Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
Excellent! Looking forward to the reports.
I'll give you a call over the next few days.
Allan
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Southern African Forum (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Dave Kennedy
- Start date
Excellent! Looking forward to the reports.
I'll give you a call over the next few days.
Allan
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Tembe Elephant Park
Tembe Elephant Park is 30000Ha reserve on the border of KZN & Mozambique, situated between Ndumo Game Reserve and Kosi Bay. It is mostly sand forest, with grasslands, palm savannah, wetlands, swamp, and seasonal pans
A 4x4 is required and you better be prepared to have it marked down the sides as the bush is very narrow in places!
The best road we found was the Eastern Swamp Rd, it meanders in between the eastern perimeter fence and a vlei that runs almost the whole length of the park. Here we saw the most birds, and this road must be great in the summer with open grassland on both sides of the road with bushveld reaching the fence on one side and reaching the vlei on the other. The south end of the road is interspersed with pans on either side of the road which again must be full of birds in the summer.
The usual suspects were present and notable sightings were:
White-faced duck
Red-billed teal
Three-banded plover
Crested guineafowl
Brown –hooded kingfisher
Lilac-breasted roller
Square-tailed drongo
Eastern Nicator
Stonechat
Cape reed warbler
Yellow warbler
Grey heron
Black-headed heron
African jacana
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola (New sighting)
Oh, and there were some elephants there as well….
Tembe Elephant Park is 30000Ha reserve on the border of KZN & Mozambique, situated between Ndumo Game Reserve and Kosi Bay. It is mostly sand forest, with grasslands, palm savannah, wetlands, swamp, and seasonal pans
A 4x4 is required and you better be prepared to have it marked down the sides as the bush is very narrow in places!
The best road we found was the Eastern Swamp Rd, it meanders in between the eastern perimeter fence and a vlei that runs almost the whole length of the park. Here we saw the most birds, and this road must be great in the summer with open grassland on both sides of the road with bushveld reaching the fence on one side and reaching the vlei on the other. The south end of the road is interspersed with pans on either side of the road which again must be full of birds in the summer.
The usual suspects were present and notable sightings were:
White-faced duck
Red-billed teal
Three-banded plover
Crested guineafowl
Brown –hooded kingfisher
Lilac-breasted roller
Square-tailed drongo
Eastern Nicator
Stonechat
Cape reed warbler
Yellow warbler
Grey heron
Black-headed heron
African jacana
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola (New sighting)
Oh, and there were some elephants there as well….
Attachments
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Ndumo Game Reserve
Ndumo is on the Mozambique border and is 10 000 ha, and over 400 bird species have been recorded there.
The habitat includes broadleaved and acacia woodland, sand forest, riverine and swamp forest, and floodplain grasslands.
Most of the roads are ok for a normal vehicle, however a 4x4 is recommended if you want to see all the roads, especially the 4x4 road to Red Cliffs which is a superb road. If you have been to the far north of Kruger Park, and you know Crook’s corner, it is like that but for about 5km long. The number of Fig and Fever trees is astounding, and the foliage is right to the edge of the road which although feels a bit claustrophobic at times must be home to so many birds in the summer.
Nyamithi Pan is beautiful looking at the Fever trees on the opposite bank with the sun shining showing off the yellow trunks and emerald green foilage.
Unfortunately my wife Karen was feeling unwell and so we cut short the visit.
Again the usual suspects were present and all of what we saw at Tembe was also spotted here, some notable extra sightings were:
Goliath Heron
Woolly-necked stork
African Spoonbill
Lesser black-winged Plover
Malachite Kingfisher
Sombre Bulbul
Yellow-bellied Bulbul
Heuglin’s Robin
Natal Robin
Kosi Bay will follow...
Martin
Ndumo is on the Mozambique border and is 10 000 ha, and over 400 bird species have been recorded there.
The habitat includes broadleaved and acacia woodland, sand forest, riverine and swamp forest, and floodplain grasslands.
Most of the roads are ok for a normal vehicle, however a 4x4 is recommended if you want to see all the roads, especially the 4x4 road to Red Cliffs which is a superb road. If you have been to the far north of Kruger Park, and you know Crook’s corner, it is like that but for about 5km long. The number of Fig and Fever trees is astounding, and the foliage is right to the edge of the road which although feels a bit claustrophobic at times must be home to so many birds in the summer.
Nyamithi Pan is beautiful looking at the Fever trees on the opposite bank with the sun shining showing off the yellow trunks and emerald green foilage.
Unfortunately my wife Karen was feeling unwell and so we cut short the visit.
Again the usual suspects were present and all of what we saw at Tembe was also spotted here, some notable extra sightings were:
Goliath Heron
Woolly-necked stork
African Spoonbill
Lesser black-winged Plover
Malachite Kingfisher
Sombre Bulbul
Yellow-bellied Bulbul
Heuglin’s Robin
Natal Robin
Kosi Bay will follow...
Martin
Attachments
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Kosi Bay trip continued
Kosi Bay – Black Rock
Black rock is a promontory that juts out into the sea and is a favourite with Fisherman. The beach is beautiful soft sand surrounded by sand dunes covered in Wild Banana’s. I was both disappointed and pleased as the journey to get to the beach was over 1 half hours as I got horribly lost. You will need a 4x4 as the dunes are high and tracks are very rutted in places. I only saw two birds at the beach:
White-fronted Plover (which I saw at every beach I visited)
Palm-nut Vulture (which glided over head as I walked towards the rocks).
Whilst I was lost I did visit many vlei’s and wetlands (clearly not planned) where I saw lovely blue water lilies everywhere and many birds including:
White-faced duck
Red-billed teal
Three-banded plover
African jacana
Pied kingfisher
Brown –hooded kingfisher
Malachite kingfisher
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Cape reed warbler
Yellow warbler
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Bully canary
Lemon-breasted canary
I decided one time to go for a walk along the edge of a vlei. The only sound was the Canaries apart from a deep grunting of a Hippo which was from about 20metres away! I slowly backed off and walked backed to the car. As I drove up the side of the sand dune I noticed an open patch of water and two Hippo’s lazing in the water. I realised that I am in a reserve and was more careful when walking, especially later that day.
Martin
Kosi Bay – Black Rock
Black rock is a promontory that juts out into the sea and is a favourite with Fisherman. The beach is beautiful soft sand surrounded by sand dunes covered in Wild Banana’s. I was both disappointed and pleased as the journey to get to the beach was over 1 half hours as I got horribly lost. You will need a 4x4 as the dunes are high and tracks are very rutted in places. I only saw two birds at the beach:
White-fronted Plover (which I saw at every beach I visited)
Palm-nut Vulture (which glided over head as I walked towards the rocks).
Whilst I was lost I did visit many vlei’s and wetlands (clearly not planned) where I saw lovely blue water lilies everywhere and many birds including:
White-faced duck
Red-billed teal
Three-banded plover
African jacana
Pied kingfisher
Brown –hooded kingfisher
Malachite kingfisher
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Cape reed warbler
Yellow warbler
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Bully canary
Lemon-breasted canary
I decided one time to go for a walk along the edge of a vlei. The only sound was the Canaries apart from a deep grunting of a Hippo which was from about 20metres away! I slowly backed off and walked backed to the car. As I drove up the side of the sand dune I noticed an open patch of water and two Hippo’s lazing in the water. I realised that I am in a reserve and was more careful when walking, especially later that day.
Martin
Attachments
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
The Raffia Palm Forest
This is a very different place to anything I have visited before. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park! I didn’t see the Palm-nut Vulture here as expected, but having seen one earlier in the day I didn’t spend much time there, especially as I found walking in the long grass in swampy ground not that pleasant, and after seeing a large snake (couldn’t identify it) sliding over the swampy grass about 10metres in front of me, and then finding very fresh dung of some (obviously) large animal on the edge of the Raffia Forest I decided it was time to go. I did see:
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Heuglin’s robin
Trumpeter hornbill
Kosi Mouth Estuary
The estuary is next to the Mozambique border. Before driving (again in a 4x4) to the mouth of the estuary you should really turn right at the first junction after entering the reserve and drive up to the stunning view site, where you can see most of the lakes in the system and the fishing traps operated by local fisherman. From this advantage point high up Karen and I watched soaring:
African Fish Eagle (two calling and occasionally flying to each other)
Long-crested Eagle
We made our way down to the estuary mouth and whilst Karen walked at the water’s edge looking for shells I walked along the estuary and the beach. I saw:
White-fronted Plover
Pied Kingfisher
Shy Albatross
Kelp Gull
Greyheaded Gull
Caspian Tern
When I returned from the beach I went for a walk back down the track into the dune forest and along the Lake 1 shore. I saw:
Grey heron
Goliath heron
Black-headed heron
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Sombre bulbul
Green-backed Bleating Warbler
Eastern olive sunbird
Yellow breasted Apalis
Martin
This is a very different place to anything I have visited before. It looks like something out of Jurassic Park! I didn’t see the Palm-nut Vulture here as expected, but having seen one earlier in the day I didn’t spend much time there, especially as I found walking in the long grass in swampy ground not that pleasant, and after seeing a large snake (couldn’t identify it) sliding over the swampy grass about 10metres in front of me, and then finding very fresh dung of some (obviously) large animal on the edge of the Raffia Forest I decided it was time to go. I did see:
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Heuglin’s robin
Trumpeter hornbill
Kosi Mouth Estuary
The estuary is next to the Mozambique border. Before driving (again in a 4x4) to the mouth of the estuary you should really turn right at the first junction after entering the reserve and drive up to the stunning view site, where you can see most of the lakes in the system and the fishing traps operated by local fisherman. From this advantage point high up Karen and I watched soaring:
African Fish Eagle (two calling and occasionally flying to each other)
Long-crested Eagle
We made our way down to the estuary mouth and whilst Karen walked at the water’s edge looking for shells I walked along the estuary and the beach. I saw:
White-fronted Plover
Pied Kingfisher
Shy Albatross
Kelp Gull
Greyheaded Gull
Caspian Tern
When I returned from the beach I went for a walk back down the track into the dune forest and along the Lake 1 shore. I saw:
Grey heron
Goliath heron
Black-headed heron
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Sombre bulbul
Green-backed Bleating Warbler
Eastern olive sunbird
Yellow breasted Apalis
Martin
Attachments
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Hi, Martin,
Sounds like a fascinating, if occasionally nerve-wracking trip! A fine birdlist, too, especially the shy albatross and the lemon-breasted canary. I have yet to see any albatross, let alone a shy one, anywhere on the planet, and have hunted the canaries at Pafuri, Rocktail Bay and St Lucia without success.
How was the weather for the albatross sighting? How close inshore was the bird? A land-based sighting of an albatross is a real achievement. Well done!
Dave Kennedy
Sounds like a fascinating, if occasionally nerve-wracking trip! A fine birdlist, too, especially the shy albatross and the lemon-breasted canary. I have yet to see any albatross, let alone a shy one, anywhere on the planet, and have hunted the canaries at Pafuri, Rocktail Bay and St Lucia without success.
How was the weather for the albatross sighting? How close inshore was the bird? A land-based sighting of an albatross is a real achievement. Well done!
Dave Kennedy
Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
Shy albatross - what a fantastic name!
Where else but in the wonderful world of birding could you come across shy albatross, monotonous larks, chanting goshawks and so on o
Allan
Where else but in the wonderful world of birding could you come across shy albatross, monotonous larks, chanting goshawks and so on o
Allan
Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
Nothing to do with birds, but this is appropriate for the South African forum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDq5PKzst98
I enjoyed it!
Allan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDq5PKzst98
I enjoyed it!
Allan
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Dave,
Yes, the Albatross, and it is not even a new sighting for me. The first time I saw Albatross was on a business trip to the West Coast in Swakopmund, Namibia in June 2003. We were walking to a restaurant on the beach when we saw them overhead. This sighting was in quite windy but clear conditions as the tide was out and on the other side of the first breaking waves near the rocks. In a conversation with a fellow birder I met at Black Rock (me and him were the only two on the beach not in swimming costumes or with a fishing rod, but with binoculars and camera's) he said that he has had sightings of Albatross at Black Rock as well. He also said he quite often sees Palm-nut Vulture there as well. He also said that it does make a difference to the birds to be seen depending on the time of day, windy or not and cloudy or not, and whether the tide is coming in or out. There is more to this coastal bird watching it would seem!
As for the nerve racking, in amongst all the beauty one has to remember that it is a reserve with no fences and so wildlife wander wherever and whenever they want.
The owners of the house we were staying at had a Jack Russell dog that had fought and won many battles with snakes, including one not so long ago with a Puffadder. However only a few months ago he tackled a Mozambique Spitting Cobra and when biting the snake on the head to kill it the fangs pierced the inside of the dog’s mouth and sadly the dog died.
We were given a pet talk upon arrival by the owners that it is in the middle of nature and do not walk around after sunset as Hippo’s wander out of the lake, through the sand forest, pass the house to feed on the open grassland behind the house. They have had Hippo's fighting in an open sandy area where guests park their cars before now!
It is an un-spoilt beautiful place where nature has the first priority. I love it...
Martin
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Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Kosi Bay Lake 3
We stayed near the edge of Lake 3 and between the house and the lake shore was sand forest. Most mornings I walked as the sun rose through the sand forests as the birds were waking, perched on open branches warming themselves in the first rays of the sun. The sound of the waking sand forest is incredible. There are so many birds even at this time of year, and again I kept thinking of how many birds must be in this Kosi Bay area during the summer months. Often I sat still for 10 or 15 minutes in the forest and the birds, after a while, would come quite close, especially Robins and Bulbuls. I was also suprised at the number of Sunbirds I saw. I found an open patch in between the lake shore and the forest where many birds perched as the sun rose. I heard and saw so many and at times didn’t know which way to look or where to point the camera or binoculars. I have never been in an area with so much activity. Here notables were:
Southern-banded Snake Eagle
Livingstone’s Turaco
Purple-crested Turaco
Black saw-winged swallow
Crowned hornbill
Trumpeter hornbill
White-eared barbet
Golden-rumped Tinkerbird
Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Square-tailed drongo
Sombre bulbul
Eastern Nicator
Yellow-bellied bulbul
Heuglin’s robin
Starred robin
Natal robin
Brown Scrub-Robin
Rudd’s Apalis
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Green-backed Bleating Warbler
Paradise flycatcher
Black-bellied glossy starling
White-bellied sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Collared sunbird
Scarlet-chested sunbird
Grey sunbird
Eastern olive sunbird
Yellow white-eye
Forest weaver
Brown-throated weaver
Yellow weaver
Bully canary
On one walk with Karen we both saw another sighting of Palm-nut Vulture that glided over the top of us only maybe 30metres above us, they both blocked out the sun as they flew overhead.
Each evening we sat on the stoop of the house listening to:
Mozambique Nightjar
Spotted Eagle Owl
African Wood Owl
And Hippo’s
Kosi Bay area can be frustrating as none of the sand tracks are sign posted and if you want to go anywhere off the road I can safely say that you will get lost and you will also need a 4x4 if you want to get to remote areas. However, this gives opportunities to drive/walk in areas that you would not have found if you weren’t lost! And these areas can also provide beautiful peaceful landscapes with open grasslands, wetlands, vlei’s and patches of sand forest, bringing exciting birding experiences.
The last time I was in Kosi Bay area was 5 years ago and although I saw a lot of new sightings then in Ndumo, we stayed quite far out of the Kosi Bay reserve area. This time we stayed on one of the lake shores and it made a huge difference. It was easy to go for walks from the house we were staying and straight into the sand forest on the doorstep. I am pleased with the amount of birds that I saw (and heard) over this autumn week, and I can only imagine what this area is like in the summer and I highly recommend this area as a birding paradise, and I will be back probably in an October/November time after the summer migrants are here, and the endemics are in full breeding colours, but before the heat and humididty of the summer between Dec and Feb.
Martin
We stayed near the edge of Lake 3 and between the house and the lake shore was sand forest. Most mornings I walked as the sun rose through the sand forests as the birds were waking, perched on open branches warming themselves in the first rays of the sun. The sound of the waking sand forest is incredible. There are so many birds even at this time of year, and again I kept thinking of how many birds must be in this Kosi Bay area during the summer months. Often I sat still for 10 or 15 minutes in the forest and the birds, after a while, would come quite close, especially Robins and Bulbuls. I was also suprised at the number of Sunbirds I saw. I found an open patch in between the lake shore and the forest where many birds perched as the sun rose. I heard and saw so many and at times didn’t know which way to look or where to point the camera or binoculars. I have never been in an area with so much activity. Here notables were:
Southern-banded Snake Eagle
Livingstone’s Turaco
Purple-crested Turaco
Black saw-winged swallow
Crowned hornbill
Trumpeter hornbill
White-eared barbet
Golden-rumped Tinkerbird
Red-fronted Tinkerbird
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Square-tailed drongo
Sombre bulbul
Eastern Nicator
Yellow-bellied bulbul
Heuglin’s robin
Starred robin
Natal robin
Brown Scrub-Robin
Rudd’s Apalis
Yellow breasted Apalis
Pale-crowned Cisticola
Zitting Cisticola
Green-backed Bleating Warbler
Paradise flycatcher
Black-bellied glossy starling
White-bellied sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Collared sunbird
Scarlet-chested sunbird
Grey sunbird
Eastern olive sunbird
Yellow white-eye
Forest weaver
Brown-throated weaver
Yellow weaver
Bully canary
On one walk with Karen we both saw another sighting of Palm-nut Vulture that glided over the top of us only maybe 30metres above us, they both blocked out the sun as they flew overhead.
Each evening we sat on the stoop of the house listening to:
Mozambique Nightjar
Spotted Eagle Owl
African Wood Owl
And Hippo’s
Kosi Bay area can be frustrating as none of the sand tracks are sign posted and if you want to go anywhere off the road I can safely say that you will get lost and you will also need a 4x4 if you want to get to remote areas. However, this gives opportunities to drive/walk in areas that you would not have found if you weren’t lost! And these areas can also provide beautiful peaceful landscapes with open grasslands, wetlands, vlei’s and patches of sand forest, bringing exciting birding experiences.
The last time I was in Kosi Bay area was 5 years ago and although I saw a lot of new sightings then in Ndumo, we stayed quite far out of the Kosi Bay reserve area. This time we stayed on one of the lake shores and it made a huge difference. It was easy to go for walks from the house we were staying and straight into the sand forest on the doorstep. I am pleased with the amount of birds that I saw (and heard) over this autumn week, and I can only imagine what this area is like in the summer and I highly recommend this area as a birding paradise, and I will be back probably in an October/November time after the summer migrants are here, and the endemics are in full breeding colours, but before the heat and humididty of the summer between Dec and Feb.
Martin
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Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
I feel a trip to Kosi Bay coming on.
Only problem is when, and how we get there when we don't have the appropriate car.
Now who do I know that has a 4x4
Allan
Only problem is when, and how we get there when we don't have the appropriate car.
Now who do I know that has a 4x4
Allan
Sal
Well-known member
Wow Martin! Have been sitting here reading all your posts from the last time I came here. My photographic course hotted up and I have been pretty hectic, with little time to sit and enjoy. Having never been to Kosi Bay it was great to read about it and you gave me a very good picture of what it must be like. It sounds to have been the most wonderful trip and you fitted in such a lot and such a variety of ecosystems. Fantastic bird list and I really enjoyed looking at the pics too. There is a small swamp forest/ Raphia Palm forest at Mtunzini too, with a board walk through it. The palms came originally from the Kosi bay area I believe. I have seen the Palm Nut Vulture there several times, and also at Ndumo. Always exciting to see such a closely endemic species. The pic of the fever trees at Nyamithi pan took me right back to my visit to Ndumo. Thanks for a very interesting report.
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Hi, Sal...
Hope you are successful in your aim.
And hello everyone else...........
In a week or so I'm planning to drive down to the Clanwilliam area - somewhere completely new to me. If anyone out there can tell me what I should be looking out for a) en route and b) in the Clanwilliam area, then I would be most grateful.
Thanks,
Dave Kennedy
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Hi Dave,
Never been to this area and so I will be very interested to hear what you see there.
Try this link below regarding Cederberg Nature Reserve near Clanwilliam.
http://www.capenature.co.za/reserves.htm?reserve=Cederberg+Wilderness+Area#reserve_tabs
Martin
Sal
Well-known member
Am I just! We are staying in the south - Berg-en-Dal, Satara, Talamati and Biyamiti. Have just been planning NEXT year's trip - Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. About 358 sleeps . . . .
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Hi Sal,
Satara is still my favourite camp, it was the first camp my wife and I stayed at when we first came over here. Although I also like Shingwedzi a lot as well.
I am very interested in the Kgalagadi trip. Whilst at Kosi Bay I sat and relaxed and going through the bird book I was looking to see where the biggest gaps in my list are, and most of them are in the Karoo and Khalahari areas.
I have promised my wife a visit to this area to see Meerkats, so I could justify a trip there!!!
I would be very ineterested in hearing about this Park.
I will be waiting for Dave's feedback after his Clanwilliam trip as well.
Martin
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