Say you’re in Johannesburg for enterprise, and you’re actually bored with sitting in the dead of night in the course of the inevitable South African load shedding. What higher treatment than driving an hour north for some severe birding? A lot richer than the Cape by way of species and with quite a lot of landscapes, Zaagkuildrift Highway is an glorious place to go to for one or two days. The highway meanders by means of typically very dense thornbush alongside the Pienaarsrivier stream. There are one in all two smallish wetlands, entry roads to the river, some bigger bushes and some open fields. Within the latter, we now have seen a pair of Desert Cisticola feed a Diederik Cuckoo chick – apparently one thing particular. Driving during for 30 one thing kilometers you’ll attain Kgomo-kgomo, a small village on the floodplain. When flooded this wetland is price a go to by itself. A lot so, I’ll dedicate a separate submit to it in 2025, I promise. Another New 12 months’s decision: I’ll take extra of my very own photos. For this submit, I’ve relied as soon as extra on the 10000birds archives.
Zaagkuildrift Highway is effectively birded and though there’s a little bit of the Patagonia Picnic Desk Impact the place is absolutely very birdy – anticipate at the least 50 to 100 species in a day. Living proof: my South African checklist comprises greater than 600 species, so I’m dealing with diminishing returns. Regardless of the ever-increasing probability of not seeing a lifer, I’ve scored new species each time I visited (been six occasions). That is the place I’ve first seen Bennett’s Woodpecker, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Scaly-fronted Weaver, Barred Wren-Warbler, Cape Penduline Tit and Nice Sparrow. Throughout the European winter months the highway is nice for northern migrants and whereas I’ve by no means seen an Olive-tree Warbler in Europe, I’ve seen it on this highway – deep inside an Acacia shrub. My Capetonian birding buddy Bas and I watched a relaxed Harlequin Quail strutting its stuff for minutes. It behaved so opposite to the standard quail deportment that we doubted the identification!
In most locations all over the world, anywhere with common guests like this highway – even sometimes turning into a bit crowded – would characteristic a café or small restaurant. Not so in South Africa, so convey your personal meals and drinks. It’s price your whereas to spend an evening within the space. I’ve by no means been to the upmarket lodge close by however present a remark if in case you have one thing to share. For lodging in genuine bush model, I choose to remain at Wolfhuiskraal Farm bush camp. This camp is a working cattle farm, it oozes an environment of wilderness, it’s clear and strategically positioned. At evening, after a braai and an excellent glass of South African wine you possibly can hear for owls and nightjars, with Pearl-spotted Owlet virtually assured.
