Birding Soutpansberg and Venda Tours: Soutpansberg Albasini Conservancy

Getaway to Punda Maria and Pafuri Gate

GETAWAY TO KRUGER PARK FROM PUNDA MARIA AND PAFURI GATE

Central Soutpansberg is close to Kruger National Park especially Punda Maria and Pafuri.Enough habitat types within a short distance of each other.Birders can stop to do some birding on their way to Kruger Park and in the Central Soutpansberg sites like Hanglip Forest,Roodewal Forest,Muirhead Dams,Entabeni Forest and Thohoyandou Botanical Garden.Birders can be rewarded with birds like African Finfoot,White Backed Night-Heron,Blue Spotted Wood-Dove,African Broadbill,Mottled Spinetail,Bat Hawk,Scaly Throated Honeyguide,Narina Trogon,Pink Throated Twinspot,African Wood Owl.etc
Birders can stop for whole day before leaving to Punda and explore one of the sites in the Soutpansberg or Venda.

We can plan a day outing to Pafuri Picnic site or Punda Maria which can be a full day outing around the park.

Birding Trips and Tours

BIRDING TOURS

Morning birding walk.

A morning birding walk can be arranged from where you will be staying for about 2 and half hours.Birds you will likely to see include special birds Gorgeous Bushshrike,Crested Guineafowl,Olive Bushshrike,Red Faced Cisticola,Cape Grassbird and the resident African Wood Owl.

Half Day Birding Tour

Time is about 5-6 hours in the escarpment of Soutpansberg mountains.I can lead you to Roodewal Nature Reserve which is best done early morning,and then to Muirhead Dams.Roodewal Nature Reserve the only place to see the African Broadbill in the Central Soutpansberg.other birds common are Eastern Nicator,Narina Trogon,Scaly Throated Honeyguide,Green Twinspot and the resident African Crowned Eagle.

Full Day Birding Tour

Time 8-9 hours of birding under toe canopy of Afro-Montane Forest.Entabeni Forets and Hanglip Forest is an ideal sites for full day.Entabeni Forest birds that are common are Bat Hawk,Orange Ground Thrush,Yellow Streaked Greenbul.Other places we can visit for the day include Thohoyandou Botanical Garden and birds easily located is Blue Spotted Wood-Dove.This is the only reliable place to get the Blue Spotted Wood-Dove in South Africa.Other resident birds are Pink Throated Twinspot,Green Twinspot,Gorgeous Bushshrike,Red-Capped Robin-Chat and Eastern Nicator.

Weekend Birding Tour.

We can organise a birding weekend tour to various camp sites around Venda.Gundani Camp site,the only patch of Miombo woodland in South Africa.Two tent that can accomodate 4 people and a camping site is available for extra people.Birds that we are likely to see are White Breasted Cuckooshrike,Pink Throated Twinspot,Southern Hyliota,Narina Trogon,Scaly Throated Honeyguide.While staying at Gundani camp we can also visit Sagole Big tree a 25 minutes drive from the camp.Birds to see there include Mottled Spinetail that roosts in the cave inside the biggest Baobab tree in South Africa.

A day or weekend birding at Punda Maria or Pafuri Picnic Site.I can accompany you for a day visit to either Punda Maria or Pafuri Picnic Sites to look for birds like Pel's Fishing Owl,Black-Throated Wattle-Eye,Arnot's Chat,Southern Hyliota,Grey-Headed Parrot,Senegal Coucal,Tropical Boubou etc

RECENT SIGHTINGS AND TOP BIRDS SEEN IN THE CENTRAL SOUTPANSBERG & VENDA

Friday, June 4, 2010

Soutpansberg Albasini Conservancy

Hi Birdnetters.

I am glad that the level of the dam increased by 33% during the past
months and although is winter and cold birdwatching is really good.
On 2nd June 2010 I took out three people from Switzerland for sunset cruize.
Birds we have seen amongst others include African Openbill(2)
African Sacred Ibis
African Pygmy Goose
Egyptian Goose
Black Crake
Grey Headed Gull
African Fish Eagle
Half Collared Kingfisher
Malachite Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher
Giant Kingfisher
Water Thicknee
Spotted Thick-Knee
African Black Duck
Grey and Black Headed Heron
Cattle and Yellow Billed Egret
Three Banded Plover
Helmeted Guineafowl
We have seen also a Crocodile and a Hippopotamus together in the dam.
Regards,