South Africa august 2014, Capetown and Kruger (1 Viewer)

Planned as a long hoped for familytrip, it was easy to see many birds as well. Highlights around Capetown were Boulders Beach and the pelagic from there (YES YES YES), West Coast national park, Rooiels, Kirstenbosch and Hermanus for whales. We stayed in Milnerton.

In Kruger we saw the Big 5 and in the restcamps birding is great. In Kruger we stayed at Skukuza, Satari and Mopani but did stop at Letaba as well (very nice).

All birds and photo's can be found via this link: http://observado.org/user/view/1365...-09-08&prov=0&z=0&m=K&zeker=O&rows=20&month=0

My personal favorites were:
1) Three species of Albatrosses (shy, Blackbrowed and Indian Yellow nosed)
2) the rest of the Pelagic
3) Cape Rockjumper and all other endemics including Blue Crane and Southern Black Korhaan
4) Kruger with Southern Ground Hornbill
5) Every other bird

Such a beautiful country but still beware of criminal behaviour even in sanctuaries! Pelagics from Capetown are organised va Any Albatros, Capetown Pelagics and Zest for Birds.

Thanks for the report. I would very much like to get to South Africa someday, and to be honest, had never thought about a pelagic trip!

Some great photos and lots of good birds! I can see you must have enjoyed the trip an the pelagic in particular. I hope your warning about criminal behavior does not mean the were a victim yourself. Other that that I agree it is a beautiful country!
Peter

Thanks for the compliments. South Africa is easy to travel and luckily we didn't encounter any criminalism but a friend was attacked 6 weeks later in an area where at least 4 other assaults occured. Just ask at any entrance gate for specifics and even then bad luck is possible even though you will never and up in any unwanted neighbourhood by accident.

Capetown is famous for it's pelagics but the wheather can be very unpredicatable in any season. Even if it's beautiful, windless wheather in Capetown, storms can be blowing on the ocean. I planned 2 trips (they plan on saturday with Sunday as a backup but only the last I was lucky at last but there are no guarantees. Pelagics are also possible from Durban.

Although I have found most birds I went one day with a guide and this saved lots of time: they know the hotspots and have backupplans, they know the sounds etc so if possible take a guide for at least a few days. On the pelagic a guide is always included.

Also take good note of the seasons: we were lucky to have beautiful sunny wheather all 3 weeks but some rain and a max of 18C is normal in August in Capetown and even Kruger can be cold. Friends went 2 years earlier and at night it was 4C and during the day max 20C (we had 34C in Kruger). But the wheather doesnt effect the birds of course. And, it's a breathtaking country wich offers besides the birds and mammals: butterfly's, flowers, exceptional mountainviews and unique botanical environment as fynbos.