird generally only gives off one high pitched call every few minutes and can thus be very tricky to track down. After seeing the bird fly overhead, we searched the thick tangles and were finally rewarded for our efforts.

Making our way to Creighton, we searched through the open grasslands and discovered White-winged, Fan-tailed, Long-tailed, and Red-collared Widowbirds flitting through the grasses. Long-crested Eagle was quite common in the area and we were thrilled to pick up another striking raptor for the day. With an extremely early start the next morning, we decided to call it a day and went to our lodge for a scrumptious dinner.

Day 20: Xumeni

The small Afro-montane forest patch of Xumeni is one of the best areas around to see Orange Ground-Thrush and the best time of day to see it is just before dawn. While this meant a very early start, we all felt it was worth it and arrived at the forest in the darkness of night. Driving along the road before the sun rose we managed to get excellent views of the ground-thrush as it came out to feed along the road. However, as the sun rose we realized that we were once again surrounded by clouds and could barely see into the forest at all. Lucky for us, a brief break in the cloud cover coincided perfectly with a pair of Cape Parrot flying overhead and we were able to see these before they reentered the mist. We decided at this point that our chances for birding were severely limited and that we could all use a bit of a break. Attempting to go out again in the afternoon again proved tricky but we struggled through it did manage to pick up a couple species, including Red-winged Francolin, before heading off to the Sani Pass Hotel for the night.

Day 21: Sani Pass

Heading up the mountain pass into Lesotho, we were quite pleased to quickly leave the fog of the previous day behind. Our first stops along the lower stretch of the pass brought us a couple of key species that we had been unable to see the day before, including Bush Blackcap and Dark-capped Yellow Warbler. Continuing up the slope, we were thrilled to find both African Black Duck and Black Stork at a small stream. Gurney’s Sugarbird made an excellent showing and one of the most anticipated birds of the trip, the Lammergeier, was seen from the South African border control. While standing at the highest pub in all of Africa, we easily picked up Drakensberg Siskin and Cape Vulture. Another highlight of the upper plateau was the Mountain Pipit. While this species is not as spectacular looking as many of the other species in the area, the lack of knowledge concerning where it goes in the winter make it an extremely cool species to see. Our final bird for the trip was also one we really didn’t want to miss and were thrilled to see. The Drakensberg Rockjumper completed the last species of the two endemic families to Southern Africa. We were ecstatic and were able to watch both males and females as the hopped along the rocks on the side of the road. It was an excellent way to end the trip and we couldn’t have asked for more; great birds, great people, and an amazing time had by all!

Bird List (near-endemics in italics, endemics in bold)

1	Common Ostrich	Struthio camelus
2	African (Jackass) Penguin	Spheniscus demersus
3	Great Crested Grebe	Podiceps cristatus
4	Black-necked Grebe	Podiceps nigricollis
5	Little Grebe (Dabchick)	Tachybaptus ruficollis
6	Shy Albatross	Diomedea cauta
7	Black-browed Albatross	Diomedea melanophris
8	Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross	Thalassarche chlororhynchos
9	Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross	Thalassarche carteri
10	Northern Giant Petrel	Macronectes halli
11	Pintado (Cape) Petrel	Daption capense
12	White-chinned Petrel	Procellaria aequinoctialis
13	Spectacled Petrel	Procellaria conspicillata
14	Cory's Shearwater	Calonectris diomedea
15	Sooty Shearwater	Puffinus griseus
16	Great Shearwater	Puffinus gravis
17	Wilson's Storm Petrel	Oceanites oceanicus
18	Black-belied Storm Petrel	Fregetta tropica
19	Great (Eastern) White Pelican	Pelecanus onocrotalus
20	Pink-backed Pelican	Pelecanus rufescens
21	Cape Gannet	Morus capensis
22	White-breasted Cormorant	Phalacrocorax lucidus
23	Cape Cormorant	Phalacrocorax capensis
24	Bank Cormorant	Phalacrocorax neglectus
25	Long-tailed Cormorant	Phalacrocorax africanus
26	Crowned Cormorant	Phalacrocorax coronatus
27	African Darter	Anhinga rufa
28	Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
29	Black-headed Heron	Ardea melanocephala
30	Goliath Heron	Ardea goliath
31	Purple Heron	Ardea purpurea
32	Great (White) Egret	Casmerodius albus
33	Little Egret	Egretta garzetta
34	Yellow-billed Egret	Mesophoyx intermedia
35	Cattle Egret	Bubulcus ibis
36	Green-backed Heron	Butorides striatus
37	Black-crowned Night Heron	Nycticorax nycticorax
38	Little Bittern	Ixobrychus minutus
39	Hamerkop	Scopus umbretta
40	Black Stork	Ciconia nigra
41	Woolly-necked Stork	Ciconia episcopus
42	Yellow-billed Stork	Mycteria ibis
43	Sacred Ibis	Threskiornis aethiopicus
44	Southern Bald Ibis	Geronticus calvus
45	Glossy Ibis	Plegadis falcinellus
46	Hadeda Ibis	Bostrychia hagedash
47	African Spoonbill	Platalea alba
48	Greater Flamingo	Phoenicopterus ruber
49	Lesser Flamingo	Phoenicopterus minor
50	White-faced Duck	Dendrocygna viduata
51	White-backed Duck	Thalassornis leuconotus
52	Egyptian Goose	Alopochen aegyptiacus
53	South African Shelduck	Tadorna cana
54	Yellow-billed Duck	Anas undulata
55	African Black Duck	Anas sparsa
56	Cape Teal	Anas capensis
57	Red-billed Teal	Anas erythrorhyncha
58	Cape Shoveler	Anas smithii
59	Southern Pochard	Netta erythrophthalma
60	African Pygmy Goose	Nettapus auritus
61	Spur-winged Goose	Plectropterus gambensis
62	Maccoa Duck	Oxyura maccoa
63	Secretarybird	Sagittarius serpentarius
64	White-Headed Vulture	Trigonoceps occipitalis
65	Cape Vulture	Gyps coprotheres
66	(African) White-backed Vulture	Gyps africanus
67	Lammergeier (Bearded Vulture)	Gypaetus barbatus
68	Palmnut Vulture	Gypohierax angolensis
69	Hooded Vulture	Necrosyrtes monachus
70	Yellow-billed Kite	Milvus parasitus
71	Black-shouldered Kite	Elanus caeruleus
72	Verreaux's (Black) Eagle	Aquila verreauxii
73	Tawny Eagle	Aquila rapax
74	Wahlberg's Eagle	Aquila wahlbergi
75	Booted Eagle	Hieraaetus pennatus
76	Martial Eagle	Polemaetus bellicosus
77	Crowned Eagle	Stephanoaetus coronatus
78	Longcrested Eagle	Lophaetus occipitalis
79	Brown Snake Eagle	Circaetus cinereus
80	Black-chested Snake Eagle	Circaetus pectoralis
81	Bateleur	Terathopius ecaudatus
82	African Fish Eagle	Haliaeetus vocifer
83	Common (Steppe) Buzzard	Buteo buteo
84	Forest Buzzard	Buteo trizonatus
85	Jackal Buzzard	Buteo rufofuscus
86	African Harrier-hawk (Gymnogene)	Polyboroides typus
87	Lizard Buzzard	Kaupifalco monogrammicus
88	Gabar Goshawk	Micronisus gabar
89	Pale Chanting Goshawk