Cape & Eastern South Africa

Sugarbirds, Rockjumpers and Hornbills!

December 11-27, 2010

Reservations and prepayment are required on all Ventures. Your place on this Venture will be reserved when your deposit of $300 has been received. Please make your check payable to VENTURES, Inc. and send it to this address or call the office with your VISA or MasterCard #. 

Limited to 10 participants.

Venture Description

Often considered one of the most scenic stretches of landscape in the world the Cape of South Africa ranks among Africa’s premier birding destinations. It provides easy access to a good selection of coastal and mountain specials, and some of the world’s best sites for such highly localized endemics as Knysna Warbler, Hottentot Buttonquail and Cape Siskin, and seabirds such as African Penguin. We will visit Overberg, on a gently undulating coastal plain, that provides a large diversity of much-coveted species, from Cape Rockjumper to Blue Crane. The parched brown expanses, aloe-lined escarpments and lonely isolated hills of the Tanqua Karoo will provide an apt setting for such fine and sought-after dry western endemics as Karoo Eremomela, Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Namaqua Warbler and Fairy Flycatcher, among many others. Cape Town is also one of the best locations in the world for a pelagic tour.

KwaZulu-Natal, the heartland of the Zulu nation, offers subtropical birding with good mammal watching. We visit coastal forests and bird-rich reserves where specials such as the delicate Pink-throated Twinspot and the mystical Pel’s Fishing Owl can be found. We will visit globally threatened grasslands in the Wakkerstroom area to look for the endangered Rudd’s Lark, Blue Swallow and Yellow-breasted Pipit, while four species of bustard and three cranes are likely to distract us! Southern Bald Ibis and Bearded Vulture are likely in the Drakensbergs. We’ll spend 3 days exploring the Krueger which offers not only good chances of encountering "Big 5" game, including lion, elephant and leopard, but also has a total birdlist of over 500 birds.

There is not a better time to visit this wonderfully diverse, yet safe African nation. Our accommodation will be comfortable and convenient to the best birding spots. The food is excellent and the people very friendly. If you have never been to Southern Africa before, this trip to the Cape will open your eyes to the beauty and diversity that is South Africa.

Leaders: Simon Thompson and Mark Welford

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Cost of Venture

Price: $5625 per person with single room supplement of $750

Price includes: All transportation throughout, all accommodation, all meals, entrance fees and gratuities (except for leader/guide), trip information, packet & bird checklist, and guide/leader service throughout. Also included is a day long pelagic out of Simon’s Town.

Not included: Round-trip airfare from the US to South Africa, flight from Cape Town to Durban, airport departure tax, alcoholic beverages, gratuities to leader/guide, any meals specified in the itinerary, laundry, and other items of a personal nature.

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Itinerary

 

You may wish to arrive in Cape Town the day before in order to explore the city or rest before the tour starts.  Just let us know your flight plans and also whether you will need a hotel room.        

Day 1 (Saturday, Dec 11)                 Arrival in Cape Town          

We’ll arrive in Cape Town after an overnight direct flight from the US (leaving Friday) or via Europe (a 2-day flight which requires you to leave on Thursday Dec 9). Most flights stop first in Johannesburg before continuing on to Cape Town. Please make sure you have two clear pages in your passport before leaving the US. Cape Town at Howard's End

Day 2 (Sunday, Dec 12)                    Pelagic                                  

Pelagic trips off Cape Town are amazing, four species of albatross are typically encountered, many petrels, storm petrels and shearwaters, while African Penguin, Cape Gannet, gulls, terns, skuas, jaegers are all possible. We will have an early start this morning on our pelagic trip from Simon’s Town for our full day excursion off Cape Point. As part of our commitment to helping seabirds, we’ll make a donation to seabird conservation (to fight albatross deaths caused by long-line fishing). There’s always a chance that today could be “weathered out”. If so, Sunday and Monday’s itinerary will be swapped. Cape Town at Howard's End

Day 3 (Monday, Dec 13)                   Cape Peninsula

There are some wonderful birding spots around the Cape including Betty’s Bay, Harold Porter Botanical Garden and Strandfontein Sewage Works. We will visit several of these, hoping for such target birds as Knysna Warbler, Red-chested Cuckoo, Cape Francolin, Southern Boubou, Buff-spotted Flufftail (with luck), the colorful Cape Batis, and look for other forest birds in and around the famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Many raptors are possible during our Peninsula day trip – including Verreaux’s (Black) Eagle, both Jackal and Forest Buzzard. Waterbirds abound at Strandfontein and as well as many other species, we should see Cape Teal, Maccoa Duck, and African Purple Swamphen. A highlight of the day will be a visit to a colony of African Penguins. Returning to Cape Town we’ll stop at Rooi Els for Cape Rockjumper and Orange-breasted Sunbird. Cape Town at Howard's End

Day 4 (Tuesday, Dec 14)                  Tanqua Karoo          

The scenery is spectacular as we drive towards the Karoo and along the way we hope to find several non-Karoo endemics such as Cape Clapper Lark, Cape Long-billed Lark, and Protea Canary. At our first stop in the Karoo - we’ll search for Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Fairy Flycatcher, Pale-winged Starling, Mountain Wheatear, Layard’s Tit-babbler, and Rufous-vented Tit-babbler. As we venture farther into the Karoo the birding can be outstanding and we’ll look for Karoo Korhaan, Tractrac Chat, Sickle-winged Chat, Karoo Chat, Karoo Eremomela, Rufous-eared Warbler, Karoo Lark, Karoo Long-billed Lark, Southern Large-billed Lark, Spike-heeled Lark and many others. The birding can also be very good around our B&B, and here our targets will be Namaqua Warbler, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Dusky Sunbird, and Burchell’s Courser. Klein Cedarberg Private Nature Reserve and Lodge

Day 5 (Wednesday, Dec 15)             Tanqua Karoo          

Our aim (of course) is to find almost all the Karoo endemics but if we miss any we’ll spend the morning searching for them before turning back the coast and West Coast National Park.

Klein Cedarberg Private Nature Reserve and Lodge

Day 6 (Thursday, Dec 16)                West Coast National Park

We drive to Darling and the West Coast NP and look for Blue Cranes that occur here in small numbers in summer. West Coast National Park is renowned for the concentrations of shorebirds that spend the winter here. Also the dry scrub is home to Black Korhaan, Cape Penduline-Tit, Cape Francolin and Karoo Lark. Cape Town at Howard's End

Day 7 (Friday, Dec 17)                      Flight to Durban       

We’ll drive from Durban to our Guesthouse, birding along the way (of course!)

Smithfield Guest House

Day 8 (Saturday, Dec 18)                 Sani Pass, Drakensbergs               

Mountain birding in the Sani Pass area of the Drakensbergs can be spectacular and during our stay here we hope to see the following: Bush Blackcap and Barratt's Warbler are possible at the beginning of the pass, while Gurney's Sugarbird, Ground Woodpecker and Buff-streaked Chat occur as we climb the pass. Near the border with Lesotho, we’ll search for Orange-breasted Rockjumper and Drakensberg Siskin. At the top of the Sani Pass we hope to find Bearded Vulture (Lammergeier), Cape Vulture, Cape Eagle Owl, Sentinel Rockthrush, Bald Ibis, Mountain Pipit and Rock Pipit. Black-headed Canary is also possible. Smithfield Guest House

Day 9 (Sunday, Dec 19)                    Drakensbergs           

After another night at the Himeville Guest house, we’ll drive to Amble Inn birding along the way. The Ongoye Forest is an excellent place for Green Barbet. If we arrive early enough we’ll visit the Dlinza Forest. Specialities here include Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Spotted Ground-Thrush, Green Twinspot and Narina Trogon. Smithfield Guest House

Day 10 (Monday, Dec 20)                 Eshowe         

We’ll drive towards St. Lucia stopping at Eshowe. In the late afternoon we’ll walk the 125 m long canopy walkway at Dlinza searching for Yellow-streaked Greenbul, White-eared Barbet and African Emerald Cuckoo. In the more open areas we’ll search for Chorister Robin-chat, Grey Cuckooshrike and Cape Batis. Amble Inn

Day 11 (Tuesday, Dec 21)                St Lucia         

In the early morning we’ll revisit the canopy walkway at Dlinza and then drive on to St Lucia stopping at Mtunzini along the way and search for Palm-nut Vulture and Mangrove Kingfisher. The greater St Lucia Wetlands Park is home to over 500 species of birds and is one of South Africa's most important waterbird breeding areas. Endemics also occur and we shall be looking for Neergard’s Sunbird, Rudd’s Apalis, Woodward’s Batis and Lemon-breasted Canary alongside specials such as Western Banded Snake Eagle, Pel’s Fishing Owl, and Livingstone’s Turaco. Phenomenal congregations of waterfowl, big flocks of pelicans and a variety of waders and terns are all possible. A short drive will find us at our next stop - Mkhuze Nature Reserve. Rhino River Lodge

Day 12 (Wednesday, Dec 22)           Mkhuze Nature Reserve

We’ll spend 2-days birding one of South Africa’s best bird reserves. The sand forest around the Kubube and Kumasinga hides (blinds) supports Crested Guineafowl, African Broadbill, Eastern Nicator, Rudd's Apalis, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Neergaard's Sunbird and Pink-throated Twinspot. At the Nsumo Pan a number of hides allow you to watch hippos, while birds here include Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Goliath Heron, African Pygmy-Goose, Lesser Jacana, Whiskered Tern and occasionally, Pel's Fishing-Owl. The Fig Forest walk (where we have to be escorted) is best in the early morning, and birds include Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Green Malkoha, Broad-billed Roller, White-eared Barbet, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher and Green Twinspot. While around the water holes we can expect Southern Banded Snake-Eagle, Broad-billed Roller and Half-collared Kingfisher.

Rhino River Lodge

Day 13 (Thursday, Dec 23)              Mkhuze Nature Reserve

If we missed any of our target birds yesterday, we’ll search for them today as well as enjoy more spectacular birding in the reserve. Rhino River Lodge

Days 14-16 (Friday, Dec 24- Sunday, Dec 26)        Kruger National Park

Who has not heard of Kruger National Park? With a world-famous reputation and plenty of big game such as Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Elephant and Hippo, Kruger is a must visit destination for anyone interested in nature. Kruger National Park is also an excellent birding site and offers a bird list of over 500 species. The Park is especially good for large raptors that are rare outside of extensive conservation areas, and rich in Cuckoos (9 species), Rollers (5 species), Hornbills (6 species), and Kingfishers (9 species). Almost all buffalo herds in the northern half of the park are attended by Yellow-billed Oxpecker.  Vultures include White-backed, Cape Vulture, Lappet-faced, Hooded and White-headed. Large raptors encountered throughout the year are Martial, African Crowned, Verreauxs', and Tawny Eagles, African Fish-Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Brown and Black-chested Snake-Eagles, African Harrier-Hawk, Bateleur and Dark Chanting Goshawk. Smaller species include African Cuckoo Hawk, Bat Hawk, Lizard Buzzard, Gabar Goshawk, African Goshawk, Shikra, Little, Black and Ovambo Sparrowhawks, Lanner and Amur Falcons, Dickinson’s and Lesser Kestrels and Eurasian Hobby.

We will enjoy our Christmas dinner in Kruger National Park- a special place for us to enjoy the Christmas season. Kruger National Park- Sunbird B&B

Day 17 (Monday, Dec 27)     Kruger to Johannesburg and Fly Overnight to USA

After our visit to Kruger National Park we’ll drive back to Johannesburg where the tour will end. You may want to spend more time in South Africa or continue home with most of the group.

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