Abel Erasmus, Graskop & Blyde Info required (1 Viewer)

Johnnie Lee · Oct 4, 2017

Hi

I will be visiting RSA in December / January with my family, mainly self-driving in Kruger. We also have three nights in the Graskop / Blyde River area. It is a family holiday so I am slightly restricted on my birding activities!

I have a few target species:

Taita Falcon(appears to be not as reliable as formerly - also what is the best strategy for connecting & is the curio seller still around who knows where the bird may be?)

S. Bald Ibis

Blue Swallow ( am assuming this is pretty much impossible but thought I would check!)

Any information on good birding spots that I can fit in during a couple of hours etc. would be more than welcome - also the main tourist spots in Blyde as no doubt we will be there!

Thank you

John

Andy Adcock · Oct 4, 2017

Taita Falcon has gone, the vendors wife is still there but a pair of Peregrines moved in to the valley and either displaced or killed the Falcons.

S Bald Ibis is gettable at the Limpopo university and if you find a guide, it's not far to the Short-clawed Lark site.

Blue Swallow is probably extinct in South Africa.

Mount Sheba is not far from Graskop, Orange Ground Thrush at dawn.

A

Johnnie Lee · Oct 4, 2017

Thanks Andy - much appreciated. J

Andy Adcock · Oct 4, 2017

This is the number I had for Mike at the Taita site, you can call when you get there to ask for an update.

+27792611559

If you get good weather at Mt Sheba, there's a pool and bar etc where you can leave the Mrs for an hour or two.

I suggest you get this book, it has a great, pull out map with all sites marked, you'll easily plan a few things if you use this.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Southern-A...1&sr=1-1&keywords=southern+african+birdfinder

A

DMW · Oct 4, 2017

andyadcock said:
Taita Falcon has gone, the vendors wife is still there but a pair of Peregrines moved in to the valley and either displaced or killed the Falcons.

S Bald Ibis is gettable at the Limpopo university and if you find a guide, it's not far to the Short-clawed Lark site.

Blue Swallow is probably extinct in South Africa.

Mount Sheba is not far from Graskop, Orange Ground Thrush at dawn.

A

Fake news, I'm afraid.

The Taita Falcons are still present as of yesterday, at least, and Blue Swallow is not extinct in South Africa.

Andy Adcock · Oct 4, 2017

DMW said:
Fake news, I'm afraid.

The Taita Falcons are still present as of yesterday, at least, and Blue Swallow is not extinct in South Africa.

So where is Blue Swallow to be reliably found, a great many people would like to know?

There's a place in Swaziland I think where they still might occur.

A

DMW · Oct 4, 2017

andyadcock said:
So where is Blue Swallow to be reliably found, a great many people would like to know?

There's a place in Swaziland I think where they still might occur.

A

https://ebird.org/ebird/map/bluswa1?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2017

Andy Adcock · Oct 4, 2017

DMW said:
https://ebird.org/ebird/map/bluswa1?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2017

Anyone can make a report to e-bird, it's like looking at pics on Google, a lot of errors, have you seen Blue Swallow in the last two years?

There are lots of erroneous reports on e-bird due to the inexperience of observers, I've seen people uploading stuff that was totally wrong when I was in Costa Rica this year.

Who had the Falcon yesterday?

paul5000paul · Jan 28, 2018

Blue Swallow

andyadcock said:
So where is Blue Swallow to be reliably found, a great many people would like to know?

There's a place in Swaziland I think where they still might occur.

A

Highover Nature Reserve. 6+ on Xmas day 2017.

Abel Erasmus, Graskop & Blyde Info required (1 Viewer)

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