Southern Drakensberg & Lesotho

Our camp

A great place to stay!

We arrived at our campsite on the farm Khutso late afternoon on 26th May. This is a working farm, but it has a nice secluded campsite & we were the only people here during our four night stay.

The lowest section of the 

Sani Pass Road

Part of a large flock of Olive Pigeons.

Cape Grassbird

Cape Rock Thrush

The next day we visited the lower reaches of Sani Pass, up to the SA Border Post. It proved to be a frustrating morning, as we spotted a Forest Buzzard, but we failed to get a photo! Then we spent a long time looking & eventually finding a Barratt's Warbler. I glimpsed the bird twice, but Delana failed to get on to it & it would have been a new bird for her! The afternoon was spent in camp.

The track is quite narrow.

Looking for those difficult

 highland specials!

Cape Rock Thrush

Cape Bunting

Bokmakerie

The big day dawned. It was the 28th May & the day we drove up the Sani Pass & into Lesotho. The drive is a 4x4 track, with a few switchbacks & sheer drops. We stopped several times along the way.

At the top!

There is a small hotel

& restaurant here.

The sign says it all!

The view from the bar!

Sloggett's Vlei or Ice Rat

Common at this altitude, but very nervous &

 bolts down its burrow when alarmed.

Drakensberg Rockjumper

In habitat!

Male

Highly localised & difficult to find.

Female singing!

Grey Tit

Drakensberg Siskin

Cape Bunting

We spent a couple of hours in Lesotho enjoying the scenery & lunch. Then we headed back down the pass. It proved to be a little more difficult driving downhill.

Knysna Turaco

It was very dark as we were birding here!

Orange Thrush

As we were leaving, this bird came to drink

 in a puddle on the track.

African Crested Flycatcher

We spent a nice evening in camp. The next morning we packed up & drove to the coast. Hopefully a bit of warmth at last!

We spent the morning in camp on 29th May, then drove to the Xumeni Forest. This is a small tract of indigenous forest & was very birdy in the late afternoon. We made a mistake here, as we should have birded the forest in the early morning. However we had an excellent couple of hours here in the dwindling light.