Jo's Cape to Kruger Safari

[kittykat23uk]

Total list of birds (in alphabetical order)

 

Acacia Pied Barbet

African Black Oystercatcher

African Black Swift

African Darter

African Fish Eagle

African Goshawk

African Green Pigeon

African Harrier Hawk

African Hawk Eagle

African hoopoe

African Jacana

African Marsh Harrier

African Palm Swift

African Penguin

African Pied Starling

African Scops Owl

African Wagtail

Arctic Tern

Arrow Marked Babbler

Atlantic yellow-nosed Albatross

Bank Cormorant

Barn Swallow

Bateleur Eagle

Bearded Scrub-robin

Black Crake

Black Harrier

Black Headed Heron

Black-collared Barbet

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Tchagra

Black-shouldered Kite

Blacksmith Plover

Black-throated Canary

Blue Crane

Blue Waxbill

Booted Eagle

Brimstone Canary

Brown Hawk Eagle

Brown-headed Parrot

Brown-hooded Kingfisher

Brubru

Burchell's Coucal

Burchell's Starling

Bush Blackcap

Cape Batis

Cape Bulbul

Cape Bunting

Cape Canary

Cape Cormorant

Cape Crow

Cape Francolin

Cape Gannet

Cape Gull

Cape Long-claw

Cape Robin-chat

Cape Rock Thrush

Cape Spurfowl

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Vulture

Cape Wagtail

Cape White-eye

Cardinal Woodpecker

Chin-spot Batis

Cinnamon-breasted Bunting

Collared Sunbird

Common Fiscal

Common Mynah

Common Sandpiper

Common Swift

Common Tern

Crested Barbet

Crested Francolin

Crowned Cormorant

Crowned Lapwing

Cutthroat Finch

Dark-capped Bulbul

Denham's Bustard

Doube-collared Sandgrouse

Egyptian Goose

Emerald Spotted Wood Dove

European Starling

Familiar Chat

Flesh-footed Shearwater

Fork-tailed Drongo

Giant Kingfisher

Golden-breasted Bunting

Goliath Heron

Great Shearwater

Great Winged Petrel

Greater Blue-eared Starling

Greater Double-collared Sunbird

Greater-striped Swallow

Green Wood Hoopoe (Red-Billed Wood Hoopoe)

Green-Backed Heron

Greenshank

Grey Go-away Bird

Grey Heron

Grey Hornbill

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Groundscraper Thrush

Hadeda Ibis

Hammerkop

Hartlaub's Gull

Helmented Guineafowl

Hooded Vulture

House Sparrow

Indian Peafowl

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

Jackal Buzzard

Jameson's Firefinch

Karoo Eremomela

Karoo Prinia

Kelp Gull

Kittlitz Plover

Kori Bustard

Kurrichane Thrush

Lanner Falcon

Lappet-faced Vulture

Laughing Dove

Lemon Dove

Lemon-breasted Canary

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Kestrel

Lesser Striped Swallow

Lilac-breasted Roller

Little Egret

Little Green Bee-eater

Little Swift

Long-billed Crombec

Long-tailed Widowbird

Magpie Shrike

Marabou Stork

Melba Finch (Green-winged Pytilla)

Mocking Cliff-chat

Natal Francolin

Northern Giant Petrel

Northern Royal Albatross

Olive Thrush

Orange-breasted Bush Shrike

Orange-breasted Sunbird

Ostrich

Pale Chanting Goshawks

Pale-winged Starling

Pied Crow

Pied Kingfisher

Pintado Petrel

Purple Heron

Purple-crested Turaco

Red Knobbed Coot

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

Red-billed Hornbill

Red-billed Oxpecker

Red-crested Korhaan

Red-faced Mousebird

Red-headed Weaver

Red-winged Starling

Rock Kestrel

Sabine's Gull

Sabota Lark

Sacred Ibis

Saddle-billed Stork

Sandwich Tern

Shy Albatross

Sooty Shearwater

Southern Boubou

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Southern Ground Hornbill

Southern Red Bishop

Southern White Crowned Shrike.

Speckled Pigeon

Spotted Thicknee

Square-tailed Drongo

Square-tailed Nightjar

Steppe Buzzard

Steppe Eagle

Subantarctic Skua

Swainson's Spurfowl

Swallow-tailed Bee-eater

Swift Tern

Tawny Eagle

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Terrestrial Brownbul

Three-banded Plover

Verreaux's Eagle Owl

Village Weaver

Water Dikkop

Wattled Starling

Whalberg's Eagle

White breasted Cormorant

White Browed Scrub Robin

White Chinned Petrel

White-backed Vulture

White-bellied Sunbird

White-breasted Cormorant

White-browed Robin Chat (Heuglin's robin)

White-chinned petrel

White-crested Helmet-Shrike

White-crowned Plover

White-faced Whistling Duck

White-fronted Bee-eater

White-headed Vulture

White-necked Raven

White-rumped Swift

White-throated Robin-chat

Wire-tailed Swallow

Wood Sandpiper

Yellow Canary

Yellow-bellied Greenbul

Yellow-billed Hornbill

Yellow-billed Kite

Yellow-billed Stork

Yellow-breasted Apalis

Yellow-fronted Canary

 

Black Backed Jackal

Black Rhino

Bryde's Whale (poss)

Burchell's Zebra

Bush Duiker

Bushbuck

Cape Buffalo

Cape Clawless Otter

Cape Fur Seal

Cape Mountain Zebra

Chacma Baboons

Dwarf Mongoose

Elephant

Giraffe

Greater Kudu

Hippo

Impala

Klippspringer

Leopard

Lesser Bushbaby

Lion

Nyala

Rock Hyrax

Scrub Hare

Side-striped Jackal

Slender Mongoose

Southern Giraffe

Southern Right Whale

Spotted Hyena

Steenbok

Vervet Monkey

Warthog

Waterbuck

White Rhino

 

Other vetebrates

Great White Shark

Leopard Tortoise

Water Monitor

Flap-necked Chameleon

Nile Crocodile

Various lizards & geckos

 

Other Invertebrates

Black Rock Scorpion

Whip Scorpion

Antlion

Giant Centipede

Mutabele Ants

[Atravelynn]

I'm up to the puff adder that reversed your course. You have a great description of the shark diving and your photos of the sharks a wonderful. Some beautiful weather for your whale watching. Such magnificent backgrounds for the whale tails. Great perspectives on the penguins.

 

Looks like you fulfilled the role of photographer after Helen's camera was broken. Did she have another?

 

Thanks for a wonderful report. Looking forward to reading more.

[twaffle]

Impressive report and quite a different trip to that which is usually posted. Some amazing bird sightings, quite a list you ended up with. Black rhino do habitually get open wounds which are caused by a burrowing 'thingymejig' (sorry, forgotten the name and I don't have time to look it up), so hopefully wasn't anything more serious than that.

 

You covered some ground and it looks like it was well worth the effort to self drive.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks Lynn, Helen managed to get another lens while we were in Cape Town thankfully.

 

Thanks Twaffle, I think its fair to say we're not slef drive converts, because I do believe that I see more with a guide, For example, I recently read a TR from someone that went on a bargain mammal tour to Kruger with Naturetrek, He saw everything, dogs (playing by their vehicle for half an hour), Cheetah (posed on one of the roda markers), leopard, civets, genets! That said, given our budget we did pack a lot in, which is what we were aiming for.

 

Hopefully you're right about the rhino.

[kittykat23uk]

A note about trip planning. I won the walking safari part of the trip by posting a trip report on African Safari Journals and Wilma and Bruce who run the site were invaluable in helping us to organise the majority of the trip. Wilma also provided a very detailed itinerary of where to go, timings of journeys, suggested routes and so on.

 

We also got a lot of advice from the Sanparks forum.

 

Helen booked the car rental and the accommodation around the Cape/Hermanus/Gaansbai area and I organised the flights. Overall we spent in the region of £3000 per person for the whole trip, including all excursions, food, souvenirs etc. which for a three week trip is probably good value.

 

All the best

 

Jo

[Atravelynn]

Truly outstanding collection of birds. You had to be vigilant throughout the trip to get all those. I like the hippo peeking through the vegetation. Not a standard hippo shot. It appears the bush babies were your bunkmates. Did they hang out inside?

 

Nice bit of animal behavior interpretation and spotting with the leopard.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks. We didn't see them inside, but I think they were nesting in the eaves of the cabin.

[Bugs]

I have just had time to go through the report.. I love it. I can see you have a passion for birds and put in some great photos. Well done with the report and great photos. You should try and add some of these birds to the birding threads.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks Dikdik!

[wildernessman]

Jo , thanks , I enjoyed the walking trail report (have been there at Olifants about 9 times) , also your photography .

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks!

[Atravelynn]

Scorpions, spiders, waterfalls. What a diversity of shots. The wood hoopoe feeding its chick is simply amazing. The Hammerkop with the frog is equally amazing Lovely African Hoopoe, my fav African bird.

 

Just got to Elephant Plains.

Edited December 10, 2010 by Atravelynn

[kittykat23uk]

Thank you Lynn.

[Atravelynn]

"Panting hornbills?" I wondered. Then I scrolled to your photo captures that really this act of panting. Very interesting.

 

Remind me of how many nights at EP. The configuration of guests in the vehicle obviously did not interfere with your photos, including the hard-to-get birds. How did the baboons get into your room? I had a close encounter with this species on my last trip too.

 

Six male lions together would be a formidable pride. Apparently not as tough as the four that displaced them.

 

Nyala are a favorite of mine and your photos of them in the pink flowers (dropped petals of Bougainvillea I'm guessing) look lovely.

[hanzophoto]

Awesome pics all round and looks like a great birding itinerary to boot! Well done.

[kittykat23uk]

"Panting hornbills?" I wondered. Then I scrolled to your photo captures that really this act of panting. Very interesting.

 

Remind me of how many nights at EP. The configuration of guests in the vehicle obviously did not interfere with your photos, including the hard-to-get birds. How did the baboons get into your room? I had a close encounter with this species on my last trip too.

 

Six male lions together would be a formidable pride. Apparently not as tough as the four that displaced them.

 

Nyala are a favorite of mine and your photos of them in the pink flowers (dropped petals of Bougainvillea I'm guessing) look lovely.

 

Lynn,

We had only one night at EP, but well worth it. I wish we could have stayed for at least two and I think if I go back to EP I would definitley go for that.

 

We hadn't noticed that there was an open window in our room when we arrived, which is how the babboons got in.

 

That was my first Nyala, so a lovely sighting.

 

Tony- thanks, I was actually surprised by the general lack of birds to be honest (other than the Albatross trip and the penguins of course!). But I think that was to do with it being the dry season. Definitely not as good for waterbirds as Kenya or Botswana at that time of year.

[kittykat23uk]

If anyone is interested I;ve uploaded a few videos from our walking safari on the oliphants trail in Kruger:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittykat23uk/

[offshorebirder]

@kittykat23uk - I just ran across this excellent trip report while searching the archives.  

 

The butterfly in post #25 looks like an African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus).

 

I regret disagreeing with your pelagic bird guide, but the photo in post#10 is not a Flesh-footed Shearwater.  It lacks the bright pink bill (with black tip) that a FF Shearwater would show and clearly has an all-dark bill.

 

Only 2 shearwater species are all-dark and have dark bills:   Sooty Shearwater, Short-tailed Shearwater and the dark form of Wedge-tailed Shearwater.  Nothing in the photo looks wrong for Sooty Shearwater but with the angle and photo resolution I can't completely rule out a dark morph Wedge-tailed Shearwater.

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks,  glad you liked the trip report.  I will be revisiting the Cape in sept. Not likely to be doing any pelagic this time though