Photos with this report (click to enlarge) | |||
 Namaqua Sandgrouse |
 Pygmy Falcon |
||
For the fully illustrated and formatted trip report, click here.
For additional photos, see my blog: oxypogon.blogspot.com
Text and photos by Josh Engel; all photos taken on this trip
Introduction
The areas of Bushmanland and Namaqualand are famous for holding four species of endemic larks, each with a preferred habitat and a small range. We found all four of these larks, plus almost all of the regions other specialties while amassing a trip list of 209 species, including an incredible 42 Southern African endemics (see link above to see the real trip list with endemics and near-endemics highlighted) along with 17 species of mammals and having an outstanding time. This trip offers outstanding and easy roadside birding, and also turned out to be a great digiscoping destination, thanks to the openness of the habitat and farm dams where hundreds of birds at a time come to drink. Besides Stark’s, Sclater’s, Barlow’s, and Red Larks, other highlights included Burchell’s and Double-banded Coursers, the little known Damara Canary, Rosy-faced Lovebird, nesting Damara Terns, incredible views of Freckled Nightjar, four species of bustards, and many mammals, including a remarkable elephant shrew and the bizarre aardwolf. We also took in the dramatic scenery of Fish River Canyon, the world’s second largest, and the great birding around the canyon’s campsites.
8 December, Cape Town to Calvinia
The trip got off to an auspicious start, with great birding along the drive north from Blouberg to our first destination, the famous wader-watching site, Veldriff. We hardly stopped en route, yet we managed to see four outstanding raptors—the magnificent endemic Black Harrier, Verreaux’s Eagle, the lovely Jackal Buzzard, and Booted Eagle. We were greeted upon arrival in Veldriff with one of our main targets for the site, the localized Chestnut-banded Plover. We quickly added a wide variety of shorebirds, but not the recently reported Red-necked Phalarope. That was quickly forgotten, however, when we discovered two Common Redshanks nearby! This is a very rare species in South Africa, and a lifer for David. They shared the mudflats with many hundreds of other waders, including a handful each of Marsh Sandpipers and Eurasian Curlew. An Osprey, uncommon in the Cape, was also in the area.
After Veldriff, we were off to the northeast, heading towards Bushmanland. The drive from the main highway to Calvinia, where we spent our first night, was outstanding. The scenery was spectacular and unique, and the birding was fabulous. We found our first bustards for the trip, Ludwig’s, sharing a roadside field with the stately Blue Crane. A stop at a riparian area yielded obliging pairs of Namaqua Warblers, Pririt Batis and Chestnut-vented Tit-babblers. We also found our first Greater Kestrel and a variety of birds that would be very common for the remainder of the trip, including Lark-like Bunting, Spike-heeled Lark, and a variety of chats. On our first day we saw 11 species of raptors!
9 December, Calvinia to Brandvlei
We left early to visit a nearby nature reserve. The scenery was stunning, and we found our first Long-billed Crombec, Rufous-eared Warbler, White-backed Mousebird, and Pied Barbet of the trip, as well as a beautiful Smith’s red rock hare. The rest of the day was spent on the road between Calvinia and Brandvlei and around Brandvlei. This whole region features spectacular roadside birding.
We soon came across a large flock of larks around the road that included our first Gray-backed Sparrowlarks and a few others. We then found a large flock of the highly sought Black-eared Sparrowlark, with almost all of the birds in female-type plumage. They had apparently been hanging around that area for a while, as we found several dead ones along the road where the flock was hanging out. We would continue to see small groups of Black-eared Sparrowlarks throughout the morning - and then not see a single one the rest of the trip! Remarkably, on the fringe of this flock, in a barren, rocky area was a Sclater’s Lark, one of the real specialties of this area. It sat long enough for us to get scope looks before flying off.
In the afternoon we had our first attempt for Red Lark, one of the main specialties around Brandvlei. We missed it today, but fortunately our next two attempts for the species were successful. A stop by a not-quite-dry waterway yielded our only Southern Gray-headed Sparrow of the trip, along with our first good views (of many!) of Namaqua Sandgrouse, and dozens of nesting South African Cliff Swallows. A scrubby area yielded, incredibly, both Yellow-bellied and the difficult Karoo Eremomelas. We also saw our first Karoo Long-billed Larks and Karoo Korhaans of the trip, and our only black wildebeest.
10 December, Brandvlei to Pofadder
We left Brandvlei early to try for the browner, plains form of Red Lark. It wasn’t easy, but eventually we found a cracking adult and juvenile. We also found a small group of Cape Penduline Tits in the same area.
After the Red Lark success, we drove slowly north towards Kenhardt, stopping at various farm dams and acacia patches along the way. It was at these farm dams that we first got a taste of just how abundant Lark-like Buntings and Gray-backed Sparrowlarks were going to be for the rest of the trip. As we were sitting watching dozens of birds drinking, a couple of strange-looking larks showed up. As we watched them, it dawned on us—Stark’s Larks! We got fabulous views of this highly nomadic species as it came to drink in the heat of the day. We also found our first Sabota Lark of the trip, of the large-billed western form that is sometimes split as Bradfield’s Lark, singing from a fencepost. Bustards were numerous along this road, and we saw Karoo and Northern Black Korhaans and Ludwig’s Bustard. A spectacular soaring adult Martial Eagle was the only one for the trip.
We continued north towards Kenhardt, soon coming across our first of many impressive Sociable Weaver nests and their accompanying weavers. One of the nests had a pair of wonderful African Pygmy Falcons, which nest in the weavers’ great abodes (see photos below). Kenhardt itself held three new birds for the trip—Cape Glossy Starling, Karoo Thrush, and Greater Scimitarbill.
The drive to Pofadder was hot and dusty, broken up by farm dams that featured Red-headed and Scaly-feathered Finches and Red-billed Quelea among the abundant buntings, larks, and canaries, Sabota Lark, all of the expected chats and wheatears, and abundant Chat Flycatchers. We found a cooperative pair of Spotted Eagle-Owls near Pofadder on a night drive, but not the desired aardvark.
11 December, around Pofadder
We started out driving southwest out of Pofadder, stopping at farm dams to check out and photograph the abundant buntings, larks, canaries, and Namaqua Sandgrouse. A beautiful female Short-toed Rock-Thrush was in a rocky area, and we were surprised to find a Neddicky nearby. We reached the red dunes well after the Red Larks had stopped singing, but fortunately we were able to find one anyway—it even posed for photos! Driving further down this road yielded a pair of Stark’s Larks.
We passed the heat of the day in Pofadder, then returned to the field in the late afternoon, choosing to go in a different direction from the morning. After watching the incredible sight of 1000 Lark-like Buntings around a single pond, we continued down the road, where we had cracking looks at a Cape Clapper Lark. A short while later we came across two adult and one juvenile Burchell’s Coursers in an open field, getting great looks at this uncommon bird. As it got towards evening, we found an aardwolf, a bizarre, jackal-like animal that almost exclusively eats termites, as well as a bat-eared fox.
12 December, Pofadder to Ai-Ais, Namibia
We headed north of Pofadder on our way into Namibia. The birding was good along the road, and we got exceptionally good looks at the secretive Cinnamon-breasted Warbler. We also found and photographed a cooperative western rock elephant shrew, a remarkable and wonderful rodent with a long nose.
The birding was even better when we reached the lush vegetation and agriculture around the Orange River at the border. We very quickly added Orange River White-eye, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, and, after locating its nest in an electrical box, the beautiful Rosy-faced Lovebird. The river itself was full of birds, and we found Hamerkop, Malachite Kingfisher, African Pied Wagtail, and a wide variety of more common waterbirds. Chacma baboons sat like border patrol on the Namibian rocks overlooking the river.
The drive to Ai-Ais from the border was too hot for birds to be active, but we did find an incredible impressive set of Sociable Weaver nests in a large tree, and three magnificent Black-chested Snake-Eagles.
We arrived at the lush and birdy surroundings of Ai-Ais, in Fish River Canyon National Park, in the afternoon. Mountain Wheatear, Pale-winged Starling, Common Waxbill, Swallow-tailed Bee-eater, Karoo Thrush, Orange River White-eye, and African Red-eyed Bulbul were all common. In the evening we had killer looks at Freckled Nightjar in the lights.
13 December, Fish River Canyon, Namibia to Port Nolloth, South Africa
We began the morning around Ai-Ais, where a large group of Bradfield’s Swifts were flying around the river valley, Little Bitterns were active in the reedbeds, and a beautiful pair of Verreaux’s Eagles were soaring over the campgrounds. We then headed towards another campground in the park, stopping to watch a Klipsringer, a small, rock dwelling antelope. The other campground was also lush, with a small river running through it from which many birds were drinking, and lots of birds everywhere. We found Greater Scimitarbill, a migrant Spotted Flycatcher, and Brubru among the abundant canaries, buntings, sparrows, and others. Karoo Scrub-Robins and Bokmakierie were practically tame here, and we were able to get great views of all the birds drinking and bathing.
After absorbing the stunning view of the canyon, we began the drive south back to South Africa. The blazing heat caused a dearth of bird activity until we stopped a few kilometers outside of Port Nolloth, where we quickly found the targeted Karoo Lark. A stop at the sewage ponds outside of town held a Wood Sandpiper among small numbers of more common waders, and we found our first (distant) Damara Tern from the waterfront in town. A short ways north of town we stopped to look for Barlow’s Lark, an endemic with a miniscule world range. We were surprised to find it in less than five minutes of looking! We quickly found several more, as well as our other target bird for that location, Cape Long-billed Lark. Loud Brant’s whistling rats were calling and scurrying about in the dunes as well.
We then headed to a nearby pan where Damara Terns breed. And breeding they were, we quickly found the terns (and nearly 100 White-fronted Plovers!), including two nests with juveniles. This area seems completely unprotected (there were tire tracks right between the nests, and there was nothing to stop us from driving to the nests) and these birds are highly vulnerable to disturbance. Formal protection of this important nesting area is warranted immediately.
14 December, Springbok to Cape Town
After spending the previous night in Springbok, we began heading south towards Cape Town. After a bit of driving David spotted bustards in a field. We pulled over to watch the Karoo Korhaans and Southern Black Korhaans feeding in the field, when we noticed a flock of several hundred canaries in the same field. A bit of sorting through the flock, which was mostly Yellows, yielded Black-headed Canaries, our first for the trip, and shortly after we noticed the highly sought (and controversial) Damara Canary! To round it off we found our first Large-billed Larks of the trip at the same stop.
We then went to Lambert’s Bay, where one of the world’s great avian spectacles is permanently on display: a huge gannet colony. In this case it is thousands of pairs of Cape Gannets displaying, fighting, squawking, and all from mere meters away. It is not to be missed on a tour to this region.
We then headed south, sticking to the smaller coastal roads. At a pan near Eland’s Bay we found several Chestnut-banded Plovers, while the marshes near Eland’s Bay were full of shorebirds, waders, and ducks, including Hottentot Teal and African Spoonbill. A stop at a coastal lagoon south of Eland’s Bay yielded our first Greater Flamingos for the trip, as well as Southern Pochard, Maccoa Duck, African Marsh Harrier, and about 15 Marsh Sandpipers. We completed the loop by stopping at Veldriff, where the trip had begun, and in a similar fashion—no Red-necked Phalarope! We did, however, see about 100 White-winged Terns, of which there were zero the first time around.
1 Common Ostrich Struthio camelus
2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
3 Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
4 Little Grebe (Dabchick) Tachybaptus ruficollis
5 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus
6 Cape Gannet Morus capensis
7 White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax lucidus
8 Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis
9 Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus
10 Crowned Cormorant Phalacrocorax coronatus
11 African Darter Anhinga rufa
12 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
13 Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
14 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
15 Great White Egret Casmerodius albus
16 Little Egret Egretta garzetta
17 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
18 Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus
19 Hamerkop Scopus umbretta
20 Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
21 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
22 Hadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
23 African Spoonbill Platalea alba
24 Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber
25 Lesser Flamingo Phoenicopterus minor
26 Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
27 South African Shelduck Tadorna cana
28 Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata
29 Cape Teal Anas capensis
30 Hottentot Teal Anas hottentota
31 Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha
32 Cape Shoveller Anas smithii
33 Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma
34 Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis
35 Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa
36 Yellow-billed Kite Milvus parasitus
37 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus
38 Verreaux's (Black) Eagle Aquila verreauxii
39 Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
40 Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus
41 Black-breasted Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis
42 Common (Steppe) Buzzard Buteo buteo
43 Jackal Buzzard Buteo rufofuscus
44 Pale Chanting Goshawk Melierax canorus
45 African Marsh Harrier Circus ranivorus
46 Black Harrier Circus maurus
47 Osprey Pandion haliaetus
48 African Pygmy Falcon Polihierax semitorquatus
49 Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
50 Rock Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
51 Greater Kestrel Falco rupicoloides
52 Cape Francolin Francolinus capensis
53 Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus
54 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio madagascariensis
55 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
56 Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata
57 Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii
58 Karoo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsii
59 Southern Black Korhaan Eupodotis afra
60 Northern Black Korhaan Eupodotis afraoides
61 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
62 White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus
63 Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus
64 Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius
65 Three-banded Plover Charadrius tricollaris
66 Grey (Black-bellied) Plover Pluvialis squatarola
67 Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus
68 Blacksmith Plover Vanellus armatus
69 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
70 Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
71 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
72 Common Redshank Tringa totanus
73 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia
74 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
75 Little Stint Calidris minuta
76 Ruff Philomachus pugnax
77 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata
78 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
79 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta
80 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus
81 Burchell's Courser Cursorius rufus
82 Double-banded Courser Smutsornis africanus
83 Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus
84 Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus
85 Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii
86 Caspian Tern Sterna caspia
87 Swift (Greater Crested) Tern Sterna bergii
88 Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
89 Common Tern Sterna hirundo
90 Damara Tern Sterna balaenarum
91 White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
92 Namaqua Sandgrouse Pterocles namaqua
93 Feral (Rock) Pigeon Columba livia
94 Speckled Pigeon Columba guinea
95 Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola
96 Laughing (Palm) Dove Streptopelia senegalensis
97 Namaqua Dove Oena capensis
98 Rosy-faced Lovebird Agapornis roseicollis
99 Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus
100 Freckled Nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma
101 Bradfield's Swift Apus bradfieldi
102 African Black Swift Apus barbatus
103 Common Swift Apus apus
104 White-rumped Swift Apus caffer
105 Little Swift Apus affinis
106 Alpine Swift Tachymarptis melba
107 African Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus
108 White-backed Mousebird Colius colius
109 Red-faced Mousebird Urocolius indicus
110 Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis
111 Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata
112 European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
113 Swallow-tailed Bee-eater Merops hirundineus
114 Greater Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus cyanomelas
115 Pied Barbet Tricholaema leucomelas
116 Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens
117 Cape Clapper Lark Mirafra apiata
118 Sabota Lark Mirafra sabota
119 Cape Long-billed Lark Certhilauda curvirostris
120 Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata
121 Karoo Lark Certhilauda albescens
122 Barlow's Lark Certhilauda barlowi
123 Red Lark Certhilauda burra
124 Spike-heeled Lark Chersomanes albofasciata
125 Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea
126 Stark's Lark Eremalauda starki
127 Sclater's Lark Spizocorys scateri
128 Large-billed Lark Galerida magnirostris
129 Grey-backed Sparrowlark Eremopterix verticalis
130 Black-eared Sparrowlark Eremopterix australis
131 Barn (European) Swallow Hirundo rustica
132 White-throated Swallow Hirundo albigularis
133 Pearl-breasted Swallow Hirundo dimidiata
134 Greater Striped Swallow Hirundo cucullata
135 South African Cliff Swallow Hirundo spilodera
136 Rock Martin Hirundo fuligula
137 Brown-throated (Plain) Martin Riparia paludicola
138 Black (Cape) Crow Corvus capensis
139 Pied Crow Corvus albus
140 White-necked Raven Corvus albicollis
141 Southern Grey Tit Parus afer
142 Cape Penduline Tit Anthoscopus minutus
143 Cape Bulbul Pycnonotus capensis
144 African Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus nigricans
145 Karoo Thrush Turdus smithii
146 Short-toed Rock Thrush Monticola brevipes
147 Mountain Wheatear Oenanthe monticola
148 Capped Wheatear Oenanthe pileata
149 Familiar Chat Cercomela familiaris
150 Tractrac Chat Cercomela tractrac
151 Sickle-winged Chat Cercomela sinuata
152 Karoo Chat Cercomela schlegelii
153 Southern Anteating Chat Myrmecocichla formicivora
154 Common Stonechat Saxicola torquata
155 Cape Robin-chat Cossypha caffra
156 Karoo Scrub-robin Erythropygia coryphaeus
157 Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler Parisoma subcaeruleum
158 Layard's Tit-babbler Parisoma layardi
159 African Marsh (Reed) Warbler Acrocephalus baeticatus
160 Long-billed Crombec Sylvietta rufescens
161 Yellow-bellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis
162 Karoo Eremomela Eremomela gregalis
163 Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomea
164 Fan-tailed (Zitting) Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
165 Grey-backed Cisticola Cisticola subruficapillus
166 Levaillant's Cisticola Cisticola tinniens
167 Neddicky (Piping Cisticola) Cisticola fulvicapillus
168 Karoo Prinia Prinia maculosa
169 Blackchested Prinia Prinia flavicans
170 Namaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriata
171 Rufous-eared Warbler Malcorus pectoralis
172 Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata
173 Fiscal Flycatcher Sigelus silens
174 Chat Flycatcher Melaenornis infuscatus
175 Pririt Batis Batis pririt
176 African Pied Wagtail Motacilla aguimp
177 Cape Wagtail Motacilla capensis
178 African Pipit (Grassveld Pipit) Anthus cinnamomeus
179 Common Fiscal Lanius collaris
180 Brubru Nilaus afer
181 Bokmakierie Telophorus zeylonus
182 European Starling Sturnus vulgaris
183 African Pied Starling Spreo bicolor
184 Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea
185 Cape Glossy Starling Lamprotornis nitens
186 Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio
187 Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup
188 Lesser DC Sunbird Nectarinia chalybea
189 Dusky Sunbird Nectarinia fusca
190 Orange River White-eye Zosterops pallidus
191 House Sparrow Passer domesticus
192 Cape Sparrow Passer melanurus
193 S. Grey-headed Sparrow Passer diffusus
194 Scaly-feathered Finch Sporopipes squamifrons
195 Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius
196 Cape Weaver Ploceus capensis
197 Southern Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus
198 Red-billed Quelea Quelea quelea
199 Red Bishop Euplectes orix
200 Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild
201 Red-headed Finch Amadina erythrocephala
202 Pin-tailed Whydah Vidua macroura
203 Black-throated Canary Serinus atrogularis
204 Black-headed Canary Serinus alario
205 Damara Canary Serinus leucolaema
206 Yellow Canary Serinus flaviventris
207 White-throated Canary Serinus albogularis
208 Cape Bunting Emberiza capensis
209 Lark-like Bunting Emberiza impetuani
MAMMAL SPECIES
1 Chacma baboon Papio ursinus
2 Western rock elephant shrew Elephantulus rupestris
3 Scrub hare Lepus saxatilis
4 Smith's red rock hare Pronolagus rupestris
5 South African ground squirrel Geosciurus inauris
6 Brant's whistling-rat Parotomys brantsii
7 Four-striped grass-mouse Rhabdomys pumilio
8 Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis
9 Small (Cape) Gray Mongoose Herpestes pulverulenta
10 Yellow Mongoose Cynictis pencillata
11 Meerkat (Suricate) Suricata suricata
12 Aardwolf Proteles cristata
13 Cape rock hyrax Procavia capensis
14 Steinbuck Raphicerus campestris
15 Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus
16 Springbuck Antidorcus marsupialis
17 Black wildebeest Connochaetes gnou