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Hi

Can anyone advise the best time of year to visit Punda Maria to maximise the chances of seeing pennant-winged nightjars? I know they are scarce in numbers but I want to give myself the best opportunity...

Any advice is gratefully received!

Owen

Welcome to the forum Owen.

We've seen them still at the end of January during the HR's Big Birding Weekend but as far as I know the best time would be at the end of November. This is the peak breeding and display season.

Good luck.

Hi Owen and a big welcome to the forums

I a not an expert and am sure that one of them will be along shortly with great advice..... but I was in the North of Kruger in November last yr and there had been a mating pair of pennants spotted in the Pafuri region on one of the night drives....am sure that must have been a phenomenal sighting and the couple who had seen it were still beaming three days later

Good luck hope you find them and hope we get to hear all about it

Thanks for that - in my mind I had late November as the likely trip time-frame. This will be my first trip to the north of the park - never having been further north than Letaba previously, so I am very much looking forward to it. I have a few other targets I am hoping for which I understand are possibles for the north such as pels fishing owl and carmine bee-eater (a personal bogey-bird of mine, even though they are common) and will be happy to give the updates!

All the best!

Owen

That sounds like a great trip Owen... I fell in love with the far Northern park last year It may be worth your while to seek out Frank at Pafuri picnic site as he has an immense wealth of knowledge on birds as well as knowing where the Pel's are in the area

Welcome to the forums Owen.

We love the north, especially Punda and Shingwedzi camps, and we love visiting Pafuri picnic area.
You cannot fail to see Carmines there!!!!
We were there in Dec and March and it seemed every other tree had a carmine perched in it!!
Thet are beautiful aren't they?
I am new to birding, and it has so enriched our visits to Kruger.

Now all you have to do is get booking!!

Safe travels and hope you have wonderful sightings.

We did a sunset drive from Punda one December and asked whether they'd take us to the penant winged nightjars, which they did. Its a on a no entry road up a kopie on the dirt road loop around the camp. We saw plenty of them. Its worth asking about. Also saw most amazing leopard sighting in the same area.

Thanks very much for the help - the PWN has been a bird I have wanted to see ever since I first got a field guide to the birds of southern Africa!

Now all I need to do is wait for the flights to become available... the itinerary is already planned for once we gwt to SA

Now back in a very chilly and damp UK, I wanted to just say a big thank-you for the advice that worked out superbly.

We were in Punda Maria in early December and I was the only person who signed-up for the Sunset Drive, which meant that I was able to go heavy on birds for the whole trip. The guide, Thomas, took me to his pennant-winged nightjar spot and I enjoyed probably one of my greatest ever birding moments, as about half a dozen of the males displayed all around us. Incredible views of gorgeous birds for which I am extremely indebted to Thomas.

Fantastic!

We saw them in mid-November and can only agree Owen, it is one of the best birding experiences ever. We "only" had two males flying around us but that was pretty amzing. 6 must have been awesome.