|
|
9-day Kruger National Park and Escarpment Birding Safari
 This is a tour for those who want the ultimate African mammal safari experience while also seeing a huge diversity of birds, a disproportional number of these birds being very brightly colored, charismatic and spectacular, with some strategic Drakensberg endemics and incredibly rare raptors being thrown in.
This tour should yield elephant, lion, loads of antelope species, crocodile and all the other megafauna that sub-Saharan Africa is famous for, as well as multiple species of bee-eater, roller, kingfisher, cuckoo, hornbill, eagle (including Bateleur), vulture, owl, turaco, seed-eater, stork, and a myriad others. The Kruger National Park boasts 450 bird species! We also target the phenomenally rare Taita Falcon and Cape Parrot, Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, the magnificent Blue Swallow and many other localized species occurring along the forested Great Escarpment west of the dryer Kruger National Park lowlands.
During this tour we concentrate on the northern Kruger National Park where we can find good numbers of bird species only just making it into South Africa over the Mozambique and Zimbabwe borders. The exciting list of possibilities includes Bohm's Spinetail, Mottled Spinetails, Arnott's Chat, Grey-headed Parrot, Tropical Boubou, Meeve's (Long-tailed Glossy) Starling and a host of others alongside a host of more widespread South African species.
Day 1 Johannesburg to Tshukudu (L D)
International flight arrives in Johannesburg. We will spend our first night at Genius Loci Guest Ranch (1.5 hours' drive from the airport), where we will immediately be overwhelmed by an incredibly rich assemblage of Kalahari bird species, quite a lot of them extremely spectacular. The list includes the likes of Northern Black Korhaan, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Southern Pied Babbler, Violet-eared Waxbill, Black-cheeked Waxbill, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Red-billed Buffalo Weaver, Scaly-feathered Finch, Blue-cheeked Bee-eaterand other bee-eaters, Kalahari Robin and a host of others.
 Day 2 Tshukudu to Tshipise (B D)
After continued early morning birding, we will continue driving northwards. We will stop at Polokwane Game Reserve for the very localized Short-clawed Lark (picking up other new species as a by-product). In years of good rainfall, it may also be worth stopping at the remarkable Nyl River Floodplain. Occasionally (when flooded), this wetland hosts huge numbers of breeding tropical waterbirds, and this area as a whole supports a staggering 400 bird species! We also recommend a visit to a cliff breeding colony of Cape Vultures which also hosts the only known Ruppell's Griffon Vulture (1-2 individuals) outside of East Africa! But for this we recommend adding one night to this itinerary. After a stunning day of birding, we eventually reach Tshipise or similar lodge where we will spend the night. Our lodge is well poised for visiting a huge hollow baobab tree where thousands of the rare Mottled Spinetail roost, so we plan to be at this tree before dusk for the spectacle.
Day 3 Tshipise to Punda Maria (B D)
We start early with a picnic breakfast, heading for the nearby extreme northern part of the Kruger National Park (the Pafuri area) where Bohm's Spinetail, Meve's Starling, White-crowned Plover, Arnot's Chat and MANY others lurk. Occasionally, Racket-tailed Roller occur alongside the more common roller species (European, Purple and Lilac-breasted).
Day 4 Punda Maria and Pafuri (B D)
Continue birding the very exciting extreme north of Kruger, seeing lots of big (and small) mammals as a by-product.
Day 5 Punda Maria to Letaba Camp (B D)
Travel southwards in Kruger, eventually reaching the extremely pleasant (green and shaded) Letaba Rest Camp where we will spend the night. As we travel southwards, the birdlife changes. Specials of the central region of the park where we now find ourselves include African Mourning Dove, Bennett's Woodpecker and lots more.
Day 6 Letaba Camp to Magoebaskloof (Woodbush Forest (B D)
After a final morning of birding in Kruger, we head westwards for the forested escarpment. Here we will bird the marvelous Woodbush Forest, which is inhabited by a critically endangered Yellowwood Forest specialist - Cape Parrot. There are only about 1000 individuals of this fine parrot left on earth, and all of them are in South Africa. This sprawling mountain forest also supports other localized species such as Orange Ground Thrush (we have an interesting method for finding this species), Black-fronted Bush-shrike, Yellow-streaked Greenbul and more. The rare and beautiful Blue Swallow breeds in this area in summer.
Day 7 Woodbush Forest (B D)
We will bird the Woodbush area for the entire day, visiting the Debegeni Falls with the hope of seeing the Mountain Wagtail's as well as visiting a nesting site of Bat Hawks. Other species to be on the look out for include: Forest Canary, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher and White-starred Robin.
Day 8 Woodbush Forest to Dullstroom (B D)
After completing Woodbush birding, we will head for the Abel Erasmus Pass to seek TAITA FALCON. This was only recently discovered as a breeding bird in South Africa, but this site is now probably the most reliable place on earth to find this small but very powerful and very fast falcon. As usual, we may find all sorts of other birds, such as Mocking Cliff Chat, Lanner Falcon, Cape Griffon Vulture, etc. Then we will head for the Dullstroom area. Yellow-breasted Pipit, Gurney's Sugarbird, Denham's Bustard, Secretarybird, Eastern Long-billed Lark, Bald Ibis, occasionally Wattled Crane, Black Harrierand other spectacular and localized birds can often be found quartering the green rolling hills around Dullstroom.
Day 9 Dullstroom to Johannesburg (B)
After early morning birding in the lovely Dullstroom area (South Africa's trout fishing mecca), we depart for Johannesburg for our international flight home.
PRICE:
- R25,703.00 per person sharing
|
