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Good question regarding where to draw the line when it comes to what's inside and what's outside Lizet, I'd love to hear what other people reckon, should it be considered the "Greater Kruger" or just as mentioned up to the old gate? So far I'm working on the old gates and excluding the surrounding reserves (which pained me for a while having had Striped Crake in the Sabi-sand only, luckily that stat changed up at pafuri a few years back!), but it's always good to hear more opinions.

Lucky you! I will be able to add quite a few species on the surrounding borders but must add that it will be just easier to keep it inside the old borders....

Don't you guys visit Kruger south of the Olifants?

I just read through the whole thread trying to find tips on KNP birds in the south... I am bound by day trips into the Park from Whiteriver.

Shelley's francolin
Cape wagtail
Pied avocet
Yellow bishop
Bokmakierie
Levailant's cisticola!!?? How'd THAT happen?
Black duck
Red-headed finch
Common fiscal... Is that possible
Any flamingo
Fiscal flycatcher
Black heron
Greater kestrel
Rock kestrel
Cape longclaw
Speckled pigeon...
Cape robin-chat...

Cape shoveler
African snipe
Cape sparrow What?!?
White-browed sparrow-weaver
African purple swamphen

Putting this list together was an eye-opener!

I actually can't remember if I've ever seen Cape robin-chat and fiscal flycatcher in the KNP! (I see the first every day at home, and the second fairly often (in the Pretoria Botanical Gardens) but in the KNP.......?). I have seen Common fiscal somewhere in the KNP.... (not much help I know )

Bokmakierie on the H10 north of Lower Sabie (may be too far for a day trip from White River?) (I've also seen it once on the H1-3 - but that is definitely too far....)

Red-headed finch I've seen a few times, but all far north - between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria.. , and Black heron in the Shingwedzi river (no help at all once again...)

Shelley's francolin also in the north somewhere...

Ja, I think you are right... I (at least) spend most of my time in the KNP north of the Olifants river

Some of those birds are damn rare, if almost impossible to get in Kruger.

If you think about some of those birds then you can almost think that if any records did excist of them in KNP, are they credible?

But, if you do tjack them let me know

WTM found Shelley's on the H10, last year I think it was.

There are reports of Common Fiscal's in KNP, but I am not so sure.. possible confusion with Fiscal Flycatchers?

White Browed Sparrow Weavers apparently around Tshokwane.. altough I haven't come across them yet. Found some meters away from Phalaborwa gate last month, but couldn't tick them

Some really habitat specific birds there.. Highveld birds.

@Dabchick
If you are looking for purple Heron in the north, go to Engelhardt Dam. Seen them 3 times there in the last decade! Otherwise had a sighting in the South.


Shelley's francolin is a good bet on the roads west of Tshokwane in late afternoon. Used to see them from time to time on eastern Sabi Sands which is close to this section of Kruger.

Then want to know if anyone else has recorded Broadbilled Roller (seen 4 Dec 09) from Skukuza or that area?
And if anyone has been to Shingwedzi in summer and seen a local Grey Hornbill flying full force into Palm Tree leaves and catching bats for him and his nesting family?

Erratum

Now that I had time to think about it... (I shouldn't be making posts that early in the morning ), it was a Yellow-throated longclaw that I saw on the H10, not a Bokmakierie (just ignore my tip JvR).

@o-dog: Thanks for the tip o-dog!, I'll be looking out for it

Shelley's francolin - found one last year on the H10 just north of Nkumbe
http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/photos/191/191.html

Cape wagtail - Saw and photographed one last month at Lugmag dam
Black duck - Saw and photographed a pair in the Sabie river just north of Nkhulu in august last year.
Fiscal flycatcher - Saw and photgraphed one last month on the H4-1 just before the turnoff towards Skukuza

(Levailant's cisticola!!?? How'd THAT happen? - Most probably a miss id'ed Rufous-winged Cisticola.)

Saw and photographed a pair of Broad-billed Rollers on the gravel loop at the top end of the H4-1 near the Skukuza day visitors area on 12 December 2009.

http://www.laine-dirk.co.za/photos/450/450.html

Goodluck Dabchick!



Fantastic Pic ...great that someone else has seen them there thought I was going mad!

To add a few comments on some of the species mentioned in above posts :
Shelleys - saw a pair near Mlondozi dam a couple of years ago
Fiscal Flycatcher - Mananga trail last month
Cape Wagtail - Sweni hide several winters ago
African Black Duck - seen most winters at L.Sabie bridge and April this year on the Sabie river 15km from Skukuza
Red headed finch - last month on Letaba bridge

I also got Shelley's Francolin last year on the Mlondozi Dam loop.

Thanks to all for the responses... I'll work some of the "close to Whiteriver" ones into a route plan and see what happens. Yesterday I entered KNP at Numbi and drove via the gravel road via Kruger Gate to Lake Panic and the golf course. Although I got 73 species, and concentrated like mad on the wishlist, I saw none of the target birds on this trip.

Just want to chuck in my 2 cents worth!!

Shelley's francolin: The best area is on the grassland plains north of Lower Sabie, and I find the best chance of seeing them is once the fires have moved through as they don't have much of a chance to hide away as they usually do.
Cape wagtail: Scarce and can pitch up pretty much anywhere
Pied avocet: Very rare, not sure even when the last proper record was but I'd bet that you best chance would be at Engelhard Dam
Yellow bishop:
Bokmakierie: Don't know of any confirmed records in Kruger.
Levailant's cisticola: Also not sure of any confirmed records, a number of the olds ones applied to Rufous-winged Cisticola, however, it's a bird I always keep my eyes and ears open for around Pretoriuskop as that's the only area I can imagine one pitching up at.
Black duck: The Sabie River is pretty good for them between Skukuza and the high level bridge, check all the little loops along the way.
Red-headed finch: Satara region is your best chance, around the camp, or the S90 (?) to the north, seems to be on the increase
Common fiscal... Is that possible: Several have been recorded the last few months in the Olifants/Satara region, but a scarce Kruger Bird
Any flamingo: Most luck at Engelhard dam, but they pitch up at quite strange places from time to time.
Fiscal flycatcher: Malalane/Pretoriuskop region is the only area that has annual and regular sightings of this species, almost always winter.
Black heron: Seen them a few times on the Sabie River upstream from Lower Sabie, rare bird in Kruger
Greater kestrel: Still need this one, but very occasional records from Satara region.
Rock kestrel:
Cape longclaw: ??? I'd be a bit dubious about any records in Kruger for this species.
Speckled pigeon: None in the south that I know of
Cape robin-chat: Very rare, seen one at the Skukuza Nursery, winter only.

Cape shoveler: Only a few records exist for this, but can be anywhere.
African snipe: Rare, seen a few individuals in front of Lower Sabie before on the sand banks
Cape sparrow: Occasionally recorded in Satara camp, worth keeping your eyes open for.
White-browed sparrow-weaver: Just south of Tshokwane, about 2km's down the H10, they've been recorded breeding there and seem to be resident.
African purple swamphen: Very rare, haven't heard of a true record for a long time.


Regarding the Broad-billed Rollers at Skukuza, a few birds turn up along the Sabie River every year whilst on passage but tend to move off already by the end of November/early December. When coming from Skukuza camp to the Lower Sabie main tarred road, turn west and then take the first dirt road right that then follows back to the east, just after the small drainage line 500m down there are several Sycamore Figs, there's one in there every year, otherwise the Skukuza Golf club has one every year for a month or so on the dead trees in the middle of the dam in front of the golf club, or in the Fever Trees there.

Hope it helps, but most of those birds area very tough to find in kruger!!