Visiting Kruger Park is always a pleasure, whether your interests lie in identifying birds or spotting big game, or just relaxing in the African bush-veld. So I swiftly jumped at the offer from my daughter Kate and husband Callam, to accompany them and spend several days at Kruger Park.
We all share common interests, and set our bird-list target at 100 species, a figure we surpassed on the 3rd day.
Amongst the raptors, we had good sightings of a massive Martial Eagle soaring over-head, as well as several views of the majestic African Fish Eagle swooping down for prey over the dam waters, a close-up at dawn of a partially concealed Lizard Buzzard, and an evening view of an Osprey perched in the river-bank foliage of a fast-flowing Sabie River near Kruger Gate. The distinctive Bateleur was the most prolific bird of prey seen during our visit. There was also a Brown Snake Eagle that had consumed most of its prey except for a 15cm section of tail that was left protruding from the beak for all to see! But probably the highlight was being able to move very close to a Tawny Eagle that was picking the meat scraps off the carcase of a young baboon in the long thatch grass on the road verge below Skukuza. Eventually as more vehicular traffic closed in, the raptor became agitated and flew away.
We only sighted 2 species of Vulture, the White-backed Vulture and Lappet-faced Vulture, but we had also struggled to hit on any “predator-kills”, and the two scenarios invariably go ‘hand-in-hand’. This was not for lack of trying, as we traveled from dawn to dusk every day game-viewing and birding in the Park.
Francolin and Guineafowl were abundant alongside the roads during our early-morning drives. Four species of Stork were seen. We were grateful to identify the Pearlbreasted Swallow near the Sabie River, recorded as “rare but resident”.
Strangely, many of the more common species one would expect to encounter were noticeable by their absence. Maybe we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and sometimes it goes like that. In all fairness to ourselves we were also very keen on viewing big game & other wildlife - of which there is always aplenty at Kruger Park - so birding was not the only or the top item on our agenda. ... and of course one can only alight from the vehicle at designated places, thus at Kruger most of the ‘birding’ is done from the vehicle.
All in all, a most enjoyable trip. The last couple of days of our break-away we spent on the ‘High-veld” enjoying some trout-fishing, before returning to Durban.
Anyone wishing to view the full bird checklist for the trip, please write to
mike@bushveld-birders.co.za
Mike Johnston
Bushveld Birders
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