Bushmanland Trip Report 14-21 September 1997 - Observations by Etienne Marais.

• Total number of species recorded : 189
• Number of endemics/near endemics: 77

Day 1 Carltonville - Augrabies

Due to the long distance covered, there was little time for birding, and most species were seen while driving. Several species not subsequently recorded were seen between Kuruman and Upington, including Grey and Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Quail Finch and Crimsonbreasted Shrike . A brief stop about 60 km east of Upington produced Rufous-eared Warbler and the skies were alive with the calls of Clapper Larks. Sociable Weavers are conspicuous on this drive and in some areas seem to co-exist with the Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver

Day 2 Augrabies

The main objective of the day was to tick Cinnamonbreasted Warbler and Namaqua Prinia. Cinnamonbreasted Warbler responded to a taped call about 400m from the Oranjekom look-out and called loudly from a conspicous perch - what a beautiful bird! Two more birds were seen without the aid of tape-recorder. The first just below the Swartrand Lookout (the furthermost drive in the park) and the second about 500m above the viewsite at Echo Corner. On the way back to the Camp, the road crosses several reed filled channels, and Namaqua Prinia were heard calling from these, as well as at the western-most end of the camp. Other species recorded at Augrabies included Verraux's Eagle, Longbilled Lark, Palewinged Starling (common in the campsite in the morning, but absent later on) Swallowtailed Bee-eater. Cape Francolin were also heard calling in the evening, and African Marsh Warbler seem common in the reedbeds around the camp. The White-eye's here seem quite different from those to the East, and also have a distinctive call.

Day 3 Augrabies - Calvinia (via Kakamas, Brandvlei) 

An early start down to Kakamas, and then the gravel road to Kenhardt. Wow -what a beautiful road! Fantastic vistas and black mountains. Longbilled Larks are common in the hills and Northern Black Korhaan is also seen on this road. The tar road South of Kenhardt produces the thick-billed version of Sabota Lark and several Lanner Falcon. 27 km south of Kenhardt, an unscheduled toilet stop near a resevoir produces a surprise: several Sclater's Lark drinking together with flocks of Larklike Bunting. This area seemed to have lot of birds in general and a short detour onto a farm road produces another big surprise: a pair of Stark's Lark foraging on slightly more grassy. Another small group is located along with Spikeheeled Lark and some nearby Karoo Korhaan, while Namaqua Sandgrous fly about in flocks. All these distractions put me way behind schedule - but who cares!  These are supposed to be the most difficult of the Larks to find. A further 45 km or so to the South it seems a lot dryer but a short detour onto the gravel road to Soafsolk brings up a whole flock of Blackeared Finchlark. By the time I get to Brandvlei its midday, and the birds seem to have dried up. I then take Claire Spottiswoode's recommended east route out of town and after about 4 km the road climbs up onto a plateaux with some stony plains - ideal for Tractrac Chat and Burchell's Courser. The first place I stop to walk a bit, something shoots out from under my feet - A NESTING Sclater's Lark. It is hot and the bird doesn't waste two minutes before scuttling back to cover its egg nestled in the middle of a bare patch of gravel. Karoo Chat and Blackheaded Canary are also present here. After checking out Claire's Sclater's stakeout five km further on, I retrace my steps and then take the gravel road to Sakrivier. Several Tractrac Chat are seen along this road, hopping up onto low bushes from bare gravel plains where they are running about. A stop at the Sak River bridge reveals flocks of South African Cliff Swallow and a soaring Booted Eagle. Then its back to the tar road and on to Calvinia. An artificial "pan" about 45 km north of Calvinia has a spectacular display of Greater Flamingo and other waterbirds, including some 30-40 Blacknecked Grebe, Cape Teal, South African Shelduck, Avocet and flocks of waders. The area around Calvinia is clothed with wonderfully green vegetation.

A late evening visit to the Akkerendam Nature Reserve above Calvinia produces Black Harrier, Karoo Lark, Fairy Flycatcher, Malachite Sunbird and Blackheaded Canary

Day 3 Calvinia to Port Nolloth

Another early start is rewarded as the route from Calvinia to Niewoudtville is alive with the calls of Karoo, Longbilled and Southern Thickbilled Lark, Karoo and Southern Black Korhaan. Jackall Buzzard are common, as are Karoo Robin and Greybacked Cisticola. Greywinged Francolin are also heard and Capped Wheatear become common towards Niewoudteville. A short detour on one of the roads going South also produces a pair of Blue Crane and several Ludwig's Bustard, which are usually first seen once they have taken to the air. Heading north on the gravel road towards Loeriesfontein, Ludwig's Bustard become more common and more Southern Black Korhaan are seen. A stop at a river produces Lesser-doublecollared Sunbird, Layard's Titbabbler and once again Blackeared Finchlark are common. About 32 km along this road I get my first sighting of Karoo Eremomela as a small party bounces about in shrubs close to the road. This route is scenically spectacular, and Karoo Korhaan are again seen to the northwest of Loeriesfontein on the Kliprand road. The road passes through more arid terrain as I head northwest. I stop for brunch at a nice spot next to a well vegetated ridge and play the tape for Southern Grey Tit. I don't hear anything and concentrate on watching the Blackheaded and Whitethroated Canaries which are drinking across the road. Next thing there is this Southern Grey Tit sitting on the top of a bush about 7 yards away! The drive up to Springbok is all on remote roads, and doesnt produce much except for more Ludwig's Bustards and lots of Blackeared Finchlarks and Redcapped Lark, never mind the zillions of Larklike Bunting which are absolutely everywhere ! I get to Springbok at about 4 - early enough to contemplate pushing on to Port Nolloth. The road north of Springbok traverses rugged terrain and raptors and crows are nesting on about every 8th telephone pole. Several pairs of Lanner are also seen with their juveniles. Port Nolloth is shrouded in mist, but the beach in front of the Caravan Park is busy with Turnstone, Sanderling and Gulls while an almost white pale form Tractrac Chat hops around in the Caravan Park itself.

Day 4 Port Nolloth to Alexander Bay and back to Springbok

I was out as early as possible, given the thick mist with the intention of sorting out Karoo and Barlow's Lark. The "larks" were calling everywhere from about 15 km north of Port Nolloth - which was where the mist had lifted enough to birdwatch ! Birding is rather difficult here as the road passes through a restricted diamond area and birding must be from the road and road verge. In places however the road reserve is very wide, and Barlow's Lark is quite conspicous when calling. The initial birds seen and heard were Karoo Lark. At about 19 km north of Port Nolloth, I encountered the first Barlow's Lark - with a different, longer call. Some birds had the classic Barlow's Lark plumage- a beautiful pinkish red, with very light markings above and a clear white belly and flanks, while others in the same area were much more heavily marked.

At about 30-31 km North of PNolloth, Karroo Lark were again seen and heard calling. Heavy streaking above and below - onto flanks and belly, short "classic" Karoo Lark call. The head pattern also seemed to be much less distinct than the Barlow's. At about 45 km North of Port Nolloth, I encountered the brown form of Barlow's Larks. They seemed smaller and more gregarious (five birds seen in one smallish area) and easy to approach. At first they were not calling, except from the ground, where the "contact call" was unique and distinctive - a deep throaty (frog-like?) trill. When a bird started displaying, (at some distance away) the call was almost the same as the call of the Dune Lark - with the lead in being a series of accelerated, harsh clicks.

I would be hard pressed to seperate the call of the Barlow's from that of Dune, while the reddish birds heard 20 km further south sounded totally different - far more like Karoo Larks. Other birds along the road to Alexander bay included Southern Grey Tit, Longbilled and Redcapped Lark, Karoo Robin, Tractrac Chat and Spotted Prinia.

Then on to Alexander Bay, where the mining company has established a bird sanctuary with a nice pan alongside the mouth of the Orange River and a number of ponds, reedbeds and a hide about 2 km further upstream. Both Greater and Lesser Flamingo in evidence, a pair of White Pelican, Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Swift Tern, many Cape Teal, some Cape Shoveler, Fulvous Duck and SA'n Shelduck. Caspian Tern on the river.

Get back to Port Nolloth in time for a quick scan of the shoreline which produced plenty of African Black Oystercatcher, Bank, Crowned and Cape Cormorant, Swift and Sandwich Tern as well as hordes of Hartlaub's and Kelp Gull.

A sundowner at my campsite at Springbok allowed some evening birding and Layard's Titbabbler, Karoo Robin, Cape Bunting and Whitethroated Canary were all seen.

Day 5 Springbok, Goegab Nature Reserve and Aggenys via Gamoep

An early start to explore the Goegab Nature Reserve was frustrated by the discovery that this reserve only opens at 9:00 am. After some negotiating I managed to get in a little early and then took the 4x4 trail which is the best way to get to the widest variety of habitats in the reserve. Birding was a little less intensive on the trail, nevertherless most of the Nama Karoo species were present, including Karoo Robin, Layard's Titbabbler, Longbilled and Thickbilled Lark, Yellow and Blackheaded Canary, Karoo Chat, Whitebacked Mousebird and Pied Barbet. High rocky ground in what seemed a higher rainfall area produced a Cinnamonbreasted Warbler and Yellowrumped Widow, as well as Southern Grey Tit. Raptors included Verreaux's Eagle, Jackall Buzzard, Rock Kestrel and Pale Chanting Goshawk. The plains were rather dry -rains having been much earlier than usual and Ludwig's Bustard, Karoo Lark, Karoo Eremomela and European Bee-eater were seen. I did only part of the 4x4 trail which took about 4 hours to complete - leaving time to take the Gamoep detour on the road to Aggenys.

The Gamoep road crosses a remarkably flat plain where Ludwig's Bustard are common. Plenty of Greybacked Finchlark, but one or two stops at likely looking watering spots failed to produce much other than Blackheaded Canaries and the ever present Larklike Bunting. One stop did however produce a displaying Red Lark - presumably the plains version (about 40 km South of the Aggenys Red Dunes) On arrival at the Red Dunes south of the Loop 10 road in the late evening, no birds were calling and I went in search of a likely campsite.

Fortunately there is no fence along the road past Gams Se Berg which is a spectacular mass of mountain and a wonderful campsite was found some distance from the road. A wonderful evening was highlighted by the hooting of Cape Eagle Owls.

Day 6 Aggenys Red Dunes - Danielskuil (via Poffadder & Kenhardt) 

A 7:00 am start allowed me to catch the Red Larks in full cry at the red dunes 4 km from the Loop 10 Road. Several birds were displaying in the air, but it proved a little more difficult to get good view of a bird on the ground. Eventually after about half an hour, excellent views were had of this rather beautiful bird, which is quite approachable. Then two Fawncoloured Larks were heard calling (at the same place) and they were even harder to get a view off - especially since their display call is given from much higher up than that of the Red Lark. Other birds seen in the area included Greybacked Finchlark, Anteating Chat, Yellowbellied Eremomela and Scalyfeathered Finch.

I then took the Southern (Gravel) road towards Poffadder. It was still fairly early and excellent birding was had along this road. Pygmy Falcon, Northern Black Korhaan, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Karoo Chat, Palewinged Starling, Karoo Eremomela and Chat Flycatcher, were all seen in the first 30 km of the 60 km drive. Larks were excellent with Fawncoloured, Longbilled, Spikeheeled, Redcapped, Thickbilled and Greybacked Finchlark being seen in this first 30 km. I had heard that Stark's and Sclaters Larks were also to be found on this road, but numerous searches proved fruitless until four km from Pofadder. An open patch of veld on the left of the road produced a single Stark's Lark. A km further on, Sclater's Lark was seen drinking together with Buntings.

The road from Pofadder to Kenhardt is a long one and I had now seen all the birds on my "wishlist" - except for Burchells's Courser. 50 km from Poffadder I missed the farm dam, which was once known as a stakeout for Sclater's Lark. I failed to find Sclaters Lark in this area, but the search resulted in (53 km) several Stark's Lark. Kori Bustard, Karoo Korhaan, more European Bee-eaters together with what were probably Bradfields Swift were also seen on this road. Tractrac Chat, Fawncoloured Lark and Dusky Sunbird were also reccorded. A meeting point of several powerlines about 35 km from the tar road has been known as another stakeout for Sclaters lark, and sure enough - there they were! No Burchells Courser though.

Because of this I decided to head for Danielskuil - also on the slim basis that Claire Spottiswoode had seen Burchell's Courser here ! This proved to be a very long drive and there was not much time to stop and bird. Between Kenhardt and Groblershoop, Blackeared Finchlark were again seen. The road takes one through a dramatic transition from Bushmanland Karoo into Thornveld Savannah, and a number of thornveld species such as Kalahari Robin, Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver, Chestnutvented Titbabbler, Forktailed Drongo and Swallowtailed Bee-eater were seen.

Day 7 Danielskuil to Kimberley.

I headed south of Danielskuil to the pans where Burchell's Courser is reputed to be found. Not quite knowing where to go, I explored several minor roads in the area and ended up getting lost. Just as I was thinking of asking a farmer for directions, three Burchell's Courser were seen running along nearby what could be described as a dry seasonal wetland ! I got directions and encountered more Burchells courser on the fringes of another pan formation.

The drive to Kimberley was once again largely on minor gravel roads and took me over a beautiful small escarpement with wooded valleys. Here Scimitarbill, Pririt Batis, Ashy Tit and Goldentailed Woodpecker were recorded. Marico Flycatcher, SecretaryBird, Rufouseared Warbler and Desert Cisticola were also seen on the drive between Danielskuil and Kimberley.

The Kimberley big hole allowed excellent views of Bradfields Swift, along with numbers of Alpine Swift.

Go to annotated Checklist for the trip.

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