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Day Tours - Johannesburg Region Tough birds of Gauteng – African Grass Owl, Barrow’s Korhaan, Orange River Francolin, Red-chested Flufftail and othersGuide Errol de Beer We take birders to sites for some of these birds that can be found on the doorstep of Johannesburg and Pretoria, IF you know EXACTLY where to go, like Errol. Most Johannesburg birders have not seen these star birds, and yet they can be seen given less than a full day’s birding. Please note: this tour includes 1-day trips on weekends Pilanesberg National ParkThis large game park is home to some 350 odd species of birds and is particularly well known for its big game. A good array of bushveld birds occur here and 150 species on a good summer day is quite feasible. Although we do many day trips to this area, a longer stay comes highly recommended. A lot of our birding will be done at selected spots where we are allowed out of the vehicle and can stroll around at leisure. There are several small dams and watering holes, with the latter being quite productive at times, as well as the larger Mankwe Dam where we will look for some waterbirds. Raptors are well represented and a regular scan of the skies usually produces some of the larger eagles as well as vultures. Specials to look out for include Secretarybird, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Kori Bustard, African Cuckoo, Shafttailed Whydah, Black Eagle, Rock Kestrel, Jackal Buzzard, Blackbreasted Snake Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, Martial Eagle, Pearlspotted Owl and Lappetfaced Vulture. Borakalalo Nature Reserve and Vaalkop DamAlthough both these localities can be visited in one day, it is far more productive to do them on separate days. Both these localities have so much to offer and one can easily spend many more days in this area. Borakalalo is a large game reserve close to Gauteng and has a wide variety of bushveld, woodland and waterbirds. Over 300 species have been recorded and a day trip in summer can easily produce 120 species. The large Klipvoor dam is a prominent feature of the reserve and it is on the Moreleta River below the dam, that we will be looking for African Finfoot and the occasional White-backed Night Heron. Other specials include Redbilled Oxpecker, Short-toed Rock Trush (Winter), Grey-hooded Kingfisher, Meyer’s Parrot, Purple Roller, Doublebanded Sandgrouse, Bronzewinged Courser and Pied Babbler. The Vaalkop dam is a large impoundment on the Elands River and has an incredibly rich selection of birds, with a good representation of raptors which include Osprey (summer), African Fish Eagle, Black, Wahlbergs (summer) and African Hawk Eagle. Some of the larger waterbirds present include Goliath, Great White and Purple Heron, Yellowbilled Stork and Spoonbill. In the bushveld we will look for Violet-eared and Blackcheeked Waxbill, Cape Penduline Tit, Crimsonbreasted Shrike and Barred Warbler. Some other specials include Icterine Warbler, Bluecheeked Bee-eater, Woodland and Pygmy Kingfisher. Ezemvelo Nature Reserve and Bronkhorstspruit DamA very early start to the day will see us at Bronkhorstspruit dam, which is a haven for waterfowl as well as a number of interesting grassland endemics. Over 200 species have been recorded and we should pick up 70 odd species here. Specials to look out for include, Redchested Flufftail (more often heard than seen), Whitebacked Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Caspian Tern, Fantailed, Cloud and Ayres' Cisticola, Blue Korhaan, Orange River Francolin as well as the occasional Osprey. From here we head for the 10000+ Ha Ezemvelo Nature Reserve offering excellent grassland habitat, as well as riverine bush and small areas of acaciaveld. This reserve boasts an impressive bird list which can be found in the downloads section of their web page at www.ezemvelo.co.za . We should find birds such as White-bellied Korhaan, Greater Honeyguide, Banded Martin, Redbreasted Swallow, Striped, Buffy and Plainbacked Pipits with relative ease. Gauteng, Mountains and Wetlands RoutesRoute 1 Route 2
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Itinerary: Duration: 1 day each Limit: 2-12 Date: as required Start: Johannesburg End: Johannesburg Price: on request Price_Includes: Guiding fees Vehicle hire and fuel Price_Excludes: International & domestic flights Transfers Meals Entrance fees Accommodation Personal Insurance Alcoholic Beverages Gratuities Laundry Service Personal expenses such as gifts
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© 2008-2010 Birding Ecotours · www.birdingecotours.co.za was updated March 2010 |
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