Cape Town to Kruger. How to book. B I R D I N G A F R I C A South Africa. Orange-breasted Sunbird Tertius A. Gous

Transcription

1 B I D I N G F I C South frica Cape own to ruger range-breasted Sunbird ertius. Gous n this tour, we target South frica s special bird species, large frican mammals and a diversity of landscapes, from rugged coasts to lofty mountains, savannas and forests. We visit many of South frica s key habitats: from the endemicrich south-western tip of the Cape to the third biggest canyon in the world in the dramatic northern Drakensberg, and ruger National ark s raptor- and mammal-rich lowland savannas. Highlights will range from frican enguins, up to 10 species of eagles, up to 3 species of crane, 4 species of vulture, sunbirds, sugarbirds, rock-jumpers and more! Comfortable and sometimes luxurious accommodation will place us as close as possible to the best birding areas, while Birding frica tour leader than istler will provide expert guidance. Individual attention is key thanks to our small group of just 7 participants. Malachite Sunbird ertius. Gous our Dates: 18 to 31 ctober Cost per person sharing: $4100 he Single oom Supplement is $300. It applies only if either you or we cannot find a room-mate for you, or if you prefer a single room and if a single room is available. his includes Birding frica tour-leader, accommodation, all meals, transport, flight from Cape own to Johannesburg, a pelagic trip with Cape own elagics (weather permitting), a night drive in ruger ark, and entry fees and conservation fees at parks and reserves, as indicated on the itinerary. It does not include international flights, extra services, insurance, visas, drinks and items of a personal nature. How to book indly provide your details via this online booking form: ur 3D-secure online payment system can safely accept your booking deposit of Z2000 (this is about $180) by credit card here: n international bank transfer can settle your balance in June. ur erms and Conditions are here: tour information pack with preparation and packing details will be ed to you once you have booked. tour booklet with bird and mammal checklists will be handed on the tour. ertius. Gous Questions? lease contact Marje Hemp info@birdingafrica.com 1

2 C W N U G S Q U I C L U B Some logistical and flight considerations his tour is 14 days long. It starts in Cape own on the morning of 18 ctober It ends at Johannesburg International irport on the evening of 31 ctober Before booking your flight, please discuss your flight details with us. he airport codes are C (Cape own) and JNB (Johannesburg international). If you would like to arrive the day before or depart the day after, then we can book your airport transfers and any nights before or after the tour for you. indly let us know. our-leader: than istler than has moved from hio to Cape own, where he is specializing in frica's birds. his year he has led tours for Birding frica in South frica, anzania and thiopia. His first two years in Cape own he studied biology and traveled around South frica and up to anzania, birding all the way. his is his third year here and his tour schedule is filling up rapidly. than helped set up the outings for "he Biggest Week in merican Birding". In 2014 he is tour-leading there for Birding frica, during a break from his frica schedule. 2

3 C W N U G our focus We have designed this tour to have the best chances to see many of South frica s sought-after bird species and regional specials plus a wide variety of frican mammals and reptiles. s you will see from the itinerary below, we will have multiple opportunities to find some of the interesting bird species, giving us the best chances of success. his avoids the temptation of rushing around trying to get the biggest list. We allow you to focus on the birds that you will always remember and can only or best see here. Having said that, we will be in some of frica s best birding areas and when birding we will try see all the available species, within reason, and will see a huge diversity. lthough the pace will generally be leisurely, we will have some early starts and lots of time in the field. We will also watch mammals and reptiles. ur trip allows chances to see a fantastic diversity: big cats such as lion and cheetah, giants such as frican elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and giraffe, or small and social mammals such as banded mongoose. erhaps we ll spot chameleons and geckos and even watch the antics of dung beetles. species checklist will be handed out to you as part of your tour booklet and is available beforehand upon request. Let us know if you have target species or want to know more about the species we might encounter. iming, climate and transport he tour is timed to coincide with the end of the breeding season in the Cape and the return of summer migrants. he Cape may be warm. ruger may be hot but cooling off in the evening. ravel is by air-conditioned minibus. Group size Just 7 participants. Fitness and health Most of the tour only requires a moderate level of fitness. We walk quite slowly and stop often. t ruger National ark, wild animals preclude excursions on foot. Comfortable walking shoes are adequate for this tour. ccommodation and food We make an extra effort to stay in comfortable and sometimes luxurious accommodation that keeps us as close as possible to the best birding areas. We stay at a selection of guest houses, lodges and rest camps. ll rooms have private facilities with hot showers and private bathrooms throughout. Bottled water is available for purchase en-route, but please note that tap water is potable in South frica. lease check with your leader if you have any concerns. Soft drinks, beer and wine is usually for sale at the restaurants and accommodations. he food on tour is excellent and tasty. It is generally Western-style cuisine based on international dishes, with a hint of South frican influence. Meat and chicken feature predominantly on the menu, along with farm-grown vegetables and fruit. Fish and seafood are popular in the coastal regions. lease advise if you are vegetarian and what foods you enjoy, so that we can cater for you. Itinerary summary his tour offers some of frica s most comfortable and productive birding in beautiful natural surroundings. With its famously high endemic count and good infrastructure, South frica allows for an easy introduction to frica s birds, tricky specials and localized endemics. dd a dash of fine weather, good food, great wine from the Cape winelands and impressive frican mammals, and you re in for a real treat. ur itinerary has been carefully and expertly designed to maximize the number of bird species and endemics. Many of South frica s key habitats and landscapes are included, and some of frica s best places to watch big game, such as frican elephant, lion, leopard and the more specialized cheetah and wild dog. We start with exploring the Western Cape, which holds the world-famous and flower-rich fynbos biome, seabirdrich oceans with its plethora of lbatrosses, Shearwaters and etrels, and expansive aroo desert shrublands. ach area offers many unusual localized birds: Cape ockjumper, Cape Sugarbird, Blue Crane, a host of larks and several striking bustards. We then visit the northern Drakensberg escarpment, which is blessed with a more tropical climate, higher rainfall and tall mountains. We explore the species-rich fromontane forests, highland grasslands, and the mammal-rich savannas of the ruger lowveld where impressive species tallies abound. Here you will find many of frica s larger bird species: Saddle-billed Stork, Hooded, Whitebacked, Lappet-faced and Whiteheaded Vulture, Bateleur, ori Bustard and Ground Hornbill. Swee Waxbill ertius. Gous 3

4 C W N U G Detailed Itinerary Cape coastal fynbos he Birding frica South frica tour kicks off in the fairest Cape. We launch straight into the diverse fynbos biome to find two of the country s most iconic endemics on our first day: Cape ockjumper and Cape Sugarbird. he Cape Fold Mountains and the tlantic ocean provide a spectacular backdrop. While soaking up the impressive landscape, we look for Cape Siskins, striking little range-breasted Sunbirds, iridescent Malachite Sunbirds, ertius Gous Cape Bulbuls, skulking Victorin s Warblers and confiding Cape Spurfowl. long the coast we enjoy close up views of frican enguin and Cape, Bank and Crowned Cormorants. We also have a day out at sea in some of the most productive seabird areas in the world. Six species of Cape ockjumper Mike Buckham albatross can be seen here. ur guide will keep a sharp eye out for Southern ight Whales and Dusky Dolphins. From Cape own we head east to the verberg area and the De Hoop area. nce we reach the plains beyond the Cape Fold Mountains, we should start seeing our first Blue Cranes, South frica s deserving National Bird, our first species of bustard and a localised lark, gulhas Long-billed Lark. hickets are home to the skulking Southern chagra and milkwoods are the domain of notoriously difficult nysna Woodpecker. We return to Cape own via Betty s Bay and ooiels. short stroll will take us to the stony mountain slopes, domain of the endemic Cape ockjumper and Victorin s Scrub Warbler; as well as the delightful range-breasted Sunbird. Not far away, lies the frican enguin colony at Stoney oint, the only accessible place in South frica where all four marine cormorants Blue C rane Call an Cohen www. bir dingafrica.com occur for comparison. 4

5 C W N U G Dullstroom hese high altitude grasslands are a prime spot for Gurney s Sugarbird and grassland endemics include Buff-streaked Chat and Yellow-breasted ipit, which are more easily seen here than elsewhere in South frica. Southern Bald Ibis, Denham s Bustard and Wattled Crane will also be high on our list. fromontane Forest ne of South frica s better escarpment forest and grassland sites is Mount Sheba, which offers easy access to some excellent fromontane forest birding. Here we will listen for mixed foraging parties: Yellow ertius Gous throated Woodland-Warbler, errestrial Brownbul, Cape Batis, live Woodpecker, White-starred obin, Chorister obin-chat, Green-backed Cameroptera, Bar-throated palis, live Bush-Shrike, and Forest Canary. n the leafy forest floor we will look for range Ground hrush and Lemon Dove. Bush Blackcap sometimes appears in the forest fringes. ruger National ark Southern Bald Ibis Callan Cohen We reach ruger after a magnificent drive through the scenic Blyde iver Canyon and take a short detour to look for the smart little aita Falcon. Some big game viewing in ruger National ark draws us next: elephant, white rhinoceros, zebra, giraffe, herds of antelope and if we are lucky some of the large cats: lion and leopard. he area also adds a wide range of savanna birds to our list: Magpie Shrike, vultures and eagles, hornbills and owls, perhaps Senegal Lapwing, and Grey-headed Bushshrike. ltogether 500 species have been recorded in this large reserve. fter our final stint of birding, we return to Johannesburg s ambo airport in time for you flight back home. Jackal Buzzard ertius. Gous Jackal Buzzard ertius. Gous 5

6 S Q U I C L U B Birding frica Itinerary Date Day Birding frica Itinerary Night Sat, ct 18, Sun, ct 19, Mon, ct 20, ue, ct 21, Wed, ct 22, hu, ct 23, Fri, ct 24, Sat, ct 25, Sun, ct 26, Mon, ct 27, ue, ct 28, Wed, ct 29, hu, ct 30, Fri, ct 31, rrive Cape own. You will be met by your guide and taken to visit irstenbosch Botanic Gardens and Strandfontein for waterbirds. elagic trip with Cape own elagics (weather permitting). Visit to Boulders frican enguin Colony. Drive to West Coast National ark via Darling Hills (Cloud Cisticola) and Yzerfontein (Chestnut-fronted lover). In the West Coast ark (Southern Black orhaan and Black Harrier). eserve day for the pelagic. Drive to Swellendam and the De Hoop eserve via the verberg (Blue Cranes) and gulhas lains (gulhas Long-billed Lark and Denham s Bustard). Full day birding in the scenically beautiful De Hoop Nature eserve: (Southern chagra and nysna Woodpecker). Look for Southern ight Whales from oppie lleen Drive back to Cape own via Bettys Bay and ooiels. he nearby coast and mountains are home to several Cape endemics (Cape ockjumper, Cape Siskin, Cape ock hrush, Ground Woodpecker, Victorin s Warbler). Mid-morning departure for Johannesburg. Drive to Dullstroom (21/2 hrs) and enjoy some high lying grassland birding in a beautiful rural area. Look for Wattle and Blue Cranes. fter breakfast drive to ilgrim s est in the scenic northern Drakensberg, driving slowly and birding along the way. vernight at Mount Sheba rivate eserve situated on the escarpment. Full day fromontane forest birding in the reserve and surrounds. hese forest specials complement the more widespread woodland species at lower altitudes. vernight in Mount Sheba rivate eserve. Drive to ruger ark via the spectacular Blyde iver Canyon route, stopping off at the aita Falcon site. vernight at a restcamp in central ruger. Full day savanna and riverine woodland birding and mammal viewing in Central ruger, known for its Big Cats and large raptors. Night drive. Full day birding and wildlife viewing in ruger which offers Big Five mammals and exceptional birding in diverse habitats. Full day birding in the Southern region of the ruger ark. Mixed bushveld birding in acacia and broadleafed woodland in southern ruger. fter breakfast, return to Johannesburg in time for your flight home. nd of services. Cape own Cape own Cape own De Hoop Nature eserve De Hoop Nature eserve Cape own Dullstroom Mount Sheba Mount Sheba Central ruger Central ruger Southern ruger Southern ruger Birding frica reserves the right to modify the itinerary, accommodation, quotation and guides, as specified in our erms and Conditions. lease discuss your flight details with Birding frica before booking your flights. We can book your airport transfers and any nights before or after the tour for you. 6