The story day by day part 1
Western Cape
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Birding sites included in Cohen et al. are written italic. Check the itinerary for easy reference based op page numbers. All references to road, dams, ponds etc in Kruger NP can easily been found in the Visitor Guide to Kruger NP, obtainable at the entrances.
Note: some of the more common species are not mentioned in the main text, see the results for the total list.  

14-10

Cape Town Airport – Noordhoek - Kommetjie

We arrived at the airport at noon after a bad night in the Turkish Airlines plane, that started in Istanbul with a white flash and loud bang at the wing; very frightening at first but the crew explained that it was ‘just’ lightning from the thunderstorm.

The weather at the Cape Town airport was a bit disappointing: clouded, windy, misty and a light drizzle . At collecting our car the first bird species entering the list was an introduced bird. The House Crow present at the airport was not the first I wished for while fantasizing beforehand.

It took us just over an hour to drive to the previously arranged cottage at Noordhoek. The cottage was to be our home for the next three days and base to explore the area. It was excellently situated with good garden birds (Malachite Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Spotted Thick-knee, Karoo Prinia, Cape White-eye, Greater Striped Swallow) and only a stone throw from Kommetjie. The cottage was appropriately called Tranquility Cottage (R 450 per night) and can be found and booked by internet.

The afternoon was spent in Kommetjie {32]. The weather was improving and the birds were good. The three relevant cormorant species were all present (Cape, Bank and Crowned with White-breasted) as was African Darter. Other birds worth mentioning: African Oystercatcher, White-fronted Plover, Whimbrel and the common Cape Canary. It took a while and even a second visit to sort out the terns and to positively identify Antarctic Tern among the more common Common Terns. At dusk a very dark (black) sparrowhawk flashed through the garden unidentified. Could it have been a melanistic form of Gabar Goshawk?

15-10

De Hel (Constantia Greenbelts) – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – Simonstown – Cape of Good Hope NP

The first full day in South-Africa took us to the breathtaking scenery of Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden [28], on the south slopes of the Table Mountain. But not before we paid an early morning visit to De Hel (Constantia Greenbelts) [30]. Main target here is Knysna Warbler but the only visual encounter with this mega skulker were the photos on the information board at the entrance of De Hel. Two birds did call however, from the shrubbery near the stream but never close enough to even have a slight change to see it. As a matter of fact there was not much activity at all with only Olive Thrush, Cape Batis and African Olive-Pigeon as mentionable birds, so we withdrew within an hour.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden [28] was bathing in the sun and not yet crowded. At the entrance a flock of Red-winged Starlings played joyful in the high trees. First birds seen in the park were Pin-tailed Whydah, Karoo Prinia, Cape Canary and Cape Bulbul. The forested road along Skeleton stream held Sombre Greenbul and African Dusky Flycatcher. The Erica and Protea part was good for Cape Spurfowl and the only Cape Sugarbird (female) that we saw in the park. In the upper reaches of the park with fynbos vegetation we found Speckled Mousebird and Southern Boubou. A Yellow-billed Kite was the only raptor seen.

After an excellent lunch (with what proved to be the best Bobotie of the trip) in the restaurant of the garden we departed to Simonstown. We paid a quick visit to Boulders Beach [35] to twitch the colony African Penguins.

We had only a few hours left to visit Cape Point in Cape of Good Hope NP [33], a very touristic destination but fortunately with a few birding opportunities and great scenery. At the car park we decided not to follow the flow of tourists to the Cape Point lighthouse but instead walk the trail to Cape of Good Hope. Despite the crowded trail it was good birding with a small flock of Cape Siskins, a Cape Bunting and a Cape Grassbird. The tame Ostrich was not taken serious and didn’t make it to the list. The sea below the cape was teeming with birds, most cormorants with an occasional Cape Gannet (the only ones of the trip). The route back to Noordhoek was very scenic.

16-10

De Hel – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens – Silvermine – Noordhoek beach

This day we split up: Maaike went for a horseback ride at Noordhoek beach and I decided to give De Hel another change and take my time to photograph in Kirstenbosch. In De Hel again unfortunately heard only Knysna Warbler and the only bird new for the list was Bar-throated Apalis. Also Kirstenbosch held not many surprises at the second visit. A confiding Lemon Dove was present at the entrance and Steppe Buzzard, Rock Kestrel, African Black Swift, Alpine Swift and Black Sawwing were new for the list. Disturbing to determine that again no Orange-breasted Sunbirds were present and this time also no Cape Sugarbirds.

On the way back to Noordhoek I stopped at Silvermine, a nice nature reserve (part of Table Mountain NP) with high elevation fynbos and a dam. This area is  not mentioned in Cohen et al. but it could be just as good as Cape Point or Table Mountain for fynbos species. The area has a good network of walking trails and is not crowded. It is easily found: when driving from Cape Town to Noordhoek/Simonstown the entrance is just before the saddle of the first ridge (signposted). In the mere hour visit I found: several Malachite Sunbirds, a few Orange-breasted Sunbirds, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Karoo Prinia, the only Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk in the Cape area and a huge flock of swifts including African Black Swift, Alpine Swift, White-rumped Swift and Little Swift. The park also looks promising for Cape Rock Thrush.  

Reunited with Maaike I learned that she had the time of her life horseback riding at the Noordhoek beach with Southern Right Whales in the surf! We decided to spend the afternoon at this beach and the whales were still present though not as close to the shore as in the morning. A few Pied Avocet  and a Little Egret were present at the beach.

17-10

Sir Lowry’s Pass – Rooi Els – Hermanus – Swellendam

With mixed feelings we left this great area and cottage in the morning, not knowing where we would end up this day. We drove the coastal route (R310) to Strandfontein but decided not to visit the sewerage works [35]. En route we saw some new birds for the list: Red-knobbed Coot, Black-winged Stilt, Glossy Ibis and a Greenshank but we didn’t feel comfortable enough to check out everything – the owner of the cottage warned us better not to stop along this road.

We continued to Sir Lowry’s Pass [39] for a first chance to find some of the rocky endemics. But all hope faded upon arrival realizing that the gale force wind was strong enough to blow the doors right out of our rental car. The winds were so strong it was hard to stand up. Nevertheless I gave it a quick try. But even the sheltered parts were windy, cold and desolate. Soon enough we were back in the car grasping for breath. Plan B was an area near Rooi Els and Betty’s Bay. By mistake we first drove to Betty’s Bays [41] penguin colony, but soon we found the good spot at Rooi Els [40]. After parking the car and passing the entrance gate (ignoring the signpost stating that it is not allowed to enter) we soon found Cape Rock Thrush singing from the roof of a building. Fortunately it was not as windy; as a matter of fact the weather was quite promising. But apart from Karoo Prinia, Rock Martin, Orange-breasted Sunbird, a Grey-backed Cisticola and a Cape Grassbird the slopes were quiet and birdless. It took quite some time before my attention was drawn to a movement high up the slope that proved to be a Cape Rock-Jumper allowing close approach and photographing. What a bird!

We continued our way to Hermanus with African Fish-Eagle and the charming Blue Crane underway. Hermanus was not what we expected from it (we didn’t expect anything and it just wasn’t that…) so after a stroll and a quick lunch we decided to continue to Swellendam and to skip Cape Agulhas. For the time being we had seen enough dramatic coastline.

The R326 road from Hermanus to the N2 was surprisingly rich in birds and it was a shame we didn’t have more time to enjoy it. Among the many birds seen were Southern Red Bishop, Cape Crow, Pied Starling, Capped Wheatear, African Spoonbill, Lanner Falcon and Common Quail (heard only).

In Swellendam we checked in at Roosje van de Kaap (R 560 including excellent but rather late breakfast) and a late afternoon walk gave us Fiscal Flycatcher, Spotted Eagle-Owl (rufous form) and the only Brimstone Canary of the trip.

18-10

Swellendam – Bontebok NP

We woke up with rain. Luckily there was an excellent breakfast to come and when we finally finished it, it was 9 o’clock and the rain had stopped. We spent the morning sightseeing Swellendam and did some shopping before driving to Bontebok NP. The town held only common birds like Fork-tailed Drongo, Black Sunbird and Streaky-headed Seedeater.

After midday we drove to Bontebok NP [68], only ten minutes drive from Swellendam. Before the entrance Red-capped Larks and Long-billed Pipits were present along the road. Soon after the entrance gate wildlife started turning up including Bontebok, Red Hartebeast, Cape Mountain Zebra and all sorts of tortoises. We checked in and made our quarters at the campground (R 120) nicely situated along the Breede River. The campground and river were host to a bunch of new species, including Reed Cormorant, African Black Duck, Giant Kingfisher, Yellow Bishop, Cape Sparrow and African Hoopoe. After spotting one Denham’s Bustard on a far away hill there proved to be 6 birds present on that one hillside! We walked two trails adding more species to the list. A Neddicky followed a Cape Cobra crossing the path. By then I didn’t know it was a Cape Cobra and I followed the snake and bird to make a picture of the Neddicky – I would not have done that knowing that I dealt with one of the most dangerous snakes of the Cape. Other birds found during the stroll: Cardinal Woodpecker, Olive Woodpecker, Lesser Honeyguide, Karoo Robin, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Brown-throated Martin and African Marsh Warbler (heard only in the reeds at the river).

In the afternoon we had another excellent excursion by car with Jackal Buzzard, Secretarybird, two great Black Harriers, Black-winged Kite, Pearl-breasted Swallow and Yellow Canary. There was another Denham’s Bustard and the day ended with a male Southern Black Korhaan chasing a female. In the night Fiery-necked Nightjar was heard. 

19-10

Bontebok NP – Overberg - De Hoop NP

It was an early rise and around 6 o’clock we were packed and ready to go. We slowly left Bontebok NP with Cape Clapper Larks singing at several spots in the park. We took the Agulhas Plains Loop [65], in all relevant details described in Cohen et al. The first bird of note at the 4.3 km mark was a Bokmakierie and the first real target was an Agulhas Long-billed Lark among the much more common Red-capped Larks and Long-billed Pipits. Another Denham’s Bustard was also present here. A bit further on up the road two Karoo Korhaans were present and Large-billed Larks started to turn up. A Booted Eagle soared over the fields and Blue Cranes were seen all over the route.

After the Breede River crossing we added White-throated Swallow and White-throated Canary to the list and the large soaring raptors were indeed Cape Vultures. We drove on to the Potberg part of De Hoop NR [65] but the heat of the midday made us decide not to walk to the vulture colony. So we headed on to the main entrance. Just before the entrance we found another Black Harrier. Again the winds were very strong and the local park guide advised us to take a cottage instead of using the campground. We were not deterred (yet) and found a sheltered place to put up the tent (R 190). After that we drove to a spot called ‘Tierhoek’ with good views over the vlei. The vlei was teeming with birds including the only South African Shelduck of the trip. Other birds of note were Great Crested Grebe, Dabchick, Red-billed Teal, Cape Shoveler, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, Greater Sand Plover, Little Stint and a flock of Whiskered Terns but the everlasting wind was tiring. Around dusk we retired to the tent.

20-10

De Hoop NP – George – Knysna – Nature’s Valley

The morning was windy again and birding was slow at the campsite. With difficulty I had a flash view of a Southern Tchagra. Southern Boubou and Bokmakierie were evident. Horus Swift was present in the flock of swifts around the vlei. Again the vlei held good numbers of birds, including Water Thickknee, Great White Pelican, Black-crowned Night-Heron and Greater Flamingo. But the continuous blowing winds made us decide to leave The Hoop NP and head on east.

We ended our excursion in De Hoop NP with a trip to Koppie Alleen, another good spot to see Southern Right Whale. New to the list were two Ruddy Turnstones flying by.

The drive back to Swelllendam didn’t yield much interesting apart from a few Blue Cranes. Most of the rest of the day was spent driving the N2 east. Around George an Osprey crossed the road and another Black Harrier was seen underway.

Just before we arrived at Nature’s Valley [74] (part of the Tsitsikama NP) our first Knysna Turaco crossed the road. We arrived at the camp ground less than ten minutes before closing time of the office (R 86 per night). The camp ground was marvelous, situated in the forest at the shore of the Grootriver. At our camping spot a Lemon Dove foraged the forest floor and Red-chested Cuckoo was calling it’s gut out but wouldn’t show.

21-10

Nature’s Valley

I started with an early morning walk at the road around the bridge over the Grootrivier. Birding started slow but ended good with some very inspiring feeding flocks. Best bird this morning was a flying by Half-collared Kingfisher at the bridge. Birds seen included Terrestrial Bulbul, Cape Batis, Black-backed Puffback, African Paradise Flycatcher, Grey Cuckooshrike, Knysna Turaco, Olive Bushshrike and Green Woodhoopoe. Back at the camp site we had breakfast with the beautiful Chorister Robin-Chat around the tent.

After breakfast we walked the Grootrivier Trail, following the river to the mound and we visited the charming little village with good birding activity in the many gardens. Amethyst Sunbird, Greater and Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Fiscal Flycatcher and the first Swee Waxbills were all present in the village.

In the afternoon we drove to the Bloukrans Pass to enjoy the spectacular views over the valley.

22-10

Nature’s Valley – George - Oudtshoorn

This morning I took the same route as the previous day: the bridge and the roadside. Mostly the same birds, this time with Olive Woodpecker, Easter Black-headed Oriole, a loud calling but terrible showing African Emerald Cuckoo and the ever charming Narina Trogon at less than 4 meters. Again no sign of Knysna Woodpecker.

After breakfast we packed our things and drove back to George. Underway the weather was getting worse with thick clouds and more and more rain. Since this was my last chance for seeing Forest Buzzard I was keen on any raptor along the road. Just before the turnoff to Oudtshoorn I spotted a buzzard in a dead tree next to the road. The obligatory stop was tricky with this amount of fast traffic on the road. After several moment of hesitation the bird finally flew up and made a round showing me that indeed it was a Forrest buzzard, moments later accompanied by a second one.

The pass from George into the Little Karoo was dramatic in change of weather and vegetation. We left the clouds and rain behind and again were bathing in sun. A quick stop to enjoy this change produced the first Pale Chanting Goshawk and Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler. The drive to Oudtshoorn was scenic.

In Oudtshoorn the information centre helped us to find an excellent place to spend the night. We stayed in the Riverside Lodge (R 550 per night for a cabin with balcony including breakfast), build along a small stream. The garden was very interesting for birding and the rest of the afternoon was spent in the garden and on the balcony. Interesting birds present in the garden were Brown-hooded Kingfisher feeding a chick, Red-faced and Speckled Mousebirds among the more common species. In the evening we were treated with a vintage port and cheese plate.

23-10

Oudtshoorn – Swartberg Pass – Karoo NP

Main reason to visit Oudtshoorn was of course not it being the Ostrich capital but a visit to the Swartberg Pass [48] for another try for those enigmatic targets. The rains had caught up with us and at leaving Oudtshoorn it drizzled.

First try was at km 0.5 (see Cohen et. al. 2006). The weather was a bit better here but bird activity was low. No Protea Seedeater to be found and after more than an hour we ended up with a few mentionable birds: our first male Cape Sugarbird, Malachite Sunbird, Orange-breasted Sunbird and Lesser Double-collared Sunbird. But disappointment only grew when we found out that most of the fynbos part of the pass, between km 2 and 6, was heavily burnt. Not a spot interesting enough to check for birds left. Just after km 6 the part below the road looked a bit better again and the area soon proved to be alive with Victorin’s Scrub-Warblers. A few birds showed well close to the road. Two charming Klipspringers were great to see.

Higher up the weather was getting worse and worse and upon arrival at the top there was a gale force wind and hail-like showers punished the rocks. The rocky outcrops were abandoned and the little sounds I heard were always very far away. Apart from a Rock Kestrel and Jackal Buzzard the only bird that showed was a Cape Siskin. After several hours searching in vain we decided we had to move on and started the descent towards the better weather. Around km 25 we had a quick lunch and the two soaring Verreaux’s Eagle made up a bit for the dip at the pass.

After lunch we continued our way to Karoo NP [96]. In the park birding picked up with Southern Anteater-Chat before checking in at the headquarters. The camp site (R120 per night) is perfectly situated between Acacia thickets teeming with birds attracted by the water provided by the taps. With the strong winds on the plains the camp ground was nicely sheltered. The last light of the day was spent at the camp site and walking from the camp site to Klipspringer Pass and resulted in White-backed Mousebird, Fairy Flycatcher, Red-eyed Bulbul,  White-throated Canary, Karoo Robin-Chat, Familiar Chat, Dusky Sunbird, Karoo Robin, Cape Bunting, Cape Sparrow and many more.

24-10

Karoo NP

Before breakfast I birded the camp ground and the road towards Klipspringer Pass. Again overwhelming bird activity in the acacia thickets and surrounding. Birds seen during this early morning walk included Southern Tchagra, Acacia Pied Barbet, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Mountain Chat, Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler, Pale-winged Starling, Rufous-eared Warbler (what a charming bird that is!) and Lark-like Bunting.

After breakfast we drove up the Klipspringer Pass. Around the car park we found Layard’s Tit-babbler. On top we surprisingly found three different Short-toed Rock-thrushes and a few Sickle-winged Chats.

Back at the camp site we spent the midday photographing birds and saw Namaqua Prinia, European Bee-eater and Booted Eagle. The afternoon wildlife drive added Karoo Chat to the list plus a host of mammels: Rock Dassie, Cape Mountain Zebra, Plains Zebra, Red Hartebeest, Springbok, Steenbok, Klipspringer, Grey Rhebok, Greater Kudu, Common Duiker, Eland.

We booked a night drive for that night for R 80 per person (1½ hour). At the start it was still very windy and soon it was also exceptionally cold. Consequently we were very happy with the blankets provided by the tour guides but with this weather expectations were not very high. But the two guides knew what they were doing, knew the area and made the right decisions. We ended up with the best night drive of the vacation and one of the best in my life. Best mammal was the unexpected Aardwolf showing well and close second the Black Rhino running aggressively and irritated through the dry riverbed. The other mammals were pretty much the same as seen during the day except for Black-backed Jackal and the nocturnal Cape Hare. Two birds were seen during the nightdrive: Spotted Eagle Owl and Rufous-cheeked Nightjar.

25-10

Karoo NP – P2250 - Tanqua Karoo NP

A quick early morning walk did not result in new species and the wildlife drive yielded one new species (Spike-heeled Lark) and a host of species seen before: Southern Anteater-Chat, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Karoo Chat, Mountain Wheatear and Rufous-eared Warbler.

Time for the big drive south following the N1. We drove to Touws River with only a quick stop for coffee and a full tank (more than essential when visiting Tanqua Karoo!). We took the R46 to Karoopoort, stopping at the Verkeerdevlei Dam where White-winged Tern and Black-necked Grebe were present.

Tanqua Karoo [57 – map] is a vast, remote and very desolate area with a whole bunch of good birding spots and a host of challenging target birds to search for. The roads are all untarred but OK to drive with a low clearance rental car. Nevertheless we were anxious entering this desolate area without mobile phone to get help in case the car should break down. We planned to spend the night in Tanqua Guest House [61], situated in the middle of good birding habitat. Time was running out so we didn’t stop for every bird along the P2250 [60]. Our second worry was the fuel meter and everything being much further than expected. Upon arrival at the guest house it appeared vacated but the music heard through the front door made us persistent to at least meet someone to talk to. Finally some workers explained in Afrikaans and broken English that the guest house was sold and being renovated. We weren’t able to find out what the future plans of the new owner were. But staying overnight was no option so we had to make new plans. Back to the civilized world would mean another 250 km drive back and complete failure. The only option was to try for a camp site in the recently established Tanqua Karoo NP [62] but information was limited as even Cohen et al. is cryptic about the facilities. We decided to try anyway. Two charming Namaqua Sandgrouses crossing the road could not make up for the building tension, mostly about the fuel but also the limited time left. As always in situations like this the road to the park seemed endless and maps were full of errors (including the map provided by Cohen et al.). Finally after another 50 km driving we arrived in the park. Fuel was halfway without any birding. But from here luck started to turn on us again. Headquarters were not yet closed and even better: there was a cottage free for the night. And this turned out to be the greatest spot we could ever imagine. The cottage (called Paulshoek, R300) was situated in the middle of the karoo with views over the dramatic cliffs of the park. The air was full with the sound of Namaqua Sandgrouses flying by and the artificial pool attracted many birds, including the grouses and Yellow, White-throated and the only Black-headed Canary of the trip. Soon we were treated on an enchanting sunset and  a full moon rising, we celebrated the day with a glass of wine. This spot easily made up to for all the worries of the past day and the inability of birding this enigmatic habitat.

26-10

Tanqua Karoo NP – P2250 – Skitterykloof – Gydo Pass – Ceres - Paarl

In the morning there was only one worry left: the fuel. We knew we had about 250 km to go before the first chance or filling up and were confident of about 200 km of fuel left in the car... So without detours we took the same route back south but this time with an occasional stop for birding. The road in the national park followed a river course lined with acacia trees with more birding potential than I was able to cash. Tractrac Chats were common along the first part of the P2250 where Karoo Chat was also seen. Three Karoo Korhaans showed much better than the two in Overberg. There were not as many larks as might be expected but I was happy with a Karoo Lark and a Grey-backed Sparrow-Lark among the more common Large-billed Lark and Red-capped Lark. Two Rufous-eared Warblers were a treat again. At the Ongeluks river course (no water) the only birds showing up were White-backed Mousebirds. A little moment of excitement when the car got stuck in the sand.

We arrived at the Skitterykloof [59] late morning and the fuel meter was promising. The Skitterykloof held Pririt Batis, Levaillant’s Cisticola and Three-banded Plover but no sign of Cinnamon-breasted Warbler nor Ground Woodpecker. I was reluctant to ask the the birding group also present if they were more succesful. After a few hours climbing and searching the hillsides we gave up.

We took the route to Ceres past the Gydo pass which is very scenic. And of course we easily made it to the gas station in Ceres with at least 50 spare kilometers left. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving to Paarl where we found great accommodation in Kleinplaas (R 580 per night).

27-10

Paarl – Paarl Bird Sanctuary

Breakfast was in the garden of Kleinplaas with marvelous views over the city of Paarl in the valley and the mountains around this charming city. Breakfast was disturbed by Gabar Goshawk, Jackal Buzzard and Yellow-billed Kite. Most of this day was spent in Paarl and Franshoek without relevant bird sightings.

In the afternoon I visited Paarl Bird Sanctuary [42], a part of the local sewerage works. Birding was good with abundant birdlife. Since this was the first visit to a habitat like this it was also good for the general bird list. Birds of note were (among many others): Greater and Lesser Flamingo, Malachite Kingfisher, Black-necked Grebe, Maccoa Duck, Cape Shoveler, African Purple Swamphen, Water Thickknee (with chicks), Black Crake and African Goshawk.

28-10

Paarl – Paarl Mountain - Paarl Bird Sanctuary

The second day Paarl started with an early morning visit to the Wildflower Reserve [42], the botanical garden at Paarl Mountain. This was my last chance for Protea Seedeater. But despite dipping that one again we had a very pleasant time enjoying the flowering garden and the abundant presence of Cape Sugarbird (remember that this was only the third sighting), Orange-breasted Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird and Cape Grassbird.

A second visit to Paarl Bird Sanctuary did not yield any new or noticeable species. And so our first leg of the trip ended with a bit over 200 species recorded including a lot of (but by far not all) the Cape endemics, a good set of photographs, some good adventures and many more great memories.

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