South Africa, Cape region

Transcription

1 South Africa, Cape region October 29 - November Sander Bot & Janne Ouwehand Damara Tern, Struisbaai

2 Introduction We were in for a not too demanding holiday, so we picked South Africa. Given the cheap currency, car rental and accommodation are very affordable. English is spoken everywhere, and since we are from Holland we can even understand Afrikaans a bit. There are many resources on where to see what, so this is indeed an ideal easy holiday destination. We also didn t want to drive too much, so we didn t go far from Cape Town. If visiting the Cape region as a bird watcher one might probably end up with a different itinerary than we had. Within the 16 days we had one can cover a larger area than we did. However, we also wanted to enjoy landscape, insects and botany as well, so we took our time. Besides that, I had visited the region before, so I could ignore certain places since I had seen the birds in that place before. This was especially true for water birds which we happily neglected and drier shrub birds which I had seen during field work a few years earlier in that habitat. Literature We used the Sasol Birds of Southern Africa, both the paper guide and the app. The app is ok, but for some important species the sound is lacking, for these we downloaded them from xenocanto.org. The site guide Southern African Birdfinder is very useful for planning your trip. It might be out of print now though. Logistics We flew with Qatar Airways from Amsterdam via Qatar to Cape town. The return ticket costed us 680,-, much cheaper than the direct flight with KLM (> 1.000). We booked a rental car with Rentalcars.com in advance, a Ford Fiesta or similar, which proved to be a Hyundai i10. The car gave no problems at all, also not on the many dirt roads we took near Brandvlei and Karoo NP. We paid only 315,89 for 18 days, including 140 for full coverage. Accommodation We mostly camped in national parks and nature reserves. For the national parks one can conveniently book any accommodation ahead via This website gives also the availability for the accommodation. For the nature reserves we visited there is also a website with information about accommodation at Bungalows can be booked via the website, campsites not however. But by dropping an to reservation.alert@capenature.co.za or make a phone call to one can book a campsite. Booking ahead can be useful, especially during the weekends when accommodations, including campsites, can be full booked. Observado.org During the trip I used the app by ObsMapp (iobs for iphone). With this app it is very easy to directly enter your observations in the field. It is completely free, and contrary to ebird, one can submit all groups, so not only birds but also, for instance, mammals, insects and plants. Here is a direct link to all my oberservations: 01&prov=0&z=0&sp=0&gb=0&method=0&cdna=0&f=0&m=K&zeker=O&month=0&rows=20&only_hi dden=0&zoektext=0&tag=0&plum=0&from= &to= &q=&zoektext=0&g=0&z=0&month=0&prov=71&m=K&zeker=O&rows=20 I entered all the data in the field, which means that the gps-coordinates are precise. I also have a kml file of all these observations, feel free to me if you would like to receive the kml file.

3 October 30 Cape Town Kleinmond The flight arrived in time in Cape Town. Immigration and picking up de rental car went very smooth, so we were driving away from the airport around 1PM. After some shopping we arrived at Sir Lowry s Pass. While I got my bins and bird guide from my head luggage, Janne had a look at the view point, and the first bird she saw was a Cape Rockjumper! By the time I got there I could only hear it. Since I had seen it on my previous trip I didn t make a big effort to relocate them somewhere downhill. We didn t stay too long on the pass since it was simply too hot and sunny to do birding. We did see a selection of common birds though, like African Black Swift, Familiar Chat, vulpinus Common Buzzard, Cape Canary, Cape Francolin and African Harrier-Hawk. We drove to our campsite in Kleinmond, Palmiet Caravan Park ( , 18,999). This proved to be a very nice and cheap (ZAR 175) camping. The spots are big and shady and we were only one of the three guests. On the camp site we picked up some common birds, and a stroll in the late afternoon along the beach resulted in African Oystercatcher, Crowned Cormorant and African Penguin. At night from our tent we heard Water Thick-knee calling. name place link Common Starling near Cape Town White-throated Swallow near Cape Town Western Cattle Egret near Cape Town House Sparrow near Cape Town Red-winged Starling near Cape Town Neddicky Sir Lowry s Pass Malachite Sunbird Sir Lowry s Pass Karoo Prinia Sir Lowry s Pass Cape Robin-Chat Sir Lowry s Pass Alpine Swift Sir Lowry s Pass African Black Swift Sir Lowry s Pass Familiar Chat Sir Lowry s Pass African Sacred Ibis Sir Lowry s Pass Common Buzzard Sir Lowry s Pass White-rumped Swift Sir Lowry s Pass Little Swift Sir Lowry s Pass Grey Heron Sir Lowry s Pass Cape Canary Sir Lowry s Pass African Harrier-Hawk Sir Lowry s Pass Cape Francolin Kleinmond Hadada Ibis Kleinmond Southern Fiscal Kleinmond Sombre Greenbul Kleinmond Cape White-eye Kleinmond African Darter Kleinmond Fiscal Flycatcher Kleinmond Sombre Greenbul Kleinmond Laughing Dove Kleinmond Ring-necked Dove Kleinmond Cape Bulbul Kleinmond Cape Wagtail Kleinmond Cape Robin-Chat Kleinmond African Penguin Kleinmond Crowned Cormorant Kleinmond Kelp Gull Kleinmond African Oystercatcher Kleinmond Grey-headed Gull Kleinmond Cape Sugarbird Kleinmond Yellow Bishop Kleinmond White-breasted Cormorant Kleinmond Egyptian Goose Kleinmond Karoo Prinia Kleinmond Greater Striped Swallow Kleinmond

4 Cape Weaver Kleinmond Red-faced Mousebird Kleinmond Olive Thrush Kleinmond Water Thick-knee Kleinmond October 31 Betty s Bay Bredasdorp We woke up late since we had not much sleep the night before in the plane. In the morning we visited Harald Porter Botanical Garden near Betty s Bay. We noted Cape Canary, African Paradise Flycatcher, Cape Sugarbird, Cape Batis, Black Saw-wing and Sombre Greenbul. After lunch in the garden we went to the penguin colony at Stony Point. It s a great place where you can see (and smell) the penguins very close. Also four species of cormorant are present: Cape, White-breasted, Crowned and Bank Cormorant. There is a colony of mainly Cape, but in the colony, mainly on the outer rocks a few pairs of Bank Cormorant are present as well. Kelp Gull and Hartlaub s Gull were easily seen and on the sea we observed Cape Gannets. Rock Hyrax is common and tame here. In the afternoon we started our drive to Arniston. This small village along the coast has a camp site, but when arriving there is was closed. Nobody at reception, and no guests at all, so we drove back to Bredasdorp and got a room in Wheatlands Lodge. We paid ZAR 900 for a room including very good breakfast. The owners of this B & B were very friendly. Cape Batis Kleinmond Cape Canary Harald Porter Botanical Garden Cape Robin-Chat Harald Porter Botanical Garden African Paradise Flycatcher Harald Porter Botanical Garden Orange-breasted Sunbird Harald Porter Botanical Garden Southern Double-collared Sunbird Harald Porter Botanical Garden Rock Martin Harald Porter Botanical Garden Cape Sugarbird Harald Porter Botanical Garden Cape Batis Harald Porter Botanical Garden African Paradise Flycatcher Harald Porter Botanical Garden African Dusky Flycatcher Harald Porter Botanical Garden Black Saw-wing Harald Porter Botanical Garden White-necked Raven Harald Porter Botanical Garden Sombre Greenbul Harald Porter Botanical Garden Bank Cormorant Stony Point Cape Cormorant Stony Point White-breasted Cormorant Stony Point Crowned Cormorant Stony Point Hartlaub's Gull Stony Point Cape Gannet Stony Point Kelp Gull Stony Point African Penguin Stony Point Southern Red Bishop en route to Bredasdorp Blue Crane en route to Bredasdorp Spur-winged Goose en route to Bredasdorp Cape Sparrow en route to Bredasdorp Large-billed Lark en route to Bredasdorp Speckled Pigeon en route to Bredasdorp

5 African Penguin, Stony Point November 1 De Mond NR Agulhas Plains Bontebok NP From Bredasdorp we drove to De Mond Nature Reserve. On the way we hoped to find bustards in the fields. There were quite some birds to see, including Capped Wheatear, Black-winged Kite, Brimstone Canary, quite a few Blue Cranes and finally 2 Denham s Bustards at , Arriving at De Mond nature reserve we paid a small entrance fee and walked along the river mouth to the see. My hope was to find Damara Tern here, but we couldn t find any. Not along the river itself, nor at the river mouth. Birds we did see here were Bar-throated Apalis, Plain-backed Pipit, Levaillant s Cisticola and at the beach Sandwich and Greater Crested Terns. Highlight of the visit were Humpback Whales, one male jumped out of the water several times, while others were swimming very close to the coast. It was midday now, and missing the Damara Tern here, we decided to try the colony near Struisbaai as described in the Southern African Birdfinder. It s only a 20 minutes drive from De Mond. To reach the spot you have to leave the main road at , and follow the track till the near the beach where you can park ( , ). From here it is a few 100 meters walk north over the beach to the colony at , From sightings entered on ebird and observation.org I got the impression that the colony is very small or even gone. When arriving at the spot I walked carefully around the pebble beach and after a few minutes saw a Damara tern flying. I walked slowly back and followed the bird for a while before it landed again. A little later another tern with food arrived, landed at the same spot (out of sight) and later returned to sea. So, for the half hour I was there the colony seems to be reduced to one pair When driving the short track back to the main road we saw an African Marsh Harrier hunting over the dunes, a muchappreciated life bird. We started our drive to Bontebok NP. I intended to drive via the farm roads to

6 Swellendam instead of the highway. However, these roads are unpaved and the landscape is pretty ugly, so when seeing the first Agulhas Long-billed Larks (2 birds at , ) we went straight back to the paved R319 in order to arrive in time in Bontebok NP. We arrived in the late afternoon and placed our tent on the campsite. There is the option to camp along the river or higher up without views on the river. It s well worth taking the campsites along the river, the views and birdlife right from your tent is great. This part of the campsite was only open from November 1 onwards, so we were the first and only one using it during our stay. Birds seen in the final hours of daylight from the campsite included a male Pin-tailed Whydah, African Black Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, Burchell s Coucal, African Reed Warbler, Black Crake, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, African Olive Pigeon, Southern Boubou and Little Rush Warbler. At dusk a few Bonteboks came grazing next to the tent, and when dark several Fiery-necked Nightjars and a Spotted Thick-knee started calling. African Fish Eagle near Bredasdorp Helmeted Guineafowl near Bredasdorp Cape Sparrow near Bredasdorp Blue Crane near Bredasdorp Crowned Lapwing near Bredasdorp Capped Wheatear near Bredasdorp Red-capped Lark near Bredasdorp Cape Canary near Bredasdorp Spotted Thick-knee near Bredasdorp Cape Weaver near Bredasdorp Black-headed Heron near Bredasdorp Yellow-billed Kite near Bredasdorp Denham's Bustard near Bredasdorp Black-winged Kite near Bredasdorp Brimstone Canary near Bredasdorp Speckled Mousebird near Bredasdorp Brown-throated Martin De Mond NR Bar-throated Apalis De Mond NR White-rumped Swift De Mond NR Barn Swallow De Mond NR Red-eyed Dove De Mond NR Common Waxbill De Mond NR Kittlitz's Plover De Mond NR Grey Plover De Mond NR Common Ringed Plover De Mond NR Curlew Sandpiper De Mond NR Common Greenshank De Mond NR Pied Kingfisher De Mond NR Whimbrel De Mond NR Plain-backed Pipit De Mond NR African Pipit De Mond NR Yellow Canary De Mond NR Levaillant's Cisticola De Mond NR Kittlitz's Plover De Mond NR White-fronted Plover De Mond NR Little Egret De Mond NR Caspian Tern De Mond NR Greater Crested Tern De Mond NR Sandwich Tern De Mond NR Arctic Tern De Mond NR Little Stint De Mond NR Water Thick-knee en route Jackal Buzzard en route Southern Tchagra en route Damara Tern Struisbaai African Marsh Harrier Struisbaai Agulhas Long-billed Lark Agulhas Plains Blue Crane Agulhas Plains Spur-winged Goose Agulhas Plains Large-billed Lark Agulhas Plains African Spoonbill Agulhas Plains

7 Cape Sparrow Agulhas Plains Brown-throated Martin Bontebok NP Pin-tailed Whydah Bontebok NP Black-winged Kite Bontebok NP African Black Duck Bontebok NP Yellow-billed Duck Bontebok NP Common Moorhen Bontebok NP Burchell's Coucal Bontebok NP African Reed Warbler Bontebok NP African Olive Pigeon Bontebok NP Black Crake Bontebok NP Brown-hooded Kingfisher Bontebok NP Southern Red Bishop Bontebok NP Southern Boubou Bontebok NP Little Rush Warbler Bontebok NP African Darter Bontebok NP Reed Cormorant Bontebok NP Fiery-necked Nightjar Bontebok NP Spotted Thick-knee Bontebok NP Blue Crane, near Bredasdorp November 2 Bontebok NP In the morning we walked the Aloe trail, starting from the campsite. Near our tent we saw 2 Pearlbreasted Swallows gathering mud, and a Giant Kingfisher flew over the river. The trail first follows the river where we saw Little Rush Warbler, African Reed Warbler and in the denser riverine wood Tambourine Dove. On the hills on the other side of the river were up to 3 displaying Denham s Bustards. Higher up the trail we had Cape Clapper Lark and African Pipit. Second half of the morning and a part of the afternoon we drove the loop through the park. We saw our first Black Harriers of the trip at , , and saw several Cape Longclaw and Grey-winged Francolin and heard Common Quail. At night Fiery-necked Nightjars were calling again.

8 African Olive Pigeon Bontebok NP Malachite Kingfisher Bontebok NP White-rumped Swift Bontebok NP Cape Wagtail Bontebok NP Pin-tailed Whydah Bontebok NP Little Rush Warbler Bontebok NP Yellow-billed Duck Bontebok NP Southern Masked Weaver Bontebok NP Pearl-breasted Swallow Bontebok NP Giant Kingfisher Bontebok NP Three-banded Plover Bontebok NP Red-billed Teal Bontebok NP Red-necked Spurfowl Bontebok NP African Reed Warbler Bontebok NP Little Rush Warbler Bontebok NP Bar-throated Apalis Bontebok NP Denham's Bustard Bontebok NP Sombre Greenbul Bontebok NP Tambourine Dove Bontebok NP African Black Swift Bontebok NP Alpine Swift Bontebok NP Neddicky Bontebok NP Cape Clapper Lark Bontebok NP African Pipit Bontebok NP Cape Bunting Bontebok NP Common Waxbill Bontebok NP African Stonechat Bontebok NP Black Harrier Bontebok NP Blacksmith Lapwing Bontebok NP Crowned Lapwing Bontebok NP Cape Longclaw Bontebok NP Grey-winged Francolin Bontebok NP Common Buzzard Bontebok NP Diederik Cuckoo Bontebok NP Spotted Thick-knee Bontebok NP Plain-backed Pipit Bontebok NP Fiscal Flycatcher Bontebok NP Cape Sparrow Bontebok NP Ring-necked Dove Bontebok NP White-throated Swallow Bontebok NP Blue Crane Bontebok NP Fiery-necked Nightjar Bontebok NP Water Thick-knee Bontebok NP Blacksmith Lapwing Bontebok NP

9 Levaillant s Cisticola, Bontebok NP Bontebok, Bontebok NP

10 November 3 Bontebok NP Grootvaderbosch NR We woke up early to drive the loop again. Now activity was much better than yesterday afternoon. We saw several mammals, including Cape Mountain Zebra, Bontebok, and Hartebeest. Cape Clapper Lark was abundant. I expected Agulhas Long-billed Larks to be common too, but saw it only once ( , ). We had several Denham s Bustards, but no Karoo Korhaan. Other interesting species were Cape Grassbird, 2 Quailfinch ( , ) and a singing Cloud Cisticola. By the end of the morning we drove the relatively short distance to Grootvadersbosch NR. We placed our tent on the lovely campsite with ten spots only. We booked ahead which proved to be a good idea, since the camp site was fully booked. During our stay in South Africa there was a marked difference between the weekends and the rest of the week. During weekends many South African residents go camping and booking is important to assure your spot. During midweeks however, you can be the only guest on a campsite. At Grootvadersbosch we arrived relatively early on Friday and found an empty camp site. But during the afternoon it filled up with locals camping for the weekend. In the late afternoon we had a stroll in the area. The forest was quiet, but we saw Swee Waxbill, Southern Boubou, African Olive Pigeon and our first Greater Double-collared Sunbird, which proved to be common here. We also walked a bit above the forest, in the fynbos, and easily heard several Victorin s Warblers, for instance at , Cape Clapper Lark Bontebok NP Common Quail Bontebok NP Hadada Ibis Bontebok NP Denham's Bustard Bontebok NP Agulhas Long-billed Lark Bontebok NP African Pipit Bontebok NP Yellow-billed Duck Bontebok NP Yellow-billed Kite Bontebok NP Cloud Cisticola Bontebok NP Ring-necked Dove Bontebok NP Denham's Bustard Bontebok NP Karoo Scrub Robin Bontebok NP Cape Grassbird Bontebok NP Quailfinch Bontebok NP Rock Kestrel Bontebok NP Black Saw-wing Bontebok NP Fork-tailed Drongo en route Denham's Bustard en route Jackal Buzzard en route Swee Waxbill Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Canary Grootvaderbosch NR Speckled Mousebird Grootvaderbosch NR African Dusky Flycatcher Grootvaderbosch NR Greater Double-collared Sunbird Grootvaderbosch NR Southern Boubou Grootvaderbosch NR African Olive Pigeon Grootvaderbosch NR Red-eyed Dove Grootvaderbosch NR Sombre Greenbul Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Robin-Chat Grootvaderbosch NR African Paradise Flycatcher Grootvaderbosch NR Olive Thrush Grootvaderbosch NR Bar-throated Apalis Grootvaderbosch NR White-necked Raven Grootvaderbosch NR Victorin's Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Victorin's Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Red-chested Cuckoo Grootvaderbosch NR

11 November 4 Grootvaderbosch NR Today we focussed on the forest of Grootvaderbosch. We slowly made our way in the forest east of the ridge, but found (vocal) activity to be low. We really had to work for our species. Nevertheless, by the end of the morning we had seen most of the new birds we wanted to see. Terrestrial Brownbul showed twice, same was true for Olive Bushshrike and Forest Buzzard. Cape Batis and Cape Whiteeye were the common default species of this forest. We had one silent Grey Cuckooshrike, and our first Knysna Warbler only at 10:30 AM, where after we heard several more (e.g. at , ). They seem to start singing late. Later in the morning we had our only Forest Canaries of this place, bus showing well in the middle of the forest. Most welcomed lifer materialised only at 11:30 AM: Knysna Woodpecker at , We heard the call only once and could not find the bird. But as described in the birdfinder, it calls only once every minutes, so after searching for that long it called indeed once again. But this time closer, so now we found it soon and had great looks, quite a relief. After some relaxing at midday we birded the west of the ridge, which is slightly drier. It was remarkably silent in the forest, only highlights were a brief sighting of a female Amethyst Sunbird and an only once calling but not showing Narina Trogon. So, the birdfinder is right that you better concentrate on the east side of the slope. Amethyst Sunbird Grootvaderbosch NR Red-winged Starling Grootvaderbosch NR Terrestrial Brownbul Grootvaderbosch NR Olive Bushshrike Grootvaderbosch NR Red-eyed Dove Grootvaderbosch NR Cape White-eye Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Batis Grootvaderbosch NR Forest Buzzard Grootvaderbosch NR Greater Double-collared Sunbird Grootvaderbosch NR White-necked Raven Grootvaderbosch NR Rock Martin Grootvaderbosch NR Red-winged Starling Grootvaderbosch NR Black Sparrowhawk Grootvaderbosch NR Tambourine Dove Grootvaderbosch NR African Dusky Flycatcher Grootvaderbosch NR Grey Cuckooshrike Grootvaderbosch NR Knysna Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Forest Buzzard Grootvaderbosch NR Bar-throated Apalis Grootvaderbosch NR Red-chested Cuckoo Grootvaderbosch NR Knysna Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Terrestrial Brownbul Grootvaderbosch NR Knysna Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Forest Canary Grootvaderbosch NR Knysna Woodpecker Grootvaderbosch NR Olive Woodpecker Grootvaderbosch NR Olive Bushshrike Grootvaderbosch NR Narina Trogon Grootvaderbosch NR African Paradise Flycatcher Grootvaderbosch NR

12 November 5 Grootvaderbosch NR From a birdwatcher s point of view, we better moved on today after seeing most of the forest species. However, the fynbos above the forest looked very nice, so we decided to do a day hike in the fynbos. The walk started good with prolonged views of a pair of Red-necked Spurfowl in the transition zone between forest and fynbos at , The rest of the day we enjoyed very fine hiking, nice flowers and great views all the way into the Boosmansbos wilderness area. Victorin s Warbler was common in this habitat, but it was interesting to see that we heard the first one only around midday. Just as with Knysna Warbler they seem to start singing late. I knew it was wishful thinking, but I hoped to flush a Hottentot Buttonquail or Striped Flufftail as a reward for walking a full day through their habitat. So, I was very excited when I flushed a quail in the afternoon. After flushing it again I could see more details, and it turned out to be a Common Quail. Seldom I have been disappointed after seeing a Common Quail, but this time I was. I also hoped for Red-winged Francolin, but despite taping their call now and then, no response. Personal highlight came in the late afternoon when I photographed a funny dragonfly which turned out the be the rare Mahogany Presba Syncordulia venator. At night we heard duetting African Woods from the campsite. Redchested Cuckoo was also calling, but for this species several birds seemed to be singing 24/7 here in Grootvadersbosch! Red-necked Spurfowl Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Sugarbird Grootvaderbosch NR Karoo Prinia Grootvaderbosch NR Yellow Bishop Grootvaderbosch NR Levaillant's Cisticola Grootvaderbosch NR Red-winged Starling Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Canary Grootvaderbosch NR Rock Kestrel Grootvaderbosch NR Victorin's Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Common Quail Grootvaderbosch NR Victorin's Warbler Grootvaderbosch NR Jackal Buzzard Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Crow Grootvaderbosch NR Peregrine Falcon Grootvaderbosch NR Blue Crane Grootvaderbosch NR Cape Francolin Grootvaderbosch NR African Wood Owl Grootvaderbosch NR Mahogany Presba Syncordulia venator, Grootvadersbosch

13 November 6 Grootvaderbosch NR Garden Route NP Time to move on. After breakfast we packed the tent and drove to the east. When just on our way we had a surprising second African Marsh Harrier of the tip along the road ( , ) and nearby also our only African Hoopoe of the trip. The drive to Garden Route NP was less long as expected. The road conditions were very good, and the road relatively quiet. By the end of the morning we were at the western end of the national park, at the Wilderness section. We made a midday walk on the Giant Kingfisher Trail, near the Ebb and Flow rest camp. This was not the best time of the day to do birding, but we still saw several new birds. One of the first birds we saw was with hindsight also the only one of the trip: Grey Sunbird showed very well in the undergrowth at , Knysna Turaco was common and Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Chorister Robin-Chat, African Emerald Cuckoo and Scaly-throated Honeyguide (heard only) were also added to the list. After shopping in Knysna we arrived by the end of the day at the Vasselot camp site near Nature s Valley. At night singing African Wood Owl here as well. Forest Buzzard Grootvaderbosch NR African Marsh Harrier en route African Hoopoe en route Red-knobbed Coot en route Sombre Greenbul Giant Kingfisher Trail Knysna Turaco Giant Kingfisher Trail Black-headed Oriole Giant Kingfisher Trail Grey Sunbird Giant Kingfisher Trail Red-chested Cuckoo Giant Kingfisher Trail Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher Giant Kingfisher Trail Knysna Warbler Giant Kingfisher Trail Greater Double-collared Sunbird Giant Kingfisher Trail African Emerald Cuckoo Giant Kingfisher Trail Scaly-throated Honeyguide Giant Kingfisher Trail Swee Waxbill Giant Kingfisher Trail Chorister Robin-Chat Giant Kingfisher Trail African Wood Owl Nature's Valley November 7 Nature s Valley We had an excellent start of the day: when getting out of the tent first birds to be seen were Blackbellied Staring and Amethyst Sunbird. We didn t go far today since we hiked near the camp site. We kind of randomly walked trails just west of the village of Nature s Valley, eventually ending up at the pass from where the R102 winds down into the valley. This was not the best choice though, since we mainly found bush-like habitat rather than tall forest. The morning resulted thus in few forest birds, but in the thickets we found Green-backed Camaroptera, Collared Sunbird and Black-backed Puffback. In the shrubs near the pass we heard several singing Victorin s Warblers. I also hoped to hear or see Lazy Cisticola here, but despite taping a few times not a sniff. What maybe also not helped was the increasing wind, low temperature and drizzle. The first bad weather of the trip. We walked down back into the valley through a very nice riverbed parallel to the R102. In the afternoon the weather was even worse, with rain. We still went out in the late afternoon, now in the good forest directly behind the campsite. The only supposedly easy forest bird we are still missing is Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, and after much effort we heard it calling once A single Green Wood Hoopoe and Black Sparrowhawk were also new for the trip. Black-bellied Starling Nature's Valley Amethyst Sunbird Nature's Valley Kelp Gull Nature's Valley White-breasted Cormorant Nature's Valley White-necked Raven Nature's Valley Southern Boubou Nature's Valley

14 White-fronted Plover Nature's Valley Greater Crested Tern Nature's Valley Green-backed Camaroptera Nature's Valley Collared Sunbird Nature's Valley Black-backed Puffback Nature's Valley Karoo Prinia Nature's Valley Greater Double-collared Sunbird Nature's Valley Victorin's Warbler Nature's Valley Southern Double-collared Sunbird Nature's Valley Green-backed Camaroptera Nature's Valley Knysna Turaco Nature's Valley African Sacred Ibis Nature's Valley Amethyst Sunbird Nature's Valley Grey Heron Nature's Valley Black-bellied Starling Nature's Valley Southern Grey-headed Sparrow Nature's Valley Levaillant's Cisticola Nature's Valley African Fish Eagle Nature's Valley Greater Crested Tern Nature's Valley White-breasted Cormorant Nature's Valley Knysna Turaco Nature's Valley Narina Trogon Nature's Valley Black Sparrowhawk Nature's Valley Black-headed Oriole Nature's Valley Collared Sunbird Nature's Valley Black-backed Puffback Nature's Valley Black Saw-wing Nature's Valley Sooty Shearwater Nature's Valley Green Wood Hoopoe Nature's Valley African Wood Owl Nature's Valley Nature s Valley

15 November 8 Storms River Mouth Fortunately, the weather was way better today. We visited the eastern, Tsitsikama part of Garden Route National Park. Here you can walk a few kilometres along the coast on the start of the Otter Trail, to a waterfall. The habitat along the coast is mostly bushes and fynbos, so I couldn t come up with any lifers during this hike, which happened to be true. If you come for bird watching only, this spot can be missed. The ocean views during the hike were nice though and we also spotted several African Oystercatchers. In the early afternoon the wind became really strong so we had a look at sea. We found many Cape Gannets, but also several black shearwaters, I assume Flesh-footed Shearwater. At night, back at our Vasselot campsite, I decided to give Buff-spotted Flufftail a go by taping a few times from the boardwalk in the forest. No response unfortunately but the good views of Cape Genet we got were definitely worth going in there at night! Pied Kingfisher Storms River Mouth Kelp Gull Storms River Mouth Cape Gannet Storms River Mouth Greater Crested Tern Storms River Mouth White-breasted Cormorant Storms River Mouth Cape White-eye Storms River Mouth Karoo Prinia Storms River Mouth Sombre Greenbul Storms River Mouth African Dusky Flycatcher Storms River Mouth Southern Double-collared Sunbird Storms River Mouth African Oystercatcher Storms River Mouth Flesh-footed Shearwater Storms River Mouth Cape Gannet Storms River Mouth Scaly-throated Honeyguide Nature's Valley African Emerald Cuckoo Nature's Valley Water Thick-knee Nature's Valley November 9 Nature s Valley Karoo NP Mainly a travel day, all the way to Karoo NP. But before breakfast I had a short stroll behind the campsite, along the main road, near the river. This time I finally had a good sighting of Yellowthroated Woodland Warbler ( , ), but also got Grey Cuckooshrike, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Narina Trogon and Chorister Robin-Chat. On the way out, we tried for the third time Lazy Cisticola at the pass at , , but once again nothing. Just past the pass we had a Red-necked Spurfowl along the road ( , ). We intended to drive via the Swartberg Pass, but it was closed due to construction work after the road was partly washed away in a rain in April. So, we took the N12 east of it instead and had a short stop in the gorge at , Here we saw our first Black-headed Canaries, Verreaux s Eagles and Cape Rock Thrush of the trip. After lunch in the tiny village Klaarstroom that looked like nothing had changed in 100 years we arrived in Karoo NP in the afternoon. After camping for over a week we decided to take the luxury of a bungalow instead. In this national park one can only drive around by car. On the way to the accommodation we saw our first Common Ostriches and Mountain Wheatears, both very common here. We did a drive between 17:00 and 19:00 at the Lammertjiesleegte. Before arriving at the loop we had already a nice observation: a pair of Dusky Sunbirds at , At the loop we saw Karoo Long-billed Lark, Pale-winged Starling, White-backed Mousebird and the highlight being a group of ten Ludwig s Bustards. Also many mammals around, eg. Common Rhebok, Meerkat, Hartebeest, Common Eland, Steenbok, Cape Mountain Zebra and Gemsbok. Red-chested Cuckoo Nature's Valley Green-backed Camaroptera Nature's Valley Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Nature's Valley Red-eyed Dove Nature's Valley

16 Scaly-throated Honeyguide Nature's Valley Grey Cuckooshrike Nature's Valley Narina Trogon Nature's Valley Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler Nature's Valley Swee Waxbill Nature's Valley Black-headed Oriole Nature's Valley Chorister Robin-Chat Nature's Valley White-rumped Swift Nature's Valley Black Saw-wing Nature's Valley Red-necked Spurfowl Nature's Valley Cape Rock Thrush en route Karoo Prinia en route Speckled Mousebird en route Cape Canary en route Black-headed Canary en route Southern Double-collared Sunbird en route Cape Bunting en route Grey Heron en route Speckled Pigeon en route Red-winged Starling en route Malachite Sunbird en route Pied Starling en route Common Ostrich Karoo NP Mountain Wheatear Karoo NP South African Shelduck Karoo NP Rock Martin Karoo NP Booted Eagle Karoo NP Karoo Scrub Robin Karoo NP Alpine Swift Karoo NP Dusky Sunbird Karoo NP Eastern Long-billed Lark Karoo NP Karoo Chat Karoo NP Pale-winged Starling Karoo NP Ludwig's Bustard Karoo NP Southern Fiscal Karoo NP Ludwig's Bustard Karoo NP Common Ostrich Karoo NP Eurasian Hobby Karoo NP Tractrac Chat Karoo NP White-backed Mousebird Karoo NP Common Ostrich, Karoo NP

17 November 10 Karoo NP Brandvlei The gate from the accommodation to the Klipspringer Pass opens at 06:00, so that was the time we drove in. My target was African Rock Pipit, missed here on the previous visit a few years ago. I played some tape at the start of the pass at , and got immediate response from somewhere on the hill. Since one cannot leave the car I could not locate the song. It was funny that a male Dusky Sunbird also clearly responded to the tape of the pipit. It flew straight in and made a kind of similar sound in response! We drove up the pass and parked at the fenced lookout at , The view in the gorge in very nice and we also saw Pale-winged Starling and Layard s Warbler here. After the pass the road continues over the plains as the Potiekkertjie Loop. At the very first stop Janne found three Lions! There are only a few individuals in the big park, so we were very lucky. The loop was packed with mammals anyway, many antelopes but also Cape Mountain Zebra. Best bird were three Karoo Korhaans that showed very well at , After a late breakfast we packed our stuff and drove out of the park. On the way we found the same pair of Dusky Sunbird on the same spot as yesterday. The drive to Brandvlei took considerably longer than expected because large parts of the route were dirt roads. And we just drove a small Hyundai i10. Eventually we made it, arriving around 16:00 at Casablanca Overnight & Camping. We booked a room in advance via Booking.com, but you can camp here as well. The coordinates of this places according booking.com and Google are a few kilometres southwest of town in the middle of nowhere. The place is however in the town of Brandvlei itself, and it is well signposted in the village. The owners are very friendly and can cook for you. Dusky Sunbird Karoo NP African Rock Pipit Karoo NP Yellow Canary Karoo NP Mountain Wheatear Karoo NP Plain-backed Pipit Karoo NP Ring-necked Dove Karoo NP Southern Masked Weaver Karoo NP Greater Striped Swallow Karoo NP Speckled Pigeon Karoo NP Red-winged Starling Karoo NP Layard's Warbler Karoo NP Acacia Pied Barbet Karoo NP Black-headed Canary Karoo NP Familiar Chat Karoo NP Buffy Pipit Karoo NP Common Ostrich Karoo NP Pale Chanting Goshawk Karoo NP Rock Kestrel Karoo NP Red-faced Mousebird Karoo NP Karoo Korhaan Karoo NP Cape Weaver Karoo NP Dusky Sunbird Karoo NP European Bee-eater en route European Bee-eater en route Cape Teal en route Namaqua Sandgrouse en route Pale Chanting Goshawk en route Yellow Canary en route Double-banded Courser Brandvlei area Lark-like Bunting Brandvlei area White-throated Canary Brandvlei area Ludwig's Bustard Brandvlei area Cape Bunting Brandvlei area Rufous-eared Warbler Brandvlei area Southern Black Korhaan Brandvlei area

18 Lion, Karoo NP November 11 Brandvlei Aurora, Mountain Mist A long day ahead, we left at 5 AM and drove a bit northwest out of town. There are several reports of Red Lark along the dirt road around , However, before getting there we found one singing already along the road at , Also several singing Karoo Korhaans here. After seeing the lark we turned around and took the dirt road northeast of Brandvlei, since this area is well known for Sclater s Lark. There are quite some records at ebird and observado.org from , At this point, some 20km out of Brandvlei, is a well with a metal windmill, easy visible from the road. Before arriving there we saw Namaqua Sandgrouse and Karoo Korhaan along the road, both showing very well. When stopping at the well, we saw a Kori Bustard in flight, what a huge bird! We put a scope on the well and saw a flock of Lark-like Buntings drinking. It didn t take long before two Sclater s Lark came to drink as well. We had breakfast here and within the hour or so we were checking the well, twice more two Sclater s Larks flew in to drink. I don t know whether it was the same couple that returned twice or that we saw six individuals. With this target in the pocket we drove back to Brandvlei, seeing Sinckle-winged Chat and Spike-heeled Lark on the way. At the dry riverbed at , we saw another Dusky Sunbird. From Brandvlei we started the long drive to Aurora. Most interesting bird during the drive were a couple of Greater Kestrels at , 19,2812. We left the N7 at , , a bit north of Aurora. By going so, we drove quite some kilometres in Cape Long-billed Lark habitat. We looked carefully, but couldn t find any, also not at , , from where it was reported recently on e-bird. Most records are from a spot northeast of Velddrif though. This was the final try before going to Aurora, but fortunately we found them there within minutes ( , ). This seems like just a random spot along the coast, but when arriving I understood why this is a good place. All along the road is a fence and here is a small turn off, so you can enter the area and walk in the sandy low vegetation, we found them in the northeast corner of the intersection. They were on the ground and not in the fence or poles, so easy to miss if you only drive around in the area checking poles and fences. They seem to be scarce anyway given the few records online. One would expect many sightings from the close by Westcoast NP, but they are only seldom reported there, no idea why it is so scarce. Anyway, after seeing the larks we drove straight to the small village of Aurora, and from there the 15km dirt road to the top of

19 the nearby mountain to the self-catering cottages of Mountain Mist. We booked this accommodation in advance on their website ( and paid ZAR 900 per night. The setting of the cottages is fantastic. They are about the only place on the mountain top; you have great views down the mountain all the way to the ocean. The mountain itself is full of flowers including many proteas. For a bird watcher the main reason could be the Protea Canary which is very easy to see here. For instance, when we had to wait a little moment before checking in we already found them in the large pine near the office ( , ). After checking in we didn t go far from the cottage to see some birds: Cape Sugarbird is very common and tame, Rock Kestrel, Cape Francolin, Orangebreasted Sunbird, Cape Rock Thrush, Booted Eagle and more Protea Canaries. We heard from local bird watchers we met earlier this trip that Freckled Nightjar and Cape Eagle Owl are possible here at night. We tried both with tape around the accommodation, but no luck. Karoo Korhaan Brandvlei area Red Lark Brandvlei area Namaqua Sandgrouse Brandvlei area Bokmakierie Brandvlei area Chat Flycatcher Brandvlei area Karoo Korhaan Brandvlei area Spike-heeled Lark Brandvlei area Kori Bustard Brandvlei area Lark-like Bunting Brandvlei area Sclater's Lark Brandvlei area Sclater's Lark Brandvlei area Sickle-winged Chat Brandvlei area White-throated Canary Brandvlei area Pied Crow Brandvlei area Barn Swallow Brandvlei area Long-billed Crombec Brandvlei area Sabota Lark Brandvlei area Kori Bustard Brandvlei area Dusky Sunbird Brandvlei area Ant-eating Chat en route Greater Kestrel en route Booted Eagle Velddrif Black Harrier Velddrif Cape Long-billed Lark Velddrif Black-winged Kite Velddrif Yellow-billed Kite Velddrif Jackal Buzzard Velddrif Pale Chanting Goshawk Velddrif Helmeted Guineafowl Velddrif Large-billed Lark Velddrif Blue Crane Aurora Protea Canary Mountain Mist Rock Kestrel Mountain Mist Malachite Sunbird Mountain Mist Cape Sugarbird Mountain Mist Cape Francolin Mountain Mist Orange-breasted Sunbird Mountain Mist Greater Striped Swallow Mountain Mist Booted Eagle Mountain Mist Cape Rock Thrush Mountain Mist Levaillant's Cisticola Mountain Mist Protea Canary Mountain Mist Cape Canary Mountain Mist

20 Karoo Korhaan, Brandvlei November 12 Aurora, Mountain Mist For once not an early wake up for birding, but sleeping in and the rest of the day just hanging around the mountain enjoying birds, insects and botany. Some of the more interesting species seen today included the species seen yesterday, 2 Verreaux s Eagles, several displaying Booted Eagles, several Protea Canaries, mainly just along the road near the reception, and two Cape Siskins on the veranda of our cottage. We were not in the mood of trying night birds again. Verreaux's Eagle Mountain Mist Protea Canary Mountain Mist Cape Rock Thrush Mountain Mist Rock Kestrel Mountain Mist Booted Eagle Mountain Mist Rock Martin Mountain Mist Neddicky Mountain Mist Red-winged Starling Mountain Mist Cape Siskin Mountain Mist

21 Cape Sugarbird, Mountain Mist Orange-breasted Sunbird, Mountain Mist

22 November 13 Auroara Darling Wildflower Route Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden After breakfast we left the scenic mountain mist. We drove out of the mountains into the agricultural fields near Aurora. We saw a Denham s Bustard landing, and when stopping, we found a group of 12 in the field ( , )! Equally unexpected was a fantastic Spotted Eagle owl in bright daylight in a dead tree ( , ). Good start of the drive to Cap Town! Not far from here also our only Lanner of the trip. Next destination were the flower reserves near Darling. We knew that flowers were mainly flowering in September-October, so we hoped to still find a few, but we were disappointed. We were clearly too late with all fields looking dry. What also might not have helped was the drought hitting the Cape Town area. It was still in contrast with the Betty s Bay area earlier in the trip were many plants were flowering. The Tienie Versveld Nature Reserve is just a small reserve along the R315. Although the reserve held few flowering plants we did see Cloud Cisticola, as predicted by the South African Birdfinder. Other birds seen here were Black Harrier, Large-billed Lark, Red-capped Lark, African Pipit and Yellow Canary. Because of the absence of flowers we were in Cape Town early. We drove straight to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden were we had lunch before exploring the gardens. They are absolutely fantastic, this must be one of the finest botanical gardens in the world. I could not see any new birds, but still enjoyed nice views of Forest Canary at , and , A Cape Francolin with chicks was very tame near the restaurant at , In the late afternoon we got the news that the scheduled pelagic with Cape Town Pelagics was cancelled because of the bad weather forecast, with the note that the forecast for the backup day the day after tomorrow was also not good. We checked in at the friendly Green Elephant Backpackers. Cape Francolin near Aurora Denham's Bustard near Aurora Spotted Eagle-Owl near Aurora Jackal Buzzard near Aurora Fiscal Flycatcher near Aurora Common Starling near Aurora Namaqua Dove near Aurora Lanner Falcon near Aurora Karoo Scrub Robin near Aurora Large-billed Lark Tienie Versveld NR Red-capped Lark Tienie Versveld NR Cloud Cisticola Tienie Versveld NR Black Harrier Tienie Versveld NR African Pipit Tienie Versveld NR Yellow Canary Tienie Versveld NR Black-winged Stilt en route Olive Thrush Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Canary Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Common Waxbill Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Egyptian Goose Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Southern Double-collared Sunbird Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Bulbul Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Sombre Greenbul Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Robin-Chat Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Forest Canary Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Swee Waxbill Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Forest Canary Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Karoo Prinia Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Rock Kestrel Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Hadada Ibis Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Pied Crow Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden Cape Francolin Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

23 November 14 Tanqua Karoo No pelagic, so we went to the Tanqua Karoo instead. There were still three lifers waiting there, namely Karoo Eremomela, Karoo Lark and Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. We decided to drive straight to Eierkop for Karoo Eremomela. Just a few kilometres before Eierkop, a few Karoo Eremomela s flew past the road but landed in scrub behind a fence. Eierkop is one of two hills in otherwise flat karoo, so you can see it from a few kilometres before arriving. Upon arrival Janne climbed the hill to see the vegetation on the top while I walked around in the hope to get a better look at the eremomela s and to find Karoo Lark which is supposed to be common here. It might be because the drought, but it was very quiet. We arrived a bit late, 9 AM, but still I expected a bit more action. After walking for over an hour through the vegetation near Eierkop all I found were 2 Grey-backed Cisticola s and a Rufouseared Warbler. When I was about to give up I finally flushed a silent Karoo Lark at the base of Eierkop at , We drove further north along the R355. The most common chat along the road was Karoo Chat. We had one Sickle-winged Chat at the beginning of the road at , and a few Tractrac Chats further north, for instance at , At the junction at , 19,7693 we took the road to the west for a few kilometres before arriving at Skitterykloof, the worldfamous place for Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. We followed the instructions in the South African Bird finder and walked a little east from the parking area to a band of red cliffs at , Here we played the tape once. No response, but when we started to walk in the area we immediately found two foraging birds next to us. We were either lucky, or they responded to the tape by coming in but making no sound. Anyway, we enjoyed being close to them for a long time while they made their way on the boulders or bushes, very nice! This was all happening at midday. In the small reedbed on the other side of the parking ( , 19,7380) we saw Lesser Swamp Warbler. We had a cold Coke at Tankwa Padstal, along the R355 just north of the junction to Skitterykloof. From here we slowly drove back south. I hoped to look for the eremomela again at Eierkop, but when we arrived there it just started to poor down. Sure a blessing for the area, but the end of our birding day. Sickle-winged Chat near Eierkop Karoo Chat near Eierkop Karoo Eremomela near Eierkop Rock Kestrel near Eierkop Ant-eating Chat near Eierkop Rufous-eared Warbler near Eierkop Grey-backed Cisticola near Eierkop Karoo Lark near Eierkop Karoo Chat near Eierkop Cape Sparrow near Eierkop Karoo Prinia near Eierkop Rock Martin near Eierkop Tractrac Chat near Eierkop Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Skitterykloof African Reed Warbler Skitterykloof Lesser Swamp Warbler Skitterykloof Familiar Chat Skitterykloof White-throated Canary Skitterykloof Pririt Batis Tanqua Karoo Fairy Flycatcher Tanqua Karoo Tractrac Chat Tanqua Karoo Karoo Chat Tanqua Karoo Yellow Canary Tanqua Karoo Speckled Pigeon Tanqua Karoo

24 Tanqua Karoo November 15 Cape of Good Hope NR The pelagic was cancelled again, so our last full day in South Africa was spent as a tourist. In the morning we visited Cape of Good Hope NR. The area is very scenic, with also quite some interesting vegetation. At Cape Point itself we saw Cape Bunting, Peregrine, Cape Siskin and breeding Cape Cormorant at , When leaving the reserve we saw a Bontebok near the gate. The afternoon was spent in Cape Town itself, at the impressive Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA). Cape Gannet Cape of Good Hope NR Red-winged Starling Cape of Good Hope NR Karoo Prinia Cape of Good Hope NR Rock Kestrel Cape of Good Hope NR Cape Cormorant Cape of Good Hope NR Kelp Gull Cape of Good Hope NR Cape Bunting Cape of Good Hope NR White-breasted Cormorant Cape of Good Hope NR Cape Siskin Cape of Good Hope NR November 16 Cape Town Amsterdam In the morning we had our Qatar flight back home. Hadada Ibis Cape Town airport Pied Crow Cape Town airport