We entered Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens through the top restaurant gate at 3:30pm on a beautiful blue skied, sunny, Sunday afternoon.

To greet us above the nursery the gate were Sombre Greenbul, and Helmeted Guineafowl.  A short distance up the path we had excellent sightings of a pair of Cape Batis. The Gardens are spectacular with the brightly coloured August flowers and the striking views of Castle Rock, Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge. In the Protea gardens we had excellent sightings of two endemics, Southern Double Collared Sunbird and Orange-breasted Sunbirds. Excellent photographic opportunities for those of us that had brought cameras. Cape Robin-Chat and Olive Thrush were busy feeding young and bit further on the path a pair of Cape Robin Chat were extremely nervous about the presence of a Southern Boubou. At the water point a bit further on this path an Egyptian goose was having an afternoon drink and in the trees to the right a Spotted Eagle Owl. We turned down towards the lady Ann Barnard pool and had excellent sightings of a pair of Lemon Dove [Cinnamon Dove] and a small Grey Mongoose. A bit further we saw Cape Spurfowl, Southern Boubou, and Common Fiscal.

In the hour and a half of birding in one of the world’s finest Botanical Gardens, Kirstenbosch, we identified six endemics. A fantastic birding experience.

Red = Endemics