South Africa sept/oct 2014 (1 Viewer)

[PeterBird]

From 22 September till19 October, my wife and I made a trip through several of the northern parks of South Africa, including a 4- nights stay in Tuli Block, Botswana. We had booked all accommodation in advance through Wild Wings Safaris ( based in SA) and also arranged for a Toyota Avanza as our means of transport. Not a 4x4, but with a pretty high clearance. A decent car, although the rear-wheel drive gave a bit of a slippery feeling every now and then. The only rime we missed not having a 4x4 was in Mapungubwe NP, where a fairly large part of the loops were inaccessible to us. Our itinerary:

Dullstroom: 3 nights Apple Blossom Cottage, some 8 kms outside the town
Klaserie Game Reserve: 3 nights at Gomo Gomo Game Lodge
Kruger NP: 3 nights at Bateleur Bushveld Camp
Pafuri area: 3 nights at Pafuri River Camp
Louis Trichardt: 3 nights at Shiluvari Lakeside lodge
Mapungubwe: 2 nights at Leokwe Camp and 2 nights Limpopo Forest Camp
Tuli Block, Botswana: 4 nights at Kwa Tuli Island
Polokwane: 1 night at 61 on Ireland B&B
Marakele NP: 3 nights at Tlopi tented camp

Dullstroom
The cottage had quite extensive private grounds and a fishing dam. A very nice place to stay if it hadn't been for the roadworks that were going on with the roar of trucks driving by. Even so, the garden provided some relaxed birding: Fork- tailed Drongo, Southern Fiscal, Bokmakierie, Cape Longclaw, Red- throated Wryneck, African Stonechat, Fiscal Flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker, Greater Striped Swallow, Cape Robin Chat, Groundscraper Thrush and Olive Thrush.
On the roads around Dullstroom we saw: Wattled Lapwing, Blue Crane, Buff-streaked Chat, Black-shouldered Kite, Secretarybird, Wailing Cisticola, Jackal Buzzard and others.
The planned visit to the Verloren Vlei Nature Reserve could not be done, unfortunately, since the Reserve was closed.

1. Cape Robin Chat
2. Greater Striped Swallow
3. Red-throated Wryneck
4. Cape Longclaw
5. Blue Crane

 

[redeyedvideo]

Stunning photos! I'm looking forward to reading more .

 

[Farnboro John]

Stunning photos!

Agreed, but actual captions would help with some species.

Looking forward to this.

John

 

[redeyedvideo]

Agreed, but actual captions would help with some species.

Looking forward to this.

John

OK. Cape Robin-chat, Lesser-striped Swallow, Red-throated Wryneck, Cape Longclaw, Blue Crane. :t:

 

[PeterBird]

Thanks for the comments
@ John, you're absolutely right. I've added captions
@ Dave, I have the Swallow down as a Greater Striped, but I'm always open to different opinions. Why a Lesser?

Peter

 

[redeyedvideo]

Sorry, a rushed post. Thought it was Greater but put Lesser without checking. They have bolder stripes than Greater.

 

[PeterBird]

Klaserie Game Reserve

We had decided to at least visit one private game reserve, as we felt it would increase our chances of seeing wildlife like Lions or Leopards. Well, at least for the Lions it paid off. We had close encounters with a beautiful male and female on several occasions. For birding it is often a different matter, as most other visitors you share the game drives with are not really interested in birds. Even so we managed to pick up some nice sightings and photographs there and the ranger was quite willing to stop if we asked him to. An incomplete list: Grey Hornbill, African Hawk Eagle, Arrow-marked Babbler, Green Woodhoopoe, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Brown Snake Eagle, Yellow- and Red-billed Hornbill, Three-banded Plover, Red-crested Korhaan, White-crowned ShrikeYellow-billed Stork, White-browed Robin Chat, Lilac-breasted Roller, Bateleur, Grey Go-away Bird, Crested Francolin,
Magpie Shrike,Red-headed Weaver, Burchell's Coucal

1. African Hawk-Eagle
2. Green Woodhoopoe
3. Lilac-breasted Roller
4. Burchell's Coucal
5. White-crowned Shrike

 

[Larry Sweetland]

some great pics. White-crowned Shrike can be a tricky one to see too :t:

 

[PeterBird]

Kruger NP Bateleur Bushveld Camp

From the Klaserie Game Reserve we drove to Phalaborwa Gate to enter the Kruger Park. One thing I fail to understand is why the reception when entering parks is so often less than welcoming. You get the feeling you are barely tolerated and very little information is voluntarily given. I would think they owe their jobs to the very fact that tourists visit the park. Let's just say there is room for improvement there....
The drive through the park to the Bateleur Camp took some time, but was very pleasant. We saw Bateleur, Martial Eagle, Little Bee-eater, Saddle-billed Stork, Openbill, Cape Starling, Black-headed Oriole, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and Yellow-billed Kite.
The camp is a nice, relaxed place with a hide, overlooking a pool.There is access to 2 private dams and some good drives are to be made on both sides of the Shingwedzi river. The drive on the north side gave us the best bird and animal sightings. The only photographic drawback is that, due to the location of the camp, when you take the drives along the river, you drive into the sun both in the morning when you leave and in the afternoon when you return. Still, a good place to stay where the very approachable Hornbills and Natal Spurfowl provided some good photo opportunities. Some of the birds we saw on our drives and in the camp: Arrow-marked Babbler, Darter, Abdim's Stork, African Fish Eagle, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Chinspot Batis, Burchell's Coucal, Crested Barbet, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Jameson's Finch. Kurrichane Thrush, Pied Kingfisher, Southern Tchagra, Tawny Eagle, White-breasted Cormorant, Water Thick-knee, Blacksmith Lapwing, Yellow-billed and Red-billed Oxpecker, Brown-headed Parrot, Common Scimitarbill, Purple Roller, Wahlberg's Eagle, White-bellied Sunbird, White-browed Scrub Robin, Woolly-necked Stork.

1. Greater Blue-eared Starling
2. Natal Spurfowl
3. Yellow-billed Hornbill
4. Red-billed Oxpecker
5. Crested Barbet

 

[redeyedvideo]

I take your point about the reserve entry staff, they like to keep you waiting don't they! Love the hornbill shot. Will there be an updated version of your excellent iBook soon?

 

[stonechat1]

Wow, those are awesome photos, love them!

 

[PeterBird]

Thanks for the comments. Yes, Dave, I do plan to update the ibook with new species and new photos. I'll post a download link here if you're interested.
Peter

 

[redeyedvideo]

I'll post a download link here if you're interested.
Peter

Definitely! Thanks.

 

[PeterBird]

Pafuri

Originally we had intended to stay at the Pafuri Camp inside the Kruger, but it had been washed away by the floods last year, so instead we decided to go to Pafuri River Camp, located a few miles outside Pafuri Gate. A ver nice place, with tents on elevated platforms. No electricity and a very bad access road, but a good choice. The drive there from Bateleur takes you to through the quiet parts of the Kruger park. Not too much birdlife en route, but Ostrich. Kori Bustard and Saddle-billed Stork and Palm Swift were noted.

Over the next few days we made trips into the Kruger from Pafuri River Camp. Especially the drive along the Luvuvhu river, Pafuri Picnic Spot and the bridge were really nice. We saw Southern Ground Hornbill, Giant Kingfisher, Red-faced Mousebird, White-fronted Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Horus Swift, White-crowned Lapwing, Gymnogene, Green Pigeon, Black-backed Puffback, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Meves's Starling (many...), Trumpeter Hornbill, White-crested Helmetshrike, Retz's Helmetshrike, White-backed Vulture, Green-backed Camaroptera, Black-chested Snake-eagle, Bateleur, Yellow-billed Kite, Yellow-bellied Greenbul
The camp itself and the immediate surroundings offered birds like: White-bellied Sunbird, African Yellow White-eye, Bronze Mannikin, Orange-breasted Bush Shrike, Chinspot Batis, Red-billed Firefinch and, at night, the sounds of the Fiery-necked Nightjar.

1. Southern Ground Hornbill
2. White-fronted Bee-eater
3. Yellow White-eye
4. Giant Kingfisher
5. White-crowned Lapwing

 

[Farnboro John]

Zonking pix Peter! I'm jealous of the Southern Ground Hornbill as they never seem to perform for me.

John

 

[PeterBird]

We had decided to stay at Shiluvari Lakeside Lodge for a few days, before heading north again. It is situated some 20km south of Louis Trichardt near the Soutpansberg area. A nice setting, but the place definitely needs some maintenance. The grounds and lakeside were very pleasant and had birds like: African Cuckoo Hawk, Chinspot Batis, Purple-crested Turaco, Southern Black Tit, Pied Kingfisher, Amethyst Sunbird and African Hoopoe.
We had arranged for a day with the local bird guide, Samson Mulaudzi, (http://www.birdingsoutpansberg-venda.co.za)who turned out to be both an excellent guide and really good company. In the early morning he took us to Entabeni forest, where he showed us specials like: Bat Hawk, Orange Ground Thrush, White Starred Robin, Knysna Turaco, Giant KIngfisher, Black Cuckooshrike, Lesser and Scaly-throated Honeyguide and an elusive Narina Trogon.
Further down we visited some private grounds with a dam. There we had great views of the African Finfoot. Due to the harsh lighting I did not manage any decent photographs, but a very special sighting. We, or rather, Samson also managed to find White-crowned Night Heron, Black-collared Barbet and Bar-throated Apalis.
After that we visited Muirhead Dam, where we spent some time in a little hide. There we located Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Thick-billed Weaver, African Darter and Black Crake.
If we ever find ourselves in the region again, we'll certainly book a day with him again!
1. Knysna Turaco
2. White-starred Robin
3. African Finfoot
4. Pygmy Goose
5. African Hoopoe

 

[Bananafishbones]

Love the Knysna Turaco, one of my fav world birds.....

Love your image of the Yellow Billed Hornbill on post #9 (another of my fav birds.... so charismatic) and the Burchells Coucal in post #7 excellent image

 

[BillN]

Thanks Peter, a really enjoyable read

S Africa is a wonderful place especially for us Europeans

 

[PeterBird]

Mapungubwe NP
On to Mapungubwe NP in the far north. We first stayed at Leokwe camp, beautifully situated, with great views of the surrounding red cliffs. Of course we went to the well-known treetop walk, which was really nice, except for the fact that the hide that was supposed to be at the end, was no longer there. It appears it had been washed away in the floods of 2013. From the boardwalk we see: Bearded Woodpecker, Green Woodhoopoe, Meve's Starling, Greater Honeyguide, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Meyer's Parrot, Africa Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Lapwing, White-fronted Bee-eater, Groundscraper Thrush, Gymnogene and a magnificent Wahlberg's Eagle. A pair of Lilac-breasted Rollers is constantly harassing some Purple Rollers and suddenly even a Broad-billed Roller lands in one of the distant trees.
No raptors are to be seen from the Confluence viewing points, but we do see Mocking Cliff Chat and White-bellied Sunbird. In the lower areas we spot a Kori Bustard. In the early evening, from our cottage we hear the call of the Freckled Nightjar and we even see it flying by.
Our second location was the Limpopo Forest Camp, a tented camp in the western part of the park. The available loops were limited, as we did not have a 4x4 (the same was true for the eastern part), but in the camp we are visited by: Grey Go-away Bird, Hamerkop, White-crested Helmetshrike, Crested Barbet. Meve's Starling, Arrow-marked Babbbler, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Natal Spurfowl, Chinspot Batis, Green Backed Camaroptera, Speckled Mousebird, and Ashy Flycatcher.
A visit to the Maloutswa Hide showed that this hide, too, had been damaged by the floods and was inaccessible. Repairs were in progress. The surrounding areas produced: Meyer's Parrot, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Spotted Thick-knee, Crowned Lapwing, Namaqua Dove, Crested Francolin, European Bee-eater and Pied Babbler

1. Mocking Cliff Chat
2. Lilac-breasted Roller
3. Meyer's Parrot
4. Wahlberg's Eagle
5. Spotted Thick-knee

Thanks for looking and for the kind comments!
Peter

 

[PeterBird]

Tuli Botswana
From Mapungubwe we drive to the Platjan Border Post, where we are picked up for our stay in the Kwa Tulu Private Game Reserve in Botswana, in a small tented camp on an island in the Limpopo river. No electricity, no cell phone coverage, but a feeling of being truly out in the bush. There is only one game drive vehicle, so when the 4 young Americans already staying there deccide they want to do a walk with the ranger in the morning, we ask if he can drop us off first at a hide in the reserve. We spend a couple of hours there, with no-one else around for miles. Elephants, kudus, and impalas come to drink at the artificial waterhole and quite unexpectedly, a leopard shows up for a drink, too. A magical moment. Birds around the hide include: Cinnamon- and Golden-breasted Bunting, Blue Waxbill, Namaqua Dove, Cape Starling, Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-billed Quelea, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Ostrich and Red-billed Buffalo-weaver.
At the camp we see Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Pied KIngfisher, Black-headed Oriole, Blacksmith Lapwing, White-backed Vulture, Black Stork, Arrow-marked Babbler, Green Woodhoopoe, Crested Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, Broad-billed Roller, Grey Go-away Bird, Meve's Starling, Dark-capped Bulbul, Groundscraper Thrush, Black-backed Puffback.
On the game-drives we see a leopard three more times, so an amazing total of four sightings in four days. Further birds on the game drives include: Gabar Goshawk, Kori Bustard (even in flight, which is a magnificent sight) Verreaux's Eagle, Spotted Eagle Owl, African Fish Eagle, Martial Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Brown Snake-eagle, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Little Bee-eater, White-fronted Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Purple Roller and Namaqua Sandgrouse.
1. Leopard
2. African Hawk Eagle
3. Purple Roller
4. Kori Bustard in flight
5. Golden-breasted Bunting