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Lovely day at Addo today included some nice birds.

Although we often see Denham's Bustard on the Gorah Loop usually in pairs, today we spotted a group of 7.

Next up were 4 Red-billed Oxpeckers on a small herd of Plains Zebra at Carol's Rest (very rare in Eastern Cape).

Finally, a fly past of a Black Harrier at Domkrag, the furthest east we have seen this bird.

Thanx for sharing j-ms! Some very interesting sightings!

Going there in a month - hope to see Denham's

Australian Gannet - Morus serrator

A single bird was reported from Bird Island, Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape (now managed by Addo Elephant National Park) on 11 March 2008 with a second individual located there on 13 March 2008. Both individuals are pictured here. . http://www.zestforbirds.co.za/ausgannet04.html

Photographed by Bruce Dyer.

Although Bird Island has not been publically accessible in the past, the park is currently building a new jetty on the island and the Addo Honorary Rangers have received permission to take groups of maximum 12 people at a time to the island on the 5th of July. Anyone interested should try contact the Addo Honorary Rangers http://www.sanparks.org/groups/hr/contact/contact.pdf. Even if one cannot locate the Austalian Gannet, seeing the gannet colony and the other seabirds on the island will be a unique experience.

any good places to go birding in addo?

Addo's great strength is its diversity of habitat within the confines of the park in a relatively small area.

If you are just there for a short time then you'll probably stick to Main Camp and the Game Area. There isn't a huge wealth of different species there like you'd find in Kruger, but some of what you see will be very interesting. June might not be the best time of year, but you should still see some interesting stuff in some of the grassland expanses, like Blue Crane and Denham's Bustard.

But if you are in the area for a while you must try and visit the following parts of the park:
a) Alexandria Forest for forest species such as Trumpeter and Crowned Hornbill, Grey Cuckooshrike, Narina Trogon etc.
b) The Sundays River Mouth for estuarine species - Damara Tern is the special here (summer is best as they roam around when not breeding)
c) If you have a 4x4 you must get into the Zuurberg (you may be able to go on a park driven trip if you don't - enquire at reception). There are some stunning forests there and up in the highlands you will be exposed to fynbos and grassland habitats which will bring a whole new spectrum of birds
d) The Darlington Section to pick up the Karoo species

Enjoy

are their a lot of narina trogans in the alexandria forest?

I haven't been to Alexandria enough to know how common they are there, but I have picked them up calling in December. During the summer months is when they are most territorial and easiest to hear. I suspect you might battle to find them at this time of year, but birds don't often read the script.

Addo ? - Not all about lions and elephants

Time to have a quick afternoon swallow - a bit slippery snack?
Steppe Buzzard

Some more of non animals from Addo rhis last weekend - just as good as finding the lions !!!

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher


Black-Headed Heron


Red Bishop and Southern Masked Weaver

And the last for the weekend

Little Grebe


Steppe Buzzard


Marsh Terrapin

The last of raptors seen on the weekend
Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk

Posted on the South African Rare Bird Network Newsletter - 10th Aug 2009

In the Eastern Cape, a rather interesting record comes from Bird Island in Algoa Bay where a CROWNED CORMORANT has been present for the last few days. According to available sources, this is only the second record for the province of this species which generally only occurs as far east as the mouth of the Gouritz River west of Mossel Bay, so this record is at least 350km further east than normal.