Southern African Forum (2 Viewers)

Spending 2 weeks in SA this Easter starting with a few days around Cape Town followed by Winelands,Swellendam,Wilderness and finishing with a couple of days around Addo.Family holiday but hoping to get plenty of birding in as well,any tips or advice would be appreciated...cheers Malc

Hi, Malc,

If you check the previous entries you will find a fair bit of information, including some very useful websites. If you like, I can give you some info relating in particular to the Wilderness area. Let me know if I can help, and if so tell me how long you intend to spend at Wilderness so that we can prioritise things.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Birding in South Africa Jo'burg to Kruger and return

My wife and I are off birding next week in South Africa. We're heading to Kruger via Seringveld.

We're stopping a couple of nights in Punda Maria rest camp, before heading further south in the park.

Would appreciate key target birds at Punda Maria, if that's not to much to ask for.

Will be pleased to feed back on what we spot at each location.

Thanks

Dave Hunter
Will feed back

cokesidedoors said:

My wife and I are off birding next week in South Africa. We're heading to Kruger via Seringveld.

We're stopping a couple of nights in Punda Maria rest camp, before heading further south in the park.

Would appreciate key target birds at Punda Maria, if that's not to much to ask for.

Will be pleased to feed back on what we spot at each location.

Thanks

Dave Hunter
Will feed back

Click to expand...

Dave, Hi,

This is the list of good Punda Maria birds as taken from the website below. Punda is unique in Kruger in that there is an area of sand forest with its own particular birds which are unlikely to occur elswwhere in the park.

"Punda Maria
Punda Maria is the northernmost camp in the Park, and is situated on a ridge amongst some rolling hills. It is a good base for the northern areas from Shingwidzi to Pafuri, and provides access to a number of productive habitats and special birds.

The camp itself is small but charming, and the fenced area is quite large, with an area of natural bush on the ridge above the camp. The birdbath just below the picnic site in front of the chalets is always productive; White-throated Robin-Chat, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Green-winged Pytilia, Purple-crested Turaco, Terrestrial Brownbul, Violet-backed Starling, Blue Waxbill, Cut-throat Finch, Jameson's Firefinch, Bearded Woodpecker, Greater Blue-eared Starling and Red-headed Weaver are amongst the visitors. The trail up the ridge behind the camp is worth exploring for Grey-headed Bush-Shrike and Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Eastern Nicator and Bearded Scrub-Robin. The campsite is rather bare but may turn up Dusky Lark, Golden-breasted Bunting, Grey Penduline-Tit, Yellow-bellied Greenbul and Burchell's Starling. At night, listen out for African Scops-Owl, African Barred Owlet, Barn Owl, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, Spotted Eagle-Owl and Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, as well as Fiery-necked Nightjar and Square-tailed Nightjar. Pennant-winged Nightjar has also been recorded in summer.

The Mahone Loop (S99) is an excellent 28km circuit for a mornings birding. The road passes through some dense mixed woodland on red sandy soils. Driving anti-clockwise, you first pass through some mixed mopane woodland. The best 'sandveld' woodland is in the region of Matukwale dam on the western side of the loop. Here you should look out for Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Narina Trogon, Eastern Nicator, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Broad-billed Roller, Mosque Swallow, Grey-headed Parrot and Grey-headed Kingfisher. The rare Racket-tailed Roller has been recorded from Mopane woodland on this loop, and the few Burkea africana trees have attracted Southern Hyliota. African Crowned Eagle breed near the dam, African Hawk-Eagle have a number of nest sites along the ridge on the southern side of the loop, and Bateleur breed near the waterhole 3km from the tar road.

During the heat of the day, and especially when a southerly wind blows, large raptors use the ridge above the camp for uplift. These include White-backed Vulture and Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Brown Snake-Eagle, African Harrier-Hawk, Lanner Falcon and African Goshawk all year round, and in summer, Wahlberg's Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Yellowbilled kite, Black Kite and Eurasian Hobby.

From Punda Maria take the tar road H13-2 towards the junction with the H13-1.There is some worthwhile birding along here, including African Cuckoo, Grey-headed Parrot and Mosque Swallow. The road passes over a culvert that is used for breeding by White-rumped Swift, Little Swift and Lesser Striped Swallow. Shortly thereafter turn left onto the S60 towards Pafuri. The road runs along the side of a ridge of hills and passes through some mature Mopane woodland. Look out for Eurasian Golden Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Racket-tailed Roller, Purple Roller, Arnot's Chat, Bearded Woodpecker, Bennett's Woodpecker, Arnot's Chat and Stierling's Wren-Warbler.

Continue to the tar via the S59, S60 or S61. The more open habitat here is suitable for Black-bellied Bustard, Kori Bustard and Southern Ground-Hornbill, and if lucky, Dickinson's Kestrel. In spring, burnt areas will have Temminck's Courser, while in late summer Harlequin Quail, African Crake and Corn Crake should be looked for in rank grass. Klopperfontein Dam can be checked for Comb Duck, African Jacana and possibly Lesser Moorhen.

At the tar head south to the intersection with the H13 back to Punda Maria. Look out for Tawny Eagle and Black-chested Snake-Eagle, and in summer, Montagu's Harrier. Continue past the Punda Maria turnoff (towards Shingwidzi) and stop at an area of palm savanna. In late summer this should be checked for Black Coucal, African Crake and Croaking Cisticola and Rufous-winged Cisticola. A little further on turn right onto the S58 where the road crosses a stream and passes through some wet areas after good summer rains. These should be checked for Little Bittern, Dwarf Bittern, Lesser Moorhen and Allen's Gallinule. Head back to Punda Maria through the tall Mopane woodland on the H13-1, and check carefully for Arnot's Chat, especially on the north side about 500 m before exiting the woodland. "

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/060909.asp

I would also suggest that you try, if you have time, to get up to Pafuri, a reasonable drive to the north, which also has some special birds.

Here are the birds that I would consider an achievement in these areas.....

Pafuri

Mottled Spinetail, Böhm's Spinetail, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Pel's Fishing-Owl, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Three-banded Courser, Thrush Nightingale

*Note* Mottled spinetails can often be seen where the road to Pafuri gate crosses the Luvuvhu River.

Punda Maria

Pennant-winged Nightjar, Narina Trogon, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Mosque Swallow, Grey-headed Parrot, Racket-tailed Roller, Southern Hyliota, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, Arnot's Chat, Dickinson's Kestrel, Lesser Moorhen, Montagu's Harrier, Dwarf Bittern, Allen’s Gallinule
*Note* 1) The Mahonie Loop takes you round the Sand Forest 2) Arnot's Chat like stands of TALL mopane trees

And I’ll let you into a secret……..in a previous visit to Punda Maria I saw a Black-fronted Bush-shrike. Now that would really be a find!

I will look forward to hearing about what you have seen.

Hope this helps

Dave Kennedy

Thanks for the list of birds which we can use as our Target List.

We are going up to Pafuri.

Looking forward to seeing the Black-fronted Bush-shrike, if it's still where you left it hiding!

Thanks once again, and will feed back with our list of hits.

Dave Hunter

Back to the garden, today, and something anything but exotic but very strange. My little masked weaver, who is already losing his breeding plumage, has started building a nest in my Acacia sieberiana. Is it just he and I, or does anyone else think something is out of kilter with the natural timetable?

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Since there seems to be no thread for Botswana, and bird distribution in Southern Africa is really linked over several neighbouring countries, I am going to expand the reach of the South African Forum a little. There is a very clear natural boundary in Africa which separates Southern Africa from the rest. Grab your atlas and take a look. Between Namibia and Angola lies the Cunene River. Moving eastwards from there we come to the Caprivi strip, a finger of Namibian territory probing between Angola and Botswana. The Chobe River separates Caprivian Namibia from Botswana, and then the Chobe runs into the Zambezi, the boundary betwen Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe. The Zambezi then runs through Mozambique to the sea. So anyone coming to South Africa for birds would do well to consider these other countries too, for they offer superb birding.

Let's meet a few of the inhabitants of Southern Africa. Arrow-marked babblers Turdoides jardineii go about in small gangs, flitting restlessly through the trees. They do this to the accompaniment of maniacal cackling, hence the name. This pair was taking five at Duma Tau Lodge, Linyanti (next to Caprivi), Botswana.

The crimson-breasted shrike Laniarius atrococcineus was photographed in Pilanesberg National Park, NW Province, South Africa. Believe me when I say that no artist or photographer had ever captured the astonishing shade of red displayed by this beautiful, and surprisingly confiding, bird. You really have to see it for yourself.

The Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata was photographed at Matetsi River Lodge, on the banks of the Zambezi between Victoria Falls and the Botswana border. This little bird has a surprisingly loud call which it utters as it forages through leafy trees. I have twice seen the elusive African Finfoot Podica senegalensis at Matetsi.

This was my very first sighting of African Crake Crecopsis egregia, on the shores of Lake Ngami, about 100km SW of Maun in Botswana. Lake Ngami is ephemeral, and had filled up for the first time in twenty-odd years in 2006. I don't know who tells them, but along with the crakes were thousands of waders and flamingos which thronged the shoreline of the previously-dry lake.

Most people are familiar with the grassland/savannah Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris, but this is its sub-tropical forest equivalent, the Crested Guineafowl Guttera pucherani. It still has that same goofy guinea fowl look, and I find them totally charming. This picture was taken at Phinda Private Game Reserve, in northern KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

Southern Africa has over 900 great birds - I am teetering just below 600, and am battling like crazy to break that 600 barrier. I'll probably have to grit my teeth and go pelagic to do it!

With best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Great to see this thread. I am hoping to go to Krugar (not sure of spelling) in July and go to the Okavango delta ? as well. If I go I will be sure to post some of my holiday snaps on the forum.

Keep up the good work

Agreed really good thread I am about to do eleven days self drive round Namibia. Sabirding is excellent website.

Dave Kennedy said:

Back to the garden, today, and something anything but exotic but very strange. My little masked weaver, who is already losing his breeding plumage, has started building a nest in my Acacia sieberiana. Is it just he and I, or does anyone else think something is out of kilter with the natural timetable?

Click to expand...

From my observations, this seems to be normal. They start losing their breeding plumage about now and start getting it back the end of July. Those that frequent my garden start building nests mid-July, before the plumage change starts.

On a similar note, the Olive Thrushes are already slowing down for winter. Only one singing this morning and he was almost an hour late.

Great timing for this thread as I'm planning to be in Botswana in August. As I was also planning to spend a couple of days at Victoria Falls I was wondering if someone could recommend a good spot for bird photography?
Neil.

alan carr said:

From my observations, this seems to be normal. They start losing their breeding plumage about now and start getting it back the end of July. Those that frequent my garden start building nests mid-July, before the plumage change starts.

On a similar note, the Olive Thrushes are already slowing down for winter. Only one singing this morning and he was almost an hour late.

Click to expand...

Hi, Alan,
Thanks for the response. I wasn't worried about the plumage change - I know they lose their plumage about now - it was the nest-building that was atypical. He should be doing that in July, not January, so I wondered what the environmental trigger was to make him do it now.
Dave

Neil said:

Great timing for this thread as I'm planning to be in Botswana in August. As I was also planning to spend a couple of days at Victoria Falls I was wondering if someone could recommend a good spot for bird photography?
Neil.

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Hi, Neil,

It would help us to advise you if you would give us details of your trip, i.e. will you be at Vic Falls on the Zimbabwean or Zambian side, and your itinerary and length of stay in Botswana. Once we know where you're going, we would be able to advise on local specialities etc. It would also be useful to know which tour operators or guides you may have contracted for your trip. For example, in certain areas of Botswana, like the Okavango Delta, you cannot self-drive - you must use an accredited tour operator, for a variety of very good reasons, which we can discuss later if you wish.
Anyway, the more information you can provide, the better an answer we can give you.
One thing that is for sure - you should try to arrange (possibly through your hotel) a boating trip on the Upper Zambezi, i.e. above the Falls. This should guarantee some excellent waterbird photo-opportunities.
I have attached a couple of pics of the Falls (April 2007), and a nice brown-hooded kingfisher from Matetsi River Lodge, on the banks of the Zambezi about midway between Vic Falls and the Botswana border.

Looking forward to your reply,
Dave Kennedy

Dave,
We're talking to A and K at the moment ( we did Egypt with them) and we like very small groups. We are going to Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side. We are thinking now of flying to the Falls first and going on to Okavango and Chobe next .
I will also be travelling with my digiscoping kit and my D3 plus 300/f4 and 1.4x tele so will be ready for anything except maybe an elephant up really close.
Neil.

Neil said:

Dave,
We're talking to A and K at the moment ( we did Egypt with them) and we like very small groups. We are going to Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side. We are thinking now of flying to the Falls first and going on to Okavango and Chobe next .
I will also be travelling with my digiscoping kit and my D3 plus 300/f4 and 1.4x tele so will be ready for anything except maybe an elephant up really close.
Neil.

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Neil, here's three URL's which may prove useful.

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/prov11.htm

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/prov12.htm

http://birdingbotswana.com/

"Birding Botswana" is a commercial site, but has some useful information. I have met Richard Randall, although he probably does not remember, and he had been birding in that area for many years.

Once again I have attached some pics from the areas you will be visiting. The Collared Palm Thrush is not a tatty specimen - he was bathing in the grounds of the Mowana hotel in Kasane, Chobe, Botswana.

Next time I'll let you know about some of the specials of the area.

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Hope the pics come through here.
Dave

Interesting occurrence on Sunday........

I was having lunch at Casalinga Restaurant in Muldersdrift, west of Johannesburg, when I heard and saw a grey hornbill Tockus nasutus calling from a pine tree in the restaurant garden. I have lived in the area for 19 years, and this is the first hornbill I've seen in that time. Up to now, the closest I have seen a hornbill has been in the Hekpoort area.

The highveld of South Africa is nominally a grassland, but in the years that I have lived here a minimum of three other birds, usually associated with forests and trees, have appeared in the area. These are:

Grey Go-away Bird Corythaixoides concolor - now common
Green Wood-hoopoe Phoeniculus purpureus - fairly common
White-crested Helmet-shrike Prionops plumatus - occasional

African Olive-pigeon Columba arquatrix seems to be on the increase, and I have noted jackal buzzard Buteo rufofuscus twice within the past year.

It is probable that these bird movements are related to the increasing afforestation of the greater Johannesburg area, as trees planted in suburban gardens come to maturity.

Anyone else care to comment on similar bird movements which they might have noticed?

Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

Freckled Nightjar calling again in Krugersdorp (West Rand) last night. I'm hearing this bird more and more frequently these days. Perhaps it belongs with the incoming birds noted on Post #57 above.
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy

south africa trip

My wife and I, along with another couple, will be in SA for 3 weeks in March. We start out with 5 days at The Savannah Africa near Parys. We then pick up a rental car in Johannesburg and head off to Notten's near Kruger for 3 days, a night at Buhala Game Lodge in Kruger, a night in Mbabane, Swaziland, a 3 day Phinda walking safari, 3 days at Phinda Mountain Lodge, then a couple of days in Ballito. We fly from Durban to catch or return flight to the US from Johannesburg.

Any birding suggestions for this trip would be most helpful.

India

india said:

My wife and I, along with another couple, will be in SA for 3 weeks in March. We start out with 5 days at The Savannah Africa near Parys. We then pick up a rental car in Johannesburg and head off to Notten's near Kruger for 3 days, a night at Buhala Game Lodge in Kruger, a night in Mbabane, Swaziland, a 3 day Phinda walking safari, 3 days at Phinda Mountain Lodge, then a couple of days in Ballito. We fly from Durban to catch or return flight to the US from Johannesburg.

Any birding suggestions for this trip would be most helpful.

India

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Hi, India,

I've put together a few URL's which should help you.

1) Kruger National Park

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/080303.asp

2) Phinda

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/040550.asp

3) Ballito (note that this is for Umhlanga, just S of Ballito)

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/040109.asp

4) Suikerbosrand (NE of Parys)

http://www.sabirding.co.za/birdspot/050621.asp

I was at Phinda in November - for a while at Mountain Lodge. Your guides at Phinda are all good with birds - you must let them know that this is your interest, and also tell them about any particular species you might wish to see. One of the Phinda specials is Neergaard's Sunbird. It lives in the Sand Forest, an unusual dry forest habitat found at Phinda. The Sand Forest is mainly developed around Vlei and Forest Lodges, so speak to your guides if you want to try for Neergaard's Sunbird.

Parys is on the Vaal River, and so might be good for waterbirds. The sites I have listed will give you a good idea what to look for in the different areas.

I've added a trio of Phinda pics to whet your appetite.

Best wishes,

Dave Kennedy