Dullstroom

 Dullstroom is a quaint tourist town in Mpumalanga. It styles itself on being the Fly Fisherman's capital of South Africa & it is also close to the Panorama Route, so it sees a steady stream of both local & international tourists. It has a great variety of accommodation options & many places to dine out, ranging from fine dining to cafes. 

This small town is nestled in a shallow valley amid grassland dominated landscapes, much of which is over 2,000 m above sea level. It provides the birder with access to highland birding from roads & tracks, without the need to undertake multi-day hikes. Consequently, it is a popular place & certainly one of my favourite places for birding. 

We arrived mid-afternoon on 17th April at our very nice accommodation on the edge of town. After settling in we made a quick excursion to the dam, looking for Cape Eagle Owl but without success. Then a very up-market dining experience at The Vine Restaurant. Highly recommended. 

The start of the De Berg Road.

Grey Rhebok

Mountain Reedbuck

On the top.

Red-winged Francolin

(taken through the windscreen)!

African Olive Pigeon

Jackal Buzzard

Gurney's Sugarbird

Bokmakierie

African Dusky Flycatcher

Mountain Chat

Buff-streaked Chat

Long-billed Pipit

Wailing Cisticola

Common in these highland habitats.

The next day we explored the De Berg Road, which steadily climbs up into the highest grasslands in this area. It is a very slow, dirt track which takes one through several different upland habitats. Normally it is a a very scenic drive, but today the weather was not at its best, which is quite common in these highland areas. We returned home early afternoon, just as the heavens opened, to put paid to any further birding.

Pale-crowned Cisticola

Female

Responded to tape.

On 19th April we drove the Greater Lakenvlei Route just south of town, mainly looking for Cranes, but without success. In fact, it was a pretty birdless drive. Only a pair of Pale-crowned Cisticolas being noteworthy.

The main habitat is open highland grassland.

Blesbok

Denham's Bustard

Common Quail

Flushed from the side of the road.

Photo taken through windscreen!

Eastern Long-billed Lark

A scarce & difficult to see species.

Favours rocky ridged in upland grasslands.

Orange-throated Longclaw

The following day we spent in the Verlorenvlei Nature Reserve, which is always a pleasure to visit. This reserve gets very few visitors & so driving the tracks is great. For some reason birds here are very flighty & flush at the first sign of a vehicle, making photography difficult. We enjoyed a good mornings birding, with 3 Denham's Bustard; 3 Common Quail & a pair of Eastern Long-billed Larks. Yet again, it rained heavily, making birding impossible in the afternoon.

We left Dullstroom in the pouring rain on the morning of 21st April to drive to Sabie Park. It had been an enjoyable ten nights away, but the birding had been a little below par, with us failing to see many of our target species.