Newsletter / Blog
2011-04-13 Aves Trip / Tour / Safari / Adventure report on visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town.
The Aves group entered Kirstenbosch
Botanical Gardens through the top gate, Rycroft Gate, after eight on a beautiful
blue skied, sunny, Sunday morning. To greet us near the gate were Sombre
Greenbul, Egyptian Geese and Helmeted Guineafowl. A short distance up the path towards the
irrigation dam we spotted an African Goshawk which was then chased by a Pied
Crow. The spectacular views, overlooking the Gardens and the Southern Suburbs
of Cape town and then looking up at Castle Rock, Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge, heightened
the spirits of all. In the Protea gardens we had excellent sightings of two
endemics of the Western Cape, Cape Sugarbirds and
Orange-breasted Sunbirds. Excellent photographic opportunities for
those of us that had brought our cameras.
We walked up to the contour path and along it towards Newlands Forest. Turned down towards the gardens just past the nursery stream. This section
produced great sightings of Southern Double Collared Sunbirds, Bokmakierie, Karoo Prinia and
Cape Robin-Chat. We crossed Nursery stream again in the direction of the tearoom
and spotted a small Grey Mongoose and Olive Thrush. The tea and scones were
most welcome and we then headed down into the gardens to see Cape Spurfowl, Southern Boubou,Common Fiscal, Speckled Mousebird, Common
Waxbill and Levailliant’s Cisticola.
In
the two hours of birding in and around one of the world’s finest Botanical Gardens, Kirstenbosch,
the Aves group had identified seven endemics. A fantastic birding experience.
Red = Endemics |