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9-day Highveld and Wetlands Birding Spectacular, South Africa Guide:TBA In this tour, we sample some truly stunning areas within surprisingly easy striking distance of Johannesburg. The habitats and therefore the birds on this trip are remarkably diverse, from the verdant forest along the Great Eastern Escarpment, to green rolling hills of the highlands, to extremely bird-rich bushveld. In years of good rainfall, we can expect some of South Africa’s best wetland birding on this trip, with a host of tropical waterbirds. We spend time at some world-famous endemic hotspots such as Wakkerstroom, where (in addition to the Drakensberg area endemics) we could also find all three crane species and other spectacular birds. This is a tour in which birding the extremely rich sites is maximized while driving time is minimized. Arrival:10 February Arrive at OR Tambo International and be transferred to the Outlook Lodge where you will spend the night. Lunch and dinner will be at your own expense. The tour starts the next morning, 11 February. Day 1: Johannesburg - Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve With an early rise, we make our way to the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve to start our birding in earnest. Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve is home to a few endemic bird species as well as a variety of wildlife. We will spend the most part of this day exploring the reserve and trying to add as many species to our list as possible. Birds to be on the look out for include: Eastern Long-billed Lark, Cape Bunting, Red-winged and Grey-winged Francolin, Bokmakierie and Cape Grassbird. We will enjoy a picnic lunch within the reserve, and here too we may see birds such as Fiscal Flycatcher, Green Woodhoopoe and Red-chested Cuckoo. We then continue through the reserve and finally make our way back to the Outlook Lodge in Johannesburg. Day 2: Johannesburg to Tshukudu With another early departure we make our way north via Pretoria and into an area known as the Seringveld. Our target species here will be the Tinkling Cisticola. This is one of the better areas for seeing this species, but it is still by no means an easy trick. From the Seringveld we will continue to the Kgomo Kgomo area, which after good rains can be very productive as far as the bird life is concerned. Birds we will hope to see in this area include: Little and Dwarf Bittern, Scaly-feathered Finch, Southern Pied Babbler, Cuckoo Finch, various widowbirds and if we are lucky a Pygmy Kingfisher. After an eventful morning we make our way to Tshukudu to check in and enjoy lunch and to have a relaxed afternoon. Day 3: Tshukudu to Nylsvlei This morning, we enjoy breakfast and then head further north to the Nylsvlei wetland. Our accommodation for this night is close to the Nylsvlei reserve and we will spend the afternoon on a short hike as well as sitting in one of the hides. Species to be on the look out for this afternoon include: White-throated Robin Chat, Green-capped Eremomela, Bennett’s Woodpecker and Pearl-breasted Swallow. From the hide we may see a variety of waterbirds, including Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Black Crake and even Lesser Moorhen. We will return to our lodge to enjoy dinner. Day 4: Nylsvlei to Magoebaskloof With an early start this morning we will visit a different area of Nylsvlei called “Vogelfontein” Here, there are a couple of hides that we will spend some time in before returning to our lodge for breakfast. White-backed Duck, Fulvous Duck, Southern Potchard, Great Reed Warbler, Squacco Heron and a variety of Egret species are all birds that may be seen this morning. After breakfast we pack up and make our way to the Magoebaskloof area. En-route we will stop to look for Short-clawed Lark, Black-faced Waxbill, Violet-eared Waxbill and Great Sparrow to name a few. We will arrive at our lodge in the afternoon and have some time to relax and discuss the days birding. Day 5: Magoebaskloof With a full day to bird watch in the area we will start by birding through the Woodbush Forest. The Woodbush Forest is one of the better areas to see Black-fronted Bushshrike, Olive Bushshrike, Bat Hawk, Olive Woodpecker, Barratt’s Warbler, Emerald Cuckoo and of course the endangered Cape Parrot to mention a few. We will have a short stop at the Debegeni Falls to enjoy breakfast and then return to our lodge for lunch. This afternoon we will do some birding in the forest surrounding the lodge. Brown Scrub Robin, Narina Trogon, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler and Cape Batis. As the afternoon draws to a close we will listen for the hooting calls of the Buff-spotted Flufftail as well as any Wood Owls that may be around. Day 6: Magoebaskloof to Johannesburg This morning we have an opportunity to do a final walk in the forest before enjoying breakfast and making our way back to Johannesburg. We will arrive in Johannesburg in the early afternoon and have the rest of the day to relax at the Outlook Lodge. Day 7: Johannesburg to Wakkerstroom Wakkerstroom is a little town that probably knows more about birding than anything else. This is because of the rich bird life to be found in this area and the number of endemic species present. We will set out to Wakkerstroom in the early morning and ensure that we have a full afternoon to bird watch in the area. Endemic species found in this area include: Yellow-breasted Pipit, Southern Bald Ibis, Bush Blackcap, Blue and Barrow’s Korhaan, Botha’s Lark and Rudd’s Lark to name a few. In recent years even White-winged Flufftail has been recorded here. With a great afternoon of birding we return to our lodge to enjoy dinner and to discuss the day’s events. Day 8: Wakkerstroom With a full day’s birding to be enjoyed we set out birding many of the country roads in search of as many species as we can find. Grey Crowned Crane, Black Harrier, Ground Woodpecker, African Rock Pipit and Yellow-breasted Pipit all occur in this region. Both Grey-winged and Red-winged Francolin can also be seen in the area. Day 9: Wakkerstroom to Johannesburg (Marievale in the afternoon) Leaving Wakkerstroom after breakfast, we make our way back to Johannebsurg. En-route we will stop at Marievale Bird Sanctuary. This wetland sanctuary is home to several bird species, including Red-billed and Hottentot Teal, Malachite Kingfisher, Africal Rail, several warbler species as well as Red-chested Flufftail. We will arrive at the Outlook Lodge in the late afternoon. This is the last day of our tour.
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Itinerary: Duration: 9 days Limit: 4-12 Date: 11 - 19 February 2009, similar dates in 2010 and 2011 Start: Johannesburg End: Johannesburg Price: R17,330 per person sharing Price_Includes: First night at the Outlook Lodge on the 10 Feb All accommodation Breakfasts and Dinners for the duration of the tour Bottled Mineral Water Reserve entrance fees Professional registered birding guide Comfortable air-conditioned vehicle Extensive birding in all areas covered Price_Excludes: Lunches Laundry Personal insurance Gratuities Items of a personal nature, e.g. gifts Drinks Additional activities
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© 2008-2010 Birding Ecotours · www.birdingecotours.co.za was updated March 2010 |
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