Ken Borland

The south-western foothills around Malelane and Berg-en-Dal provide some of the more interesting bird-spotting drives of the Kruger National Park and a sweltering December day was no exception.

The Steilberg Loop (S120) heads north off the Matjulu Loop between the two camps and this mountainous, rugged country boasts tall woodland.

And it was between those hills, in a tall tree, that three African Hawk Eagle, one of the fiercest hunters of the park, were majestically posing.

Given that African Hawk Eagle are often seen in pairs and are believed to pair for life, the third, brownish member of the group was probably a juvenile.

The African Hawk Eagle is closely associated with the Berg-en-Dal region, but an even more interesting bird soon came along and it was a less predictable sighting than the raptor that is comfortable with both high-flying hunting from the thermals or at close quarters under cover.

Bursting from the cover of some thick woodland, a Eurasian Golden Oriole provided a flash of golden yellow and black.

This beautiful Palaearctic migrant is uncommon and always a good sighting, even if it’s normally just seen zipping between trees. On this fortunate occasion though there was time to watch the Oriole a bit as it moved through the canopy of a tree.

It can be famously hot in this area of the Lowveld so it is always a good idea to spend some time on the bridge over the Crocodile River at Malelane Gate, birds tending to congregate around the water or in the riverside vegetation.

Great White Egret, Blacksmith Plover, Egyptian Goose, Blackwinged Stilt, Sacred Ibis and Little Swift are almost always there, but today there was also a Wood Sandpiper rustling around in the shallows and a Purple Heron, often secretive, was spotted in a little backwater. Other waterbirds seen were a Water Dikkop, African Jacana, a single African Openbilled Stork, Greenbacked Heron and Hamerkop.

A Bateleur came flying over the river, followed later by a Tawny Eagle, while a Striped Cuckoo was doing its best to hide away in the canopy of a Natal Mahogany tree.

Between the tar road from Malelane Gate and the Steilberg Loop lies the S110 and the Acacia woodlands it traverses are also excellent for birding, throwing up good views of Lilacbreasted Roller, Redbilled Buffalo Weaver, Crested Barbet and Marico Sunbird.

Game seen along the S110 included African Elephant and Plains Zebra.

The eastern side of the tar road (H3) has roads like the Timfenheni Loop and the S114 taking one into mixed bushwillow and Marula woodlands and it was wonderful to see a pair of endangered animals along this stretch.

A Squarelipped Rhinoceros was passing the day serenely in the grasslands and, just a short way down the hill, a small group of Southern Ground Hornbill were walking around.

These are good game-viewing areas as well and Giraffe, Warthog and Chacma Baboon were also spotted.

Sightings list

Great White Egret

Blacksmith Plover

Egyptian Goose

Blackwinged Stilt

Sacred Ibis

Little Swift

Wood Sandpiper

Grey Heron

Reed Cormorant

Blackeyed Bulbul

Southern Black Tit

Bateleur

Impala

Waterbuck

Longtailed Shrike

Lilacbreasted Roller

African Elephant

Redbilled Buffalo Weaver

Plains Zebra

Crested Barbet

Marico Sunbird

African Hawk Eagle

Glossy Starling

European Swallow

Forktailed Drongo

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Helmeted Guineafowl

Giraffe

Squarelipped Rhinoceros

Southern Ground Hornbill

Warthog

Rattling Cisticola

Chacma Baboon

Striped Cuckoo

Tawny Eagle

Hippopotamus

Purple Heron

Water Dikkop

African Jacana

African Openbilled Stork

Greenbacked Heron

Hamerkop

Driving the 177km from Letaba to Punda Maria in a day is a real test of endurance. The far north of Kruger National Park is often incredibly hot in summer and flat mopaneveld stretches on for miles and miles, with birds few and far between.

Generally the birdlife is concentrated along the alluvial floodplains which are well-wooded, especially in the Shingwedzi region, and the mixed woodland on shale, particularly around Punda Maria.

And so it becomes very important to focus as soon as you hit an area that looks promising for birds because, after an hour on the tar road driving through stunted Mopane grassland, you don’t want to miss the sightings that do suddenly materialise.

March 9 was a case in point. Approaching Mopani camp in the middle of the day with the temperature reading 39°, my mind was definitely straying towards the ice-cold Coke I was so lusting for as I neared the turnoff to one of the newer Kruger Park camps.

The Shipandani stream crosses that turnoff, temporarily running parallel to the H1-6, and late summer rains meant there was a fair bit of water pooled up against the culvert. With long grass on the banks and an overhanging tree, it looked a likely spot for something interesting, so I stopped to scan the area carefully, thoughts of much-needed refreshment being put to the side.

And I’m glad I did. Amidst the other more common birds hanging around, I noticed the unmistakable blue flash of a kingfisher …

There being water around, my initial thought was obviously a Malachite, but this kingfisher was too big as it returned to its perch, a dead stick on the edge of the pool. How about a Halfcollared Kingfisher, which I had never seen before in Kruger Park, but which has been uncommonly recorded … ?

But the head was not blue, but a dirty whitish-grey in colour, and then I saw the chestnut belly and so it could only be the even scarcer Greyheaded Kingfisher, only my second sighting of this beautiful bird.

On such a sweltering day, it was unsurprising that this African migrant was bathing and preening. Suitably inspired, I was soon refreshing myself at Mopani camp before pressing on for Punda Maria.

With the waterholes full, there were sporadic patches of exciting bird activity: An excellent patch of flooded grassland around the N’warihlangari waterhole, 20km north-west of Shingwedzi, provided Orangebreasted Waxbill, a very rare bird in Kruger and a special sighting, just my third anywhere.

Eurasian Golden Oriole was spotted dashing along the tree-lined Nkokodzi River heading towards Shingwedzi, a Tawny Eagle was hanging around Bowkerkop and a Striped Cuckoo was calling and moving along the Tsendze River, providing an exciting close-up sighting at the Mooiplaas picnic site just outside Mopani.

The long day began at Letaba camp, which is an excellent birding spot in its own right because it is on the sizeable Letaba River and the woodland is full of well-established trees.

Blackbacked Puffback, Paradise Flycatcher, Yellowbreasted Apalis, Dusky Flycatcher and Redwinged Starling were all seen while packing up camp, while friendly Bushbuck, Tree Squirrels and Dwarf Mongoose also came by.

Driving north out of Letaba along the H1-6, there are several kilometres of river frontage to enjoy and I was able to add Little and Whitefronted Bee-Eaters, Emeraldspotted Wood Dove, Nile Crocodile, Goliath Heron, Black Stork, African Spoonbill and Yellowbilled Kite to the growing list.

As you cross the Tropic of Capricorn, 16km north-west of Mopani, the S144 turnoff to the north-east takes you into dry Mopane scrubveld. Having seen them before in this exact area, I was thinking Redcrested Korhaan could well be the next bird to tick off and hey presto! one male started his distinctive clicking call and was then found sheltering under a bush.

The beautiful Shingwedzi camp was unfortunately closed due to most of it being washed away in the previous floods (which is why my need for a Coke was so great at Mopani!), but a Southern Black Tit was picked up at the turnoff.

The open veld north of Shingwedzi has rank grasslands growing and this is perfect habitat for the Whitewinged Widow. Even better habitat was found the following day, 3.5km north of the S59 near Punda Maria, with hundreds roosting in the long grass there.

The wonderful thing about birding in Kruger Park is, of course, the incredible variety of birds that are drawn to the bushveld. The famous reserve is the centre of activity for more than 500 bird species.

And so, just before the tropical lushness of the N’warihlangari waterhole, one drives through an area of dry, stunted savanna grasssland, overgrazed as summer gives way to autumn, and Chestnutbacked Sparrowlark, a fairly uncommon bird to look out for in the eastern half of the park, made an appearance.

Sightings list

Brownbacked Tree Frog

Blackbacked Puffback

Bushbuck

Blackeyed Bulbul

Paradise Flycatcher

Tree Squirrel

Yellowbreasted Apalis

Impala

Little Swift

Dusky Flycatcher

Redwinged Starling

Dwarf Mongoose

Lappetfaced Vulture

Little Bee-Eater

Emeraldspotted Wood Dove

European Swallow

Blue Waxbill

Common Sandpiper

Nile Crocodile

Greenshank

Goliath Heron

Wiretailed Swallow

Whitefronted Bee-Eater

Hippopotamus

Wood Sandpiper

Blacksmith Plover

Egyptian Goose

Threebanded Plover

Black Stork

Redfaced Cisticola

Pied Kingfisher

African Spoonbill

Grey Heron

Yellowbilled Kite

Namaqua Dove

Striped Cuckoo

Southern Black Flycatcher

Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting

Carmine Bee-Eater

Blue Wildebeest

Swainson’s Francolin

Greater Blue-Eared Starling

Redbilled Woodhoopoe

Rattling Cisticola

Cape Turtle Dove

European Bee-Eater

Crested Francolin

Forktailed Drongo

Vervet Monkey

Redbilled Quelea

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Lilacbreasted Roller

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Bateleur

Greyheaded Kingfisher

Natal Francolin

Tawny Eagle

Redcrested Korhaan

European Golden Oriole

Southern Black Tit

Whitebacked Vulture

European Roller

Whitewinged Widow

Elephant

Buffalo

Lesser Grey Shrike

Sabota Lark

Redbacked Shrike

Yellowbilled Hornbill

Longtailed Shrike

Arrowmarked Babbler

Laughing Dove

Plains Zebra

Greater Kudu

Giraffe

Grey Hornbill

Grey Lourie

Waterbuck

Wattled Starling

Brown Snake Eagle

Woodland Kingfisher

Glossy Starling

Fantailed Cisticola

Marabou Stork

Blackshouldered Kite

Slender Mongoose

Chestnutbacked Sparrowlark

Orangebreasted Waxbill