On the road to the pass.
Photo courtesy of Rob Quested.
We then packed up & drove towards Rhodes in the Drakensburg Mountains. We were around 80kms short of our destination when we spotted a nice hotel by the roadside.
Getting higher!
We did some afternoon birding around a nearby dam & then enjoyed an excellent evening meal.
Black headed Heron
One of seventeen Southern Bald Ibis.
Lanner
African Stonechat
This is at the bottom of the pass not the top!
On the 25th we took the dirt road towards Rhodes. The weather was again kind to us & we enjoyed some very scenic vistas along the way.
At bang on 2,000 m. we came across two Mountain Pipits! A world tick for me!
Female
This pair had a nest with chicks close to the road.
Male Sentinel Rock Thrush.
Mountain Pipit
The highest road in South Africa.
The habitat
Orange-breasted Rockjumper
We arrived at the pass & started birding: Orange-breasted Rockjumper proved to be the highlight, although Sentinel Rock Thrush came a close second. Drakensburg Siskins were also seen but not photographed.
The eastern side of the pass was
much more verdant.
Long crested Eagle
Bizarre, but wonderful!
The eastern side of the pass proved to be much greener & we saw a few good species including a fine adult Black Harrier.
Grey-crowned Crane.
A little further down, we enjoyed a pair of Grey-crowned Cranes by the roadside. The rest of the late afternoon was spent driving & we arrived late & crashed straight away at a local guesthouse, which proved to be surprisingly comfortable.
Denham's Bustard - for me the finest of this family.
The 26th was a day of driving the 586 kilometers to our next destination, Wakkerstroom. However a fine Denham’s Bustard by the roadside proved to be a real bonus.
Our temporary home.
This one is for you Robin!
This is a much better picture!
We arrived at Wakkerstroom late afternoon & found a lovely self-catering cottage to stay in for the next two nights. We had a pleasant evening in the local pub with some good food.
Steppe Buzzard
Greater Striped Swallow
Killed on the road by fast moving traffic.
Cape Sparrow
27th dawned grey, cold & overcast, which soon turned to light drizzle. We concentrated on the grassland birds but didn’t see very much at all. Probably the worst days birding of the trip!
Intermediate Egret
White-throated Swallow - this individual was trying
to stay warm, in the very cold conditions.
Red-backed Shrike - a summer migrant here.
Cape Canary
In the afternoon we did manage to see 3 Blue Korhaans, but it was pretty slow going so we returned early to the cottage & enjoyed a nice evening out at the local bistro. Which proved to be excellent.
It was raining again the next morning so we cut our losses & drove back to Sabie Park arriving a day early on 28th.
It was raining again the next morning so we cut our losses & drove back to Sabie Park arriving a day early on 28th.
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