Africa Wild

We did the Kruger to Canyon Birding Route during the long weekend. This was our second attempt to find the Rarest Breeding Bird in South Africa. We used a B&B in Grasskop as a base as we also wanted to find the Blue Swallow which nests in the Graskop Area close to Gods Window.





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This is the most accesible site to get the opportunity to see a Taita Falcon. But where does one start looking for a needle in a Haystack

This is the favourite perch of the Taita Couple that live in the area.



It is very difficult to pick up a bird on the cliff ledges with the naked eye



The Couple only get togerther during the mating season - August/September. This area has had a breeding pair since 1990 when they were first discovered here. This year the mating was not succesful - no chicks

The Taita also perches on ledges across the road



We thought we hit the jackpot within minutes of arriving at the site as there was a falcon soaring overhead

It turned out to be a Peregrine



As you will have seen from the photo there are only 6 breeding pairs in SA. There a few birds in Zimbabwe too. The guide for the area is Michael and he is excellent. He informs us that there are now 10 breeding pairs in the Blyde River Canyon Area - latest count done recently by helicopter.

Excellent, Duke!

I actually contacted the fellow from Kruger to Canyons to link up with AW a couple of years back!!

We were mutually linked on the old forums! Must follow that up!

Brilliant post Duke.

When I was invited to go to Kruger the first time, I asked my Saffie hosts if we could do this route as I wanted to see Taita Falcon. Been a wish for me since I was a kid growing up. My Saffie friends thought "not a snowball's chance in hell of seeing one." (The site was not advertised as well back then). Pulled into the layby. Asked one of the girls there for help. Walked across the road to the now famous rock and within minutes..... Taita Falcon. Well worth a visit if you are heading for Kruger.

Looks like they have their own PR show set up there now Duke.

Ja! It's at the Strydom Tunnel between Ohrigstad and Phalaborwa...quite a cottage industry, and success story! But park/drive carefully and lock the vehicle!

what a chance
what nice places you have
thank you Duke

Learned something new again today - thanks for that, Duke.

Are we getting more of that long birding weekend?

Richprins wrote:Excellent, Duke!

I actually contacted the fellow from Kruger to Canyons to link up with AW a couple of years back!!

We were mutually linked on the old forums! Must follow that up!

That would be great RP

Dewi wrote:Brilliant post Duke.

When I was invited to go to Kruger the first time, I asked my Saffie hosts if we could do this route as I wanted to see Taita Falcon. Been a wish for me since I was a kid growing up. My Saffie friends thought "not a snowball's chance in hell of seeing one." (The site was not advertised as well back then). Pulled into the layby. Asked one of the girls there for help. Walked across the road to the now famous rock and within minutes..... Taita Falcon. Well worth a visit if you are heading for Kruger.

Looks like they have their own PR show set up there now Duke.

Wow Dewi.....Within minutes.....Taita Falcon

nan wrote:what a chance
what nice places you have
thank you Duke

Thanks nan.... very nice birding route as you will see

Mel wrote:Learned something new again today - thanks for that, Duke.

Are we getting more of that long birding weekend?

You sure are

The Taita Site is just south of the JG Strydom tunnel on the R36 Road. We got there on the Saturday afternoon and after settling down we had sightings of Cape Vulture, Peregrine Falcon, Brown Snake Eagle, Gymnogene, Red winged Starlings, Alpine Swift (the Taita feeds mainly on these), African Black Swift, Speckled Pigeon all soaring along/above the cliff face.

We were apprehensive about safety but the site was fine. We spend many hours during the 3 days at the site and did not feel insecure at all. There is a little stream just below road level (about a 50 meter walk to the stream) where we had sightings of Giant Kingfisher, Chorister Robin Chat (uncommon host of the Red Chested Cuckoo), Striped Pipit, Black Collared Barbet, Dark Capped Bulbul. We could hear the Red Chested Cuckoo but did not find it.

At the stream we got our first lifer of the trip the Mountain Wagtail


Also got photos of the Mocking Cliff Chat


and the Black Backed Puffback


On the drive from the Taita Site to Graskop we saw the first of the Amur Falcons




and a few Rock Kestrels and also the Steppe Buzard




and Jackal Buzzard




We searched for the Blue Swallows but were saddened to learn that for the last two years they have not been to Kaapsehoop or Misty Mountain Chalets and there were only 3 breeding pairs recorded in Mpumalanga last year. There are only a total of about 38 breeding pairs that come to SA and Natal will be the place to find this bird which hopefully we can save from Extinction

in one word... a paradise

Very interesting...thanks Duke!

That's just terrific - so many different birds, and even a lifer.

Sorry to hear about the blue swallows though. Hopefully they will return next year.