Golden pipit twitch (Pongola Nature Reserve) Dec 2010

Links

• List of birds

A report of a sighting of Golden pipit at Pongola Nature Reserve last week sparked spending sprees all over the country and as the days went by and people kept on reporting the bird at the same spot, we decided to give in to pressure and go off on our first mega-twitch. My parents arrived on Friday afternoon from the Cape for the holidays but despite the long drive, my Dad eagerly joined us, leaving on a horrible drive at 2am on Saturday morning. With five Stop/Go road works sections and truly horrendous road surfaces between Piet Retief and Pongola, the drive would've been bad enough. But to make matters worse, heavy fog settled on the escarpment and even when dawn came, the mist only gave in reluctantly. We arrived at Pongola NR shortly after 7am, drove down the main track as per directions and we just got to the intersection where I was about to drive the last 30m to the exact GPS coordinate when Nicola spotted it. In full display and not shy at all, it flew between the trees, perched, spread its wings, called loudly, chased some Rattling cisticolas, down into the road... this carried on and on. Eventually we moved on to do a bit of birding in the rest of the reserve, adding a pair of Lanner falcons close to the dam, a Yellow-billed stork and a Pearl-spotted owlet as highlights. Twice we drove past the pipit site where people were constantly coming and going, never without success. With a long way to drive back, we left just before noon, taking it slow through all the road works. We took the same route as in the morning (via Amsterdam) to skip out road works between Piet Retief and Ermelo, and were well rewarded with an Osprey sitting on a telephone pole. We were back home just after 4pm. It was a long and tiring day but as I discovered later that this was apparently only the 12th record of Golden pipit in the country, it was certainly a very satisfying day!

Nelspruit and Kruger National Park birding Nov 2010

Links

• List of birds for the trip
• List of birds for 28 Nov 2010 (Record day)

Arriving back from PE late on Friday evening, we decided to leave for Nelspruit early on Saturday morning. Just after 2am we were up and away before 3am. The driving was uneventful and we arrived in Nelspruit around 5am to a chorus of birds. We drove to the Nelspruit Nature reserve but didn't feel comfortable leaving the car outside but there were so many birds right there in the streets of Nelspruit that it didn't matter. Purplecrested turaco, Bronze mannikins, African paradise flycatcher, Orange-breasted bush-shrike, White-browed robin-chat, Red-chested cuckoo, Klaas's cuckoo, Brown-hooded kingfisher, Red-faced cisticola, Sombre greenbul - all of these before we even left the confines of the town! A few years ago I birded a dirt road just outside Nelspruit and after a short drive we managed to locate it again - it's the road leading up to Uitkyk pass (not the one in the Cape). On this loop we picked up Black-crowned tchagra, Red-collared widow, Steppe eagle, Scarlet-chested sunbird, Yellow-throated longclaw, Yellow-fronted tinkerbird, Black cuckoo, Little bee-eater, African emerald cuckoo and Neddicky among a bunch of others. By around 9:30 we were back in Nelspruit and the temperature and humidity climbing. We drove to the Lowveld Botanical gardens and explored the boardwalk, riverside walk and African forest areas of the gardens, adding Ashy flycatcher, Collared sunbird, Red-capped robin-chat, Grey-headed bush-shrike and Tambourine dove. We left around 11am at which time it was ridiculously hot and fled to the air-conditioned car. We took a drive out towards Kaapsehoop where we spotted the famous wild horses. Unfortunately we already knew the critically endangered Blue swallows have not returned to the area this year but we still picked up a good sighting of a Steppe buzzard. Back on the N4 we decided to pop in to Sudwala caves where we had lunch before doing the short standard tour in the cave. This was a little disappointing but we decided to come back at some point to do the Crystal tour. As we descended down the steps back to the car, a Narina trogon called in the forest. It was now around 3pm and we were hot and sticky. Back in Nelspruit we checked into our B&B and spent the rest of the afternoon cooling off under the aircon.

At 4am we were up and gone by 4:30. We arrived at Malelane gate 3 minutes before they opened and picked up a few water birds as we crossed the bridge over the Crocodile river. On the way to Berg-en-Dal we got Diderick, Jacobin, Red-chested, Klaas's and Black cuckoos, African green pigeon, Magpie shrike, many many Woodland kingfishers, Lazy and Rattling cisticolas, Orange-breasted bush-shrike Burchell's and Violet-backed starlings and a solitary Purple-crested turaco on the top of a tree. At Berg-en-Dal we added Bearded and White-browed scrub-robins, Sombre greenbul and Cardinal woodpecker before heading for the Steilberg loop road. We were sweltering in the car even though it was only 8am but it was worth having the windows open to hear Black-collared barbet, White-bellied sunbird and African grey hornbill. We added a red-headed weaver just before getting back on the tar towards Skukuza. The road to Skukuza saw us adding a few common birds but also Green-winged pytilia and Green woodhoopoe. The river front at Skukuza was very empty apart from a solitary Purple heron, but the large fig at the restaurant did produce Speckled mousebird and Greater blue-eared starling. Then we headed for Lake Panic and picked up and African hawk-eagle chased by two Yellow-billed kites on the way. At the lake, 4 Goliath herons were fishing and we were treated to two of them, very ably spearing rather large fish with their beaks. Malachite, Pied and Woodland kingfishers were seen, along with a Squacco and Green-backed heron, Water thick-knee and African jacana. It was time to start heading back and we exited at Paul Kruger gate, driving through Hazyview on to Sabie. We had by now just over 100 birds for the day and realized we still had opportunity to see quite a few common birds we haven't seen yet so there was potential for beating our current record of 122 birds in a day. In the Sabie area we added a White-fronted bee-eater and were very lucky when we stopped to look at a small bird which disappeared in the undergrowth, to see two Knysna turacos right above us. In Lydenburg we added Ant-eating chat and Desert cisticola and then in Dullstroom, White-throated swallow, Groundscraper thrush, Spur-winged goose and Long-tailed widowbird. Just before Middelburg we pulled off the highway at a small shallow pan and managed to ID Yellow-billed duck, White-winged tern and Black-winged stilt. Unfortunately it was now so gloomy (it was almost 6pm and dark clouds blotted the sun) that were unable to ID a couple of waders. With 120 birds on our list we drove around town and managed to get Southern red bishop, Cape weaver and Common waxbill. On the way home we saw an Olive thrush and at 18:30 we added a Cape robin-chat and our resident Greater striped swallows in the garden. 126!

A great birding weekend despite the ridiculous heat. We got 152 birds for the trip and beat our daily record. Unfortunately no lifers were seen but quite a few birds we don't see very often.

Windy Brow hiking trail Nov 2010

Nicola got back from work early on Friday afternoon and by 4pm we had dropped off the cats and were on our way to Windy Brow Game Farm, just outside Cullinan. George, Brian, Shirley and Eddy were already there and had started our braai fire as usual. The evening was spent looking at our wedding photos and slideshow and Eddy had some fascinating pictures of his 1923 Citroen he has been building up over the past few years.

Day 1 (20 Nov): Dawn woke me up early so I bundled Nicola out of bed as well. We had breakfast while the rest still snored away and by 06:30 we were ready to start walking. Deciding to do our own thing, we headed off towards the top of a ridge, walking through newly grown veld with bright green tufts of grass. Cuckoos were calling all over and we added to this Golden-tailed woodpecker, Little swift, Spotted thickknee, European bee-eater, Amethyst sunbird, Rufous-naped lark and even Long-tailed paradise whydah among the other more common ones. We stuck to the top of the ridge until we reached a game fence, spotting also some zebra, blue wildebeest and a lone black-backed jackal. At the fence we turned west and then skirted below the ridge, turning back to the north until we picked up the actual trail close to a bungalow at the top of a saddle between two koppies. Here the veld hadn't burned and the trail was much more distinct, climbing to a high point on the koppie before dropping down the other side and overlooking a flat bit below where we saw giraffe and more wildebeest. We took a short break but afterwards it was only about a 15 minute walk back to the base camp, which we reached around 9am, a short but pleasant 2 and a half hour stroll. While waiting for the other four to get back from their hike, we browsed some of the birding magazines Shirley brought us and decided to go looking for Blue swallow in Kaapsehoop the following weekend. The others arrived just before 11am and since the sun was blazing down by now, we spent lunch and the afternoon in the shade. Nicola spotted a yellowish bird which upon closer inspection turned out to be a honeyguide. We chased it around a bit, trying to get a closer look and after it called, we were later able to positively ID it as a Lesser honeyguide. Later Shirley, Nicola and I went for a quick swim and at 5pm we took a walk to the game field to see some more birds and game before having dinner. We had an early night followed by an early morning, watching a hot-air balloon rising at around 5am. My shoulders got a bit of a tan in the pool the previous day and as we've basically seen all there is to see, we decided to head back.

Suikerboschfontein hiking trail Oct 2010

Gordon drove to our place on Friday afternoon and we left Middelburg around 3pm, reaching Oom Japie’s house around 16:30. We immediately started the donkey and soon the braai fire as well. The farmer came to say hello and a little later the first members of another group showed up. We had a nice braai and were heading for bed when the rest of the other group showed up.

We slept well and woke well before dawn. We got on our way by 06:30 and had a nice walk while it was still cool. At the Bobbejaan hotel we scrambled up on the rocks to have a short break before carrying on. By 9am it started to get really warm but we were still walking well and it looked like we would reach the Rooikrans huts before lunch time. We heard cuckoos calling and even saw an Olive woodpecker in the kloof going up towards Rooikrans. At 11:00 we walked into Rooikrans camp, very happy that we wouldn’t have to walk in the hot sun anymore. We all had a nice cold shower to cool down and then spent the rest of the afternoon reading, resting, having lunch and chatting. From about 3pm the other group started coming in and they looked hot and exhausted. By 5pm we had a fire going for dinner but then a storm threatened so we quickly heated up our boerewors from the previous night and had some boerewors rolls while the rain spat around our ankles. It was over very quickly though and after a nice cup of hot chocolate, we went to bed.

During the night it rained for at least half an hour. We got up at 4am with the intention of finishing the hike before it got too hot. By 5am we were hiking, with pre-dawn light just enough to not need flashlights. The earth was damp and the veld smelled wonderful. Birds were calling and darting all over the place. When we walked on the edge of the first kloof, a small colony of bald ibises woke up and made strange noises as they left their perches. We crossed the first kloof and then descended into the second. The night’s rain made everything very slippery and we had to tread carefully to not end up horizontally. It was really great walking so early in the morning and we only saw the sun 2 hours into the day’s walk when we climbed out of the second kloof. We were halfway now and traversed across some broken terrain before dropping into the third kloof. Out of this kloof it wasn’t far to go and just after 9am we were back at Oom Japie’s.

Wedding - Official photos Aug 2010

Peter Lambert and Aurette Burger (go to their website or send them a mail) ran around from 08:30 until 18:00, capturing the most fantastic pictures. Almost 900 pictures were taken on the day and we had a terribly difficult time selecting which ones to put on the site. There are many more that we would've liked to add, but there simply wasn't enough space, so here are the best of the best. These are just their pictures. To see some pictures taken by others and read about the day, follow the link back to the Preview and Honeymoon page. Individual photos were taken on the beach at Pulpit rock and in the Postberg section of West Coast National Park. The ceremony and reception was held at Geelbek restaurant, also in WCNP.

Wakkerstroom birding Sep 2010

Links

• List of birds

Friday morning at 4am we were up and packing the last few things before hitting the road well before dawn. In the dark I managed to get on the wrong road to the south and we had to drive the R543 to Hendrina to get back on track. This must surely be one of the worst tarred roads in South Africa. But back on the N11 we made good time to Ermelo before three Stop/Go roadworks held us up again. Shortly after Amersfoort we turned off the highway and started our birding, working our way slowly towards Wakkerstroom. Disappointingly the area has also not yet received any rain this season and everything looked dry and dusty. We were looking especially for Denham's and Whitebellied bustards, Grey crowned cranes and Blue korhaan. A number of times we saw large birds sitting deep in the agricultural fields; without fail though, these turned out to be Spurwinged geese. But among others, we did get Southern bald ibis, Red-capped lark, South African shelduck, Plain-backed pipit and Blue korhaan before we reached Wakkerstroom. After filling up with petrol we headed south past the Zaaihoek dam and completed a circuit past Groenvlei. It was a very pretty drive despite the dry and dusty conditions and we added Ground woodpecker, Buff-streaked chat, Blue crane and Sentinel rock-thrush before we came to the track leading up to Ossewakop. With engine racing up the steep and rocky track, we made it to the top with nice views over the area. We had a spot of lunch before driving back down and into town to make a turn past the wetlands. The only exciting bird we added here was an African marsh harrier - the rest of the common ones we ticked when we drove through Wakkerstroom earlier. Just before 2pm we drove to our accommodation and spent the rest of the afternoon dozing and reading.

Surprisingly, a Fierynecked nightjar called during the night. Getting up at 05:30 we were on our way before 06:30. We made a quick turn at the wetlands to add the usual waterbirds, including a Black-crowned night heron. Then we headed east towards Piet Retief, a very pretty drive indeed. Specials along the way included Buff-streaked chat, a lone Secretarybird right next to the road, some Southern bald ibis and a good identification of Long-billed pipit. We took some of the back roads to Fickland's pan where we got Jackal buzzard, Spike-heeled lark, African pipit and Mountain wheatear. Back in Wakkerstroom we ended our birding by visiting some of the wetland hides and added Fantailed widowbird and a Malachite kingfisher. Making a last turn on the western side of the wetlands we were lucky to have a small covey of Red-winged francolin cross the road. Back at our accommodation we had a good shower before dinner and an early night.

Once again the Fierynecked nigthjar called in the night and another surprise was a Secretarybird landing about 50m from the house in the grass. We packed and cleaned, then left just before 7am. With a cold front pushing through, the wind has picked up significantly and at the wetland hides, it was rather unpleasant. Nevertheless, we were very lucky to spot a lone Lanner falcon (lifer) on a soccer pitch in town and then a little later added another Black-crowned night heron before starting back home. This time we drove the tar road to Volksrust with a fading hope of bustards and cranes. But it was not to be. Our last good sighting was a pair of Blue korhaan very near the road that Nicola spotted just as we drove past them. We turned around quickly and had good sightings before they disappeared. A quick stop at the Wonderfontein pans on the way home yielded a lone Greater flamingo among all the other regular waterbirds. A few waders could also be seen but were too far away to ID. We ended our trip with 98 birds in total and two lifers (Lanner falcon and African rock pipit).

Amphitheatre (Drakensberg) Sep 2010

Links

• List of birds

Nicola arrived back from work at 14:30 and we left for Nicola's parents immediately where we dropped the cats and picked Gordon up. We drove without incident but had heavy traffic on the R21 due to lane restrictions, arriving in Harrismith just after 8pm. We slept in the caravan park which was fairly noisy as usual, but due to a long day behind us, we all got a good night’s sleep in.

I woke everyone at 5am and we had some breakfast and coffee before leaving the campsite just before 6am. We arrived at Sentinel car park just after 7 and were surprised that the last km or so of the gravel road has now been paved as well. We signed in, paid our fees and off we went. A slight breeze was a bit chilly but it was a beautifully clear day above us – very smoggy below. The ‘Berg hasn’t had rain yet in the season and everything looked dry and dusty and huge patches have already burned. Gordon decided to take the Gully route to the top while Nicola and I ascended the chain ladders. At the top we walked past some standing pools in the upper reaches of the Tugela but it was obviously not running. As we walked lower down towards the Tugela lip we spotted Gordon coming towards us with his water bag, looking for water. We met at a fair-sized pool and filled up with water – about 16 litres beween the 3 of us. Then we made for the hut and climbed the ridge behind. As we dropped towards Bilanjil we saw some pools of water and decided to sleep at Bilanjil rather than further along the escarpment. We dropped down into the stream just below the Bilanjil shelter and had a long rest and lunch, even soaking our feet in one of the lower pools.

About 12:30 we packed our bags and hid them away in the gully running towards the Bilanjil waterfall. Then we started the slog across the Amphitheatre, passing Ethereal Tower and then ascending the ridge running towards Eastern Buttress. When we crossed the ridge, our goal, Mt Amery, loomed in front of us. An attached peak of well over 3000m, with a sheer drop in the region of 800m off the escarpment, the summit provides one of the best views in the entire Drakensberg in my opinion. We made it to the top just after 2pm and sat for a while enjoying the majestic scenery. A pity the smog covered so much of the Berg; the Cathkin peak range was barely visible and Harrismith’s Platberg not at all. With the day becoming a bit long, we scrambled down and then slogged the 4km or so back to Bilanjil, reaching it at 15:30. Happy that our packs stayed undetected by Basothos and baboons alike, we soaked our tired feet yet again and then started an early dinner of rice, braai relish, carrots and bacon. With dinner finished around 17:30 we made our way out of the stream bed to the Bilanjil shelter and pitched the tent. A last cup of tea warmed us up before heading for the tent where we tied all the packs together and then also to the tent and some heavy boulders outside, just in case.

The night passed uneventfully and we rose at 05:00 with the sky just beginning to hint at dawn. Quickly everything was packed, including the tent and the sun rose just as we were having breakfast. Sometime after 6 we were hiking and sweated our way up the hill, back towards the chain ladder. On top of the ridge we spotted some more hikers in the Tugela basin, but since our path went past the hut and directly to the chain ladders, we didn’t get to talk to them. We took a sip of water where we crossed the Tugela, then climbed down the ladder and met two hikers starting out on the Grand Traverse. It was an easy hike as usual all the way down. Just as I got onto the last zig-zag I saw a pair of Drakensberg rock-jumpers and waited for Nicola to catch up to see them as well. We then also added a Rock kestrel and Wailing cisticola (lifer) before reaching the bottom. Donning some fresh clothes, we were off to Harrismith for some Jucy Lucy and then home. The end of a very rewarding weekend!

Wedding - Preview and Honeymoon Aug 2010

Links

• List of birds
• Cape Town Wedding Photographers

Before telling the story of our wedding and honeymoon, I feel its important to first say a huge thank-you. For those who helped arrange, direct, organize and plan. For those who travelled far and spent a lot of money to be there. For those who couldn't be there - we know you all wanted to share it with us and really appreciate your good wishes. For everyone who said such nice things at our wedding. For the extremely generous wedding gifts we received from our families, our friends and both our respective companies we work for, pooling together to give us both fantastic kitchen tea presents. And for our parents - without them none of this would've happened. Thank you all so much!

15-17 Aug 2010, We leave Middelburg
On Sunday we left Middelburg for Pretoria where we were to stay for two nights at Peter's Guesthouse and do some last minute pre-wedding shopping. On Monday morning I went to a work "meeting" which turned into a surprise "kitchen tea" - thank you very much to all my colleagues! Rhona (Nicola's younger sister) arrived from the UK and at 2pm the three of us left to do the legal marriage bit. Nicola's parents and brother (Gordon) also joined us as witnesses and without any pomp or fanfare we said, I DO!, and completed the forms. Legally husband and wife, we shared a bottle of champagne before heading back to the guesthouse.

Holhoek hiking trail Jul 2010

Links

• List of birds

After work on the Friday, Nicola and I drove to Pretoria to drop her cats off at her parents and pick Gordon up. Jo’burg traffic was slow as usual but we arrived without mishap at the base camp just after 8.30pm. Gordon added some wood to the glowing embers left by the rest of Highveld Hikers who arrived earlier. We stood around chatting while Gordon and Edwill finished their braai before hitting bed.

We woke to a cool morning with scattered clouds, had breakfast and were on our way shortly after 8am. The trail, built by Tiaan Strydom of Discovery Trails, first wound through some eroded dongas in the valley before starting the climb up a sandstone ridge so typical of the eastern Freestate. Interesting ladder placements and a well-cleared path made for some highly enjoyable walking and we reached the top of the ridge in good time. Along the top the walking was easy and we stopped for a break with a view towards the west. The path climbed in-between some large sandstone boulders, dropped a little on the western side of the ridge before ascending to a saddle where we decided to have an early lunch.

After lunch we walked along the top of the ridge before climbing steeply down a series of ladders to reach a lower plateau that led to Rory’s rock, a prominent feature on the trail. We all scrambled to the summit and took in the magnificent view before descending the last few hundred metres back to the camp. The base camp is 5-star luxury for a hike with a decent kitchen, braai area, ablutions, accommodation, and even a small dam in front where we were able to row a bit on a slalom canoe. The afternoon was spent resting, taking pictures of sparrow weavers and chatting about past and future hikes. Soon after dinner, Gordon suggested we go for a night walk. With a bit of vascillation, all but George and Brian decided to do the second day’s hike right then. It was quite chilly so we all put on warm clothes, packed some water, and were on our way. With only 7km to go for the second day’s hike, a full moon blazing down and windless conditions, it was an ideal time to do a night walk.

We climbed back up the ladders towards Rory’s rock and then soon had some trouble finding our route as the path across open sandstone is virtually impossible to follow at night. But with a bit of searching we were soon on track again and we started enjoying this exciting adventure. We first descended down a ridge to a shallow valley before climbing back up to near the ridge summit. Traversing east and then north we lost the track again over some large sandstone slabs and had to back-track to the last footprint before we found our way again. The path then descended to the “Fairytale Wonderland”, an overhang of more than 500m long, covered by mosses and ferns, barely head height high. During the day this would have been a very interesting section. At night, it took on a surreal quality as our foot falls echoed strangely off the roof and our flashlights shimmered between the overhanging growths. Not having a flashlight at all, it was interesting walking for me and Edwill but with the occasional help from the others, we managed perfectly fine. At last we started descending back towards base camp. Climbing down through two inversion zones, we understood perfectly well why it was so cold at the hut but very pleasant higher up the mountains. We reached the camp at 22:15 and had some tea and biscuits before crawling into bed, tired but very happy with a great day done.

Rising just before 7am, I went to the kitchen to start breakfast. Brian and George were on their way to do the second day on their own as they were the only ones who didn’t do it the previous night. The rest of us had a leisurely breakfast before packing up. Shirley and Eddie had to wait for the other two to return but with a much longer way to drive, Gordon, Edwill, Nicola and I decided to hit the road. Shortly before 9am we were on our way and drove back uneventfully.

Suikerboschfontein hiking trail Jul 2010

On Friday the 2nd I picked Nicola up in Middelburg and we drove another hour or so to Japie's house, arriving just before 5pm. George, Brian, Shirley and Eddie were already there and the fire was going well. There was a definite chill in the air for which the fire helped very little and by 7pm, everybody had found an excuse to head for bed.

All night long we could hear dripping on the roof and we woke to foggy morning. A quick breakfast saw us on our way shortly before 8am, covered in warm layers. The trail is well-laid out and easy to follow. We first descended down a long spur before entering some indigenous forest patches skirting below a cliff face. With the mist lifting, we stopped at the Baboon hotel for a quick scramble and stunning views. Some more contouring brought us into more broken terrain and we had a number of easy up and downs before we reached the first of some ruins. Some studies have been done on these ruins and an interesting pamphlet was available to read back at the hut. Past the ruins we stopped for lunch at around 8km, with only a little over a kilometre left to our overnight camp.

With lunch over we started the slow ascent, first through some forest again, then out onto broken terrain, littered with huge rocks and boulders of all imaginable shapes and sizes, making for a very interesting climb. Rooikrans camp, a cluster of 4 sleeping huts, 2 ablution huts and a communal area, very skilfully hidden among the rocks, greeted us just before 1pm. After a good deal to drink, we spent the rest of the afternoon clambering over the rocks and reminiscing about previous trips. Brian and Eddie got the donkey boilers going so we could all have hot showers and by 3pm, the cooking fire was lit as well. It meant that by 5pm, with the sun dipping behind the horizon, we were all fed and drinking a last cup of tea. None of us stayed up much beyond 6pm and we all headed for the warmth of goose down.

Nicola and I got up around 6am and started packing up. With lots to do back in Middelburg now that our new house's registration went through, we were eager to get back home. At 7am we said goodbye to the others, still mainly in their sleeping bags. Although the night was beautifully clear, there was now a thick patch-work of clouds scattered from horizon to horizon. We climbed through more broken terrain, and then contoured around the tops of two beautiful ravines before descending into the second. A network of ladders and ropes guided us through the forest and crystal streams before the path steeply climbed out through a break in the cliffs. Taking a quick break we could see the other four on the opposite side making their way around the ravines, about 45 minutes behind us. After the 5km mark the trail contoured a bit before going through another ravine. With about 1.5km to go, the path snaked into the upper reaches of a small depression and when we climbed out of this, Japie's house was right in front of us. With hot showers only an hour away at home, we dumped our packs in the car and were on our way.

Suikerboschfontein is well-known as a beautiful and practically designed trail. We will be back to do this one again!

Uganda birding Jun 2010

Links

• List of birds

A business trip to Uganda gave me an ideal opportunity to add 2 days of birding. With over 1100 species recorded, Uganda probably has one of the highest bird species counts per surface area. And it provided an opportunity to go see Africa's most sought-after species - the Shoebill. Unfortunately, partly because it was a short-notice trip, and partly due to leave issues, Nicola couldn't come along.

I arrived in Kampala on the evening of Sunday the 27th and sat in weekend traffic returning from the Entebbe beaches for almost two hours before reaching Banda Inns, a very neat, clean, quiet and affordable B&B about 20 minutes from Kampala CBD. On the Monday I was picked up for work, did a full 8 hour day and returned, very excited about the next day.

My guide, Joseph Mugerwa, picked me up at 6am and we drove through light rain curtains to Mabamba wetlands, one of 11 RAMSAR sites in Uganda. It was still raining when we arrived but the tropical climate made up for it and soon four of us (me, Joseph, a local guide and a rower) were in a small dhow, slowly cruising through the papyrus swamp. Black-headed weavers were common and although a lifer, it was not as interesting as the drenched Blue-headed coucal calling in plain view. As we went deeper, looking for Shoebill, we added lots of African jacanas and Squacco herons, Black kites and an African marsh harrier and when our local guide decided we were not having any luck and turned around, we spotted a pair of Long-toed lapwings.

We returned to the main channel and saw two other dhows very intent on something in the distance. We pulled up, and there it was! My first Shoebill! There are currently nine pairs of Shoebills in these papyrus swamps. They live of mudfish (at least, here in Uganda), are often grouped with storks, and are extremely skittish. This one was about 50m away and although a fantastic sighting through the binoculars, a rather poor photo opportunity for a 6x zoom aim-and-shoot. So we left the two dhows and about 5 minutes later, spotted another one, this time about 40m away. The two other dhows arrived shortly and then the bird got scared and flew off. We tried to estimate where it landed and rowed over, now closer to the main body of Lake Victoria and then spotted it again. The other two dhows also arrived but we took care not to approach closer than about 35 metres and we had really fantastic sightings of this unique species.

Having seen the Shoebill, I was keen on other birds and we rowed to a dense stand of papyrus where Papyrus gonolek are regularly seen. We had no luck and were turning around when the rower spotted something red and there it was, skulking deep in the papyrus! The other two dhows evidently got tired of the Shoebill and was soon next to us, also watching the gonolek. One of their guides had a voice recording and when she played it, the gonolek responded spectacularly and suddenly there were two of them, coming into open view close enough for photos. Another magnificent sighting. Having seen what we came for we headed back and added Swamp flycatcher, White-winged tern, Malachite kingfisher, Purple heron and Winding cisticola among a few other common birds. Back on shore I went to the "bathroom" (some really smelly long drops) and spotted a group of twelve Great blue turacos. Rushing back to get Joseph, we were able to approach close enough for photos and then also saw two Yellow-throated longclaws nearby. We drove to another spot on the lake shore where a few bushy trees about 10m off-shore provided great nesting sites for Northern brown-throated and Orange weavers.

We headed back to Kampala where Joseph bought us lunch at a truly African roadside "restaurant". Generally I'm keen to try new and local things but I must admit I was a little apprehensive. Having ordered for me in Luganda (most common Ugandan language), Joseph explained the dish as fish with peanuts steamed in banana leaves. Along with loads of carbohydrates in the form of rice, chapati, matoke (mashed and steamed unripe bananas), bean stew, sweet potato and cassava porridge. When it arrived I tasted the fishy stew and immediately knew I would never finish it. Nibbling on the rice, chapati and sweet potato I satisfied my hunger and then apologised for my bad manners leaving so much food untouched. Joseph dropped me off at Banda Inns and I spent the afternoon reading and catching up on e-mails.

On the 30th Joseph picked me up at 7am to drive through to Entebbe. We counted the inevitable Marabou storks and Black kites on the drive. While waiting for the botanical gardens to open, we stopped at a spot where the road runs right next to the lake and added Hamerkop, Openbill, Little egret, Ovambo sparrowhawk, Crowned and Black-and-white casqued hornbills and Red-chested cuckoo. We parked just inside the gardens and while Joseph went to find another local guide I added African yellow white-eye, Northern black flycatcher, Woodland and Grey-headed kingfishers, Klaas's cuckoo and Grey-backed Camaroptera. When the guide arrived we took a stroll through the gardens, down to the lake, along the shore and back up again. We saw Black-headed batis, Blue-headed coucal, Grey-backed fiscal, Black-headed gonolek, African harrier hawk, Spurwinged lapwing, Eastern grey plantain-eater, Broadbilled roller, Marico, Red- and Scarlet-chested sunbirds, Palmnut vulture and of course, lots of African fish eagles. Based on calls, we also added Klaas's and Diderick cuckoos, Yellow-fronted and Yellow-rumped tinkerbirds, White-browed robin-chat and Black-throated wattle-eye.

Leaving the magnificent trees (some older than a 100 years) behind, we drove to a nearby village where Joseph had some land and got a few different species: Sooty chat, Red-cheeked cordonbleu, Magpie mannikin, White-throated bee-eater, Northern grey-headed sparrow and Ruppel's long-tailed starling. We stopped at a beach resort for a soda, then drove to a restaurant in Entebbe for lunch. Opting this time for fish fillets, I had a splendid meal before Joseph dropped me again at Banda Inns.

Admittedly, I expected to have a higher species count for the two days and especially hoped to add quite a few non-Southern African species. But the long rainy season being only a month passed, water levels were high and the it wasn't the best birding time in Uganda. Also, we didn't go near the more famous Ugandan birding areas like Murchison falls National Park (voted as the top birding site in the world) and Bwindi or Mabira forests. But the Shoebill and Papyrus gonolek were undoubtedly outstanding sightings and I will certainly return (with Nicola this time!).

Koelenhof 3 caving Jun 2010

A few years ago I did some cave and abseil guiding for Wild Cave Adventures based in Krugersdorp. I was also involved in the abseil supervising during the Amazing Race episode where the contestants had to go through Bat cave - the standard, beginners cave that Wild Cave guides. But together with three other clients, Nicola and I were given the opportunity to go to the Koelenhof caves (K1, K2 and K3) to see some of the exquisite formations that fewer than a thousand people on this planet have seen.

We met up with Neil and the other clients at 7am and drove through to the entrance of the cave. We donned overalls, hard hat, headlamp, spare headlamp and shouldered water, snacks, dry clothes, rope and slings in the brisk winter air before starting our descent. The first drop of about 30m was steep but easy, apart from a very tight hole we had to squeeze through, and we were surprised to find a black-backed jackal cornered in one of the side chambers. Giving it space to come past us, it bolted back to top before we had a chance to photograph it.

We came to our first obstacle where Neil wedged a knotted rope into a slot and we shimmied/skidded down the muddy groove. Then it was down, down, down as we hurried through K1. A nasty looking jump over an 8m drop saw us to the edge of the first underground lake which Neil indicated is usually much smaller than its current levels. Now we climbed up a steep, muddy and extemely slippery slope to reach a rope ladder - the beginning of K2. The rope ladder ascends a squelchy and dirty mud mound to access an awkward squeeze and it took some maneuvering to get through. We were now entering chambers and sections that few people have ever seen and the formations started to take on a brilliant white and clean look. We stopped several times to take pictures but Neil assured us these ones were terrible compared to what awaited us in K3.

Further we went and at noon we reached the second lake, about 110 vertical metres underground. Nervously we peeled to swimming costumes and Rockys, tripple bagging dry shirts and cameras before heading into the water. Our main concern was that we may have to swim underwater but the levels turned out to be just low enough so that you only have to dip your head below the water for a few seconds. Entering the water (which, by the way, is the exact same temperature as the cave, year round, at 18 degrees C), it was a bit chilly at first but barely seconds into the water, it was very comfortable. One by one we swam through the crystal clear water to the other side, got out and put on dry shirts. Now we were in K3. A steep, rocky and loose scramble, followed by a squeezy hole, brought us into a large chamber where, upon first sight, we stood spellbound. Lit by the soft LED lights from our headlamps, the chamber took on an ethereal quality and we were lost for words as we gazed at the brilliant white stalactites, stalacmites, columns, helictites, aragonite crystals, straw formations and curtain formations stained in beautiful patterns by iron oxides. Careful not to touch any formations we spent almost an hour in this chamber taking photographs and staring around us.

None of us wanted to leave but it was an arduous climb back up so we left K3 behind and scrambled down to the lake for another swim. After our swim we dressed up again in the 100% humidity and had some snacks for lunch, before retracing our steps. Where we jumped onto a rock on the way down, we now had a slightly tricky and scary obstacle where we had to get across a 1m gap. But with some team effort (mainly Neil giving us a hand on the other side) the only problem we had was Nicola smacking her knee hard on a rock as she came across. We ascended steadily, crawling, squeezing, squatting, sweating, breathing very heavily and finally reached our last obstacle where we shimmied down the rope on the way down. With a lot of inefective scraping of muddy shoes on muddy rock, we all made it to the top and then it was through the last tight hole before the scramble back into sunligh - it was 15:15 in the afternoon, a cool winter's day on the highveld and we've just seen and experienced something unbelievable!

Marakele National Park birding May 2010

Links

• List of birds

On Friday afternoon we drove what must be one of the worst roads in the country, the R511 north of Brits, to get to Thabazimbi. But we arrived safely, got some Steers takeaways and drove to our accommodation for the night at Thaba Nkwe game farm. The bed was a bit saggy in the middle and overall we thought it was a bit overpriced, but we still slept OK and got up early on Saturday morning to start our birding. We picked up a few regulars, including Fierynecked nightjar before we left the game farm and apporaching the National Park, we saw a few other common ones. Upon entering the park itself, we drove around the lower section of the park first, visiting a bird hide overlooking a small dam. Sightings were disappointingly few and far between and although we expected the winter slump, we were a bit disheartened. However, part of our trip was to experience the fantastic drive to the radio towers and masts in the upper section of the park and a new access road leading straight from the lower section got us there quickly.

The road was as spectacular as I remember it and we stopped frequently to take pictures and short videos. At the top we were immediately greeted by Cape rock-thrush, Cape bunting and Mocking cliff-chat where we parked and we thought we were able to identify a female Buff-streaked chat. We walked around a bit and spotted some of the 500-900 Cape vultures that are believed to nest on the cliff faces to the south - the largest Cape vulture colony in the world! We were very happy to also spot Gurney's sugarbird on a protea bush and later got a quick but nice close-up view as well. Another rock-thrush showed up and my immediate ID (without checking the guides) was Sentinel rock-thrush. However, when we checked this later with all the knowledgable people on the birding news group, it turned out to be a female Mocking cliff-chat. Just before we left, a male Buff-streaked chat came and posed very nicely for some pics before taking off. The sugarbird and Buff-streaked chat were definitely our highlights for the day (and trip) so with higher spirits we drove back down. In the lower section the birding didn't really improve and by 4pm we headed for the campsite to start our braai fire. We decided to test the X-trail's ability (and our own!) to act as a sleeping place and folded the back seats down. It turned out to be quite comfortable, even with just hiking mats, and we decided that for quick and easy sleeping arrangements, this was certainly the best.

Muesli and huge mugs of coffee and tea dispelled the morning chill of the next day. Sleeping in the car made our exit from the camp very quick and easy but unfortunately, the birding was no better than the previous day. Soon we decided to give up and drove a bit further south to Pilanesberg. Although Mankwe dam was very full and the rest of the reserve didn't improve much on Marakele in terms of birding, we did get Crimson-breasted shrike, Marico, Fiscal and Pale flycatchers, Kalahari and White-browed scrub-robins and this time definitely Short-toed rock-thrush. Around 1pm we left the park and drove a much better road back home.

Rooikrans hiking trail May 2010

I arrived at Nicola s place on Friday afternoon, picked her up and with Nicola driving the X-trail we arrived shortly after 4pm at the base camp. George, Brian, Shirley and Eddie were waiting for us and had the fire already going. After dinner we showed our video of our Europe trip to them before hitting the sack. Saturday dawned beautifully and it wasn't cold at all. Around 8am we were hiking over flat meadow-like country, climbing a few stiles and making really short work of the 4km or so to the bottom of Job se kloof. The owner s two dogs, Rusty and Spot, caught up with us and begged for attention whenever we dared to take a break. A well-laid trail traversed the small stream as we wound our way to the top of Job se kloof. A pretty view of the western end of Loskop dam greeted us and the flat section of trail on top of the ridge was a pleasure to walk. Not long after, the trail descended slowly to bring us to the bottom of Witpens kloof, another little stream cascading down this one as well. Well-placed ladders, chains and iron steps reminded of Eddie and Shirley s Via Ferrata of a few years back and although the sweat dripped down our noses, we thoroughly enjoyed the climb. Just below the crest of the ridge, we sat down for lunch in the shade of a protea tree. It was now warming up nicely for an early afternoon in May so the breeze greeting us a little later on the ridge was very welcome. We traversed Aloe ridge just below the summit before another easy descent led down to the small ravine that eventually runs past our base camp. A very large conglomerate arch, called Pieter se klip invited a few photographs before the trail cris-crossed the stream for the last 200m back to camp. Nice hot showers awaited the weary and although it was a fairly easy hike, the 16km day was felt by all. With Nicola attending diligently to a struggling fire, and myself to chopping and dicing, we soon invited comments from the rest of the group about our intended dinner a proper potjie! It wasn t very long after dinner before all kinds of excuses crept into the conversation and it was barely 7pm before we were all in bed.

Another sunny morning awaited us as we took to the trail after breakfast on Sunday. But as we approached the ridge to the south of the valley we saw low mist hiding the red cliff faces above. Luckily this was all gone by mid-morning. Heavy overnight dew brushed off the grass until we reached the bottom of Draad kloof where the tree canopy closed overhead and the undergrowth opened up a little. This climb was a bit steeper than the two kloofs we ascended yesterday but the view of low-lying mist over Loskop to the east was worth the sweat. The trail traversed immediately below the cliff-face, climbing up and over and around boulders and fig trees until topping out with a last bit of effort. A short level traverse brought us to another small kloof which we descended back to the valley floor. Another easy 3km walk over level ground saw us back at the base camp at 11am. A quick shower for all before heading off to Wimpy in Witbank for lunch. A very pleasant weekend with decent distance for a change without over-stretching ourselves. Perhaps not the dramatic scenery of the Drakensberg but well worth the short drive to get there.

Cape Town Apr 2010

Links

• List of birds

On Friday afternoon we flew down to CT and arrived at my parents just before 9pm. Mom and Nicola quickly set about doing a practice run on our wedding cake before we watched showed the parents some of our Europe photos. Saturday morning we left about 8am to go do some birding at Zeekoeivlei on the Cape flats. We started off really well with good views of Common chaffinch that we've just seen in Ireland! But it was a first for us in SA so a really good sighting. At the sewage works we notched up all the regulars including Greater flamingo, Cape shoveller, Cape and Redbilled teals, Great white pelican, African black oystercatcher, Pied avocet, Common ringed plover and Marsh sandpiper among the more interesting ones. We made a quick turn at Rondevlei where we added African spoonbill and Threebanded plover before driving to Canal walk, looking for wedding shoes for Nicola. Although we visited every single shoe shop, there was nothing that was both nice and inexpensive. We had dinner at Cape Town Fish Market and then drove to Artscape Theatre to see STOMP. And what a brilliant show!

On Sunday I spent the morning finishing a video we were making of our Europe trip. Then we visited my granddad and showed them the video before visiting my mom's aunt and uncle. My mom's cousins also came to visit and we had a good chat before we had to get back home for dinner. Monday morning we got up early and drove to Panorama where I had to work for the day, while Nicola went looking for shoes again, this time at Tygervalley. This time at least she found a design she liked and plans to get someone in Middelburg to make the shoes for her. We flew back in the afternoon and headed home

England, Norway, Ireland Apr 2010

Links

• List of birds

16 Mar 2010, Preview
Well, needless to say, with 3 days to go, we're excited as anything and can't wait to get on the plane. We've been planning this trip for almost a year now and since we don't have much leave for later this year, this will by and large constitute our honeymoon. So here's our plan: Friday the 19th we fly to Heathrow, taking a bus to Oxford as soon as we clear customs. By sheer luck, our trip coincides with the start of the Oxford Literary Festival and after some shopping, we are joining a lecture co-hosted by the famous Richard Dawkins. Then we're staying with Nicola's sister (Rhona) in Woodstock 'till the 23rd. We're taking a bus down to Gatwick from where we fly to Tromso, north of the Arctic circle in Norway, arriving in the early hours of 24 March. For our seven days in Tromso we have planned a husky dog sled trip, snowmobile excursion, reindeer sleigh trip and a sample of the local Sami culture. We have a bit of free time and hope to do some bird watching around the area during the day and if we're lucky, see some of the northern lights during night time. On 30 March we fly down to Oslo, spend a night in luxury (Radisson), then drive our rental out west to Stavanger for three days. During this time we'll explore the fjords in the area and try to get to the Preikestolen and generally relax. On the 3rd of April we drive back to Oslo and fly back to the UK on the 4th. On the 5th, Rhona joins us when we catch an early morning flight from Birmingham to Dublin. Another rental will take us around Kilkenny where we're visiting the Butler castle and then drive the RIng of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula before going home via Dublin, Biirmingham, Oxford, Heathrow and Johannesburg. We'll try to post updates if and when we get some wireless access so have a look on the site now and then. Ha det!

21 Mar 2010, Oxford
Arrived safe and sound and walked into an old school friend at Heathrow on Saturday morning. Then caught a bus to Oxford where Rhona picked us up. We walked around Oxford, climbed the tower at St Mary's church for a cold, drizzly view of Oxford. After lunch we went to see Dawkins but to our dismay discovered he had cancelled all his appearances. We rushed off to the box office to change our tickets, just in time to see a very entertaining discussion on fantasy writing between William Horwood (Dunkton wood) and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials). We had a traditional fish and chips dinner before collapsing in bed. Sunday morning dawned bright and clear and we picked up 4 new birds from Rhona's lounge windows. Then we drove south to Wiltshire, making a quick stop at Stonehenge where we also met up with a friend now living in London. In Salisbury we visited the Salisbury Cathedral (UK's tallest spire, world's oldest working clock). Here we also saw a proper English robin. A long winding country road got us to Wardour castle, a very interesting ruin with lots of steep staircases, nooks and crannies. Last for the day we visited another stone circle in Avebury before heading home. Tonight's dinner will be English Indian. Or is it Indian English...?

22 Mar 2010, Oxford
Monday morning we took a walk to Blenheim palace, home of the Duke of Marlborough, while Rhona went off to work. Skies were reasonably clear but a strong breeze had us shivering. Before going to the palace we walked around the Queen Pool and picked up Canada and Greylag geese, Gadwall and Common shelduck as new lifers. Inside the palace we took a short walk through the history of Churchill and then took the standard tour through the state rooms, dining room and library – very rich and opulent. A lunch of soup and bread warmed us up before heading into the formal gardens and the lake walk until it started drizzling. Back at Rhona’s we had leftovers for dinner before Nicola joined Rhona for her play rehearsal. The next morning saw us packing almost as soon as we got up – all in anticipation of our long-awaited Norway trip. We lazed the morning away reading and cleaning and by 15:15 we were on our way. First a bus into Oxford, then the express service to Gatwick (not so express thanks to London traffic). Checking in was frustrating but finally we got to the gate. The flight was delayed by 40 minutes but luckily it made up some time and we only landed 10 minutes late. What a shock! Straight off the plane, into a frigid wonderland of ice and snow. The experience of riding a taxi on snow with 2m high snow embankments on either at 1am in the morning, on the wrong side of the road, is a humbling one. The instructions and key to our room in the B&B was hidden in the post box outside. It was dead quiet as we dumped our bags, got into pyjamas and collapsed under a foot-thick feather duvet.

24 March, Tromso
A bright and sunny morning woke us after 9am. We had a lazy breakfast with a British couple who gave us directions to the nearest co-op. Armed with the camera we wandered into the fairytale land, acting like people who’ve never seen snow before! Although shocked by the food prices we were able to get some edible things for the week before heading back. After lunch we headed into the main town, checked the places where we were supposed to meet our organized tour operators over the next few days and bought Nicola’s wedding jacket at a shopping mall (for some obscure reason, clothing in Norway is not nearly as expensive as the food!). With dinner over we relaxed a bit before deciding to take a walk to see if we could spot the Northern Lights. As we left the B&B a curtain of green unveiled above us and we quickly walked some distance away from the town to get to a darker area. It was around -10 degrees C but it was paying off – we were seeing Aurora Borealis! A few others joined our dark spot as Nicola fiddled with the tripod and long exposure to catch the spectacle on film. Only after 11pm, with our faces freezing, we reluctantly walked back to bed.

25 March, Tromso
It was a bit more breezy today as we walked into town for our reindeer sleigh excursion. An hour and a half minibus ride brought us to a small group of huddled huts. We were shuffled into one of these and told to don the heavy snow suits and shoes. Our guide was a Sami with his own herd of 10 000 reindeer. Today we only had two of them to pull the two sleighs. After a long chat about the life and ways of the Sami, we climbed onto one of the sleighs and off we went at a rather sedate pace. A Swedish lapdog puppy called Schlurfi, accompanied us. We rode down a pristine winter valley for about a kilometer before turning back. For lunch we moved into a traditional Sami tent (similar to the North American Indian wigwams) where a fire was lit to brew coffee and cook a reindeer stew – this was really yummy! Coffee and traditional Sami lefse (thin bread with butter, sugar and cinnamon) followed before we headed back to Tromso. After dinner we walked out into the snow, hoping for Northern lights, but alas, clouds thwarted our hopes. Friday morning started wind-less but chilly as we walked down to Tromso town for our trip with Husky-drawn sleds. We were picked up and driven to the island west of Tromsoya, through a rabbit warren of underground tunnels, complete with roundabouts. At the Villmarksenter we got out to a din of yelps and howls from around 300 Huskies. They were extremely friendly and eager for attention and couldn’t get enough of us as we petted them. Dressed up warmly we then jumped in a sled and off we went, traversing pristine snow slopes along the fjord! Slowly at first, helping the dogs uphill by running and pushing behind the sled, but when they warmed up and we got to level ground, there was no stopping them. The one time we did stop, we were met with howls of dismay! Our trip lasted less than an hour but we covered 8km on the roundtrip! We also got to pet some puppies about to enter training, had another hot meal of reindeer stew and then headed back. Back at the B&B we quickly emptied our camera memory card before walking back to the centre of town to do a combination bus and coastal steamer trip, hoping to catch Northern lights. This involved two public transport buses, crossing two fjords on ferries and going through an underwater tunnel to the town of Skjervoy and then catching a Hurtigruten ship back to Tromso. Although the initial part of the bus trip was very pretty, the weather was dark and ominous and as our very first bus was 20 minutes late getting to the first change, we spent more time worrying about catching our boat than enjoying the scenery. The boat was luxurious inside and bitterly cold outside – besides, we were too tired to really enjoy it. We arrived back in Tromso just before midnight, caught a taxi back to the B&B and hit the bed.

27 March, Tromso
Still tired after getting back late, we sleepwalked down to Tromso centre. Today was snow mobile riding and we were very excited! We drove to the same place we were at for the reindeer sleigh riding, donned warm suits, balaclava and helmet and were given a crash (or rather how not to) course in operating a 350kg snow mobile. With me at the wheel first and Nicola behind we did a few easy ups and downs and then headed for higher country, riding up a valley. Halfway up Nicola took over and between us we finally reached a saddle between the mountains, 15km from where we started. We were at about a 1000m above sea level and could see Sweden and Finland in the distance. Nicola was very proud of her snow angel in one of the most scenic views we’ve ever seen. We scootered down to a glacial lake covered with enough ice and snow to ride on, got to test the snow mobile on our own and drank water from the lake through a hole in the ice. We once again joined other groups of people who did Husky- and snowshow trips in a lavvu for reindeer stew and lefse before going back. With me nursing a cold and some laundry to do, we decided to stay in on Sunday, mostly. At 6pm we walked down into town to see if we could spot some birds before going on a Northern Lights bus tour from 8pm ‘till midnight. Unfortunately this didn’t yield anything at all and as it was bitterly cold and windy in the spot where we waited, we spent most of the time warming up inside the bus.

29 March, Tromso
On Monday we walked into town early, caught the first cable car up to the mountain overlooking Tromso and had some expensive tea before going down again. We visited the Arctic Cathedral quickly (just the outside, inside was closed), spotted some Great cormorant and Common eider and then visited the Polaria. Here we saw a video on an almost-surround screen about Svalbard, bearded seals being fed and doing all kinds of tricks. We bought some souvenirs on the way back up and rested the remainder of the afternoon.

30 March, Oslo
We woke early, packed up and called a taxi to take us to the airport. The flight to Oslo was uninteresting but the fun started after we collected our bags and picked up our rental car. Now I had to drive on the right (wrong) side of the road! We rented a GPS as well as an electronic Autopass device so we could pass through the myriad of automatic toll gates. Luckily the road wasn't busy but it was raining and as soon as we got into the city, I had to keep my wits about me so I didn't turn into the wrong lane! We stayed at the Radisson Bly Nydalen and had a all-you-can-eat pizza dinner before going to bed. On Wednesday we got up early, had breakfast and started on a long wet drive to Stavanger, about 550km away. To make a long story short, we went through about 50 tunnels, slipped on ice and snow, desperately trying to keep control of the car, but made it safely to Stavanger at around 4pm. We found our hotel as well as a lake full of birds (that later turned out to be mostly gulls) and sliced some of our last bread and cheese for dinner.

1 April, Stavanger
After breakfast we jumped in the car and drove to Lauvik where we caught the ferry across to Oanes, then drove up to the Preikestolen parking. It was cloudy, cold and windy, but nothing could keep us from getting to see one of the most famous views in the world! The 3.8km walk started easy enough and overall wasn't terribly steep, but the snow patches we encountered in bigger and bigger sizes the higher we went, proved to be very slippery as it had turned to wet slush. The landscape was as fairytale pretty (but different) to what we've seen in Tromso. Firs and birch tree forest, patches of snow inbetween frozen lakes, granite boulders and marshy scrubland - we were expecting hobbits and orcs to peer from around the boulders at any time! After 2 hours walking we made it to the top. What a view! Despite the poor weather and a mighty strong wind, the most incredible view up and down Lysefjord greeted us. And standing right at the edge of Preikestolen - certainly the most ridiculously exposed place I've ever been! Unfortunately it was so cold and windy we could barely stand taking a few pictures before heading down again, reaching the car another 2 hours later. We drove around the edge of the fjord a little more before going back after a most exciting day.

2 April, Stavanger
Today we drove around Jaeren south of Stavanger looking for birds. We didn't really see anything new but got some good pictures of Eurasian oystercatcher and Common lapwing. Around 10:30 we drove back to Stavanger so we could get on a sightseeing boat up Lysefjord at 12pm. We struggled a bit to find the right dock but made it just before they lifted the gangplank. It took us about 2 hours to get to right below Preikestolen. Along the way we slowed down at some interesting sights like a large pothole right in the fjord, the Fantahala where some vagabonds escaped from police and many many waterfalls streaming down the cliffs into the salty fjord. It was desperately cold and windy on the deck with sleet coming down now and again. Preikestolen was covered in swirling mist when we got there so we couldn't really appreciate its height from below as we did yesterday from the top, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent view up the fjord as well. We were back at the dock around 3pm, bought some dinner and spent the rest of the afternoon updating our site! On 3 April we drove back to Oslo. The roads were less icy than when we came and the sky was mostly clear so the drive was far less scary. Sunday morning (4 April) we woke to a chilly but beautiful morning in Oslo. We drove a few kilometers to a small lake called Ostensjovannet where we hoped to spot a few birds. Most of the late was still iced up and the pathways surrounding it very wet, muddy and even icy in places. Still, we were able to add a few lifers like Redpoll, Eaurasian siskin, Eurasian teal and Common chaffinch. Around 1.30pm we drove back to the airport to check in, caught our flight to Gatwick and arrived back in Woodstock shortly after 10pm. After dumping some laundry in the washing machine it was off to bed.

5 April, Dublin
At 4.30am we were up, drove to Birmingham airport, checked in and had a quick breakfast before flying to Dublin. It was cloudy and rainy when we arrived but some blue sky promised good things. We had a rental car from Thrifty but had to fork out an additional 180 euros for extra insurance, out-of-hours drop-off and a tank of petrol (won’t use them again). In Dublin we parked right in front of our backpackers hostel and then went for a walk, buying food and souvenirs. We walked up and down Grafton street, watching a street marionette artist perform and also walked across the famous river Liffey. For dinner we went to The Porterhouse where we were hoping to listen to some live music. I had my first ever proper Irish stout and a burger, but when the band were still fumbling around at 10pm, we left soon after their first song. After a dull breakfast of toast we drove to Kilkenny where we parked in front of the Kilkenny castle, home of the Butler family for 600 years. A self-guided tour took us through the impressive rooms and towers but as we only had parking for an hour we left when our time was up. We checked into our hostel for the night, had lunch, then drove out to Dunmore caves just north of Kilkenny. Arriving there, we were disappointed to discover the caves had flooded during the last few days’ rain and we couldn’t go in; however, we received complimentary tickets to come back the next day. Back in Kilkenny we walked back to Kilkenny castle from the hostel and spent the rest of the afternoon walking and birding around the extensive gardens, picking up two new lifers: Mistle thrush and Eurasian treecreeper.

7 April, Kilkenny and Sneem
After check-out the next morning we first went back to Dunmore caves where we had an eccentric and entertaining guide for the short tour of the cave. Our guide turned out to be the one who accidentally discovered a famous treasure of silver coins, silver gingham cones and bracelets in 1999, now housed in the Dublin National Museum. Then we headed south west, buying food in Killarney before going up into the mountains on the Ring of Kerry. It was a fantastically pretty drive and we stopped often to take pictures. Just past Sneem we arrived at Gleesk Pier Cottage around 5pm where we were able to use the holiday house of a colleague of Rhona’s – a well-equipped , idyllically situated house looking out on the north Atlantic. The next morning we drove the Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula visiting forts and castles and enjoying spectacularly beautiful scenery all around.

9 April, Back home
After spending a leisurely morning in the house, we had an early lunch and then drove back to Dublin. With Nicola picking up the cold I had earlier in the holiday we decided to have a quick dinner at the Porterhouse in Dublin before getting to bed. We were up again at 03:30 to catch our 06:30 flight back to Birmingham. Back at Rhona's place, we packed all our stuff and managed to squeeze all into 5 bags. then we had brunch at teh Tick Tock cafe in Oxford before taking a stroll in the Botanical Gardens. Rhona dropped us off at Thornhill where we caught the bus to Heathrow. We were flying with SAA again and were therefore able to use the international (very nice) lounge, premier check-in, and even got to board earlier than everyone else! But this didn't detract from the sad fact we were going home. A fitful night on the place saw us arriving at 07:00 where Gordon (Nicola's brother) picked us up. What a fantastic holiday! Unforgettable scenery! Unbelievable experiences! Amazing people! Once we've stitched some of the panoramas we've taken, I'll post them on this page as well, so keep looking!

Nicola's cats Mar 2010

OK, so this is not entirely a trip, but Nicola's cats (and soon to be mine as well) are very important to us. I recently bought an electronic pet feeder from petfeeder.co.za on which you can record a 10 second clip of a tune or your voice, just as it dispenses the food, thereby calling them from wherever they are. This way we won't have to frantically look for somebody to look after them when we want to go away for a weekend.

Thabaphaswa hiking trail Feb 2010

Links

• List of birds

I picked Nicola up from her parents place, driving without incident north on the N1 until we reached Potgietersrus (Mokopane). We arrived in the dark and walked up to our hut in complete darkness. We dumped our stuff in front of our ridiculously small hut (Huilboerboon) – cupboard sized, just large enough to fit the mattresses. Then I heard Shirley’s voice and soon she explained the rest of them were higher up at another hut as they arrived in pouring rain and couldn’t use the braai area at our hut. The higher hut didn't really have space for us so we left our stuff there and joined the rest of the group at their hut for a late dinner.

After a restless night, plagued by mozzies, we ate early and met the others at their hut at 07:30. The trail started by climbing immediately in a large zig-zag on the hill west of our huts. The trail was reasonably well cut and weed killer was obviously used too. The weather was cloudy and warm but very pleasant to hike in. We soon overtook a second group of hikers and met them again when we rested at the summit of the trail (around 1680m). The views were quite pretty but we were severely distracted by some serious grooming caused by some of the worst blackjack infestations I’ve seen in a long time. The trail descended the hill again and soon we were walking back towards camp, arriving just before noon back at the camp. The showers were really good now that the sun was shining and we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting at the upper hut. A Spotted Bush snake and Yellow-fronted tinkerbird provided entertainment and the cut Eddie received on his knee when he tumbled down a large boulder received a lot of attention. The fire was started at 4pm, dinner consisting of flat beans, courgettes and chicken kebabs. Just before it became completely dark, Nicola and I walked back to our hut. Unfortunately, even closing the door as tight as possible and rubbing Peaceful sleep all over Nicola, didn’t deter the mosquitoes at all and we had another bad night.

When we got up the next morning we were tired and decided not to hike, but rather go do some birding at the nearby Percy Fyfe nature reserve. We arrived before a locked gate with no obvious signs of life and then turned around and went back home. The trail itself is not badly laid out and it was an enjoyable weekend, despite the blackjack and khakibos infestations.

Maluticaves hiking trail Feb 2010

On Friday we drove through to Phuthaditjaba, capital of Qwa-Qwa and had to phone George (who was already at the hut) numerous times to get directions to the hut. We arrived before 9pm and were soon asleep. Saturday morning we were up and away early, first traversing around a hill to the north before dropping down to the first cave systems the area is known for. Wetsi cave is well used by locals for the initiation rituals of young boys and is certainly large enough to host more than a 100 souls. Exiting the caves of the sandstone outcrops, we started climbing next to a small stream. The path disappeared in a lush stand of chichi ("Ouhout") but after a 30 minute search and battle, Brian eventually located another footprint. Soon though we lost the trail again over open grasslands full of cattle but our noses led us upwards where we eventually found the trail again. On the highest saddle of the day's trail we rested for lunch and watched the clouds building immediately east of us. With lightning and thunder spurring us on, we sped down the hill and arrived at Mkhondo hut at about 1pm. Although there was water this time (last night's hut didn't have any water), there was no gas and it was a good thing Brian packed his stove. Before the storm broke, we collected some dry fire wood lying around and kept it dry on the verandah. The storm eventually broke and we played cards while the hail and rain drummed on the roof. At 4pm it was over and we started a small fire for the few of us who were having a braai. As we sat down to early dinner we were treated to hundreds of swifts (mainly Alpine and Little) having their dinner of flying termites, swarming after the rain. We headed for bed early.

Skies were clear when we started hiking at 7am. The trail stuck to the river and we followed it easily until it started criss-crossing the river. Then it was shoes off and wading time. The little canyon the river was forming cut deeper the lower we went and before long we were climbing up the sloped towards another set of caves. Unfortunately the path was so completely overgrown here that only a severe struggle got us to the caves at which time we were getting a bit fed-up with the poor maintenance on the trail. Beyond the caves the trail contoured for a while before ascending again to the top of a ridge from where we could see Phuthaditjaba again. It was hot and humid and we were eager to get to the hut. It was therefore very frustrating when we saw the hut and still contoured for another 45 minutes before the path descended into the valley below. It was now high noon and at the last river crossing we stopped for a quick bite to eat. At this point George was off in front, with Eddie, Shirley and Brian still a little behind Nicola and I. The three of them just reached the river when we got up and started the nasty climb to the hut. Halfway up the gully I lost the path in ridiculously thick growth and had to get instructions from George whom we could see a little higher up. Nicola and I battled to a cave where we had a refreshing rest in the shade before carrying on. Outside the cave however, the footprints disappeared completely and we relied on common sense and a GPS bearing to get us back to the hut. We got there shortly after George at 13:30. We wanted to wait for the others to get back safely but were more desperate to get home as we, and especially Nicola had a much longer distance to drive than the others. So we packed up and left, cooling down in the car's aircon. Half an hour later we phoned George who confirmed that Shirley and Brian have just arrived with Eddie short on their heels. Relieved and tired, we drove home.

Maluticaves trails are certainly some of the most scenic in the country and provides the almost unique opportunity of sleeping in a hut in the Drakensberg. We were however very disappointed with the complete lack of maintenance on the paths, neglected and disappearing markers, no water at the first hut, no gas at the second and sections so overgrown that the path has literally ceased to exist. Being used to these conditions on wilderness trips in the Drakensberg it wouldn't have been an issue but for the fact that you're paying a higher price for a developed trail and therefore expect much more from it.

Marievale, Grootvaly and Suikerbosrand birding Jan 2010

Links

• List of birds

Friday the 22nd we drove to Nigel in Southern Gauteng via some very confusing roads in Springs. We arrived at Seldre Guesthouse around 6pm and Darrell and Liza joined us shortly after. We went to bed early as we wanted to be up and gone by 05:30. The next morning we got going as planned and started our birding by driving to Marievale Bird Sanctuary, only about 10 minutes away. Expecting a lot from Marievale's reputation for producing rarities, we were not disappointed when Nicola spotted a Little bittern as soon as we entered the wetland area. We notched up a few common water birds but the Otter hide was so covered in grasses that there was much better viewing from the road. African purple swamphen, Black crake, Black and Squacco herons soon followed before we started driving north into the reserve. The area was soaked from good rains in the season and we had to drive slow through the water. Towards and at the Flamingo hide we added Cape shoveler, Great crested grebe, Whiskered tern and Goliath heron. we continued north to the Duiker and Shelduck hides and drove through patches of deep water. Glossy ibises abound along with Yellowbilled duck and Redbilled teal but because of the high water levels, the only wader we added was Wood sandpiper. Back at the Otter hide we met up with Darrell and Liza who left a little later than us. We were sharing our sightings when Darrell spotted a long red beak poking out of the grasses. Excitedly we rushed about and then it came out in full view - African rail! A lifer for all of us! Nicola and I drove to the southern section of the park but only added Common ringed plover before deciding to drive to Grootvaly for lunch. At Grootvaly, we were eating lunch at a picnic table when we spotted a low flying brown bird in the distance. Careful observation and field guide consultation convinced us that it must be Western marsh harrier - quite a rare bird but apparently sighted now and again in the area. For the afternoon we drove to Suikerbosrand and ticked Mountain wheatear, Redcollared widowbird, Anteating chat, Bokmakierie, African redeyed bulbul, Greywinged francolin and Redthroated wryneck among the rest. Back in Nigel, an African olive pigeon provided our last tick for the day to come to a total of 106 for the day - not bad at all considering the poor weather and terrific afternoon showers we had. Over dinner we shared birding and hiking stories with the Newings before heading for bed.

Sleeping "late", we were gone by 06:30. The weather was dark and ominous but we decided to quickly pop into Marievale first. We added nothing new for the trip but were delighted to once again see a Little Bittern and the African rail, and this time managed to get some pictures, despite the distance. Onto Suikerbosrand again we saw more or less the same birds as the previous day and as the weather turned for the worse, we left just before noon to drive back home. Our total tally for the trip was 114 and although the Western marsh harrier was certainly the rarest of the ones we saw, the Little bittern and African rail were far better sightings.

Lindenau hiking trail Jan 2010

Our weekend plan was to do Lindenau hiking trail, about 30km west of Nelspruit on the N4. George, Brian, Shirley and Eddie were already at the Lodge when we arrived, and as we haven’t seen them for over 6 months, it was quite a reunion. We chatted away the evening but by 9pm we headed for bed.

It was drizzling and misty when we got up and after breakfast we dressed in rain gear for the day. We were led down a jeep track by the caretaker to where the path starts – straight up the mountain, no concerns for erosion. We climbed steadily, following white footprints painted on rocks and trees. The path curled around a spur of the hill we were on and eventually reached the top where we had a break. After staying flat for a short while, the path first descended, then climbed further onto a spur before descending yet again. By this time, we’ve walked beyond the cleared bits of the path and our shoes were soaked with rain and dew on the grass. I also discovered earlier that I managed to take two different hiking shoes out of the cupboard at home and now sat with an unmatched pair. The old shoe’s sole promptly came off around this point but when Brian found a piece of string on the ground, we were able to tie it up for a while. George, Brian, Nicola and I pulled away from the group and by 11am found ourselves in a little depression on a jeep track in a small patch of forest. The mist and clouds had started lifting and it was getting horrendously hot and humid. Neither Nicola nor I had any sun protection so I wanted to walk to get out of it. The two of us carried on and managed to catch up to the caretaker and two helpers who were busy clearing the path with pangas. At this point the path was completely undistinguishable from the veld and it was by sheer luck that you did see a footprint. The caretaker pointed us in the right direction and off we went.

George and Brian caught up with us at “Tjiekie’s Kaya Accommodation” – a run-down thatched hut that once probably served as a hiking hut. While still approaching this hut, we saw the road we should take to get back to the Lodge. However, at the hut, the surrounding area was so thickly overgrown that we had no idea where the road was or how to get there. However, the path we arrived on, had clearly marked footprints pointing us in the right direction and from the map we deduced that it had to cross the road anyway. So the four of us started on this path, climbing steeply down into the forest to a small waterfall and then steeply back out. We climbed out of the forest and reached a jeep track. Having a fair idea of where we were, I decided to stick to the track until we reached the Lodge, or at least close to it. It was now just past noon and ridiculously hot. After following the track for a while, I stopped under a clump of proteas to rest a bit. George and Brian caught up to Nicola and I and we contemplated going off the track and bundu bash down towards the Lodge. However, we were on a bit of escarpment edge and when George had a look at the bush beyond the track, there were cliffs of about 20m high barring our way. He did however discover trail markers close to the edge, running in the opposite direction. We figured that these were part of the second day’s trail and that they must lead back to the lodge.

Relieved, we got onto this trail and walked almost in the direction from where we came. It wasn’t long before the markers dropped through a break into the rocks down to the lower slopes. We were very glad that the path was going down but immediately got stopped in our tracks by the most vicious brambles and thorns covering the trail. It was as if the trail had never existed. Brian, who was in front, started clearing and bashing through the vegetation. The markers skirted just below the cliffs and now we were walking again in the same direction as we were on the jeep track. We were frustrated, tired and hot but at least there was more shade here. As Nicola and I haven’t had lunch yet, we stopped in a shady spot to eat tomatoes, cucumber and apple. George and Brian carried on but after we had lunch, it was barely 10 minutes before we caught up to them. The bush was now so thick and thorny that we were battling at a monstrously slow pace. The markers stubbornly stuck to the edge of the cliff, going up and down non-stop without showing signs of descending to the Lodge. We were scratched and burned to pieces, thorns, brambles and nettles covering the “path” so well that more often than not, we had two or three people out in front looking for markers.

It was now well past 2pm and we were dead tired. Finally, after what seemed ages, the markers definitely started going down. The fight through the undergrowth was no less fierce but now at least we had hope of reaching a road eventually. Each of us would take a turn out in front, battling thorns, searching for markers – this would usually last about 50m, then someone else would take over. All of a sudden we emerged out of the bush at the Old farm school which would have been our accommodation if half the tin roof hadn’t blown away. It was dilapidated, the ablutions in terrible state, no running water and the grass and bush encroaching so much that we couldn’t see the road 3 meters away until Nicola went looking for it and saw it only when she stood in it. Hugely relieved, we started walking the 1km or so back to the Lodge on the road. We reached the Lodge at 16:30 and were even more relieved to see Shirley, Eddie and Eileen there. We were very worried that they would make the same mistake we did. It turned out that Eileen had turned around on her own much earlier in the day and was back at the Lodge at noon.Shirley and Eddie reached Tjiekie’s place together with the caretaker and helpers who then guided them to the road from where it was an easy walk out. The caretaker then informed us that Day 2 was actually closed. Thanks for telling us that after the fact.
We spent the rest of the afternoon re-hydrating, had a nice braai and went to bed early. We rose around 7am, had breakfast, packed up and left for home about 08:30 as neither of us felt like walking again. Although the area is very nice and has lots of potential, there was absolutely no effort made by the owners to develop a proper trail, protect from erosion or maintain the paths and accommodation. I would not recommend this trail at all.

Borakalalo National Park birding Jan 2010

Links

• List of birds
• Record list of birds

We're back from a fantastic weekend at Borakalalo National Park! Not only did we break our record number of birds in a day, but we saw African finfoot! We arrived at the entrance gate on Friday shortly before our friends Darrell and Liza. We pitched our tents at Moretele river camp and went to bed early, ready to get up at 4am. While the others still slept, Nicola and I got up at 4am and left for the low water bridge below the Klipvoor dam wall. The weather was threatening and before we got halfway it started raining. This did not bode well for our plans for the day but with lightning and thunder in the distance we hoped it would soon pass. It was still very dark and raining when we reached the bridge so we parked the car a few 100m beyond and rested our eyes a little until the rain let up about half an hour later. As it started getting lighter and the birds started singing we added our first few birds for the day. Back at the birdge we scanned the river up and down and got Grey heron and Little egret before Nicola saw an unfamiliar shape on a log above the water, only about 4m away. One look at the bright orange feet and we knew - it was African finfoot! At first we could almost not believe it as it was sitting quite still on the log preening itself, seemingly unaware of our presence. We took a few blurry pictures (it was 05:30 and the light was still terrible) before it entered the water and swam upstream and disappeared in the shore reeds.

We drove up to Pitjane fishing camp and picked up Blackcrowned night heron, Whitebrowed scrub robin, Redbacked shrike and Black heron before returning to the low water bridge on our way to the western section of the park. And what a surprise! There was the same finfoot on the same log! This time we had much better light and took a few good pictures as it blissfully dried itself and preened 4m away from us! It was clearly a juvenile (black bill) and haven't yet read the book on how finfoots are supposed to behave. Satisfied that we had enough pictures, we finally left. There were still many clouds around but the heat rose as the day got on. On the Serolo loop and the two hides at the wetland we picked up Chestnutvented titbabbler, Dusky indigobird, Violetbacked starling, Jacobin and Levaillant's cuckoos as well as many other common ones. We drove past the low water bridge again on the way to the southern section and added Purple roller and Southern carmine bee-eaters. To our dismay, the sectino of road immediately next to the dam where we saw many birds the last time we were here, was closed, possibly due to high water levels. Even so, Redcrested korhaan, Crimsonbreasted shrike, Redbilled buffalo weaver and Longtailed paradise whydah were easy to add and when we did get to the dam shore, Yellowbilled stork, Purple heron and Whitewinged tern helped our list along. At Sefudi dam we added Yellow bishop and Pintailed whydah but our attention was caught when two moorhens on the far shore finally swam into good view and we realized the paler colour and obviously yellow bill meant they were Lesser moorhen! Another lifer for both of us! Unfortunately these were too far away to take pictures. We waited at the hide for a terrific afternoon thunder storm to pass before heading back to camp. With the storm passed, the birds got vocal again and Common and Violeteared waxbills, Sabota lark, Southern pied babbler, Lesser grey shrike, Redbilled oxpecker, Marico flycatcher, Shafttailed whydah and even Doublebanded sandgrouse got picked up.

Yet again we stopped off at the low water bridge on our way to camp. Darrell and Liza arrived shortly after us and we compared notes of the day's outing. Together we walked around the area a bit and added Speckled pigeon, Whitethroated swallow and Yellowbilled kite before heading back to camp for dinner. While preparing dinner, we counted our tally for the day and were ecstatic to find we had 122 on the list - we beat our previous record with a single bird! The next day we planned to leave around noon and didn't hope to break any records. Still, we managed to get six kingfishers (Giant, Pied, Woodland, Brownhooded, Pygmy and Halfcollared) and four woodpeckers (Cardinal, Goldentailed, Bennet's and Bearded) between the regulars. Follow the link above to see some photos of the finfoot.