Kruger Park, 12th-16th December 2009
I, my wife, and our two daughters - after almost a three-year gap - finally returned to KNP this month, and had a totally splendid visit. We left Jo'burg on Saturday 12th, and drove through the Phalaborwa Gate around 15h00, en route to Letaba, where we would spend the first two nights. The park looked more like Ireland than South Africa, emerald green wherever one looked, yet the grass was still short enough for lapwings, coursers and larks. The weather, I have to say was mixed - Sunday hot, with an evening thunderstorm right in the middle of our braai, Monday, wet, perishingly cold and windy, Tuesday fine again.......but it takes more than weird weather to spoil a visit to the park.
We saw some great birds, and witnessed some interesting behaviour, which I will share with you over the next couple of posts. So, without further ado, here's the list for the trip........
Red-headed Weaver, Blue Waxbill, Diederick Cuckoo, Grey Hornbill, Red-billed Quelea, Laughing Dove, Sabota Lark, Tawny Eagle, White-browed Scrub-robin, Grey Go-away Bird, White-backed Vulture, European Bee-eater, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Red-billed Hornbill, Swainson’s Spurfowl, Bateleur, Little Swift, Crowned Lapwing, Red-billed Oxpecker, Three-banded Plover, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Grey Heron, Blacksmith Lapwing, White-faced Duck, Egyptian Goose, Cape Wagtail, Water Thick-knee, Helmeted Guineafowl, Magpie Shrike, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Temminck’s Courser, Purple (Rufous-crowned) Roller, Monotonous Lark, Mocking Cliff-chat, Cape Glossy Starling, Long-billed Crombec, Red-backed Shrike, Crested Francolin, Fork-tailed Drongo, Black-crowned Tchagra, Woodland Kingfisher, Black-backed Puffback, Cape Turtle-dove, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Marabou Stork, African Scops-owl, Barn Owl (h), White-browed Robin-chat, Brown Snake-eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Steppe Eagle, Brown-crowned Tchagra, African Paradise-flycatcher, Crested Barbet, Red-winged Starling, African Mourning Dove, Red-eyed Dove (h), Natal Francolin, Chinspot Batis, Hadeda Ibis, Little Egret, Amethyst Sunbird, African Goshawk, White-fronted Bee-eater, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Great Egret, African Fish-eagle, Common Greenshank, Jacobin Cuckoo, Dark-capped Bulbul, Hamerkop, White-rumped Swift, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green-backed Heron, Emerald-spotted Wood-dove, Cardinal Woodpecker, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Violet-backed Starling, Red-faced Mousebird, Black-headed Oriole, Green Wood-hoopoe, Brown-headed Parrot, Greater Blue-eared Starling, African Pipit, Wahlberg’s Eagle, African Hoopoe, African Openbill, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Green-winged Pytilia, Grey-headed Sparrow, Marico Sunbird, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Cut-throat Finch, Pied Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Southern Ground Hornbill, Cape Wagtail, African Spoonbill, Arrow-marked Babbler, Village Weaver, Cattle Egret, Grey-headed Bush-shrike (h), Klaas’s Cuckoo, Pygmy Kingfisher, Speckled Mousebird, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Broad-billed Roller, Pale Flycatcher, Kurrichane Thrush, Namaqua Dove, Red-billed Firefinch, Trumpeter Hornbill, Common Scimitarbill, Barn Swallow, House Sparrow, Wattled Starling, Lesser Masked Weaver, Bronze-winged Courser, European Roller, Orange-breasted Bush-shrike, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Lesser Grey Shrike, White Stork, Martial Eagle, Ruff, Burchell’s Starling, African Green-pigeon, Red-crested Korhaan, Comb Duck, Senegal Lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Kori Bustard, Southern Carmine Bee-eater, Lazy Cisticola, Black Crake, Amur Falcon, Lappet-faced Vulture, White-headed Vulture, African Pied Wagtail, Red-chested Cuckoo (h), Rufous-naped Lark, Rattling Cisticola, Ostrich, Southern Black Tit, Black-shouldered Kite, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black-headed Heron, Spotted Flycatcher, Hooded Vulture
The little (h) indicates a bird heard, but not seen. I think there are 151 birds there, which is not bad for just 3 full days. The list above is for KNP birds only, but we didn't only see birds in the park. We spotted a fine pair of Saddle-billed Storks between Gravelotte and Phalaborwa on the way to the park, and on the return journey we picked up a fine Crowned Crane and a Long-crested Eagle between Dullstroom and Belfast.
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy