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Southern African Forum (1 Viewer)

Garden Route Birding 6

I thought it might be a good idea at this stage to take an overview of the general area. It will give you a much better feel for the area, and help you in planning birding trips.

Take a look at the map which I have suggested for this little discussion. I have reduced the scale, so that you can see the grain of the landscape, and have placed the red ring on the location of Knysna, just to give you your bearings. Once you understand the landscape, you should be able to organise your birding more effectively.

http://www.multimap.com/s/vXc6rIhN

Hopefully you can see clearly how the land divides itself up into series of sub-parallel units between the sea and the tops of the mountains.

Traversing from S to N you can see the following:

1. Coastline

Sandy shore, rocky shore, and sea cliffs……..three different habitats.

Fine sandy beaches can be found at Sedgefield, Platbank along to Goukamma Mouth, from Buffelsbaai to Brenton-on-Sea, and from Robberg to Beacon Island Hotel in Plettenberg bay.

Rocky shores occur at Gericke’s Point, about 2.5 km west of Swartvlei Mouth, and in the vicinity of Buffelsbaai.

One of the best cliff areas is Kranshoek, in the Harkerville Forest between Knysna and Plettenberg bay. Robberg has both rocky and cliff-type shores.

2. Coastal plain

This lies between the shore and the foot of the wave-cut platform, and incorporates fossil dunes (particularly between Sedgefield and Goukamma R.), the three salt/brackwater lakes of Island Vlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei, the Swartvlei amd Goukamma estuaries.

3. Wave-cut Platform

Cut long ago when the sea level was considerably higher than today, the wave-cut platform lies at increased elevation between the inland margin of the coastal plain and the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains. Most of the area’s agriculture is located on the wave-cut platform.
Rivers tumbling down from the mountains have cut deep, forested gorges into the steep scarp slope of the wave-cut platform. These gorges hold the Brownhooded Kingfisher and Half-collared Kingfisher trails.

4. Forest

The forest lies in a well-defined band between the inland edge of the wave-cut platform and the lower slopes of the mountains. The gorges mentioned above, and others like them, allow the forest habitat to penetrate to lower elevations. This is well seen on the “Passes” road, which links George to Knysna on the wave-cut platform. Every time the road meets one of the rivers coming down from the mountains it has to negotiate a deep, thickly-forested pass.

5. Mountains

Steep, high and formidable, the Outeniqua Mountains support mountain fynbos above the forest, and, with increasing elevation, stony and rocky hillsides. Roads such as the Outeniqua and Montagu Passes out of George, and the Prince Alfred Pass road which turns north off the N2 east of Knysna opposite the turn-off to Noetzie, provide vehicular access to these montane habitats. Although I have take a saloon car over all three, note that Montagu and Prince Alfred are largely dirt, and, particularly in the case of Prince Alfred Pass, quite rough, with tight corners.

6. Karoo

Once across the crest of the Outeniquas you pass into the rain shadow of the mountains and the arid landscape of the Little Karoo. This yields a whole new range of birds, with dry-land specials such as larks, buntings, bustards and so on.

Our pictures this time show sandy and rocky shores, sea cliffs, coastal plain and wave-cut platform, and forest. Note especially in the fourth picture how the coastal plain is bounded on the seaward side by an ancient sand dune. To the right runs the Touw River, and from it, heading left in the picture, is the channel which connects it with all the lakes. The road is climbing the steep scarp slope up to the wave-cut platform. If you look carefully at the right of the picture you will see the agricultural land beginning. In the distance there is no coastal plain, only sea cliffs, which lead directly up onto the wave-cut platform.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
 

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It sounds amazing, I can quite understand why you leapt at it. So how much higher will you have to raise the surrounding area to make a suitable dam? Fantastic idea, I hope it will work out well.

72 is a very good count for a garden area, great place to come home to every day! Built in relaxation! My garden count is only 48.

I haven't birded much at St Lucia. Each time we go to Hluhluwe we think of going to St Lucia for a day or so, then can't bear to give up the day in the game park . . . .

Hi Sal,
Martin does have a terrific garden - the product of a lot of hard work and an even greater enthusiasm :t:

I understand about Hluhluwe - we spent several days in St Lucia when we first visted South Africa in 2004. I wanted to explore St Lucia - my sons just wanted to go to Hluhluwe. I was forced ;) into going. I will just have to "do" St Lucia properly another time.

In case you are wondering about the names Martin is my brother (I am older but better looking :-O) I too want to retire as soon as possible, hopefully to Marloth Park, but the credit crunch and two sons who won't leave home are stopping me.

I will get my Marloth Park home list up to date this weekend and post it. Should be interesting to compare with the others.

Allan
 
Hi Sal,
In case you are wondering about the names Martin is my brother (I am older but better looking :-O) I too want to retire as soon as possible, hopefully to Marloth Park, but the credit crunch and two sons who won't leave home are stopping me.

I will get my Marloth Park home list up to date this weekend and post it. Should be interesting to compare with the others.

Allan

So - to retire or not to retire - bit of a Hobbs-sons choice huh? ;)

Look forward to seeing your Marloth Park list Alan, I imagine you could build up a good one there.
 
It sounds amazing, I can quite understand why you leapt at it. So how much higher will you have to raise the surrounding area to make a suitable dam? Fantastic idea, I hope it will work out well.

72 is a very good count for a garden area, great place to come home to every day! Built in relaxation! My garden count is only 48.

I haven't birded much at St Lucia. Each time we go to Hluhluwe we think of going to St Lucia for a day or so, then can't bear to give up the day in the game park . . . .

Hi Sal,
I am raising the surrounding about half metre. I dont want too deep a dam, just deep enough to give ther frogs and toads some protection from what I hope will be many water birds that will visit.
The pond I built I lined with thick plastic sheeting, then dumped mud on top so the water plants would have something to put their roots in to.
I filled it on a Saturday, and whilst I was admiring on the Sunday 3 Hadeda Ibis flew down, walked into the edge of the pond and started to plunge their long hard beaks into the water. The next morning I walked down to the pond and noticed no water, but a lot of puncture marks!!!
I will mix a cement base for this one!!

As for St. Lucia, I suggested to my wife we should go on a beach holiday. She agreed and off we went. I used to drop her off at the beach and I went walking in the surrounding coastal bush area.
My single aim was to find the Narina Trogon. I love the look of this bird and walked the coastal bush areas surrounding the beaches each day, without luck.
I then drove and parked at one of the Parks camping/caravan sites. I walked about 100m into the coastal forest area surrounding the camp site and there high in the trees I spotted the pair of them. They were even more stunning in real life than they look in the book.
It was a good holiday for both of us... my wife got a tan and I saw my Narina Trogan.
Since then we have been back several times and now my wife is becoming a keen bird watcher herself (if you can't beat them, then join them!).
We go back to the same spot and we havent failed to see Narina Trogan's.
We see so much in St.Lucia I could spend all my time between the Lowveld bushveld and St. Lucia, but then we would miss out on so many other birds not found in both these areas, and looking at Dave's list of the Garden Route it has pricked my interest.
Thanks for all the invaluable information Dave.

Martin
 
Hi Sal,
I filled it on a Saturday, and whilst I was admiring on the Sunday 3 Hadeda Ibis flew down, walked into the edge of the pond and started to plunge their long hard beaks into the water. The next morning I walked down to the pond and noticed no water, but a lot of puncture marks!!!
I will mix a cement base for this one!!Martin

LOL Martin!

Seriously though, I hope the cement one is fine and thet you will have lots of avian visitors and take masses of photographs so we can see what comes to the dam.
 
I've now gone through our lists for South Africa and Mvubu, our home in Marloth Park. One thing that has become apparent is that it I haven't recorded all our spots, particularly for the common birds - I know we have seen Village weaver for example, but it isn't on our list. Annoying.
Anyway, here is our Mvubu garden list:
1 Bataleur Eagle
2 Bearded Woodpecker
3 Black (Southern) Flycatcher
4 Black Sunbird
5 Black-collared Barbet
6 Black-eyed Bulbul
7 Black-headed Oriole
8 Blue Waxbill
9 Booted Eagle
10 Cape Glossy Starling
11 Cape Vulture
12 Chin-spot Batis
13 Cut Throat Finch
14 Egyptian Goose
15 Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
16 Fish Eagle
17 Fork-tailed Drongo
18 Golden-breasted Bunting
19 Golden-tailed Woodpecker
20 Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling
21 Grey Hornbill
22 Grey Lourie
23 Grey-headed Bush Shrike
24 Hadeda Ibis
25 Helmeted Guineafowl
26 Klaas's Cuckoo
27 Laughing Dove
28 Lesser Honeyguide
29 Lesser Striped Swallow
30 Little Sparrowhawk
31 Long-billed Crombec
32 Long-tailed Shrike
33 Marabou Stork
34 Melba Finch
35 Natal Francolin
36 Orange-breasted Bush Shrike
37 Pin-tailed Whydah
38 Plum-coloured Starling
39 Puffback
40 Purple-crested Lourie
41 Red-billed Helmet Shrike
42 Red-billed Hornbill
43 Red-billed Oxpecker
44 Red-billed Quelia
45 Red-billed Wood Hoopoe
46 Red-faced Mousebird
47 Red-headed Weaver
48 Scarlet-chested Sunbird
49 Scops Owl
50 Southern Black Tit
51 Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
52 Square-tailed Drongo
53 White (crested) Helmet Shrike
54 White-backed Vulture
55 White-bellied Sunbird
56 White-crowned Shrike
57 Yellow-billed Hornbill
58 Yellow-eyed (fronted) Canary

There are some others that could be added, eg we have heard nightjar frequently, but I can't remember which one. Must try to keep the lists up to date in future!

Allan
 
I did promise a report from our latest trip to South Africa we made a few weeks ago, so here is a brief one.

We arrived in Joburg in the morning and made our way to Marloth Park - a 4.5 hour drive. It's difficult to identify much when driving at 120, so one confirmed spot only - Ostrich!.
On arriving at Marloth we were surprised at just how dry and barren it was. Natures colour palette had been reduced to browns and greys. The animals were obviously suffering, and the number of birds was well down on what we were used to, with one exception - there were Vultures aplenty, mainly White-backed and Cape, but Hooded and Lappet-faced also.

One interesting thing was what we didn't see. Normally we see lots of Lilac-breasted Roller and Burchell's Coucal, but this time only a few of each. The number of Yellow-billed Hornbill was also down, but there were many more Grey Hornbill.

We managed to get into the Kruger Park 5 times. Not much out and out bird spotting as my family get impatient, but a great time anyway. Highlights of these trips were:
Kori Bustard and Verreaux's Eagle Owl within a few hundred metres of each other on the S28. 5 spots of Martial Eagle (adults and juvenile) in one day. Stopping to watch a pair of Bataleur sitting peacefully in a tree (adult and juvenile) when a Fish Eagle came hurtling in and forced them out. I've no idea why the Fish Eagle was so aggresive - it flew off in a different direction immediately after.
A solitary Southern Ground Hornbill. We often see these, but never singly until now.
Stopping in a little pull-off area by the Sabie river and being serenaded by a lovely liquid song. We looked and looked for ages to see what was making such a beautiful song, eventually spotting a White-browed Scrub Robin in the bush right next to us! Is it just me, or do other people have difficulty pinpointing where some bird song is coming from?
In another pull-off area (my wife calls then dippy-doppies for no reason that I can fathom) watching a pair of Paradise Flycatchers flitting though the bushes. Beautiful birds.
While in the middle of making scottle brunch at Mlondozi Dam getting my son to take a picture of a bird hopping about, identifying it later from the photo as a Yellow-bellied Bulbul, a new tick for us (and without burning the eggs too!).
On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning.

At home we were continually entertained with the song of the Black-headed Oriole - a lovely liquid call. We also heard the three note call of the Chin-spot Batis most days. How can such a small bird make such a penetrating call? No nightjars this time though.
It was really good to meet our resident birds again - the Natal Francolin pair who wake us most mornings with their raucous calling. the Helmeted Guineafowl who dig over the ground for the seed we put out, creating huge clouds of dust, the delightful blue waxbills who we hope will nest under the thatch overhang again, and the Dark-eyed Bulbuls who make such a fuss about coming to the feeders, and the glossy starlings who make no fuss at all. This time we have had Red-billed Helmet Shrike for the first time, to contrast with the usual White-crested Helmet Shrike.
We also had Lesser Striped Swallows flying under the eaves a lot - hopefully they will nest.
Further afield in Marloth Park we also had two new ticks - Common House Martin at Jackalberry Dam (they might be common, but it's the first time I've seen them), and Green-capped Eremomela in some bushes by the Crocodile River lookout.
We also had a new mammal spot for the Garden - a female Bushbuck.

Another fabulous time in South Africa and Marloth Park. Roll on next year when we can come back.

Allan
 
I did promise a report from our latest trip to South Africa we made a few weeks ago, so here is a brief one.


We managed to get into the Kruger Park 5 times. Not much out and out bird spotting as my family get impatient, but a great time anyway.

On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning.

Further afield in Marloth Park we also had two new ticks - Common House Martin at Jackalberry Dam (they might be common, but it's the first time I've seen them), and Green-capped Eremomela in some bushes by the Crocodile River lookout.

Allan

Glad you enjoyed yourselves, Allan, and thanks for your report. You'll have to get to work on your family's attitude to birding, but I am sure that after a few more visits your feathery friends at Marloth Park will do that for you.

Your mammal trio represents a superb sighting - to find cheetah, black rhino and wild dog within an hour is almost unheard of. And well done with the Green-capped Eremomela. After around 37 years of looking, I still haven't seen one.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
 
I did promise a report from our latest trip to South Africa we made a few weeks ago, so here is a brief one.

On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning.

Another fabulous time in South Africa and Marloth Park. Roll on next year when we can come back.

Allan

Thanks Alan for that. Wow Black Rhino! I know this is a bird forum but I have to say that this year was the first I had ever made a positive ID of black rhino in the park so it was really exciting to hear of another! Some good birds - I have never seen a Red-billed (now Retz's?) Helmetshrike, so I envy you that one and the same goes for the Green-capped Eremomela. I know what you mean about the White-browed Scrub-robin and its song. I have the same problem all the time with most birds, they can literally hide behind a leaf. And I notice that birds are great ventriloquists too - just by turning their heads when they sing they can make it sound as though the song is coming from a different tree. Two of us can stand side by side and actually argue about which direction the sound is coming from. Verreaux's Eagle Owl and Kori Bustard on the S28 is also pretty cool. Did you go to Ntandanyathi hide? if so, what is it like?
Sounds like you had a really good time, I'm so glad and thanks for sharing some of it! I've got to wait till next year too before I can go again.
 
I've now gone through our lists for South Africa and Mvubu, our home in Marloth Park. One thing that has become apparent is that it I haven't recorded all our spots, particularly for the common birds - I know we have seen Village weaver for example, but it isn't on our list. Annoying.
Anyway, here is our Mvubu garden list:
Allan

Nice list. Especially the Cut-throat Finch. I guess this list will just grow and grow. . . .
 
Allan

dare I ask where in the Kruger you saw?

"On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning."

Mind you it was a wee while ago wasn't it? (just more than I dare hope for)



I'm too excited to take in much more learning! In the America's you learn the families reasonably ok once you've spotted the bird!

But these families! Not really connected to Egyptian birds. (The only other African Country I have visited - and that wasn't a birding trip - I just took the bins with me.) Thankfully there will be some familiar ones too having migrated from UK or WP!

Off tomorrow evening, almost cant wait!:-O
 
Allan

dare I ask where in the Kruger you saw?

"On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning."

Mind you it was a wee while ago wasn't it? (just more than I dare hope for)



I'm too excited to take in much more learning! In the America's you learn the families reasonably ok once you've spotted the bird!

But these families! Not really connected to Egyptian birds. (The only other African Country I have visited - and that wasn't a birding trip - I just took the bins with me.) Thankfully there will be some familiar ones too having migrated from UK or WP!

Off tomorrow evening, almost cant wait!:-O

Have a great holiday, with lots of marvellous sightings, both bird and animal. I am really looking forward to hearing all about it when you get home.
Take care, and have a wonderful time.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
 
Allan

dare I ask where in the Kruger you saw?

"On the mammal front our last day in the Kruger produced three new mammal spots in one hour - cheetah, black rhino and the best of all - wild dog. Absolutely stunning."

Off tomorrow evening, almost cant wait!:-O

No problem. The cheetah and black rhino were on the H10 Lower Sabie to Tshokwane road, about 5 Km past the Lower Sabie causeway. This is an area where cheetah are often seen. From what I've heard the pair of black rhino have lately been seen in this area a lot as well.
The wild dog were on the (usually dry) Bume causeway on the S108, near the Gayisenga waterhole. If you go from east to west and stop half way across the causeway there is a large tree on the left hand side at about 8 a clock on top of a mound. I think that the dogs have a den there. I will be visiting it much more frequently in future.
Best of luck with the spotting and have a fantastic time.
Allan
 
Did you go to Ntandanyathi hide? if so, what is it like?
QUOTE]

Hi Sal,
we like Ntandanyathi hide and usually visit at least once. We like the close views of hippo and there is usually some activity around. This time however it was very different. The river was gone, with only a few muddy pools in which some large catfish were struggling to breathe. Even worse right in front of the hide a baby hippo had become trapped and its body was half buried in the mud. There were also two full grown hippo corpses which had become trapped in the mud. It just goes to show how severe things have become. I really hope the rains come soon.

The Cut-throat finch actually nested under the thatch, just by our terrace (we have a terrace built onto the roof of a downstairs bedroom), so we could watch the adults come in and out and hear the chicks calling from a few metres away. Unfortunately we did not see them fledge.

I didn't realise the Green-capped Eremomela was such a good spot! It was literally two metres away in a bush. I got very confused at first trying to work out its eye colour (yellow - no red) before I got a good look at the yellow eye with the bright red ring around it. Lovely.

Dave, my family are pretty good really about spotting birds (my wife is an enthusiast), but what they can't stand is me trying to identify everything (it can take a long time - I'm still learning), so I get the hurry up. This time was bad as we had not been for 10 months, so big animal withdrawl had set in pretty forcefully. Next time I think I will have to try and arrange for just Martin and myself to go in and have a real birding day.

Thanks for all the encouragement everyone.
Allan
 
Allan
I'm too excited to take in much more learning! In the America's you learn the families reasonably ok once you've spotted the bird!

But these families! Not really connected to Egyptian birds. Thankfully there will be some familiar ones too having migrated from UK or WP!

Off tomorrow evening, almost cant wait!:-O

I'm sure that you will be able to pick up the families just by comparing them in your mind with birds you already know. Then so long as you have a good field guide, it will be easy. And, as you say, bound to see some familiar friends too. Have a stunning holiday!
 
Garden Route Birding 7

Estuaries

1. Swartvlei

Three rivers feed Swartvlei, which is intermittently open to the sea. The estuary is divided into two sections by the railway and N9 road bridge, which cross where the main northern lake section narrows down to the tidal estuary proper, which then follows a complex course to the sea.

http://www.multimap.com/s/uWdigVgA

The Northern Lake (as far as the road bridge carrying the N2)

This is a large body of water, surrounded by reed beds, with sand prawn banks in tidal shallows. On the western shore lies Pine Lake Resort. A large fossil sand dune running east-west stops against the eastern shoreline. Although the reed beds can, to some extent, be accessed on foot via the railway bridge, and along the eastern shore from the N2 northwards, a boat or canoe would be ideal for birding in the main lake. The reed beds and surroundings hold Grey and Purple herons, African Purple Swamp-hen, African Marsh Harrier, Common Moorhen, Red-knobbed Coot, Little Rush-Warbler, Lesser Swamp-warbler, Malachite and Half-collared Kingfisher, Yellow Bishop, Southern Red Bishop, Cape Weaver, and have potential for African Rail and Little Bittern, both of which I have seen in the lakes between Swartvlei and Wilderness. Note from the Google Earth photograph that there is a series of reed-bound lagoons and two feeder rivers linking to the main lake in its north-east corner.

To the north of Pine Lake Resort lies an area of coastal fynbos. Through this runs the circular, 6km Cape Dune Molerat Trail. This trail starts by the hide on Rondevlei, and passes through indigenous forest, wetland and fynbos. Birds along the trail include Knysna Turacoand other forest birds, fynbos and wetland specials. The wetland areas along the Trail have a reputation for Red-chested Flufftail, although I have yet to see one.

Osprey and African Fish Eagle exploit Swartvlei’s fish, and Cape Longclaws forage on grassy banks. When the mouth is open to the sea, low tides, especially spring tides (i.e. full and new moon), expose mud- and sand-banks on which waders feed. These mud-banks are well developed between the rail and road bridges. You can, at the right time of year, expect Greenshank, Ruff, Three-banded Plover, Kittlitz’s Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilt. Ducks include Cape Shoveller, Red-billed Teal, Cape Teal, Yellow-billed Duck, Southern Pochard, and Hottentot Tealas well as, more rarely, White-backed Duck, Fulvous Duck and Maccoa Duck. Great and Little Grebes are frequently seen.

The Estuary (from the N2 road bridge to the sea)

The estuary follows a winding course from the road bridge to the sea, over shallow sand and mudbanks and occasional deeper channels. On the east bank lies the village of Sedgefield, wholly residential in nature, but the west bank is almost inaccessible, except along the road to the Swartvlei Beach car park. The remainder of the west bank is formed by a high fossil dune, vegetated with rooikrans and a fair amount of indigenous forest, steep and impenetrable to all but the most determined. It can, however, be examined from a boat, and a canoe trip along the west bank will almost certainly yield Water Thick-knee, Knysna Turaco, Southern Boubouand Olive Bush Shrike. Giant and Pied Kingfishers, occasional Half-collared Kingfishers, African Fish Eagles and Ospreys fish the estuary, and can be encountered anywhere along its course.

The road from the N2 to Swartvlei beach carpark, although heavily undermined by Cape Dune Molerats and thus a serious threat to your vehicle’s springs, is well worth a visit. On one side is the estuary, with its reed-beds and sandbanks, and on the other indigenous forest. The estuary provides the usual long-legged suspects, with the chance of African Spoonbill, while on the landward side a pair of Jackal Buzzardsis nearly always present, along with, inter alia, Southern Tchagra, Karoo Prinia, Common Fiscal, Fiscal Flycatcher, African Dusky Flycatcher, Tambourine Dove, Helmeted Guineafowl, Dusky Indigobird, Yellow Bishop, Cape White-eye, African Paradise Flycatcher and Klaas’s Cuckoo.

Returning to the eastern shore you will see on the photograph, south of the N2, a squarish block of residential housing known as “The Extension” or “The Island”. Look at your photograph and you will see, at the bottom left corner of the Island, a little block of housing extending further NW than the others. On the shore you can see a little blue square, which represents a site where someone has taken a photograph. There is a bench seat on the shore there, and if you are lucky, and they are in the area, the Greater Flamingos like to rest up in the area between the bench and the N2 highway.

Drive round the Extension, keeping a wary eye open for tortoises. That is no joke, by the way – the area is famed for them, and a speeding car is instant death to these attractive little creatures. Sunbirds – Amethyst and Greater Double-collared – are attracted to the August/September blooms of Erythrina trees. Guineafowl and Hadeda Ibis treat the Island as their personal property. From the waterside at the eastern end of the Island you can walk along the margin of the estuary through reeds, fynbos and bush, with splendid wild flowers in season, and many local birds.

To leave the Island you have to cross the causeway over the Perdestroom into Sedgefield proper. Stop at the causeway, and scan for water birds. Carry on to a small roundabout and turn right. You are now on Kingfisher Drive, which will take you right to the steps above the estuary mouth. Note that if you are coming along the N2 from George, turn right at the traffic lights and carry on straight past the roundabout onto Kingfisher Drive. Coming from the Knysna side, turn left at the lights. The first part of Kingfisher Drive passes reed-beds, prawn banks, and low islands. Cape Shoveller, Yellow-billed Duck, African Purple Swamp-hens, Cape Gulls, Cape Wagtails, and Black-winged Stilts can all be found here. White-breasted Cormorants, African Black Oystercatchers and occasional Caspian Ternsfly in to rest in this quiet area. From the boat-launching area Kingfisher Drive climbs upwards behind the waterside dwellings, ending at the estuary mouth and a spectacular view. If you can get a boat, paddle towards the mouth and you will see that at one point the east margin of the estuary swings quite sharply to the right. In the onshore angle so formed, a group of Black-crowned Night Herons roost, and have done for years. At dusk they fly out and glide across the estuary to the other side.

The real glory of Swartvlei, the Extension/Island, and Sedgefield itself lies in the birds which visit the little town’s gardens daily. There is something slightly strange about Garden Route birds – they are the most laid-back, happy and obliging crew I have ever come across. When we are on holiday here Fork-tailed Drongos feed from our hands, Southern Boubous, Fiscal Flycatchers, Cape Robin-chats, Cape Weavers, Fiscal Shrikes sit beside you on a chair, join you at the table, or wander into the house to see what they can find. These are wild birds – they are not “tame” – they have simply chosen this lifestyle, and seem to take positive pleasure in being near people. To the above you can add Knysna Woodpecker, ruddy-form Olive Bush Shrike, Black-headed Oriole, Common Waxbill, Swee Waxbill, European Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Knysna Turaco, African Hoopoe, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Knysna Warbler, Speckled Mousebird, Cape White-eye, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Pin-tailed Whydah, Streaky-headed Seed-eater, Forest Canary, Lemon Dove, Speckled Pigeon, African Olive Pigeon, Karoo Prinia, Bar-throated Apalis, Laughing Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Karoo Thrush, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Hadeda Ibis, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Brimstone Canary, and Sombre Greenbul, all of which are regular visitors to the garden.

Greater Striped Swallows, Black Saw-wing Swallows, White-throated Swallows and Rock Martins dash at breakneck speed over the estuary, while high in the air White-rumped Swifts pursue small flying insects. Little Egrets dart along the water’s edge, hunting small fish. And not far away, at nearby Groenvlei, we were watching a Black Crake and some Cape Canaries foraging along the edge of a reedbed when an Emerald Cuckoo called, causing me to jam on the brakes and leap out to get the sighting of the holiday. Quite splendid.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
 

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Dave,
you really are an absolute goldmine for information. I've been thinking that we should visit the cape and garden route. Martin was also saying that he has some big gaps in his lists centred mainly around seabirds. Perhaps on one of our future trips we should spend a few days in the cape.
Something else to look forward to!
Allan
 
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