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Eastern South Africa II Cape Extension II Eastern South Africa II 12th to 26th February 2016 (15 days) Cape Extension II th nd 26 February to 2 March 2016 (6 days) Southern Carmine Bee-eater by Gareth Robbins Trip report and photos by tour leader: Gareth Robbins RBT Trip Report – Eastern South Africa and Cape Extension II 2016 2 This was the first day of the tour and we left our accommodation in Kempton Park and made our way towards Zaagkuildrift. We passed Pretoria and stopped at a fuel station to get some coffee and have a look at some birds at the small pond below the station. Birds such as Southern Masked Weavers, Africa Palm Swifts, Cape Sparrows, Common Mynas and a Purple Heron. We finally arrived at the start of the Zaagkuildrift Road and saw Northern Black Korhaan, Amur Falcons, Black- chested and Tawny-flanked Prinias, Lesser Grey, Red- backed and Magpie Shrikes, Red-breasted Swallows, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Southern Boubou, Grey Go- away-birds, Desert, Rattling and Zitting Cisticolas and a White-winged Widowbird. We stopped at a large dam where we saw White-faced Whistling Duck, Knob-billed Duck, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters, Spur-winged Goose, Yellow-billed Duck, Hadada Ibis, Squacco Hero, Great Shaft-tailed Whydah by Gareth Robbins Egret, African Snipe and Black Heron. Further down the road we started to see more specials such as Olive-tree and Icterine Warblers, Shaft-tailed Whydah, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Pearl-spotted Owlet, Crested Barbet, Southern Red Hornbill, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Long-billed Crombec, Woodland Kingfisher, European Bee-eaters, Brown-backed Honeyguide, Chinspot Batis, Burchell’s Starling, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Marico Flycatcher, Green-winged Pytilia, Speckled and Red-faced Mousebirds, Blue Waxbill and Village Indigobird. We arrived at small village called Kgomo-Kgomo where we saw Scaly-feathered Weavers, Black- throated Canaries and a Great Sparrow. Opposite the village was a large wetland where we saw Yellow-billed Storks, Black-winged Pratincoles, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and Greater- striped Swallows. We took another side road and were fortunate to find a large birding party consisting of Icterine Warblers, Marico and White-bellied Sunbirds, Acacia Pied Barbet, Barred Wren-Warbler, Broad-tailed Paradise Whydah and the impressive Violet-eared Waxbills. We continued back along the Zaagkuildrift Road and saw Swainson’s Spurfowl, White-browed Sparrow-Weavers and a few of us saw Black-faced Waxbills. After a successful day we drove back to our guest house in Kempton Park. We started the day with some birding around the garden of the guest house in Kempton Park and found Red- headed Finch and Karoo Thrush. After breakfast made our way to the Kruger National Park. Driving through the Highveld showed us Long-tailed Widowbirds, Black-winged Kites, Grey Heron, African Darter, Black- headed Heron, Common Buzzard, Barn and White- throated Swallows and a Long-Crested Eagle. Once we Red-headed Finch by Gareth Robbins were in the Lowveld we stopped for lunch in White RBT Trip Report – Eastern South Africa and Cape Extension II 2016 3 River where we saw African Paradise Flycatcher, Kurrichane Thrush and a Southern Black Flycatcher. As we continued to make our way towards Orpen Gate we had a few Purple-crested Turacos fly across the road and as we neared the Kruger National Park we had fantastic looks at a Carmine Bee-eater, Brown Snake Eagle and a Black-headed Oriole. After entering the security check point, we were finally in the Kruger National Park and we started to see animals such as Impala, Giraffe and male Leopard lying under a shady tree. We saw birds Leopard catching a Common Warthog by Gareth Robbins such as the beautiful Lilac-breasted and European Rollers, Southern Yellow-billed and Southern Red- billed Hornbills, Cape and Burchell’s Starlings. We made our way towards Satara Rest Camp where we would be staying for the next two nights and continued to see new birds such as Crested Francolin and Natal Spurfowls, White-crested Helmet-Shrikes and Rattling Cisticolas. It did not take us long to see our first pride of lions which were lying in the dry Timbavati River bed with a recently eaten African Buffalo. Further down the road we were very fortunate to come across a Leopard that was walking on the right side of the road. We followed the Leopard and suddenly we noticed a couple of Common Warthogs on the left hand side of the road and so did the Leopard! We watched the Leopard crouch down and make itself as small as possible and as it crossed the road in front of us is darted out and caught an unsuspecting Warthog! After a bit of a struggle the Leopard finally managed to bring the Warthog down. After a successful first day in the Kruger National Park we arrived at Satara Rest Camp where we met Dirk our guide for the next two days and we also got to see the resident African Scops Owl. Today we left Satara Rest Camp at 04:30am as made our way towards Olifants Rest Camp. We saw mammals such as Impala, Common Wildebeest, Plains Zebra, Waterbuck, Steenbok, Common Duiker, Greater Kuku and Giraffe and White Rhinoceros. We started to see birds such as Burchell’s Coucal, Purple Roller, Secretarybird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Gabar Goshawk, Southern White-crowned Shrike, Sabota Lark, Icterine Warbler, Red-faced Cisticola, Hooded and Lappet-faced Vultures, Burnt- necked Eremomela, Saddle-billed Stork, Martial Eagle, Arrow-marked Babblers, Southern Ground Hornbills, Kori Bustard, Red-billed Oxpeckers, Common Brown-headed Parrot by Gareth Robbins Scimitarbill, Retz’s Helmet-Shrikes, Cardinal and Golden-tailed Woodpeckers. We eventually arrived at the Olifants River Bridge and here were we allowed to exit the vehicle. From this vantage point we RBT Trip Report – Eastern South Africa and Cape Extension II 2016 4 saw birds such as Goliath Heron, Woolly-necked Stork, Hamerkop, Water Thick-knee, Blacksmith Lapwing, African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed Kite, Common Greenshank, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Little Swifts, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, and an African Pied Wagtail. We also saw a dead Hippopotamus that was covered with White-backed Vultures and one Cape Vulture. Suddenly a lioness charged out from a bush and chased the vultures away and had a good look at us on top of the bridge. We then drove to another lookout point where we saw African Jacana, African Openbills and a few Nile Crocodiles. We made our way to Olifants Rest Camp managing to get a rare sighting of a Sharpe’s Grysbok darting through the Mopane Trees. Once we arrived at Olifants we saw White-bellied Sunbirds and a Violet-backed Starling before heading for breakfast. After breakfast we walked around the camp managing to see Willow Warbler, Black-backed Puffback, Red-headed Weaver, Spotted Flycatcher, Green Wood Hoopoes by Gareth Robbins Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Orange-breasted Bushshrike and a Chinspot Batis. After a wonderful visit to Olifants camp we made our way back to Satara managing to get some good views of African Elephants. In the afternoon we took a short drive managing to see Double-banded Sandgrouse and a Bateleur. After dinner we went on a night drive and saw Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, Bronze-winged Courser, Fiery-necked Nightjar, Spotted Thick-knee and a Marsh Owl. Today we said goodbye to Satara, and just before we left the camp we got a good look at an African Mourning Dove. We continued South in the direction of Satara managing to see White Rhinoceros, African Buffalo, African Elephants and general game such as Plains Zebra, Nyala, Bushbuck and a the comical Chacma Baboon. We saw more new birds throughout the morning such as Common Ostrich, Helmeted Guineafowl, Little Egret, White-headed Vulture, Tawny Eagle, Lesser Striped Swallow, Three-banded Plover, Purple Roller, Brown-headed Parrot, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Paradise Flycatchers, Southern Black Tit, Dark-capped Bulbul, Yellow-fronted Canary, Emerald Spotted Wood Dove, Wire-tailed Swallow, Wattled and Greater Blue-eared Starling, White-browed Scrub Robin, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Red-billed Queleas and a Jameson’s Firefinch. We stooped at Skukuza Rest Camp for breakfast where we saw the resident Peter’s Epauletted Fruit Bats. In the afternoon we drove along the Sabie River and saw a large number of Marabou Storks and Water Thick-knees. A little further along the river we saw White-fronted and Little Bee-eaters and finished off the day with an unforgettable sighting Woodland Kingfisher by Gareth Robbins of a Broad-billed Roller. RBT Trip Report – Eastern South Africa and Cape Extension II 2016 5 We left Skukuza Rest Camp at headed in the direction of Pretoriuskop Rest Camp. Once again we started to see a new variety of birds such as Red-chested Korhaan, Mocking Cliff Chat, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting and African Green Pigeons. We also had a large bird party where we saw Grey- headed Bushshrike, Black-backed Puffback, Brown- crowned and Black-crowned Tchagras, Brubru, Red-backed Shrike, Southern Black Tit and the stunning Golden- breasted Bunting. Further along the road we saw Purple Indigobird, an immature Dark-chanting Goshawk, Monotonous Lark and a Bushveld Pipit. We stopped at Pretoriuskop for a late breakfast and managed to see Black- collared Barbets and a Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird in the camp. One of our mammal highlights of the morning was of a single Cheetah sitting the shade under a large tree. At Broad-billed Roller by Gareth Robbins Numbi Gate we saw a beautiful male Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Lesser Masked Weaver and a Yellow-throated Petronia. We left the Kruger National Park and continued towards Wakkerstroom and before we knew it we were back in the Highveld.
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