Aves Tour / Safari / Adventure Trip Report: -

We left Cape Town at 6AM on the N1 national road which extends from Cape Town to the country’s northern border with Zimbabwe. This national road to Bloemfontein covers a number of different habitats - Wetlands, Mountain Fynbos, Succulent and Nama Karoo, Rivers and Highveld Grassland. A number of Southern African endemics, near endemics and specials are regularly and relatively easily seen on the route. These include Jackal Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Southern Black Korhaan,Karoo Korhaan,South African Shelduck, Orange River Francolin, Namaqua Dove, Melodious Lark, Karoo Chat, Double-banded Courser and Northern Black Korhaan.

On the route between Worcester and Laingsburg Jackal Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard and Southern Pale Chanting Goshawks, Rock Kestrel, Pied Crow, were seen perched on the roadside telephone poles. A coffee stop at the blockhouse between Laingsburg and Beaufort West, Karoo Chat, Cape Sparrow,Fairy Flycatcher, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler and Namaqua Dove. The route between the Blockhouse and Beaufort West produced Steppe Buzzard, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Pale-winged Starling and Pied Starling.

The country side between Beaufort West and Colesberg was beautifully green after the recent rains dams and rivers full. Birds on the dams South African Shelduck andEgyptian Geese, roadside poles Black Crows, Steppe Buzzards and Rock Kestrel.

We decided to take an alternative route from Colesberg to Bloemfontein due to the road works on N1, by going via the villages of Philippolis, Trompsburg, Edenburg and Reddersburg. The country side looked beautifully green with the dams and streams full. This route produced Jackal Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Rock Kestrel, Northern Black Korhaan, Pied Starling, Fork-tailed Drongo’s, Black Crows and Pied Crows.

What amazed me was the number of Steppe Buzzards seen on this 1035 kilometer trip. I would have expected that they would have migrated north by now.

The next two days birding focused on the farm Eben and Maselspoort Resort. The area has had good rains and the long grass made birding difficult. Karoo Korhaan were often heard but not seen, Northern Black Korhaan were seen flying as were Orange River Francolin. Helmeted Guineafowl, Green Wood Hoopoe were heard more often than seen. Southern Pale Chanting Goshawks, Kalahari Scrub-Robin, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler,Pied Starling, Eygptian Geese, Yellow-billed Duck, Red-Knobbed Coot, Common Moorhen, Burchell’s Coucal, Little Grebe, Black-shouldered Kite, Black-headed Heron, Grey Heron, Blacksmith Lapwing were often seen on the dams and near the modder river.

The garden around the farmhouse produced sightings of Common Scimitarbill, Speckled Pigeon, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, Hadeda Ibis, Crowned Lapwing, Cape Robin-Chat, Karoo Thrush, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler, House Sparrow, Cape Sparrow, Red-eyed Bulbul, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, Acacia Pied Barbet, Crested Barbet, Orange-river White-eye, Red Bishop, Fiscal Flycatcher, White-backed Mousebird, White-throated Swallow and Greater Striped Swallow feeding young.

A first sighting on Eben for me was a small party of Scaly-feathered Finch.

Normally Barn and Marsh Owl are regularly seen on Eben but unfortunately not seen on this trip.

The return journey from Bloemfontein to Cape Town on the fourth day  produced  many of the same birds seen on the journey to Bloemfontein and unfortunately did not produce any new species for this Aves Trip. A most enjoyable four days of birding.

Red = Endemic

Blue = Near Endemic