Detailed
Trip Report
The aim of this whistle-stop, three-and-a-half-day trip was to find
as many endemics of the West
Coast, Cape Mountains, Ceres Karoo and Grootvadersbosch during the
time at our disposal.
Highlights included Black-headed Canary, Black Harrier, Southern
Black Korhaan and a flock of 15
Ludwig’s Bustard on the West Coast, a trio of Cape Rockjumper
and a very confiding Victorin’s
Warbler at Bain’s Kloof Pass, excellent views of Cinnamon-breasted
Warbler, Karoo Korhaan and
Karoo Eremomela in the Ceres Karoo, and equally good sightings of
Knysna Warbler and Forest
Buzzard at Grootvadersbosch.
25 October 2010: Cape Town to West Coast
An early morning start saw us shoot up the R27 to the West Coast
National Park, where soon after
arrival we found a surprise group of Black-headed Canary foraging
near the road, including a
striking male. In the surrounding strandveld we quickly found more
common species such as Cape
Bunting, Bokmakierie, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Yellow Canary, Chestnut-vented
Tit-Babbler and
Grey-backed Cisticola. A little more searching revealed Grey Tit,
a small party of diminutive Cape
Penduline Tit and displaying Karoo Lark. Birding from the hide provided
excellent views of a
young African Rail and its more watchful parent, and Black Crake.
A smart Black Harrier soared
directly overhead, Pearl-breasted Swallow flitted over the grasslands,
and Little Rush Warbler was
seen in the reeds. From here we made our way to Velddrif where we
quickly found the sought-after
Chestnut-banded Plover, White-fronted Plover and Lesser Flamingo,
and then headed for the
coastal area near Vredenburg, spotting a roadside male Southern
Black Korhaan and Blue Cranes
on our way. Near Vredenburg we quickly found a calling Cape Long-billed
Lark, and over the
course of the rest of the afternoon, Sickle-winged Chat, Capped
Wheatear, Cloud Cisticola and,
best of all, a flock of fifteen Ludwig’s Bustard, which were
a bit flighty at first but gave excellent
views in the end.
26 October 2010: West Coast to Ceres Karoo
A pre-dawn start saw us headed eastwards towards the Ceres Karoo,
although we decided first to
make a detour to the Bain’s Kloof area. On arrival at Bain’s
Kloof Pass we were greeted by a strong,
cold wind, which made standing upright difficult. We search some
of the more sheltered ridges, first
drawing a blank but finding a confiding trio of Cape Rockjumper
on our second attempt. Bird
activity was slow, but we also managed to coax Victorin’s
Warbler out of its roadside thicket for
excellent views. Cape Siskin flew over a ridge before we could obtain
decent views. From Ceres we
made a detour to find Protea Seedeater (also seeing Swee Waxbill),
which behaved very well, before
heading into the Karoo where Namaqua Warbler greeted our arrival
near Karoopoort. We worked
the roadside habitat as we drove northwards, finding Mountain Wheatear,
Karoo Chat, Tractrac
Chat, Rufous-eared Warbler, Spike-heeled Lark, Southern Pale Chanting
Goshawk and a quartet
of Karoo Korhaan before we reached Skitterykloof. Here it was hot
and quiet, and trustingly a
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler vanished from the rocky slope where I
had spotted it before anyone
could see it properly. Dusky Sunbird, Fairly Flycatcher, Layard’s
Titbabbler, White-throated
Seedeater and White-backed Mousebird were some consolation before
we moved on out our
accommodation. En route a pair of Ground Woodpecker performed well,
and after dark we found a
very tame Rufous-cheeked Nightjar, although we drew a blank on Cape
Eagle Owl.
27 October 2010: Ceres Karoo to Grootvadersbosch
An early start back at Skitterykloof resulted in more frustration
as we chased calls of Cinnamon-
breasted Warbler across the rocky slopes for almost two hours, obtaining
only brief views. And Pririt
Batis was nowhere to be found either. As we headed for the plains
we paused one last time at the
rocky poort, where Cinnamon-breasted Warbler was calling. A little
persistence and we soon had
the warbler preening on top of an Aloe, giving excellent views in
the scope! Out on the plains we
quickly found Southern Ant-eating Chat and some confiding Namaqua
Sandgrouse, and a little
more searching turned up the localised Karoo Eremomela. Our last
Karoo special was a trio of Pririt
Batis along an Acacia-lined watercourse, before we headed south
and east towards the Langeberg. En
route we found Steppe Buzzard, Wattled Starling, Grey-backed Sparrowlark
and, birding near the
Tradouw Pass, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Cape Sugarbird, Cape Rock
Thrush, Greater Double-
collared Sunbird, Brimstone Canary, and a pair of Knysna Woodpecker.
We arrived at
Grootvadersbosch in the drizzle, although a roadside Olive Bushshrike
did brighten our moods. After
dark we managed to spot a cold, soggy African Wood Owl.
28 October 2010: Grootvadersbosch to Cape Town
With just a few hours of birding at our disposal, we wasted no time
in making an early entry into
Grootvadersbosch forest. Birds were very cooperative, and we quickly
found Yellow-throated
Woodland Warbler, Olive Woodpecker, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher,
and an amazingly
relaxed Knysna Warbler, which sat on a big fallen tree trunk, right
out in the open. Other highlights
of the morning were a Tambourine Dove (scarce here), several Forest
Canary, Black Cuckoo,
Black Sawwing, Greater Honeyguide, Amethyst Sunbird and a relaxed
Forest Buzzard, perched
near the road where it was drying out after the rain. After a hearty
breakfast it was time to bid the
birds farewell, as we hotfooted it for Cape Town International Airport
for an early afternoon
departure.
A Birding Africa Trip Report by Tour
Leader Michael Mills.
Many of the birding sites on this trip are described in detail
in the Southern African
Birdfinder which is widely available in South African bookshops
and on the internet. (e.g., www.netbooks.co.za
or www.wildsounds.co.uk). However
you're always welcome to contact
us if you're interested in a guided trip in this area. |
