Getting there
I knew the drive would be long. Extremely long. To keep it interesting I started birding as I left home. It was mostly the same usual birds until somewhere in the Free State when I saw the SA Birdlife bird of 2019 – a Secretary bird.
Just before I reached Bloemfontein I stopped at a little dam. While scanning for birds, I noticed something unusual in the water. I was extremely surprised to see that it was an otter! He was casually swimming around. I was very happy with this unexpected sighting!
Early on Sunday Morning the unexpected sightings continued. As I approached some pylons near the Orange River, I saw a dark shape. I pulled off next to the road and closer inspection showed it to be a Verreaux’s Eagle! I thought that the first time I would see one of these magnificent birds this year would be at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens – I never expected it to be somewhere in the Southern Free state!
Soon after we left Colesberg it started raining. I had hoped to see some Blue Cranes, and the rain ruined that prospect somewhat, but I did not mind the rain – every drop is welcome!
I did see some South African Shelduck in some of the puddles next to the road. The rain cleared up as we approached Three Sisters. Sadly, this was an area where rain was desperately needed. The dry conditions became more heartbreaking as we reached Laingsburg – it is almost impossible to believe that this dry town was flooded a couple of decades ago. I did see some Cape Crows and Jackal Buzzards along the way.
It was a very long drive, but lunch at Laingsburg and a visit with friends in Ceres helped a lot. Shortly after turning onto the R27 I spotted two Blue Cranes right next to the road! As we drove into Jacobs Bay I saw my first lifer of the trip – a couple of Southern Black Korhaans.
The next morning I ticked a number of birds on my “to see list” before I even left Jacobs Bay. I went down to the beach at dawn and saw Cape Spurfowl, Karoo Prinia, Karoo Scrub Robin and Southern Black Oystercatchers to name a few.
West Coast National Park
My first destination for the trip was the much anticipated visit to the West Coast National Park. One of the first birds I photographed after entering was a beautiful Bokmakierie.
My first stop inside the park was the Seeberg Hide. The birds were everywhere, and I quickly spotted another lifer in the form of a Little Tern.
These beautiful Greater Flamingos were looking regal in the morning light.
I saw more Oyster Catchers on the Beach. I think these guys are so cool!
There were lots of little Plovers scurrying about, but they were mostly Kittlitz and White-fronted Plovers. I loved how the White-fronted Plovers scurried over the white sand with their quick little legs.
There were also some Whimbrel around. I’ve only seen one of these birds once before, and this was another highlight.
There were lots of Common Terns around. They congregated in large flocks on the beach. It was pretty spectacular to watch them fly up every now and then, do a few turns and then settle down again.
There was another lifer on the beach in the form of a Grey Plover. I was quite surprised to see how much bigger these birds are compared to other Plovers.
I spent quite some time in the hide and enjoyed the variety of birds that were around. Some of the other birds that put in an appearance were a cute little Cape Wagtail and some Kelp Gulls.
The Kittlitz’s plovers had some youngsters hiding in the bushes and there was a large flock of Little Stints about.
A Little Egret did a quick fly by.
As I walked back to my car I also saw a Grey-backed Cisticola and a Southern Double-collared Sunbird.
As I approached the Geelbek visitor’s center I had this beautiful view of the lagoon.
At the turn off to the Geelbek visitor’s center there was a Cape Spurfowl and a Southern Black Korhaan.
There wasn’t a lot of activity at the Geelbek Hide. I did however see another lifer in the form of a Sandwich Tern.
There were more Kittlitz’s Plovers next to the path to the hide. The view towards the restaurant was really pretty.
There were also some more Greater Flamingos.
At the hide on the other side of the visitor’s center I found some Hartlaub’s gulls and Little Ringed Plovers.
I stopped at the restaurant for lunch and had what can be described as one of the best meals of my life. The service was also really great, and I left very satisfied.
At the Abrahamskraal hide there were a number of African Spoonbills, Sacred Ibises, Yellow-billed Ducks and this Purple Swamphen. I took a leisurely drive up to the Churchaven lookout point and saw my only animals of the day – some eland in the distance.
The view from the lookout point was impressive.
I also stopped at the Preekstoel where the view was equally spectacular. I walked down to the beach for a bit and spotted another Grey Plover.
On the way home I made a brief stop at the Geelbek hide again. It was low tide and the birds were a little far away but a Curlew Sandpiper and a Whimbrel wandered closer.
The low tide also brought out some crustaceans.
I decided to stop at the Seeberg hide again. The low tide also resulted in fewer birds here than earlier. The Kittlitz’s Plovers were still around. The locals made best use of the windy conditions with a bit of kite surfing.
Velddrif and Lamberts Bay
On Tuesday I drove to Velddrif. The sun rose in brilliant orange.
Just before I reached Velddrif, I saw a little family of Blue Cranes next to the road.
In Velddrif I stopped next to the Berg River. The view was beautiful.
There were a few birds around – European Starlings, White Throated Swallows, Leveillant’s Cisticolas, Grey Herons, a Common Greenshank and a Pied Kingfisher.
After a while I drove to the harbor area. There was quite a bit of activity as far as birds are concerned. I saw Cape Cormorants and White Breasted Cormorants.
There were also more Sandwich and Common Terns.
I spotted movement in the water and noticed a seal. He looked very thin and sad.
As I left the harbor I saw more birds – Yellow-fronted Canaries and Little Swifts.
There were also Brown-throated Martins and Barn Swallows.
A little further on I saw a Caspian Tern.
Some people told me where I could find Pelicans. When I arrived at the street next to the river there were no pelicans. I dove a little further and noticed lots of birds in the distance. I scanned the area and spotted the Great White Pelicans! I was so thrilled! But they were VERY far away and photos were impossible. I drove down the little streets until I found a spot where I could see them slightly better, but the photos were still not great. While I was looking at them, I also noticed some other birds nearby – Karoo Prinias, Southern Double-collared Sunbirds, a Bokmakierie and this White-throated Canary.
I decided that it was time for breakfast. I drove back to the street where I was looking for the pelicans the first time as there were a few restaurants. As I drove along the river, I saw him! Within touching distance was a Great White Pelican! Day made!
After breakfast I headed north towards Lamberts Bay. The West Coast landscape is very different to other coastal areas that I’ve visited. It is very flat, harsh and obviously without trees. The dry conditions did not help to make it any more appealing. Along the way I saw a Pale Chanting goshawk with his lunch.
Lamberts Bay was quite far, and at one stage I considered turning around. I am so glad I continued on! I finally reached the entrance to Bird Island. On the walkway there was a pretty little White-fronted Plover.
There were also lots of Cape Cormorants with their youngsters.
My main reason for visiting was the Cape Gannets, and they did not disappoint! There was a large colony with young ones of varying ages. The sights, sounds and smells were incredible.
The hide had a first floor, and the birds would fly past in constantly.
You can see a few more photos of these beautiful birds here.
I also saw an Oystercatcher on the rocks as well as a whole host of seals on the rocks in the distance.
On the way home I saw another beautiful Pale-chanting Goshawk.
And then another very exciting lifer – a pair of Cape Long-billed Larks!
I love Jackal Buzzards, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing quite a number of these gorgeous birds.
I saw another Blue Crane in the same spot as I saw the family in the morning.
Later that evening I went down to the beach for the sunset. It was spectacular.
There are a few more photos of the sunset here.
Yzerfontein
As I approached the town, I saw a small flock of birds next to the road. At first I thought it was more Cape Spurfowl, but as I drove past I noticed they had different throats. I slammed on brakes and reversed. I was so surprised to see that they were Grey-winged Francolins! I’ve only seen these birds once before, and was thrilled with this sighting!
I stopped at the beach with the pretty view.
I spotted an African Black Oystercatcher and while following him, I saw another exciting lifer – a Ruddy Turnstone.
At the next beach there were a whole bunch of Oystercatchers enjoying the early morning sun on the rocks.
A little further on there was a family of Rock Hyraxes with some babies.
I drove along the coast and the bird sightings were incredible. Some of the highlights include Karoo Prinia and a Long-billed Crombec – not a bird I expected to see on the west coast!
I also saw more Southern Doble-coloured Sunbirds and my second ever sighting of a Cape Sugar bird.
There were more White-throated Canaries, and two Bokmakieries were singing their little hearts out.
There are Common Starlings all over the West Coast, and I think of them as the West Coast version of the Indian Myna.
On the way back I spotted a few dolphins in the water close to the shore.
I decided to drive back to Jacobs Bay via the West Coast National Park. Shortly after entering the Park I saw a small herd of eland.
I stopped at the Abrahamskraal Hide. The African Spoonbills were still there. It was quiet at the Geelbek Hide, but I did see an Osprey in the distance! Only my second sighting of this bird!
At the Seebek Hide I had a brief glimpse of a little bird – just long enough to confirm it as a Cape Penduline Tit before it flew away. No Photo!
By now it was extremely windy. As was the case with my previous visit, there was a huge flock of Common Terns, and every now and then they would fly up, make a few turns and then settle down again. It was a spectacular sight.
The Little Stints weren’t going to be outdone and made a few turns of their own.
The Grey Plovers and Whimbrels were also still around.
The many Common terns were so distracting, I almost missed this one – this Swift Tern was the fifth Tern species of the trip.
Just outside Saldanha Bay I decided to stop next to the road and scan the area for some Larks. I did not really expect to find any, so I was therefore very surprised when a Lark popped up onto the fence right next to the car. Paging through my bird book I quickly discovered that this was indeed another lifer in the form of a Thick-billed Lark.
I bought take away for lunch and drove to Paternoster. After lunch I went for a walk on the beach, but it was just to windy to stay for more than a few minutes. It is a pretty beach and it brought back many memories.
Just before I reached Jacobs Bay I saw a brown bird in the field next to the road. I was happy to ad another bird to the trip list in the form of a Lanner Falcon.
Karoo National Park
It was really hot when we arrived at the Park at around mid-day. The only sign of life as we drove to the camp was a large tortoise making his way across the field. We checked in and relaxed in our chalet for a bit. The view from our patio was pretty special.
I little Cape Bunting came to say hallo.
Later we went for a drive on the Lammertjieslegte Loop. As we drove past the hide I spotted a pair of South African Shelduck.
The Loop was quiet initially, but then we saw a Red Hartebeest and kudu.
Shortly after that we saw our first mountain zebras. I also saw two big warthogs disappear behind some bushes.
We stopped at the picnic site for a while. As I got out of the car I heard an unfamiliar bird call. I followed the sound, and saw another lifer in the form of a Dusky Sunbird!
There were also a few White-throated Canaries around.
Shortly after leaving the picnic site we saw a small herd of eland and this Pale Chanting Goshawk.
The birds had been hiding so far, but more started showing themselves, including a Sabota Lark and a Karoo Chat.
Our visit to this Park was going to be so very short, and there was no way I was going to spend it at the chalet. So we headed to Klipspringers Pass. As we left the camp area there was another kudu and our first Gemsbok.
Karoo National Park may not have a lot of animals, but the scenery does make up for it. This truly is Big Sky Country.
We stopped at the first look out point. I mentioned to my mom how we saw a Klipspringer on the top of the mountain on the other side of the valley the last time we were here. I scanned the mountain with my binoculars, and would you believe, saw Klipspringers again! Can you see them?
If I zoom in a little more?
There they are!
We stopped at the second look out point where we were watched by another pair of Klipspringers. This pass really had an appropriate name!
I love the view of the gorge from the top.
As we drove down I took more photos of the breathtaking view.
When we reached the bottom of the pass it was still early, so we decided to drive a few kms on the Potlekkertjie loop. We drove about 10km and did not see any sign of life – neither animal nor bird.
The Park is incredibly dry. But despite this, I could not get enough of the scenery.
Somehow there was also a splash of colour in this dry landscape.
Shortly after turning back I saw a pair of Karoo Chats and then three gemsbok, but they were walking away from us.
There were also a few more Mountain Zebras.
I decided to see what is going on in the camping area. I saw House Sparrows and Red-eye Bulbuls. There were also two huge tortoises. I have never seen the sole of a tortoise foot – incredible.
These two were pretty big. I wonder how old they were.
As we drove past the fossil trail I saw a Starling perched on a bush. Before I could take a photo, he flew off. I did see it well enough to tick another lifer for the trip – Pale-winged starling! I went for a walk on the fossil trail. I don’t think I would have wanted to run into some of these creatures that roamed the area all those years ago!
I went back to the chalet and relaxed a little before going to the restaurant for dinner. There were some promising clouds building up over the mountains, but if rain fell, it did not fall in the main section of the Park.
Dinner at the restaurant was really special. It was Valentines day, and the staff made a real effort – from the décor to the exceptional food.
The next morning I went for a short drive before breakfast. The sunrise left me speechless.
I drove the Lammertjieslegte Loop. This morning there was much more activity compared to the previous afternoon. I saw a trio of kudu bulls, springbok, more Mountain zebras and Red Hartebeest. There was also another large tortoise next to the road.
And then another lifer that really had me smiling – a Ludwig’s Bustard! It looked really pretty in the early morning sun.
As I headed back towards camp I saw this young Gemsbok doggedly following it’s mom as well as another Mountain Zebra.
Karoo National Park offers breakfast as part of the cost. As with dinner the night before, breakfast was delicious. We sat outside on the deck and enjoyed the early morning. A few kudus came for a drink.
But sadly all good things come to an end and soon we were heading towards the gate. A couple of tortoises waved us goodbye.
It was a very short visit, but a great way to spend the last night of our trip.
Going Home
Somewhere between Hannover and Colesberg I saw a large bird soaring above. I stopped and when I zoomed in on the photos I was astonished to see that it was an immature Martial eagle!
We saw Blue cranes all along the route, and finally a few close enough for photos.
The rain started as soon as we crossed the Orange river, and lasted the entire length of the Free State. In some places it was bucketing down. I am sure there were many ecstatic farmers that week! It was a great end to this wonderful trip!