Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
India,
Have a look at post #22. There is some more Kruger Park info there.
Dave Kennedy
Have a look at post #22. There is some more Kruger Park info there.
Dave Kennedy
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Southern African Forum (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Dave Kennedy
- Start date
Dave,
Thank you for the websites - they will be very helpful. Also, thanks for the photos as they do whet our appetites. 3 of the 4 of us are photographers so we'll see if we can do as well as yours. Thanks also for the tip about post #22. I had discovered it a couple of days ago.
An English friend of ours, when he found out we were planning a trip to SA, said that he thinks your country is the most beautiful he has visited - we're very much looking forward to the trip. In 4 weeks time we will be in the air on our way.
Charlie Campbell (india)
Colorado, USA
Thank you for the websites - they will be very helpful. Also, thanks for the photos as they do whet our appetites. 3 of the 4 of us are photographers so we'll see if we can do as well as yours. Thanks also for the tip about post #22. I had discovered it a couple of days ago.
An English friend of ours, when he found out we were planning a trip to SA, said that he thinks your country is the most beautiful he has visited - we're very much looking forward to the trip. In 4 weeks time we will be in the air on our way.
Charlie Campbell (india)
Colorado, USA
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Charlie - you must thank your friend for his kind words. It is appreciated.
Now - some more info re Phinda.....
Phinda birding specials include Southern Banded Snake Eagle, African Finfoot, Whitebacked Night Heron, Narina Trogon, Rudd’s Apalis, Yellowspotted Nicator, African Broadbill, Green Twinspot, Pinkthroated Twinspot, Neergaard’s Sunbird, Lemonbreasted Canary, Redwinged Pratincole, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, and Cuckoo Hawk. Rarities are Pel’s Fishing Owl, Palmnut Vulture, Natal Nightjar, Black Coucal and Dwarf Bittern.
Note that African Broadbill also hangs out in the Sand Forest. In November, during a boat trip on the Mzinene River, I found Pygmy goose. Such boat trips can be organised from Mountain Lodge. Just ask when you get there - and don't forget to tell them up front that you are interested in birds.
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
PS - Don't forget we'll all be looking forward to reading your trip report! Have a great time.
Now - some more info re Phinda.....
Phinda birding specials include Southern Banded Snake Eagle, African Finfoot, Whitebacked Night Heron, Narina Trogon, Rudd’s Apalis, Yellowspotted Nicator, African Broadbill, Green Twinspot, Pinkthroated Twinspot, Neergaard’s Sunbird, Lemonbreasted Canary, Redwinged Pratincole, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, and Cuckoo Hawk. Rarities are Pel’s Fishing Owl, Palmnut Vulture, Natal Nightjar, Black Coucal and Dwarf Bittern.
Note that African Broadbill also hangs out in the Sand Forest. In November, during a boat trip on the Mzinene River, I found Pygmy goose. Such boat trips can be organised from Mountain Lodge. Just ask when you get there - and don't forget to tell them up front that you are interested in birds.
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
PS - Don't forget we'll all be looking forward to reading your trip report! Have a great time.
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Dave,
I try to do lots of birding "homework" before any trip so all the info you have provided will give me an excuse to ignore our current presidential selection process - much to my delight!
I have to be a bit careful with the birding. Although my wife, Deborah, is getting to be a very good birder, our friends are not as interested. So, I need to recognize that this is not exclusively a "birding" trip, but rather an adventure for all of us during which we will see some beautiful birds along with many other wonderful animals and sites.
I will put together a report after we get back.
Thanks again,
Charlie
I try to do lots of birding "homework" before any trip so all the info you have provided will give me an excuse to ignore our current presidential selection process - much to my delight!
I have to be a bit careful with the birding. Although my wife, Deborah, is getting to be a very good birder, our friends are not as interested. So, I need to recognize that this is not exclusively a "birding" trip, but rather an adventure for all of us during which we will see some beautiful birds along with many other wonderful animals and sites.
I will put together a report after we get back.
Thanks again,
Charlie
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Point taken, Charlie - been there, done that and got the t-shirt. Remember, however, that animals are bloody good at hiding - you need patience and good fortune to achieve high-quality game sightings. But when the lions are hiding, and the elephants are nowhere to be found, good bird sightings can enliven a bush excursion perfectly. Chances are that your friends will be better birders when they leave than when they arrived.
So here's some Phinda pics for your friends.
Dave Kennedy
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HI All
just got back from trip to Western Cape for birding/wine trip.
Ive visited lots ofd countries including African but I can safely say the infrastructure, friendliness and everything else was second to none on this trip.
Briefly we did Afton Grove / Langebaan/ Franschhoek/ Plettenberg and the two plus weeeks were not enough time to even scratch the surface. I would love to repeat this trip in the spring when the flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing and the whales are around.
\didnt get time even for a pelagic- so much to do - so much birding- so much wine to drink.
will give a trip report of sorts as soon as - but just wanted to say what a fantastic country you have- a few powercuts were of minimal annoyance
cheers
Nigel
just got back from trip to Western Cape for birding/wine trip.
Ive visited lots ofd countries including African but I can safely say the infrastructure, friendliness and everything else was second to none on this trip.
Briefly we did Afton Grove / Langebaan/ Franschhoek/ Plettenberg and the two plus weeeks were not enough time to even scratch the surface. I would love to repeat this trip in the spring when the flowers are in bloom, the birds are singing and the whales are around.
\didnt get time even for a pelagic- so much to do - so much birding- so much wine to drink.
will give a trip report of sorts as soon as - but just wanted to say what a fantastic country you have- a few powercuts were of minimal annoyance
cheers
Nigel
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Thanks for the kind words, Nigel. Glad you had a good trip. We'll look forward to your trip report.
Best wishes,
Dave
just a quickie- can anyone confirm if this is a grey-backed cisticola - i think so but require 'expert' confirmation. thought id post here with the queries i have rather than in id posts as you guys should be the ones who can help.
first of a few id questions if you dont mind.
seen cape town btw.
cheers
Nigel
first of a few id questions if you dont mind.
seen cape town btw.
cheers
Nigel
Attachments
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Hi, Nigel,
I quote Ken Newman et al in LBJ's - "Grey-backed cisticolas in the South-western Cape are spotted on the breast."
The pic does not show the bird's back, but the breast spotting is probably definitive here. As far as I can tell no other cisticola has breast spotting.
Best wishes,
Dave Kennedy
PS - Cisticolas in general are difficult - one often needs the call for a positive ID
As noted in earlier posts, we will be in SA in March. I plan on using "Birds of Southern Africa" by Sinclair, Hockey & Tarboton (Princeton Field Guide series). I see there is a
7th edition of the Robert's guide. Is it a field guide in terms of its size or is it a large format reference book? Is it readily available once I arrive in Johannesburg?
Charlie Campbell (india)
7th edition of the Robert's guide. Is it a field guide in terms of its size or is it a large format reference book? Is it readily available once I arrive in Johannesburg?
Charlie Campbell (india)
Thanks Nigel,
I think I'll wait until we arrive SA.
So while doing some pre-trip homework, I realized that there are lots of pipits and cisticolas that look just like the next one. I showed the birdbook to Deborah and asked her to help me figure out which is which before the trip. She said, "Isn't OK just to say you've seen a pipit? or cisticola? Help!
Charlie
Robert's is definitely not a fieldguide. Also, all the birds are not illustrated. However, if you have a PDA, there is a PDA version available. I use Newman's or the Sasol field guides.
Interestingly enough, quite a few of the posts in this thread are requests for info...
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Hi Alan -
True enough, but we are getting far more exposure here than before. Doesn't bother me - I'm just happy to have folk posting here.
Regards,
Dave Kennedy
Agree! But you must admit, there are far fewer posts in the info request forum than here...
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Surprised myself the other evening - I called up a freckled nightjar! It was almost dark when I heard it calling from somewhere to the north of the house. Freckled nightjars have a distinctive double call, not unlike a loud wolf whistle. I wandered out of the French window and attempted to whistle its call. To my astonishment the bird swooped silently over the big yellowwood in our garden and landed on the roof just to my left. I left him to it, then, and hoped he would assume he had driven the interloper away.
Talking of imitating bird calls, some time ago I followed the call of a pearl-spotted owlet and found, instead of the owl, a fork-tailed drongo mimicking the owl. All he was getting for his trouble was a mobbing by assorted bulbuls, tits and the like. I am still trying to understand what, if any, advantage the drongo gained from this behaviour. Any comments?
Dave Kennedy
Talking of imitating bird calls, some time ago I followed the call of a pearl-spotted owlet and found, instead of the owl, a fork-tailed drongo mimicking the owl. All he was getting for his trouble was a mobbing by assorted bulbuls, tits and the like. I am still trying to understand what, if any, advantage the drongo gained from this behaviour. Any comments?
Dave Kennedy
