I met up with Mike, Crista, Sally and Carolyn for a day of birding on the eastern coastline of False Bay. Blustery, cold conditions at Rooi Els made birding tricky to begin with, but after a short while the temperatures picked up and the wind slowed allowing most of the special birds in the area to show. Cape Bunting, Grey Backed Cisticola and Karoo Prinia were the most abundant while Orange Breasted Sunbird, Cape Sugarbird and Cape Rockjumper all made good appearances much to the delight of the British guests.
The Harold Porter Botanical Gardens at Betty's Bay was sheltered from the wind and provided a great mix of fynbos and forest birding. More sunbirds and sugarbirds and a few Cape Spurfowl were seen in the fynbos gardens whilst the adjacent forest patch provided excellent views of Cape Batis, Swee Waxbill, African Paradise Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbul and Olive Woodpecker. The river running alongside the gardens also provided opportunities to see a single Giant Kingfisher and a pair of African Black Ducks.
Stoney Point provided an opportunity for the group to see some of the Cape's coastal birds. Cape Cormorants nesting in their hundreds were a highlight for the group and were joined by small groups of White-breasted and Bank Cormorants. Swift and Sandwich Terns were coming to and fro and, as always, the African Penguins and their young were littered across the beach and rocky shore. All in all, a great day out in the Cape!
A Birding Africa Trip Report by Tour Leader Nick Fordyce.
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.
Practical
tour information: Cape Day Trips and Western Cape Tours
Please click this link for more
detailed information about our upcoming
Cape Tours.
Focus
Our Cape tours and day trips are aimed at keen birders and
nature enthusiasts. They have been designed to see as many endemic
birds as possible. While on the walks, we spend a lot of time
looking for other aspects of wildlife such as mammals, chameleons,
geckos, butterflies and interesting plants. We can also customise
any itinerary to suit to the keen birder, the wildlife enthusiast
or both.
Photography
Many participants on our tours and day trips are amateur wildlife
photographers. And when we get excellent views of a bird or
mammal, some time is usually spent watching and photographing
it. However, this is not a photographic tour and once the majority
of the people have felt that they have absorbed the animal or
bird to their satisfaction, then we move on in search of the
next encounter. Thus, while the photographic
opportunities are very good, the group will only occasionally
wait for somebody who wants to spend even longer getting better
photos.
Fitness
Only a low level of fitness is required.
Timing
Throughout the year.
Climate
Moderate; can be warm in summer and chilly in winter.
Comfort
A good standard of accommodation in guest houses, lodges and
small hotels.
Birding Africa is a specialist birding
tour company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed
holiday birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies,
dragonflies, botany and other natural history aspects and will guide
you to Africa's and Madagascar's most diverse birding destinations.
Our guides' knowledge of African
birds and birding areas is our greatest strength and together we
have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations with the
birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.
We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best
birds. Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and
we are dedicated to making professional, best value trips filled
with endemic species and unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997,
we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders,
small birding groups and top international tour companies. We've
run Conservation Tours
in association with the African Bird Club and work with and consult
for a number of other top international tour companies and the BBC
Natural History Unit.
