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Hi Guys

I am tring to haed down to the coast in August. I know this is not the best time for birding but what can I do.

Is there any birds I need to keep an eye out for, and are there any good birding areas, not been in the area before.

Need to notch some new birds

Karl

There is no such time as a bad time for birding.

The Garden Route is huge and varies quite significantly in habitat. Where are you planning to go visit?

I suggest that you read thru the Garden Route Parks topics and take it from there. It will also give you a break down of what each Park has to offer. The Garden Route is super for birding.

Hi Wildtuinman

I am planning to go to wildderness area.

Karl

Knysna Lourie, Southern Boubou, Forest & Jackal Buzzard. Have you got those yet?

Wilderness have quite a few nice ones.

You will be amazed with what you are able to find there. By just walking the trails alone you will be rewarded quite handsomely.

We are just back from our trip, we spent a lovely couple of days at Wilderness.
Walking the trails wasn't great for birding, we saw some nice flowers and enjoyed the
walk a lot, but our best place for birding was the Ebb&flow (south) camp itself.
We got four of the Kingfishers from the balcony of our cottage, Knysna lourie was in the
big tree behind the office. Black-headed Oriole in the trees at the end of Ebb&flow(north),
also various ducks and raptors along the touw river just by the camp.
Wilderness was one of the nicest places on our trip.
Bathing in the river was great too!
/Neil

Heres the four Kingfishers we saw at the Ebb&flow (south) camp on the bridge and boardwalk just opposite our cottage.
Have I said it was a nice place!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/230 ... 2cb4_m.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/230 ... 6599_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/230 ... bcf9_m.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3135/230 ... f95b_m.jpg


I hope my ids are correct.
/Neil
PS. did I mention what a lovely place it was!

Bother I forgot the names!

1. Malachite Kingfisher
2. Pied Kingfisher
3. Giant kingfisher
4. Half-collared Kingfisher

Lovely kingfishers, Neil! Just FYI, if you click on the edit button (upper righthand corner) on your previous post , you can add the names to the post, with the pix

You are gonna make some grown men cry with your half-collared KF.

Wilderness happy hunting grounds for specials for me over the years were:

Half-collared kingfisher trail

Name sake - Half-collared kingfisher
Terrestrial Bulbul
Sombre Bulbul
Knysna Turaco
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher
Scaly-throated Honeyguide

Giant kingfisher trail

Narina Trogon
Olive woodpecker
Southern Double-collared Sunbird
Olive Thrush
Cape Bulbul
Amethyst Sunbird

Various bird hides

Maccoa Duck
Mallard
African Rail
African Purple Swamphen
Black Harrier (circling above close to one of the hides)
Glossy Ibis
Black Saw-wing
Swee waxbill
Yellow Canary
Brimstone Canary
Cape francolin

The awesome thing about this reserve is the diverse habitat.

Drive to the sea side to find:

African Black Oystercatcher
Common Ringed Plover
Caspian Tern
Sandwich Tern
Little Tern


Also don't forget to go visit this place. You will be amazed what you will find here.

Thanks for the nice things said about the Kingfishers. Birding at the camp
was really easy. I think you need to be a better birder for the trails, we did
see some birds, Oriole and lourie were quite common. And I was also able
to identify a greater collared sunbird, but for the others knowing the songs
would have been a great help, and it's difficult to learn bird songs on a two
week trip. Well worth walking the trails anyway, for the atmosphere alone.
We did trail at Big tree as Wildtuinman recommended and it was really nice,
we loved the scadoxus growing on the forest floor.
The bird hide at Rondevlei was awesome, we probably saw a dozen birds close up
several of which were new to us. Purple heron, darter and African marsh harrier
were highlights there.
/Neil

Like me!