The western seaboard of South Africa, stretching along the Atlantic
shores from Cape Town northwards to the Olifants River, is best
known for its superb beaches, bountiful sealife, internationally
recognized coastal wetlands, and spring wildflower displays that
are nothing short of spectacular. Birding is excellent: there is
an abundance of migrant waders and other waterbirds, and rewarding
‘strandveld’ birding. Highlights range from the quiet
elegance of a Black Harrier quartering low over
the scrublands of the West Coast National Park, where the Langebaan
Lagoon attracts thousand of wintering waders, to harsh shouts of
a male Southern Black Korhaan in display.
Working northwards from Cape Town, we bird a number of specific sites
in coastal sandveld and the adjacent wheatlands. This area is most
active in winter and spring, when the surrounding wheatlands are filled
with birds; after the summer harvest it becomes progressively drier
and less active. Small numbers of Blue Crane may
be found in the adjacent fields. Red-capped Lark,
Capped Wheatear, Familiar Chat,
African Pipit and Cape Sparrow are
common in this vicinity. In spring Banded Martin
and Pearl-breasted Swallow can be spotted among the
more numerous Greater Striped and Barn Swallows.
This area provides a host of western specials including the stunning
Southern Black Korhaan, Pied Starling,
Grey-wing Francolin, Karoo Lark,
and the unusual western race of Cloud Cisticola.
The West Coast National Park, our focus for the rest of the day, provides
further great birding, including access to Black Harrier
and Chestnut-banded Plover and thousands of wintering
waders during summer. The strandveld vegetation throughout the park
harbours species such as White-backed Mousebird,
Karoo Lark, Cape Penduline Tit,
Cape Bulbul, Cape Robin-chat, Karoo
Scrub-robin, Common Titbabbler, Layard’s
Titbabbler, Grey-backed Cisticola, Long-billed
Crombec, Bar-throated Apalis, Grassbird,
Bokmakierie, Southern Double-collared Sunbird,
Malachite Sunbird, Cape Weaver,
White-throated Canary, Yellow Canary
and Cape Bunting. A detour to the north may provide
us with Grey Tit, Sickle-winged Chat
and the localised Cape Long-billed Lark.
About Birding Africa Birding Africa is a specialist birding tour
company customising tours for both world listers and more relaxed holiday
birders. We combine interests in mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, botany
and other natural history aspects and will guide you to Africa's and Madagascar's
most diverse birding destinations. Our guides'
knowledge of African birds and birding areas is our greatest strength
and together we have rediscovered species, shared exciting observations
with the birding community and had a fun time exploring our home continent.
We've even written two acclaimed guide
books on where to find Southern Africa's and Madagascar's best birds.
Birding is more than our passion, it's our lifestyle, and we are dedicated
to making professional, best value trips filled with endemic species and
unique wildlife experiences. Since 1997, we've run bird watching tours
in South Africa and further into Africa for individual birders, small
birding groups and top international tour companies. We've run Conservation
Tours in association with the African Bird Club and work with and
consult for a number of other top international tour companies and the
BBC Natural History Unit.
