Limpopo Valley, Ndumo Game Reserve, St Lucia Wetlands, Drakensberg Mts (1 Viewer)

Northern South Africa February/March 2006. We are 6 weeks away from packing our gear!! We have lots of good intel on Kruger but very little on the other above mentioned areas of South Africa. We are on a work related trip but will be making time for birding. We will have about 5 days spare time at each of the locations - any info greatly appreciated.

If you are staying in St Lucia, try and get up to Cape Vidal. A couple of good birds difficult elsewhere. A sunbird and a Batis, will have to check my notes for which species (Neergards SB? Zululand Batis?). There's a nice little loop trail before yo get to the beach. A few good forest birds. Also Blue Monkeys. I saw flocks of Trumpeter Hornbills flying across the St Lucia river at dusk plus lots of good stuff around the main campsite, also only chamaeleon of trip. Also had the ultimate African mammal tick at Cape Vidal (Golden Mole).

South Africa - 2006

martinf said:

If you are staying in St Lucia, try and get up to Cape Vidal. A couple of good birds difficult elsewhere. A sunbird and a Batis, will have to check my notes for which species (Neergards SB? Zululand Batis?). There's a nice little loop trail before yo get to the beach. A few good forest birds. Also Blue Monkeys. I saw flocks of Trumpeter Hornbills flying across the St Lucia river at dusk plus lots of good stuff around the main campsite, also only chamaeleon of trip. Also had the ultimate African mammal tick at Cape Vidal (Golden Mole).

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Thank you Martin,
From the lack of responses, it looks like Trish and I will be pioneering a few areas. We will endeavour to put a trip report up asap after our return to OZ.

Hi Andrew

I found this site very useful a couple of years back when I did a trip round South Africa with non birders, as pretty much everywhere we went there was a site nearby worth popping in to check out. Hope you have a great time, there's certainly some fine birding to be had!

James


http://www.sabirding.co.za/

redmill said:

Thank you Martin,
From the lack of responses, it looks like Trish and I will be pioneering a few areas. We will endeavour to put a trip report up asap after our return to OZ.

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I visited the area at another time of year, in July/August. At that time, things are rather dry, so hardly comparable. E.g. when we were in the St. Lucia area, the water was so low that there were hardly any birds. On the other hand, because it was so dry, mammals at nearby Mkuze had problems getting to the water. We had one zebra caught in the mud and slowly sinking in. It was a rather sad sight!
Main purpose of the trip were the mammals, so the drought was rather helpful in concentrating them to some extent. We did not go to the Drakensberg Mts., instead visited more places further east. A very interesting area aside from Mkuze was also Hluluwe-Umfolozi.

As for Ndumo, we had a local guide for a very interesting half-day tour on foot through part of the reserve. Well worth it for a number of rarer birds!

I have visited Ndumo for the last three years. This reserve is South Africa's best kept secret accomodation has recently been improved with seven new huts with mod cons. The birding is great with the possibility of rarities from the border with Mosambique. The hides are well situated for relaxing birding just have your eyes and ears open when you visit the small hide on the Nyamithi pan it involves a path through reedbeds I have seen crocs in this area. The birding is rewarding tho with herons and crakes showing in front of the hide.

There are daily walks and drives where you will visit parts of the reserve not open to the public. Sonto is one of the guides who has featured on SA TV he is famous for his bird calls so if you can take a walk with him along the North or South Pongola walks there is a chance of Peel's fishing Owl, Narina Trogan and African Broadbill. I missed the latter last year because I fancied a lie in bad move on my part!! Sonto found them for the party who walked that morning.

If you have time and a 4 x 4 visit Tembe Elephant park where I saw a few raptors and elephants. The scrub is dense in places but with a bit of patience the birds will soon emerge

I have posted my trip list on Vacational trip reports (It is a couple of pages back now). I have also visited the St Lucia area for four years running now so may be able to assist depending on what is on your wish list. I have found birding fluctuates depending on the water levels in the area. Cape Vidal is very busy with SA holidaymakers but birding can be done from the roadside. The walks were closed when I visited two years ago.

Enjoy your trip!

Kevin Guest

Hi Andrew,

I visited some of these sites, see my trip report for details, or PM if you require any further information
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/s_africa/tour9/sa-dec-03.htm

It is over eight years since I last visited South Africa and the Drakensberg mountains are the only place on your list that I visited. As I remember there were few birds to be seen, but there was one real highlight: the Lammergeier. I stayed at Witsieshoek mountain resort and here they put out bones for the lammergeiers, enabling relatively close views. I think there are also lammergeiers in the Giant's castle area, with a special viewing hide, but I think that Witsieshoek was much more informal. However, things may have changed in the meantime. I visited Witsieshoek in April and September and saw lammergeiers on both occasions.

James Eaton said:

Hi Andrew,

I visited some of these sites, see my trip report for details, or PM if you require any further information
http://www.birdtours.co.uk/tripreports/s_africa/tour9/sa-dec-03.htm

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Thank you James,
I had previously read your excellent trip report and printed off a copy. Have booked and paid for the Toyota Condor for the duration of our stay. We have 5 weeks in country and do not intend to go any further south than JB and Durban.
Can't Wait!!!!!!!!

Excellent Andrew, have a great trip, please let us all know how you get on. Good luck with Gurney's Sugarbird, I managed to completely dip on that bird somehow!

Regards,

James