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Day 1:
Johannesburg
- Haenertsburg (D)
Departing Johannesburg or
Pretoria at am, you travel
North to the small town of
Haenertsburg, situated in the mountain forests and grasslands of
the Northern Drakensberg Mountains.
You
will enjoy an afternoon bird watching in the wood bush forest
where you will search for amongst others:
Black-fronted
Bush Shrike, White-starred Robin, Green Twinspot and if we
are lucky Buff-spotted Flufftail during the summer
months. The surrounding grasslands are home to breeding
Blue
Swallows, a highly endangered species.
You enjoy dinner at one of
the local restaurants with the plans for the next day being
discussed.
Day 2:
Haenertsburg - Kruger Park -
Punda Maria Camp (B
D)
Departing Haenertsburg we
continue driving North for a few more hours to the Northern
section of the Kruger National Park. Before entering the park at
Punda Maria Gate you will have
the opportunity to do
some shopping, to stock up the cooler
box with some drinks, film, snacks, insect repellent.
You
will spend the next two
days exploring the Northern limits of the Kruger Park with the
view of seeing some of the bird 'specials' only found in this part of the
park.
On a good day around the
Punda Maria region you could record several of the
following ‘specials': White-breasted
Cuckoo Shrike, Crowned Hornbill,
Chestnut-bellied
(Greyhooded)
Kingfisher, Crested Guineafowl, Gorgeous Bush Shrike,
Gray-headed Parrot, African and
European Golden Oriole (both
summer), Eastern
Nicator, Stierling's Wren Warbler
and
Dickinson's Kestrel.
Arriving at
Punda Maria camp,
you check in, visit the camps shop to
stock up with drinks, move into your chalet
and freshen up ready for dinner.
A traditional
South African meal is prepared giving you a
taste of our countries delicious, barbeque cuisine.
Day 3:
Kruger Park -
Punda Maria Camp (B
D)
On the third day we will
have an early morning departure making our way north to the Pafuri
region for the day. This area has some beautiful river line forest and we
will stop for breakfast at a famous picnic site.
One can simply spend several hours in
this
picnic site
seeing:
Trumpeter Hornbill,
Purple-crested Turacos,
Black-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Meve's Starling, Narina Trogon, Gorgeous, Grey-headed
and Orange-breasted
Bush Shrike and several
different species of
Robin,
Sunbird and
Firefinch. Other rarities
recorded at the picnic site include
Lemon
Dove, Brown Scrub-Robin and Wood
Owl.
To conclude this very productive day we return back to camp in time for anvehicle sunset drive. A SANParks ranger in ansided truck conducts the drive, which lasts for approx three hours.
On your return from your sunset drive your dinner would have been prepared, cooked and ready to be served outside under the stars, with talk of the days events.
Day 4: Kruger Park -
Letaba Camp (B D)
Making our way south down through the Kruger Park we drive via
Shingwedzi camp where you will have several more birds to add to
our list: Bennett’s Woodpecker,
Red-capped Robin-Chat, Grey Penduline Tit,
Dusky and
Village Indigobirds, Green-capped Eremomela,
Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Saddle-billed Stork and if we are
lucky we may get a glimpse of the resident Collared Palm
Thrush.
Continuing south we head through Mopane woodland and
savannah. When given the time these areas may yield:
Pallid
Harrier, Lesser Moorhen, Secretary Bird as well as
Double-banded Sand grouse.
Arriving at
'Letaba' camp just before the entrance
gates close for the evening,
you check in, visit the camps shop to
stock up with drinks, move into your chalet
and freshen up ready for dinner.
Letaba is
particularly good for viewing
and hearing Owls: Pearl-spotted,
Barred,
Scops
and
Giant Eagle Owl.
You
enjoy dinner out in thelistening to the African night
sounds whilst we
discuss the next day's exciting events,
relaxed and enjoying a little beverage.
Day 5: Kruger Park - Satara Camp (B D)
The day starts early with a wake up call at 5.30am. At
6.00am the camp gates We leave
Letaba and head towards 'Satara' camp.
Satara is your
camp for the next two nights. Apart from the
birdlife it's also well known for its Lion population and for
being one of the better areas in the park to see Cheetah.
The landscape in this
area is quitewith large Marula trees scattered across thesavannah. We will be keeping our eyesfor: Martial
Eagle, Lappet-faced Vultures, Acacia Pied Barbet and
Brown-crowned Tchagra. Theplains to the
north of camp are perhaps the best place in the park to record
Montagu's
and Pallid Harrier.
Day 6: Kruger Park - Satara Camp (B D)
Your day starts with a morning Walking Safari. This casual walk in the bush is approximately four hours long in duration and is conducted by two very experienced South African National Parks (SANParks) game rangers, one armed with a .458 rifle.
It's your opportunity to get a closer look at some of the smaller animals, the flora and fauna and to learn a little about bush survival and tracking. On your return to camp your breakfast will be served.
The rest of the day is dedicated to wildlife viewing but of course, keeping a look out for any birds not yet seen.
The area around 'Satara' is good for Cheetah. After breakfast, your late morning game drive is spent driving around a few road loops around Satara. Your Safari Ranger spends some time searching for this splendid animal, stopping off at a fewplain areas, water holes.
Some time later we find two Cheetahs lying on a termite mound. Fantastic! It's not often you see Cheetah. We spend time with them taking photos each time they re-position on the termite mound.
Back to camp for
approx 14.00hrs for
lunch with a siesta after or to stock up with
drinks for a quick afternoon game drive.
You see so many different animals
- Elephant, Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Impala,
Kudu and Waterbuck; just to name a few common species.
After enjoying a very different day you return back to camp before the gates close, knowing your last full day was indeed maximised.
Day 7: Kruger Park - Johannesburg (B)
You enjoy the
final morning's bird watching,
stopping for a picnic breakfast. After breakfast we regrettably have to leave
the Kruger Park at Orpen Gate.
On our homeward bound journey you enjoy the 'Panoramic
Route' driving through a different section of
the Northern Drakensberg Mountains.
En-route you may find a breeding pair of
Taita Falcons.
We then continue to the Blyde River Canyon,
the third largest in the world to enjoy the spectacular views
seen from above. At the canyon we may see: Familiar Chat,
Cape Bunting, Mocking Cliff Chat and
White-necked Ravens.
From the canyon our next stop will be the
Lisbon Waterfalls and then the old gold mining town of Pilgrims
Rest.
Pilgrims Rest is now a national monument and will be your lunch stop for the day.
At each of the scenic stops you have the opportunity to finish
off your film and to barter for locally crafted curios.
We will arrive back in Jo'burg at approx 6.00pm
with drop off at the airport or at any hotel.
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Note
(B L D) refers to the meals included - Breakfast,
Lunch and Dinner.
Our Birding Safaris
generally run at a slower pace than our wildlife safaris. Time
is often spent at the camps as there are
birds in abundance. You
do also spend time at waterholes as they make
for excellent birding.
Itinerary may also vary slightly due to
accommodation availability, gateng times, game movements, weather
etc....
Bird Watching South Africa | Bird Watching Kruger Park
Bird 7 Day Tours | 7 Day Bird Watching Holiday | Birdwatching 7 Day Safari
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