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Cape Rock-jumper by Dr Warwick Tarboton

BEST OF SOUTH AFRICA

“Fairest Cape to Kruger” with Drakensberg Extension

12 November to 02 December 2005

Tour Leader: Martin Benadie

 

This exciting itinerary covered some mega-diverse habitats ranging from the endemic rich heath-like fynbos, semi-desert karoo and forests of the Western Cape to the spectacular inland high altitude grasslands and the eastern savanna vegetation of Kruger National Park. The extension was equally rewarding with the spectacualar Drakensberg Mountains, the forests around Lake St Lucia and the Kwa-Zulu Natal midlands being explored.

The trip yielded a bird species total of 468 species, and an impressive 49 mammal species. This all whilst enjoying the local charm, cultures and beauty of South Africa, a country which hosts more endemics than any other African country.

This report focuses on all the key localities visited, with only some of the bird species seen being highlighted. Detailed bird and mammal lists attached at the end. 

African Penguin by Steve BlainThe tour started off in the Western Cape, within the scenic splendour of the Cape Peninsula. Here we enjoyed the comical antics of the African Penguin colony at Boulders bay, the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve crawling with fynbos specials like Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird, and a scenic coastline home to Bank, Crowned and Cape Cormorants, African Black Oystercatcher, Hartlaub’s Gull and many tern species. A series of settling ponds in the Strandfontein Sewage works also yielded a remarkable variety of waterfowl with the impressive Table Mountain as a spectacular backdrop.

From here we travelled up the West Coast to the West Coast National Park. The park contains an excellent cross-section of west coast habitat types, including strandveld, mud flats, reedbeds, salt marshes and open shoreline.  It is famous for its populations of shorebirds, but also for western terrestrial species. Here star birds included Southern Black Korhaan, Black Harrier, Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline-Tit, Yellow Canary, Karoo Scrub-Robin and Karoo Prinia. A stop was also made further north at the town of Velddrift for more palearctic waders and resident plovers such as White-fronted Plover, Kittlitz's Plover and the scarce Chestnut-banded Plover.

En route to the Overberg region we crossed the Hottentot's Holland Range at Sir Lowry's Pass, a range that has become better known for its beauty and its immense floral diversity. A stop was made here for Cape Rock-Jumper, Victorin's Warbler and Cape Siskin. Once amongst the rolling wheatlands of the Overberg we saw Blue Cranes and our first Karoo Korhaan. A morning visit was paid to De Hoop Nature Reserve, situated near the southern tip of Africa and dominated by lowland fynbos. Here we enjoyed views of Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, Denham’s Bustard, Cape Vulture, Cape Francolin and an awesome pair of Secretarybirds.

Karoon Koraan by Steve BlainThe tour then headed to the Garden Route, an area cloaked with the most extensive tracts of indigenous forests in South Africa. Among the special birds seen here were Forest Buzzard, Knysna Turaco, Narina Trogon, Olive Woodpecker, Grey Cuckooshrike, Chorister and Starred Robins, Yellow-throated Warbler, Olive Bush Shrike, Black-bellied Starling, Swee Waxbill, Forest Canary, Blue-mantled and Paradise Flycatchers, Knysna Warbler, Terrestrial Brownbul, Lemon Dove, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Emerald Cuckoo and Bar-throated Apalis.  This area produced great birding set in spectacular Milkwood forests.

For the final leg of the Western Cape section we travelled via the awesome high altitude Swartberg Pass before dropping into the hot arid interior of the Karoo. Various stops on either sides of the pass were highly productive and produced Protea Seed-eater, Cape Rock-Thrush, Black Stork and Ground Woodpecker.  Both Cape Rock-Jumper and Victorin’s Warbler were again located, allowing for superb views by all.

The Karoo National Park and its surrounds offer some of the best Karoo birding in habitats ranging from flat karooveld, riverine bushes and the impressive Nuweveld Mountains. Top birds here were Double-banded Courser, Rufous-eared and Namaqua Warbler, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Pale-winged Starling, Karoo Chat, Southern Tchagra, Dusky Sunbird, Grey Tit, Verreaux’s Eagle, Pririt Batis and Rock Pipit. A night drive turned out to be great fun and Spotted Eagle-Owl and Rufous-cheeked Nightjar was seen, as well as rare mammals such as Aardvark and Aardwolf. The tour then headed back to Cape Town and an evening flight to Johannesburg.

We were met in Johannesburg by an electrifying ‘highveld’ thunderstorm which was a great contrast to the dryness of the Karoo.  First up on the up-country leg was Wakkerstroom with a deviation being made to Marievale Bird Sanctuary en-route.

Saddle-billed Stork by Steve BlainMarievale is one of the prime wetland birding spots in the Gauteng area. Apart from the wetland, Marievale also offers interesting highveld grassland birding. Typical Grassveld birds were Long-tailed Widowbird, African Pipit, Orange-breasted Waxbill, Red-headed Finch and Yellow-crowned Bishop. The wetlands held African Snipe, Goliath Heron, Hottentot Teal, Black Egret, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Levaillant's Cisticola and Greater Flamingo.

The small village of Wakkerstroom is in the extreme south-east of Mpumalanga Province. It is without doubt the prime hotspot in South Africa for high altitude interior grassland endemics and specials. The surrounding countryside is swathed in extensive rolling grassland hills, deep wooded valleys and a number of marshes, pans and dams. Target species seen here included  Southern Bald Ibis, Grey-winged Francolin, Blue Korhaan and Barrow’s Korhaan, Grey Crowned Crane, the extremely localized Rudd’s and Bothas Lark, Yellow-breasted, Buff-streaked Chat, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Pale-crowned Cisticola to mention but a few.

Kruger National Park was next up, and it failed to disappoint.  The birding was mind boggling and on the second day in the park the group recorded a spectacular 150 species on the day! We entered the park at the extreme south via Crocodile Bridge and stayed at the beautiful Lower Sabie Camp, set along the sprawling Sabie River filled with massive Nile Crocodile and Hippopotamus galore. Birding in the rest camps were equally productive and allowed close up views of many birds. We then travelled north birding lush riverine woodland, perennial rivers swollen with recent rains, and flat savanna grasslands. Our second camp was the equally beautiful Letaba camp, also set on the banks of the Letaba River with Elephants and other antelope a common site on her margins…This is Africa at its best. New birds for our list were many, but the highlights included Martial Eagle, Saddle-billed Stork, Black-collared Barbet, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Ground Hornbill, Collared Pratincole, Little and White-fronted Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-crested Korhaan, African Jacana, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Green-winged Pytilia, Pearl-spotted Owlet and many other raptors, hornbills, shrikes, kingfishers and weavers.

Ground Woodpecker by Martin BenadieThe tour then headed back to Johannesburg via the inspiring Abel Erasmus Pass and the picturesque village of Dullstroom where new birds were still added such as Gurney’s Sugarbird and Eastern Long-billed Lark. From here we bade farewell to several members of the group, whilst others remained for the Kwa-Zulu Natal extension.

Eastern South Africa add-on: The barrier of spears

Our first stop on this leg was the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, a world heritage site alive with waterbirds and lush coastal forest, the most idyllic of settings. Time was spent on meandering forest trails where Green Malkoha, Woodward’s Batis, Livingstone’s Turaco, Brown Scrub-Robin, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Black-throated Wattle-Eye, White-eared Barbet, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Grey Sunbird, Crowned Hornbill, Purple-banded Sunbird and Red-capped Robin-Chat showed themselves. The estuary mouth had Pink-backed Pelican, Woolly-necked Stork, Eurasian Hobby and countless waders, terns, egrets, herons and other water birds. A small lily covered pond in the area had both White-backed Duck and the amazing African Pygmy-Goose on it, which was a great bonus.

We then headed for Eshowe but not before several birding stops were made in both Mtunzini and Richard’s Bay.

Narina Trogon by Steve BlainRichard's Bay, a relatively industrial complex, offers an amazing variety of birding options. A quick visit to the open pans at Thulazihleka produced new birds such as Southern Brown-throated Weaver and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, whilst the quiet hamlet of Mtunzini provided shelter to some Palm-nut Vultures in its Raffia Palm forests.

The town of Eshowe is home to Dlinza Forest, a patch of scarp forest with a unique canopy boardwalk. A quiet amble in this, King Chaka’s old stomping ground, produced Spotted Ground-Thrush, Red-backed Mannikin, Dark-backed Weaver, Narina Trogon, Olive Sunbird, Purple-crested Turaco and a few Red Duikers, a diminutive forest antelope.

Last on the itinerary was our inland destination of Creighton set in the Natal midlands, an area of lush green grasslands. A morning walk in Xumeni Forest, a patch of Afro-montane forest, was great for the highly threatened Cape Parrot but also Barrat’s Warbler, Black Cuckoo, Bush Blackcap, Drakensberg Prinia and Greater Double-collared Sunbird.  A reserve nearby with a nice piece of conserved grassland had several Blue Swallows, and Common Quails constantly flushed at our feet as we walked here.  Forested patches at a lower altitude had African Firefinch, Red-fronted Tinkerbird and Lesser Honeyguide.

A real highlight of this leg of the trip was our expedition up the incredible Sani Pass to 3482 metres above sea level in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho. This is home to many special endemic birds of the majestic Drakensberg Mountain Range. Key birds found here included Drakensberg Rock-Jumper, Drakensberg Siskin, and the intimidating Lammergeier. Other good birds were Mountain Pipit, Sickle-winged Chat and Jackal Buzzard. This was a fitting finale to a really awesome trip...

Appendix: Detailed Bird and Mammal Lists

 

TRIPLIST OF BIRDS ACCORDING TO ROBERTS VII.

 

1.       Common Ostrich                                 Struthio camelus

2.       African Penguin                                   Spheniscus demersus

3.       Great Crested Grebe                          Podiceps cristatus

4.       Black-necked Grebe                           Podiceps nigricollis

5.       Little Grebe                                           Tachybaptus ruficollis

6.       Great White Pelican                            Pelecanus onocrotalus

7.       Pink-backed Pelican                           Pelecanus rufescens

8.       Cape Gannet                                        Morus capensis

9.       White-breasted Cormorant                Phalacrocorax lucidus

10.    Cape Cormorant                                 Phalacrocorax capensis

11.    Bank Cormorant                                  Phalacrocorax neglectus

12.    Reed Cormorant                                 Phalacrocorax africanus

13.    Crowned Cormorant                           Phalacrocorax coronatus

14.    African Darter                                       Anhinga rufa

15.    Grey Heron                                           Ardea cinerea

16.    Black-headed Heron                          Ardea melanocephala

17.    Goliath Heron                                       Ardea goliath

18.    Purple Heron                                        Ardea purpurea

19.    Great Egret                                           Egretta alba

20.    Little Egret                                             Egretta garzetta

21.    Yellow-billed Egret                              Egretta intermedia

22.    Black Heron                                          Egretta ardesiaca

23.    Cattle Egret                                           Bubulcus ibis

24.    Squacco Heron                                    Ardeola ralloides

25.    Green-backed Heron                          Butorides striatus

26.    Black-crowned Night-Heron              Nycticorax nycticorax

27.    Little Bittern                                           Ixobrychus minutus

28.    Hamerkop                                             Scopus umbretta

29.    White Stork                                           Ciconia ciconia

30.    Black Stork                                            Ciconia nigra

31.    Woolly-necked Stork                           Ciconia episcopus

32.    African Openbill                                   Anastomus lamelligerus

33.    Saddle-billed Stork                             Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis

34.    Marabou Stork                                      Leptoptilos crumeniferus

35.    Yellow-billed Stork                              Mycteria ibis

36.    African Sacred Ibis                              Threskiornis aethiopicus

37.    Southern Bald Ibis                              Geronticus calvus

38.    Glossy Ibis                                            Plegadis falcinellus

39.    Hadeda Ibis                                          Bostrychia hagedash

40.    African Spoonbill                                 Platalea alba

41.    Greater Flamingo                                Phoenicopterus ruber

42.    Lesser Flamingo                                 Phoenicopterus minor

43.    White-faced Duck                                Dendrocygna viduata

44.    White-backed Duck                             Thalassornis leuconotus

45.    Egyptian Goose                                   Alopochen aegyptiacus

46.    South African Shelduck                      Tadorna cana

47.    Yellow-billed Duck                              Anas undulata

48.    African Black Duck                              Anas sparsa

49.    Cape Teal                                             Anas capensis

50.    Hottentot Teal                                       Anas hottentota

51.    Red-billed Teal                                    Anas erythrorhyncha

52.    Cape Shoveler                                     Anas smithii

53.    Southern Pochard                               Netta erythrophthalma

54.    African Pygmy-Goose                         Nettapus auritus

55.    Comb Duck                                          Sarkidiornis melanotos

56.    Spur-winged Goose                           Plectropterus gambensis

57.    Maccoa Duck                                        Oxyura maccoa

58.    Secretarybird                                        Sagittarius serpentarius

59.    Lammergeier                                       Gypaetus barbatus

60.    Hooded Vulture                                    Necrosyrtes monachus

61.    Cape Vulture                                        Gyps coprotheres

62.    White-backed Vulture                         Gyps africanus

63.    Lappet-faced Vulture                          Torgos tracheliotus

64.    White-headed Vulture                         Trigonoceps occipitalis

65.    Yellow-billed Kite                                 Milvus aegyptius

66.    Black-shouldered Kite                        Elanus caeruleus

67.    Verreaux's Eagle                                 Aquila verreauxii

68.    Tawny Eagle                                         Aquila rapax

69.    Wahlberg's Eagle                                Aquila wahlbergi

70.    Booted Eagle                                       Hieraaetus pennatus

71.    African Hawk-Eagle                            Hieraaetus spilogaster

72.    Ayres's Hawk-Eagle                            Hieraaetus ayresii

73.    Long-crested Eagle                            Lophaetus occipitalis

74.    Martial Eagle                                        Polemaetus bellicosus

75.    Brown Snake-Eagle                            Circaetus cinereus

76.    Black-chested Snake-Eagle             Circaetus pectoralis

77.    Bateleur                                                 Terathopius ecaudatus

78.    Palm-nut Vulture                                  Gypohierax angolensis

79.    African Fish-Eagle                               Haliaeetus vocifer

80.    Steppe Buzzard                                    Buteo vulpinus

81.    Forest Buzzard                                     Buteo trizonatus

82.    Jackal Buzzard                                     Buteo rufofuscus

83.    African Goshawk                                 Accipiter tachiro

84.    Sthn Pale Chanting Goshawk          Melierax canorus

85.    African Marsh-Harrier                         Circus ranivorus

86.    Montagu's Harrier                                Circus pygargus

87.    Black Harrier                                        Circus maurus

88.    African Harrier-Hawk                          Polyboroides typus

89.    Osprey                                                   Pandion haliaetus

90.    Peregrine Falcon                                 Falco peregrinus

91.    Lanner Falcon                                      Falco biarmicus

92.    Eurasian Hobby                                   Falco subbuteo

93.    Taita Falcon                                          Falco fasciinucha

94.    Amur Falcon                                         Falco amurensis

95.    Rock Kestrel                                         Falco rupicolis

96.    Crested Francolin                               Dendroperdix sephaena

97.    Grey-winged Francolin                       Scleroptila africanus

98.    Cape Francolin                                    Pternistis capensis

99.    Natal Francolin                                    Pternistis natalensis

100.Red-necked Spurfowl                         Pternistis afer

101.Swainson's Spurfowl                          Pternistis swainsonii

102.Common Quail                                    Coturnix coturnix

103.Helmeted Guineafowl                        Numida meleagris

104.Blue Crane                                           Anthropoides paradisea

105.Grey Crowned Crane                          Balearica regulorum

106.Black Crake                                          Amaurornis flavirostris

107.African Purple Swamphen                 Porphyrio madagascariensis

108.Common Moorhen                              Gallinula chloropus

109.Red-knobbed Coot                             Fulica cristata

110.Denham's Bustard                              Neotis denhami

111.Barrow's Korhaan                               Eupodotis barrowii

112.Blue Korhaan                                       Eupodotis caerulescens

113.Karoo Korhaan                                    Eupodotis vigorsii

114.Red-crested Korhaan                         Eupodotis ruficrista

115.Black-bellied Bustard                         Eupodotis melanogaster

116.Southern Black Korhaan                    Eupodotis afra

117.African Jacana                                     Actophilornis africanus

118.African Black Oystercatcher               Haematopus moquini

119.Common Ringed Plover                    Charadrius hiaticula

120.White-fronted Plover                           Charadrius marginatus

121.Chestnut-banded Plover                    Charadrius pallidus

122.Kittlitz's Plover                                      Charadrius pecuarius

123.Three-banded Plover                          Charadrius tricollaris

124.Grey Plover                                           Pluvialis squatarola

125.Crowned Lapwing                               Vanellus coronatus

126.Blacksmith Lapwing                           Vanellus armatus

127.White-crowned Lapwing                    Vanellus albiceps

128.African Wattled Lapwing                    Vanellus senegallus

129.Ruddy Turnstone                                 Arenaria interpres

130.Common Sandpiper                           Actitis hypoleucos

131.Wood Sandpiper                                 Tringa glareola

132.Marsh Sandpiper                                 Tringa stagnatilis

133.Common Greenshank                       Tringa nebularia

134.Red Knot                                               Calidris canutus

135.Curlew Sandpiper                               Calidris ferruginea

136.Little Stint                                              Calidris minuta

137.Sanderling                                            Calidris alba

138.Ruff                                                         Philomachus pugnax

139.African Snipe                                        Gallinago nigripennis

140.Bar-tailed Godwit                                 Limosa lapponica

141.Eurasian Curlew                                 Numenius arquata

142.Common Whimbrel                            Numenius phaeopus

143.Pied Avocet                                           Recurvirostra avosetta

144.Black-winged Stilt                                Himantopus himantopus

145.Spotted Thick-knee                             Burhinus capensis

146.Water Thick-knee                                Burhinus vermiculatus

147.Double-banded Courser                   Rhinoptilus africanus

148.Collared Pratincole                             Glareola pratincola

149.Kelp Gull                                               Larus dominicanus

150.Grey-headed Gull                                Larus cirrocephalus

151.Hartlaub's Gull                                     Larus hartlaubii

152.Caspian Tern                                       Sterna caspia

153.Swift Tern                                              Sterna bergii

154.Sandwich Tern                                     Sterna sandvicensis

155.Common Tern                                     Sterna hirundo

156.Little Tern                                              Sterna albifrons

157.Whiskered Tern                                   Chlidonias hybridus

158.White-winged Tern                              Chlidonias leucopterus

159.Rock Dove                                            Columba livia

160.Speckled Pigeon                                 Columba guinea

161.African Olive-Pigeon                           Columba arquatrix

162.Red-eyed Dove                                    Streptopelia semitorquata

163.African Mourning Dove                       Streptopelia decipiens

164.Cape Turtle-Dove                                Streptopelia capicola

165.Laughing Dove                                    Streptopelia senegalensis

166.Namaqua Dove                                   Oena capensis

167.Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove           Turtur chalcospilos

168.Tambourine Dove                               Turtur tympanistria

169.Lemon Dove                                         Aplopelia larvata

170.African Green-Pigeon                         Treron calva

171.Cape Parrot                                          Poicephalus robustus

172.Brown-headed Parrot                         Poicephalus cryptoxanthus

173.Knysna Turaco                                     Tauraco corythaix

174.Livingstone's Turaco                          Tauraco livingstonii

175.Purple-crested Turaco                       Musophaga porphyreolopha

176.Grey Go-away-bird                              Corythaixoides concolor

177.African Cuckoo                                     Cuculus gularis

178.Red-chested Cuckoo                         Cuculus solitarius

179.Black Cuckoo                                       Cuculus clamosus

180.Levaillant's Cuckoo                             Clamator levaillantii

181.Jacobin Cuckoo                                   Clamator jacobinus

182.African Emerald Cuckoo                    Chrysococcyx cupreus

183.Klaas's Cuckoo                                   Chrysococcyx klaas

184.Diderick Cuckoo                                  Chrysococcyx caprius

185.Green Malkoha                                    Ceuthmochares aereus

186.Burchell's Coucal                                Centropus burchellii

187.Sthn White-faced Scops-Owl            Ptilopsus granti

188.Pearl-spotted Owlet                            Glaucidium perlatum

189.Spotted Eagle-Owl                              Bubo africanus

190.Rufous-cheeked Nightjar                  Caprimulgus rufigena

191.Common Swift                                     Apus apus

192.African Black Swift                               Apus barbatus

193.White-rumped Swift                            Apus caffer

194.Horus Swift                                           Apus horus

195.Little Swift                                              Apus affinis

196.Alpine Swift                                           Tachymarptis melba

197.African Palm-Swift                               Cypsiurus parvus

198.Speckled Mousebird                           Colius striatus

199.White-backed Mousebird                   Colius colius

200.Red-faced Mousebird                         Urocolius indicus

201.Narina Trogon                                      Apaloderma narina

202.Pied Kingfisher                                    Ceryle rudis

203.Giant Kingfisher                                   Megaceryle maxima

204.Half-collared Kingfisher                     Alcedo semitorquata

205.Malachite Kingfisher                           Alcedo cristata

206.African Pygmy-Kingfisher                   Ispidina picta

207.Woodland Kingfisher                          Halcyon senegalensis

208.Brown-hooded Kingfisher                 Halcycon albiventris

209.Grey-headed Kingfisher                     Halcyon leucocephala

210.European Bee-eater                           Merops apiaster

211.Blue-cheeked Bee-eater                    Merops persicus

212.White-fronted Bee-eater                     Merops bullockoides

213.Little Bee-eater                                    Merops pusillus

214.European Roller                                  Coracias garrulus

215.Lilac-breasted Roller                          Coracias caudata

216.Purple Roller                                        Coracias naevia

217.African Hoopoe                                    Upupa africana

218.Green Wood-Hoopoe                         Phoeniculus purpureus

219.Trumpeter Hornbill                              Bycanistes bucinator

220.African Grey Hornbill                           Tockus nasutus