Monday, August 25, 2008

South Africa 9-24 Aug 2008






















Started in Port Elizabeth with SOUTHERN BOUBOU, COMMON FISCAL, CAPE GULL, GREY HEADED GULL, BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, CAPE CORMORANT, WHITE BREASTED CORMORANT, BLACK COLLARED BARBET (pic), House Sparrow, CAPE COLLARED DOVE, CAPE TURTLE DOVE, Laughing Dove, SPECKLED MOUSEBIRD, Pied Kingfisher, FORK TAILED DRONGO

Thence to Zuurberg, where we added SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER, HADEDA IBIS, SOUTHERN MASKED WEAVER, CAPE WEAVER, CAPE WHITEYE, CAPE GLOSSY STARLING, OLIVE THRUSH, CAPE ROBIN CHAT, CROWNED HORNBILL

From Zuurberg, we visited Addo National Park and saw INTERMEDIATE EGRET, DOUBLE COLLARED SUNBIRD (pic), Sacred Ibis, BOKMAKIERIE, BLACK HEADED HERON, AFRICAN FISH EAGLE, RED FACED MOUSEBIRD, CAPE BULBUL, Little Grebe, SOUTH AFRICAN SHELDUCK, Egyptian Goose, BLACKSMITH PLOVER, THREE BANDED PLOVER, KILLITZ PLOVER, SOUTHERN BLACK KOURHAAN, COMMON OSTRICH, AFRICAN PALM SWIFT AND WHITE RUMPED SWIFT

Having had to flee Zuurberg when it was razed by a bush fire, we plucked up courage to return to the bush at wonderful Schotia, where we saw HELMETED GUINEAFOWL, CAPE LONGCLAW (pic), STANLEYS BUSTARD

Moving on to Knysna, at Tsitsikamma we saw LOURIE (KNYSNA TURACO now) and Lydia OLIVE WOODPECKER.

At the Featherbed Nature Reserve, JACKAL BUZZARD, ROCK KESTREL

Around Knysna, Speckled Pigeon, Red Winged Starling and Grey Heron.

Then on a great trip up the Keurboom River with an expert guide, Giant Kingfisher, REED CORMORANT, FOREST BUZZARD, (some excellent Lourie views), THICKKNEE PLOVER, WHITE NECKED RAVEN, WOOD SANDPIPER.

On to Outdshoorn, for CAPE SPARROW AND FOREST CANARY. Driving out from there thru the Little Karoo, PALE CHANTING GOSHAWK and probable Wattled Starling by the roadside. Near Swellendam, magnificent BLUE CRANE.

Final destination was Cape Town. At Hout Bay, HARTLAUB'S GULL and BANK CORMORANT. Excellent range at Cape Point: CAPE GANNET, ORANGE BREASTED SUNBIRD (pic), GREY BACKED CISTICOLA, CAPE GRASSBIRD, CAPE BUNTING and a Cape Francolin. And we swam with AFRICAN PENGUINS!

A rainy trip to Kirstenboch Botanical Gardens nonetheless yielded a couple of SPOTTED EAGLE OWLS, SWEE WAXBILL AND CAPE CANARY.

On the way back from Robben Island, a Shearwater.

On the top of Table Mountain, a GROUND WOODPECKER (pic).

Last couple of days with Yolandi and Rob - African Harrier Hawk in their garden, CAPE SUGARBIRD (pic by Rob) first spotted on a (wet) high mountain pass. At Boschendal Winery in the dusk we saw a magnificent Spotted Eagle Owl flying, and also a pair of DUSKY FLYCATCHERs. Final morning a short hike in lovely Jonkershoek (SOUTHERN RED BISHOP enroute) yielded CAPE BATIS (pic by Rob), CAPE FRANCOLIN and BAR THROATED APALIS (identified and photographed by Rob!).

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