VRYSTAAT !! A report and images from a 5 day Free State trip.
30 September 2006
The diversity and beauty of our wonderful country never ceases to amaze me. Living in Gauteng as we do, we often forget just how priveleged we are to have over 600 species available within 4 hours of us. One of the less explored regions is the Free-state, which has the reputation of being flat and boring. Nothing could be further from the truth, and last week, together with Pat Adams from the UK, I had the pleasure of sampling just a few of the delights of this less famous birding province.
Day 1 - 2 October '06 Harrismith to Witsieshoek
We started out in the upland grassland areas near Harrismith,
where thanks to some good gen from Dave Weaver had a few hours of excellent birding in the mid-afternoon. Birds seen included Spike-heeled Lark, an excellent flock of Southern Bald Ibis, low flying Alpine and African Black Swift and over-passing Botha's Lark, which unfortunately did not pause to allow views. We enjoyed a pair of Blue Korhaan foraging in the fields before proceeding further on to the western side of the highway where we found over 70 Blue Cranes congregated around a dam. Beyond Harrismith, on the road towards Sterkfontein Dam a pair of Grey Crowned Crane occupied a small dam close to the road.
Spike-heeled Lark
Spectacular mountains at Sentinel
After passing through the urban areas of Phutidijaba we arrived at Witsieshoek, but not before seeing a pair of close-up Grey-winged Francolin. We had been warned to expect snow and the weather was not pleasant, but we ventured up the spectacular drive to the Sentinel, anyway where the mountains were veiled in mist and the haunting cries of Wailing Cisticola were heard on the cool slopes.
Day 2 - 3 October 2006
Mountain weather is unpredictable and thick mist blanketed the mountain until after 9:00 when we were afforded a few brief breaks in the gloom along the road to Sentinel. White-necked Ravens, Wailing Cisticola and Long-billed Pipit were in evidence on the mountain. We also saw Jackall Buzzard and Rock Kestrel, before coming across a pair of Drakensburg Rockjumper on the last bend before the Sentinel "check-point".
The stunning Drakensburg Rockjumper
The superb Bearded Vulture in flight (Lammergeier)
We paid a visit to the Fiko Patso dam area where Southern Boubou, Rock Kestrel, Jackall Buzzard and many swifts were in evidence. Large numbers of Malachite Kingfisher appeared to be feeding on the hillside and a nice male Buff-streaked Chat was also seen. In the early afternoon we headed up to Golden Gate National Park. En route we encountered several Cape Vultures and a soaring Bearded Vulture. A drive up the feeding station at Golden Gate produced two more soaring Bearded Vultures, Secretarybird, Ground Woodpeckers, Wailing and Le-vaillant's Cisticola and Jackall Buzzard. After doing a drive we returned to the area and saw no less than four Bearded Vultures (1 adult) in the distance, one of which afforded close up views. At the camp Cape Rock-thrush, Cape Canary and Bokmakierie were in evidence and after dark two Cape Eagle Owls could be heard hooting from the mountains above.
Cape Weaver
The Splendours of Golden Gate National Park
Day 3 - 4 October 2006
A windy and cloudy start to the day limited good birding, but we had more views of Bearded Vulture, Secretarybird and Ground Woodpecker. After breakfast we headed westwards and took the very scenic eastern free-state drive via Fouriesberg. We then headed north-west towards Ventersburg, and a stop produced some nice birds including what seem to look and sound like Orange-river White-eye and a nice Fairy Flycatcher.
We arrived in the Sandveld area and were immediately treated to the sight of typical thornveld species such as Magpie Shrike and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, while Orange-river White-eye cheerfully warbled near the chalets.. A drive in the reserve revealed that large areas of grassland had a recent burn - which held a lot of promise for the next morning.
Day 4 - 5 October 2006
A full day was spent exploring Sandveld Nature Reserve. The burned grasslands were alive with activity from Ant-eating Chat, and there was a good chorus from displaying Eastern Clapper Lark, high altitude Red-capped Lark and many Northern Black Korhaan. A pair of Greater Kestrel hunted over the grasslands and quite a few small mammals, including Yellow Mongoose, Suricate Meerkat and several crouched Steenbok were seen. Large mammals were in abundance in this reserve which has a very healthy looking population of Sable, many White Rhinocerous and Tsessebe and Giraffe as well.
Pearl-spotted Owlet
1..2..3..Launch!! - Northern Black Korhaans display flight.
Woodland areas produced birds such as Pririt Batis, Ashy Tit, Common Scimitarbill, Marico Flycatcher, Cape Penduline-Tit, Black-chested Prinia, Golden-breasted Bunting, Crimson-breasted Shrike, Pearl-spotted owlet and Brubru.
We also spent some time watching the feeding activity at one of the many awesome Sociable Weaver nests found in the area.
The amazing communal nest of the Sociable Weaver
The water levels were very high resulting in a disappointing showing as regards shorebirds, but we found a small pond separated from the main lake which was packed with hundreds of birds, mainly Ruff and White-winged Tern, but also large numbers of assorted species including Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, Common Ringed Plover and others. In an area of more open woodlands we had good views of Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Barred Wren Warbler, European Bee-eater and several of the local race of the African Pipit, that seemed to have a great preference for sitting on trees. We also went in search of the Tinkling Cisticola, and found one in open acacia thornveld with a grassy understory on the far side of the reserve (on the furthest loop from the camp area). A brief visit over the border in the Bloemhof Dam NR produced some great extra birds in the form of Double-banded Courser, Pink-billed Lark and Orange River Francolin.
Day 5 - 6 October '06 Sandveld to Barberspan
Day 5
We travelled north-west- to Barberspan, which can easily be combined with Sandveld/Bloemhof. En-route we had a few good birding stops, including one for a very busy birding patch just outside Schweizer-Reneke, where White-fronted Bee-eaters hawked next to the road.
Near Migdol a road-side pan produced a host of waterbirds including Greater Flamingo, Fulvous Duck and Comb Duck.
White-fronted Bee-eater
Whiskered Tern
Barberspan itself was very windy when we got there and the dam is very full making for reduced mudflats/lakeshore verge birding. Waders seen included all the common species such as Greenshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Ringed Plover and others. A pair of South African Shelduck shepherded a large flotilla of youngsters across the rough waters and out in the open waters numbers of Great-crested Grebe were seen.
Other species seen at Barberspan included Goliath Heron, Whiskered Tern, African Fish-eagle, Common Squacco, Brubru, African Red-eyed Bulbul, Cloud Cisticola, Quail finch and Rufous-eared Warbler. A female Northern Black Korhaan was seen sheperding a small bundle of fluff away into scrubby cover. Then it was time to go, and we headed back to Johannesburg, less than 4 hours drive away!
Overall 208 species recorded in five days of birding with 63 endemics and near endemic birds !
Weaver had a few hours of excellent birding in the mid-afternoon. Birds seen included Spike-heeled Lark, an excellent flock of Southern Bald Ibis, low flying Alpine and African Black Swift and over-passing Botha's Lark, which unfortunately did not pause to allow views. We enjoyed a pair of Blue Korhaan foraging in the fields before proceeding further on to the western side of the highway where we found over 70 Blue Cranes congregated around a dam. Beyond Harrismith, on the road towards Sterkfontein Dam a pair of Grey Crowned Crane occupied a small dam close to the road.
A windy and cloudy start to the day limited good birding, but we had more views of Bearded Vulture, Secretarybird and Ground Woodpecker. After breakfast we headed westwards and took the very scenic eastern free-state drive via Fouriesberg. We then headed north-west towards Ventersburg, and a stop produced some nice birds including what seem to look and sound like Orange-river White-eye and a nice Fairy Flycatcher. 
