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22 april - 02 may 2011 - karoo trip |
We planned a trip to the north-eastern corner of the Western Cape province concentrating mainly on an area between Beaufort West and Murraysburg with the primary focus of targeting a few new species for our provincial lists. Setting off on 22 April, we made our way through to Beaufort West and spent a few hours in the afternoon in the Karoo National Park managing to catch up with our first target bird, Village Indigobird. We also met up with John and Greta Graham here who would spend the first few days of our trip with us. Early the next morning, we were back in the park and spent a few hours working the area connecting with a number of the other more regular species one might expect (this also helped our challenge list which has now been increased to include the whole Western Cape province...). |
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Rock Kestrel |
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female Pririt Batis |
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male Rufous-eared Warbler |
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Karoo Girdled Lizard |
By lunch time, we were on the road heading further north-east towards Murraysburg. We eventually arrived at our first destination, Misthoek Guest Farm, where we would be spending the next four nights. We also met up with a local birder here, Stefan Theron, who would be taking us around to some of his local hotspots. This turned out to be an absolute coup as Stefan really knew the area well and turned up some fantastic birds for us! Over the next few days in this area, we connected with a number of new Western Cape birds like Northern Black Korhaan, Pink-billed Lark and mega Kurrichane Button-quail whilst we also had some other great birding as well as good mammals, reptiles and frogs. |
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Acacia Pied Barbet |
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Spotted Eagle Owl |
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Pink-billed Lark |
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male Northern Black Korhaan |
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Leopard Tortoise |
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Southern Pygmy Toad |
Our next 2 nights were spent at the farm Doornbos where we continued to target some other good birds and came up trumps with one of our biggest "wants" for the trip, Drakensberg Rockjumper which meant that we now had both Rockjumpers in our home province. We also turned up a cracking Verreaux's Eagle Owl here as well as other good things like Karoo Flat Gecko and Tandy's Sand Frog, both new species for us. |
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African Rock Pipit |
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male Sentinel Rock Thrush |
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male Drakensberg Rockjumper |
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Karoo Flat Gecko |
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Tandy's Sand Frog |
Our last 2 nights in the Murraysburg area were based at Bloupoort and local birding added Yellow-throated Petronia and Golden-breasted Bunting to our provincial lists whilst Margaret also got African Firefinch for her list. As with the rest of the trip, we also did a few nightdrives and highlights included Cape Porcupine, Aardwolf, Black-backed Jackal and Pygmy Hairy-footed Gerbil. |
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Ludwig's Bustard |
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African Firefinch |
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Black-throated Canary |
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Aardwolf |
From here, we eventually made our way back to Cape Town, being very lucky along the way in that we received a call about 2 White-fronted Bee-eaters near Prince Albert which we were able to divert and go and see, another new bird for our Western Cape lists. |
Full list of species recorded on the trip | |
Links to pages with additional photos highlighted in red | |
Common Name | Scientific Name |
Birds - 159 species | |
Common Ostrich | Struthio camelus |
Helmeted Guineafowl | Numida meleagris |
Grey-winged Francolin | Scleroptila africanus |
Common Quail | Coturnix coturnix |
Egyptian Goose | Alopochen aegyptiaca |
South African Shelduck | Tadorna cana |
African Black Duck | Anas sparsa |
Yellow-billed Duck | Anas undulata |
Red-billed Teal | Anas erythrorhyncha |
Little Grebe | Tachybaptus ruficollis |
African Sacred Ibis | Threskiornis aethiopicus |
Hadeda Ibis | Bostrychia hagedash |
African Spoonbill | Platalea alba |
Western Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis |
Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea |
Black-headed Heron | Ardea melanocephala |
Hamerkop | Scopus umbretta |
Reed Cormorant | Microcarbo africanus |
White-breasted Cormorant | Phalacrocorax lucidus |
African Darter | Anhinga rufa |
Black-shouldered Kite | Elanus caeruleus |
Black Harrier | Circus maurus |
Pale Chanting Goshawk | Melierax canorus |
Gabar Goshawk | Melierax gabar |
Jackal Buzzard | Buteo rufofuscus |
Verreaux's Eagle | Aquila verreauxii |
Rock Kestrel | Falco rupicolis |
Lanner Falcon | Falco biarmicus |
Ludwig's Bustard | Neotis ludwigii |
Southern Black Korhaan | Eupodotis afra |
Northern Black Korhaan | Eupodotis afraoides |
Karoo Korhaan | Eupodotis vigorsii |
Common Moorhen | Gallinula chloropus |
Red-knobbed Coot | Fulica cristata |
Blue Crane | Anthropoides paradiseus |
Kurrichane Buttonquail | Turnix sylvaticus |
Spotted Thick-knee | Burhinus capensis |
Blacksmith Lapwing | Vanellus armatus |
Three-banded Plover | Charadrius tricollaris |
Namaqua Sandgrouse | Pterocles namaqua |
Rock Dove | Columba livia |
Speckled Pigeon | Columba guinea |
Red-eyed Dove | Streptopelia semitorquata |
Cape Turtle Dove | Streptopelia capicola |
Laughing Dove | Streptopelia senegalensis |
Namaqua Dove | Oena capensis |
Diderick Cuckoo | Chrysococcyx caprius |
Spotted Eagle Owl | Bubo africanus |
Verreaux's Eagle Owl | Bubo lacteus |
Rufous-cheeked Nightjar | Caprimulgus rufigena |
Little Swift | Apus affinis |
White-rumped Swift | Apus caffer |
Speckled Mousebird | Colius striatus |
White-backed Mousebird | Colius colius |
Red-faced Mousebird | Urocolius indicus |
Brown-hooded Kingfisher | Halcyon albiventris |
Malachite Kingfisher | Alcedo cristata |
Giant Kingfisher | Megaceryle maximus |
Pied Kingfisher | Ceryle rudis |
White-fronted Bee-eater | Merops bullockoides |
African Hoopoe | Upupa africana |
Acacia Pied Barbet | Tricholaema leucomelas |
Ground Woodpecker | Geocolaptes olivaceus |
Cardinal Woodpecker | Dendropicos fuscescens |
Cape Batis | Batis capensis |
Pririt Batis | Batis pririt |
Bokmakierie | Telophorus zeylonus |
Southern Tchagra | Tchagra tchagra |
Common Fiscal | Lanius collaris |
Fork-tailed Drongo | Dicrurus adsimilis |
Cape Crow | Corvus capensis |
Pied Crow | Corvus albus |
White-necked Raven | Corvus albicollis |
Drakensberg Rockjumper | Chaetops aurantius |
Fairy Flycatcher | Stenostira scita |
Grey Tit | Parus afer |
Cape Penduline-Tit | Anthoscopus minutus |
Eastern Clapper Lark | Mirafra fasciolata |
Sabota Lark | Calendulauda sabota |
Karoo Long-billed Lark | Certhilauda subcoronata |
Spike-heeled Lark | Chersomanes albofasciata |
Pink-billed Lark | Spizocorys conirostris |
Large-billed Lark | Galerida magnirostris |
Grey-backed Sparrowlark | Eremopterix verticalis |
African Red-eyed Bulbul | Pycnonotus barbatus |
Cape Bulbul | Pycnonotus capensis |
Sombre Greenbul | Andropadus importunus |
Brown-throated Martin | Riparia paludicola |
Pearl-breasted Swallow | Hirundo dimidiata |
Rock Martin | Hirundo fuligula |
Greater Striped Swallow | Hirundo cucullata |
Grey-backed Cisticola | Cisticola subruficapilla |
Levaillant's Cisticola | Cisticola tinniens |
Neddicky | Cisticola fulvicapilla |
Zitting Cisticola | Cisticola juncidis |
Desert Cisticola | Cisticola aridulus |
Rufous-eared Warbler | Malcorus pectoralis |
Karoo Prinia | Prinia maculosa |
Namaqua Warbler | Phragmacia substriata |
Bar-throated Apalis | Apalis thoracica |
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler | Euryptila subcinnamomea |
Yellow-bellied Eremomela | Eremomela icteropygialis |
Long-billed Crombec | Sylvietta rufescens |
Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler | Parisoma subcaeruleum |
Layard's Tit-Babbler | Parisoma layardi |
Cape White-eye | Zosterops capensis |
Common Starling | Sturnus vulgaris |
Wattled Starling | Creatophora cinerea |
Pied Starling | Spreo bicolor |
Red-winged Starling | Onychognathus morio |
Pale-winged Starling | Onychognathus nabouroup |
Karoo Thrush | Turdus smithi |
Cape Robin-Chat | Cossypha caffra |
Karoo Scrub-Robin | Cercotrichas coryphoeus |
African Stonechat | Saxicola torquatus |
Capped Wheatear | Oenanthe pileata |
Mountain Wheatear | Oenanthe monticola |
Sickle-winged Chat | Cercomela sinuata |
Karoo Chat | Cercomela schlegelii |
Familiar Chat | Cercomela familiaris |
Anteating Chat | Myrmecocichla formicivora |
Sentinel Rock Thrush | Monticola explorator |
Short-toed Rock Thrush | Monticola brevipes |
Chat Flycatcher | Bradornis infuscatus |
Fiscal Flycatcher | Sigelus silens |
Malachite Sunbird | Nectarinia famosa |
Southern Double-collared Sunbird | Cinnyris chalybeus |
Dusky Sunbird | Cinnyris fuscus |
House Sparrow | Passer domesticus |
Cape Sparrow | Passer melanurus |
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow | Passer diffusus |
Yellow-throated Petronia | Gymnoris superciliaris |
Scaly-feathered Finch | Sporopipes squamifrons |
Cape Weaver | Ploceus capensis |
Southern Masked Weaver | Ploceus velatus |
Red-billed Quelea | Quelea quelea |
Yellow-crowned Bishop | Euplectes afer |
Southern Red Bishop | Euplectes orix |
Red-headed Finch | Amadina erythrocephala |
Red-billed Firefinch | Lagonosticta senegala |
African Firefinch | Lagonosticta rubricata |
Common Waxbill | Estrilda astrild |
African Quailfinch | Ortygospiza atricollis |
Village Indigobird | Vidua chalybeata |
Pin-tailed Whydah | Vidua macroura |
Cape Wagtail | Motacilla capensis |
Cape Longclaw | Macronyx capensis |
African Pipit | Anthus cinnamomeus |
Long-billed Pipit | Anthus similis |
African Rock Pipit | Anthus crenatus |
Cape Canary | Serinus canicollis |
Black-throated Canary | Serinus atrogularis |
Yellow Canary | Serinus flaviventris |
White-throated Canary | Serinus albogularis |
Black-headed Canary | Alario alario |
Lark-like Bunting | Emberiza impetuani |
Cinnamon-breasted Bunting | Emberiza tahapisi |
Cape Bunting | Emberiza capensis |
Golden-breasted Bunting | Emberiza flaviventris |
Mammals - 32 species | |
Cape Rock Hyrax | Procavia capensis |
Vervet Monkey | Chlorocebus pygerythrus |
Chacma Baboon | Papio ursinus |
South African Ground Squirrel | Xerus inauris |
Pygmy Hairy-footed Gerbil | Gerbillurus paeba |
Striped Mouse | Rhabdomys pumilio |
Bush Karoo Rat | Myotomys unisulcatus |
South African Spring Hare | Pedetes capensis |
Cape Porcupine | Hystrix africaeaustralis |
Cape Hare | Lepus capensis |
Scrub Hare | Lepus saxatilis |
Hewitt's Red Rock Rabbit | Pronolagus saundersiae |
Reddish-grey Musk Shrew | Crocidura cyanea |
Cape Serotine Bat | Neoromicia capensis |
Small-spotted Genet | Genetta genetta |
Yellow Mongoose | Cynictis penicillata |
Small Grey Mongoose | Galerella pulverulenta |
Suricate | Suricata suricatta |
Aardwolf | Proteles cristatus |
Black-backed Jackal | Canis mesomelas |
Bat-eared Fox | Otocyon megalotis |
Striped Polecat | Ictonyx striatus |
Burchell's Zebra | Equus burchelli |
Cape Mountain Zebra | Equus zebra |
Red Haartebeest | Alcelaphus caama |
Springbok | Antidorcas marsupialis |
Klipspringer | Oreotragus oreotragus |
Steenbok | Raphicerus campestris |
Greater Kudu | Tragelaphus strepsiceros |
Common Duiker | Sylvicapra grimmia |
Gemsbok | Oryx gazella |
Grey Rhebok | Pelea capreolus |
Mountain Reedbuck | Redunca fulvorufula |
Reptiles - 10 species | |
Leopard Tortoise | Stigmochelys pardalis |
Marsh Terrapin | Pelomedusa subrufa |
Common Ground Agama | Agama aculeata |
Karoo Flat Gecko | Afroedura karroica |
Cape Crag Lizard | Pseudocordylus microlepidotus |
Karoo Girdled Lizard | Cordylus polyzonus |
Namaqua Sand Lizard | Pedioplanis namaquensis |
Variegated Skink | Trachylepis variegata |
Western Rock Skink | Trachylepis sulcata |
Puffadder | Bitis arietans arietans |
Frogs - 5 species | |
Southern Pygmy Toad | Poyntonophrynus vertebralis |
Boetger's Caco | Cacosternum boetgeri |
Cape River Frog | Amietia fuscigula |
Clicking Stream Frog | Strongylopus grayii |
Tandy's Sand Frog | Tomopterna tandyi |