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ANN AND ROLAND GO BIRDING IN SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER 1ST
- 17TH. 2017
TRAVEL
We used KLM.
Manchester – Amsterdam – Cape Town
Cape Town – Johannesburg – Amsterdam – Manchester
LOGISTICS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The ground arrangements were handled by Lawson’s Safaris.
Route:
The Cape Peninsula: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Boulder’s Beach, Cape of Good Hope
Reserve, Strandfontein Wetlands, Rooi Eis, Stony Point and Harold Porter Gardens.
Langebaan and the West Coast
Lambert’s Bay
Kamieskroon and Namaqualand
Bushmanland
Ceres and the Tankwa Karoo
Swellendam and the Agulhas Plain
Hermanus and the Overberg
Accomodation (on a bed and breakfast basis)
Evening meals (but not lunches) were included in the overall cost and were eaten at local
restaurants of our choice
1
st September: City Lodge, Pinelands
We arrived late and left after a fantastic breakfast. The hotel is close to the airport and our room
looked out onto a golf course! Our room and bathroom were large and comfortable with everything
we needed. Due to the drought we were advised to only flush once for a number one and twice for a
number two and not to spend more than 2 minutes in the shower! Free wi-fi.
2nd – 5
th September: Simon’s Town Guest House. Fabulous!! We had a large room on the first floor
with huge glass windows overlooking the bay. A warm welcome, a good breakfast and everything we
could possibly want. It was a steep climb up the driveway though! Proteas in the garden with
Sugarbirds and Sunbirds on them. A lounge and patio area available for guests to use too. Free wi-fi.
6th-7
th September: Glenfinnan Guest House, Langebaan. This had just been taken over by a couple
from Johannesburg. Our room was fine but the bathroom was long and horribly narrow. Alright for a
few nights though. We had all the usual amenities and breakfast was lovely. Free wi-fi.
8
th September: Lambert’s Bay Hotel. A big, old hotel which was being refurbished. Wi-fi only
available at reception. No complaints. Good breakfast.
9
th
– 10th September: Kamieskroon Hotel. The hotel was a strange arrangement of buildings that
could accommodate a good number of people. The original building dates back to 1925. We had a
really big room with a double and two single beds in case we fell out with each other
and a
bathroom with the usual amenities. Wi-fi was only available round the back of the hotel near the
owner’s house but he was quite happy for people to sit out there. He was really friendly as were
all the people we met whilst in South Africa. It was also possible to camp here or stay on a
self-catering basis.
11th
– 12th September: Hantum Huis, Calvinia. Amazing! Not a hotel but placements in
different houses. We had one of the first houses to have been built here circa 1840 which
had been restored. It was lovely with a front garden and a courtyard with a lemon tree and a
vine. There were 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, a lounge complete with piano, a dining-room and a big
diner/kitchen area. I loved it and that was just for the 2 of us! Kevin was in a separate building which
Page 1 of 41
Page 2 of 41
seemed to be a little terrace of small houses. We ate at the Hantum Huis which had also been
restored and was reception, museum and shop combined! The food was traditional and very good as
was breakfast. There was a buffet on the first morning with all sorts of interesting foods but on the
second morning because there weren’t as many people staying it was cooked to order. All the food
was beautifully presented and embellished with individual flowers. Free wi-fi.
14th 15th September: Village Guest House, Ceres. A misleading name as it was a hotel with nice
grounds and a swimming-pool. Lovely single-storey room away from the main building. A fire in the
dining-room at night was cosy and welcome! Free wi-fi.
14th
– 15th September: Swellendam Lodge. Very nice indeed. I think all the rooms were single-storey
and had all the usual amenities. Orange trees in the garden.
16th September, Hermanus. Our last night . This is an old, large hotel and we had a sea-facing
room. Comfortable and no complaints. An excellent breakfast, of course. Elements of faded
grandeur! Free wi-fi.
Guiding
Our guide was to have been Kim, a naturalist. With only a couple of weeks to go, we were informed
that Kim had fallen off her horse, fracturing her pelvis and would consequently be unavailable A
certain Mike, whose mum works for Lawson’s was drafted in. We read his “CV” and he was
absolutely not what we wanted! I dashed an angry email off from Finland and within 24 hours was
told that Kevin Forsberg, who had been due to go with another group would take his place. He
sounded to be more OK so that’s who we got and we were very happy with him as he is a birder and
has birded practically all his life. We would certainly be happy to recommend or use him again.
THE BLOG!!
Monday, September 1st
.
No problems (apart from lack of space) on either flight. It seemed to take forever to get through
immigration and when we got to the departure hall there was no-one to meet us as arranged.
Impossible to get hold of Leon or Mavourneen and of course the office was closed it being after 11
at night. A young man stepped in to see if he could be of help and some 10 or 15 minutes later
someone suddenly appeared saying he had come to pick us up and we feared we were becoming the
victims of a scam but after another call to the hotel we felt more reassured and left with our driver.
The hotel wanted us to pay him when we arrived but we refused as it was included in our price. I
feared this may be the harbinger of things to come but thankfully it wasn’t!
Tuesday, September 2nd
A lovely breakfast awaited us – a huge array of fruits, cereals, breads etc and a smiling young lady
ready to cook eggs etc. Kevin came over to greet us just as we were finishing and we were soon
loading up the car ready to head off for a walk in the woods. We travelled through a very posh area
of Cape Town and then parked up at the De Hel Conservation Area where our target, the Knysna
warbler, refused to show his face. It was however a very pleasant walk in the spring sunshine where
we got to know each other and picked up a number of good birds including Swee waxbill, Forest
buzzard, Black sparrowhawk, Jackal buzzard and Forest canary. We also saw a Chaffinch! There is a
small population of these who only live in this area. Next we moved on to Kirstenbosch National
Botanical gardens which more than lived up to my expectations. What an absolutely fabulous place
with a stunning background and wonderful views over Cape Town. The Proteas were just amazing.
Enough to make me want to emigrate! We soon saw our first Cape Sugarbird which had been
high on my list of wants and we went on to see scores of them! Before this, however, before we
even got into the gardens, we were treated to close-up views of 2 Spotted eagle owls sitting in the
trellis work near the entrance. We had to leave the gardens mid-afternoon but had seen some great
birds ( Black saw-wing , White-necked raven, Malachite sunbird ...) and were mindful to eat lunch
Page 2 of 41
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(horribly expensive) before setting off for Simon’s Town. We made a short stop at Silvermine but the
wind was powerful and not conducive to birding so we headed towards the African penguins!! We
stopped where there were just a few but I was made up to see my first wild penguins A lifelong
wish. We also saw our first Swift terns, Hartlaub’s gull and Cape cormorant. We checked into our
accommodation and after a bit of a rest went down the hill to Dixie’s where we had a fantastic meal
– huge portions, not expensive and delicious.
Kevin will do nicely, thank you
We saw a Grey squirrel in the woods today and also a Cape grey mongoose.
African Dusky Flycatcher
African Harrier-Hawk
African Penguin
Bar-throated Apalis
Black Saw-wing
Black Sparrowhawk
Cape Batis
Cape Bulbul
Cape Canary
Cape Cormorant
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Spurfowl
Cape Sugarbird
Cape White-eye
Common Chaffinch
Common Waxbill
Egyptian Goose
Forest Buzzard
Forest Canary
Greater Crested Tern
Grey Heron
Hadada Ibis
Hartlaub's Gull
Helmeted Guineafowl
Jackal Buzzard
Karoo Prinia
Kelp Gull
Malachite Sunbird
Olive Thrush
Olive Woodpecker
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Red-winged Starling
Rock Dove
Rock Kestrel
Rock Martin
Sombre Greenbul
Southern Boubou
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Speckled Pigeon
Spotted Eagle-Owl
Page 3 of 41
Ann and Roland Go Birding in South Africa September 2017.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go Birding in South Africa September 2017.pdf.
1
/41
Page 1 of 41
ANN AND ROLAND GO BIRDING IN SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER 1ST
- 17TH. 2017
TRAVEL
We used KLM.
Manchester – Amsterdam – Cape Town
Cape Town – Johannesburg – Amsterdam – Manchester
LOGISTICS IN SOUTH AFRICA
The ground arrangements were handled by Lawson’s Safaris.
Route:
The Cape Peninsula: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Boulder’s Beach, Cape of Good Hope
Reserve, Strandfontein Wetlands, Rooi Eis, Stony Point and Harold Porter Gardens.
Langebaan and the West Coast
Lambert’s Bay
Kamieskroon and Namaqualand
Bushmanland
Ceres and the Tankwa Karoo
Swellendam and the Agulhas Plain
Hermanus and the Overberg
Accomodation (on a bed and breakfast basis)
Evening meals (but not lunches) were included in the overall cost and were eaten at local
restaurants of our choice
1
st September: City Lodge, Pinelands
We arrived late and left after a fantastic breakfast. The hotel is close to the airport and our room
looked out onto a golf course! Our room and bathroom were large and comfortable with everything
we needed. Due to the drought we were advised to only flush once for a number one and twice for a
number two and not to spend more than 2 minutes in the shower! Free wi-fi.
2nd – 5
th September: Simon’s Town Guest House. Fabulous!! We had a large room on the first floor
with huge glass windows overlooking the bay. A warm welcome, a good breakfast and everything we
could possibly want. It was a steep climb up the driveway though! Proteas in the garden with
Sugarbirds and Sunbirds on them. A lounge and patio area available for guests to use too. Free wi-fi.
6th-7
th September: Glenfinnan Guest House, Langebaan. This had just been taken over by a couple
from Johannesburg. Our room was fine but the bathroom was long and horribly narrow. Alright for a
few nights though. We had all the usual amenities and breakfast was lovely. Free wi-fi.
8
th September: Lambert’s Bay Hotel. A big, old hotel which was being refurbished. Wi-fi only
available at reception. No complaints. Good breakfast.
9
th
– 10th September: Kamieskroon Hotel. The hotel was a strange arrangement of buildings that
could accommodate a good number of people. The original building dates back to 1925. We had a
really big room with a double and two single beds in case we fell out with each other
and abathroom with the usual amenities. Wi-fi was only available round the back of the hotel near the
owner’s house but he was quite happy for people to sit out there. He was really friendly as were
all the people we met whilst in South Africa. It was also possible to camp here or stay on a
self-catering basis.
11th
– 12th September: Hantum Huis, Calvinia. Amazing! Not a hotel but placements in
different houses. We had one of the first houses to have been built here circa 1840 which
had been restored. It was lovely with a front garden and a courtyard with a lemon tree and a
vine. There were 3 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, a lounge complete with piano, a dining-room and a big
diner/kitchen area. I loved it and that was just for the 2 of us! Kevin was in a separate building which
Page 1 of 41
Page 2 of 41
seemed to be a little terrace of small houses. We ate at the Hantum Huis which had also been
restored and was reception, museum and shop combined! The food was traditional and very good as
was breakfast. There was a buffet on the first morning with all sorts of interesting foods but on the
second morning because there weren’t as many people staying it was cooked to order. All the food
was beautifully presented and embellished with individual flowers. Free wi-fi.
14th 15th September: Village Guest House, Ceres. A misleading name as it was a hotel with nice
grounds and a swimming-pool. Lovely single-storey room away from the main building. A fire in the
dining-room at night was cosy and welcome! Free wi-fi.
14th
– 15th September: Swellendam Lodge. Very nice indeed. I think all the rooms were single-storey
and had all the usual amenities. Orange trees in the garden.
16th September, Hermanus. Our last night . This is an old, large hotel and we had a sea-facing
room. Comfortable and no complaints. An excellent breakfast, of course. Elements of faded
grandeur! Free wi-fi.
Guiding
Our guide was to have been Kim, a naturalist. With only a couple of weeks to go, we were informed
that Kim had fallen off her horse, fracturing her pelvis and would consequently be unavailable A
certain Mike, whose mum works for Lawson’s was drafted in. We read his “CV” and he was
absolutely not what we wanted! I dashed an angry email off from Finland and within 24 hours was
told that Kevin Forsberg, who had been due to go with another group would take his place. He
sounded to be more OK so that’s who we got and we were very happy with him as he is a birder and
has birded practically all his life. We would certainly be happy to recommend or use him again.
THE BLOG!!
Monday, September 1st
.
No problems (apart from lack of space) on either flight. It seemed to take forever to get through
immigration and when we got to the departure hall there was no-one to meet us as arranged.
Impossible to get hold of Leon or Mavourneen and of course the office was closed it being after 11
at night. A young man stepped in to see if he could be of help and some 10 or 15 minutes later
someone suddenly appeared saying he had come to pick us up and we feared we were becoming the
victims of a scam but after another call to the hotel we felt more reassured and left with our driver.
The hotel wanted us to pay him when we arrived but we refused as it was included in our price. I
feared this may be the harbinger of things to come but thankfully it wasn’t!
Tuesday, September 2nd
A lovely breakfast awaited us – a huge array of fruits, cereals, breads etc and a smiling young lady
ready to cook eggs etc. Kevin came over to greet us just as we were finishing and we were soon
loading up the car ready to head off for a walk in the woods. We travelled through a very posh area
of Cape Town and then parked up at the De Hel Conservation Area where our target, the Knysna
warbler, refused to show his face. It was however a very pleasant walk in the spring sunshine where
we got to know each other and picked up a number of good birds including Swee waxbill, Forest
buzzard, Black sparrowhawk, Jackal buzzard and Forest canary. We also saw a Chaffinch! There is a
small population of these who only live in this area. Next we moved on to Kirstenbosch National
Botanical gardens which more than lived up to my expectations. What an absolutely fabulous place
with a stunning background and wonderful views over Cape Town. The Proteas were just amazing.
Enough to make me want to emigrate! We soon saw our first Cape Sugarbird which had been
high on my list of wants and we went on to see scores of them! Before this, however, before we
even got into the gardens, we were treated to close-up views of 2 Spotted eagle owls sitting in the
trellis work near the entrance. We had to leave the gardens mid-afternoon but had seen some great
birds ( Black saw-wing , White-necked raven, Malachite sunbird ...) and were mindful to eat lunch
Page 2 of 41
Page 3 of 41
(horribly expensive) before setting off for Simon’s Town. We made a short stop at Silvermine but the
wind was powerful and not conducive to birding so we headed towards the African penguins!! We
stopped where there were just a few but I was made up to see my first wild penguins A lifelong
wish. We also saw our first Swift terns, Hartlaub’s gull and Cape cormorant. We checked into our
accommodation and after a bit of a rest went down the hill to Dixie’s where we had a fantastic meal
– huge portions, not expensive and delicious.
Kevin will do nicely, thank you
We saw a Grey squirrel in the woods today and also a Cape grey mongoose.
African Dusky Flycatcher
African Harrier-Hawk
African Penguin
Bar-throated Apalis
Black Saw-wing
Black Sparrowhawk
Cape Batis
Cape Bulbul
Cape Canary
Cape Cormorant
Cape Crow
Cape Robin-Chat
Cape Spurfowl
Cape Sugarbird
Cape White-eye
Common Chaffinch
Common Waxbill
Egyptian Goose
Forest Buzzard
Forest Canary
Greater Crested Tern
Grey Heron
Hadada Ibis
Hartlaub's Gull
Helmeted Guineafowl
Jackal Buzzard
Karoo Prinia
Kelp Gull
Malachite Sunbird
Olive Thrush
Olive Woodpecker
Pied Crow
Red-eyed Dove
Red-winged Starling
Rock Dove
Rock Kestrel
Rock Martin
Sombre Greenbul
Southern Boubou
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Speckled Pigeon
Spotted Eagle-Owl
Page 3 of 41
Ann and Roland Go Birding in South Africa September 2017.pdf
Displaying Ann and Roland Go Birding in South Africa September 2017.pdf.
