South Africa, May 2011. Part 3: The Cape
Day 11 (May 18) Cape Town bound
Our journey to Cape Town took us through some spectacular scenery, in particular the Hex River Valley where we came across an impressive troop of Chacma Baboons at the roadside.
We reached our destination in Simon’s Town late afternoon and easily found our accommodation at the Boulders Beach Hotel. As we pulled into the car park we spotted our first African Penguins silhouetted against a spectacular sunset, while offshore large formations of Cape Gulls and Cape Cormorants went to roost.
Quickly dumping the bags in our room we returned to car park where we enjoyed more prolonged views of the penguins. As the light finally went I noted a beautiful Cape Robin-chat before we retired to the restaurant for a well deserved dinner.
Day 12 (May 19) City birding
I awoke early to the sound of braying penguins and before long we were having breakfast on the restaurant balcony looking out across False Bay.
Initially we had decided to spend the day at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, but I suggested we make a quick detour in order to check out another well known birding site, albeit one less appealing to the general tourist.
The Strandfontein Sewage Works was easy enough to find and even on the long approach road we started to find some decent birds. A distant African Fish-eagle was the most noteworthy although Black-headed Heron, Great Egret, Yellow-billed Egret, Sacred Ibis, Blacksmith Plover and various passerines provided plenty of interest.
Once we reached the main pans I spotted an African Marsh Harrier flying low over a reed bed. On the water various waterfowl included Red-billed Teal, Cape Shoveller and Maccoa Duck, while Great White Pelicans and Hartlaub’s Gull flew overhead. Mammal interest was provided by a curious Small Grey Mongoose although there was no sign of its elusive cousin – the Water Mongoose.
Our initial visit to Strandfontein was just a recce and we had every intention of spending an afternoon here later in the week. With this in mind we turned around at the main plant buildings and headed towards Kirstenbosch.
Widely recognised as one of the world’s finest botanical gardens, Kirtenbosch National Botanical Garden certainly does not disappoint. Not only are the views absolutely stunning but the pleasing landscapes and spectacular floral displays are home to an assortment of wildlife including several Cape endemics.
A long lazy lunch in the restaurant delayed our exploration of the gardens although as we ate it was possible to observe some of the abundant wildlife that surrounded us. Overhead a Jackal Buzzard attracted the attention of a Pied Crow, while a small party of Cape Spurfowl rooted around a nearby flowerbed.
A Grey Squirrel was probably the most uninspiring mammal tick of the holiday and looked somewhat out of place amongst the exotic flora.
Noisy Egyptian Geese and Hadeda Ibis punctuated our walk across the well manicured lawns as we made our way up into the Cycad Garden where protea and erica plants abounded. Here we spent some time watching the many Southern Double-collared Sunbirds as they flitted between the flower heads.
Occasionally we saw an Orange-breasted Sunbird although there was no sign of the Cape Sugarbirds.
A cold wind increased in strength as the afternoon progressed and this is probably why we failed to find any reptiles. Luckily the birds were more prolific and new species for me included Southern Boubou, Forest Canary and Olive Thrush.
All too quickly it was time to leave the gardens and I was a tad disappointed that we spent little time in the adjacent forest. As we made our exit we saw our second Small Grey Mongoose of the day together with a large group of Helmeted Guineafowl.
The drive back to Simon’s Town was pretty uneventful and we enjoyed another delicious meal at the Boulder’s Beach Hotel.
Day 13 (May 20) Coastal blitz
After an early breakfast Sarah and I made our way down the boardwalk to the main African Penguin colony at Boulder’s Beach. The sun was shining and it seemed we had the reserve mostly to ourselves.
The alien thickets that border the paths were home to the usual common birds such as Karoo Prinia and Cape White-eye. As interesting as these birds are, I spent most of the walk unsuccessfully searching for a much more elusive creature.
The penguin colony did not disappoint and we spent an hour or so photographing various individuals including good numbers of chicks.
As we made our way back to the hotel I noticed how the sunlight was catching a large shrub directly next to the boardwalk. Closer inspection revealed my quarry – a handsome Cape Dwarf Chameleon that was taking full advantage of the morning rays.
Amazingly as we watched the lizard a second one appeared. Completely oblivious, large groups of tourists chatted noisily as they made their way towards the penguins. It was time to move on.
We checked out of our hotel with ice-creams in hand before driving down the coastline towards the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. En route a quick scan from Partridge Point revealed a distant Cape Fur Seal but no Bank Cormorants.
With only a little time to spend in the park we made our way to Cape Point where the continuing good weather ensured we were treated to an assortment of wildlife.
Despite good numbers of tourists, the quieter part of the viewpoint contained a couple of basking Black Girdled Lizards.
Seconds later some rustling in the undergrowth alerted us to our first Striped Mouse.
These mice are quite common around Cape Point and seemed especially numerous around the restaurant.
A Red-winged Starling picked dead flies from our car licence plate ...
while a Cape Bunting watched from a nearby rock.
A couple of late and unidentified swallows flew overhead as we made our way to the gift shop.
A second look from the viewpoint produced a new mammal tick in the form of an Eland – Africa’s largest antelope.
By then it was time to make haste as we wanted to leave plenty of time for our drive to West Coast National Park where we had arranged to meet Trevor and Margaret Hardaker.
Driving away from Cape Point we noticed a tourist bus that had stopped along side a couple of Ostrich. More interesting to us was a distant Bontebok, our second new antelope of the morning. Interestingly, this animal nearly became extinct a couple of hundred years ago and was saved largely by the efforts of a single farming family.
A couple of metres down the road we spotted another gem of the fymbos – a Cape Sugarbird. We were clearly on a roll.
Our journey back along the peninsula took us past a large group of Chama Baboons which in turn were accompanied by three burly men armed with big sticks, radios and fluorescent vests. Presumably they are paid to keep the baboons out of trouble. Rather them than me!
Once in Cape Town we looked for somewhere were we could grab a quick late lunch. Unfortunately South African McDonald staff seems to be as incompetent as elsewhere in the world and we were delayed far longer than we anticipated. Time was now pressing on and the heavy Friday traffic slowed us down further.
With road works, wrong turns and rush hour traffic, by the time we had negotiated Cape Town we were both extremely stressed and wondered how we would reach West Coast National Park before the gate closed. Knowing that we were probably keeping the Hardakers waiting did little to lift our spirits. I still don’t know how we managed to reach the park gates before sunset, although my interesting driving style probably had something to do with it.
By the time we entered the park the sunlight was fading and a single Black-shouldered Kite was all we noticed before we reached our accommodation at the Duinepos Chalets. Unsurprisingly Trevor was waiting for us by his car and by the look on his face he was relieved that our poor timekeeping hadn’t cost us our first night in the reserve.
It was now far too dark to go out exploring so we settled for a traditional South African Brai cooked perfectly by both Trevor and Margaret. After nearly two weeks of being subjected to the delicious aromas of other people’s alfresco barbequing, to say Sarah and I greatly appreciated our dinner that evening is a gross understatement.
After several more hours talking it was time for bed. The Hardakers had a real treat in store for the morning.
Day 14 (May 21) The perfect day
One of the highlights of my interest in wildlife is the great people it brings you in contact with. Trevor and Margaret are no exception and it soon became clear that they intended to make our weekend in West Coast as memorable as possible.
We started the morning by Trevor’s Land Rover which was to be our transport for the next day or two. Yellow Bishop, Cape Weaver and Pied Starling were just some of the birds that surrounded us.
I had been promised some reptiles and Trevor knew of a site which contained plenty of assorted manmade items under which snakes and lizards can often be found. Needless to say the national park is kept far too tidy for such as site, so we drove some distance away noting both Steenbok and Common Duiker as we went.
An hour or so later we lifted our first piece of debris to find a beautiful Karoo Sand Snake – and what a stunner it was!
This was closely followed by a Striped Dwarf Leaf-toed Gecko which as its name suggests, is pretty tiny.
Already I was highly satisfied with the mornings haul, but clearly Trevor and Margaret were only just beginning, enthusiastically lifting pieces of corrugated metal and instantly identifying any creature underneath. An Angulate Tortoise failed to pose for photos as we made our way through the scrub. A short while later we found one of my favourite snakes – the Spotted Skaapsteker.
The next few hours were a bit of a blur and I really can’t remember who found what, and in which order we found things. However, good numbers of lizards were captured of several species;
Large-scaled Girdled Lizard
Cape Skink
…and Variegated Skink.
A stunning Cross-marked Grass Snake was an incredible find…
…and one can never see too many Puff Adders!
I can honestly say that I never enjoyed a morning’s herping so much. Great company, good numbers of reptiles, and mind-blowing species diversity – all I needed now was a mammal tick! Luck was clearly on our side and after a little more searching we found several South African Pygmy Mice – nervously sharing their environment with an assortment of mouse-eating reptiles.
We left the site to the distant sound of Clicking Stream Frogs and drove back to the ‘tidy’ national park where we checked out the Geelbek bird hide. Looking out across the mudflats gave us an assortment of bird species including Bar-tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Grey Plover, Red Knot, Pied Avocet, Greenshank and Little Egret. In fact I could have been at Blacktoft Sands in East Yorkshire if it wasn’t for the Common Ostrich which were notable in the distance. That and the Levaillant’s Cisticola, Little Swifts, Greater Flamingo, Cape Teal, African Spoonbill, Swift Terns, African Purple Swamphen, Black-winged Stilts and Kittlitz’s Plover! Oh, and the small detail that the Marsh Harrier was African and not Western!
Another short drive to the Abrahamskraal waterhole provided decent views of Lesser Swamp Warbler and Black Crake although before long our rumbling stomachs got the better of us and we headed back to Geelbek Manor where we enjoyed a well earned late lunch in the adjoining restaurant.
The day had already exceeded my greatest expectations and before long we were back out in the field searching for more wildlife. The West Coast National Park is arguably the best place in the world in which to see Caracal – an elusive medium-sized cat with distinctive ear tuffs. This creature was high on my list of things to see although it is far from guaranteed, even in West Coast. As the afternoon wore on we started to patrol the areas of the park where sightings are most common, although the dense fynbos vegetation made viewing large areas somewhat difficult.
We stopped in an area where Trevor quickly found a Silvery Dwarf Burrowing Skink. Further searching produced a Rhombic Egg-eating Snake and a Gronovi’s Dwarf Burrowing Skink.
More patrolling was rewarded by my first ever Black Harrier. A park speciality, this species is easily one of the most stunning raptors I have ever had the pleasure of seeing in the wild. Bontebok, African Stonechat and Chestnut-vented Tit-babbler were also added to the day-list as we made our way to Tsaarbank.
From this ocean viewpoint African Black Oystercatchers were noted as they probed for food among the surf-splashed rocks. Nearby a couple of Crowned Cormorants braved the cold wind while Swift Terns fished offshore.
The Postberg section of the park was closed but careful scanning through the fence produced a distant Bat-eared Fox along with Blue Wildebeest, Cape Mountain Zebra, Gemsbok and Springbok.
At this point the light was beginning to fade and we headed back towards our accommodation, stopping briefly at the Atlantic viewpoint where we noted a couple of Rock Hyrax. Small Grey Mongoose was also seen as it crossed the road together with Grey Tit and a Northern Black Korhaan.
Back at the chalets we captured a couple of Striped Mice allowing us to take a picture or two.
Our second Braai in as many days was as delicious as the first and this was followed by a brief night drive a couple of miles down the road. Unfortunately we failed to see any new mammals, although the usual Steenbok and Common Duiker kept us entertained for a while. A single Fiery-necked Nightjar was ample compensation together with at least eight Spotted Eagle Owls!
Day 15 (May 22) The icing on the cake
The previous day had been so successful that our final day in West Coast National Park was bound to be something of an anticlimax. Amazingly I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I had previously mentioned to Trevor how we had missed Karoo Girdled Lizard in the Karoo National Park. For this reason our first port of call was an area of rocks where a diligent search produced this stunning reptile.
I also managed to find a Rhombic Egg-eater which was pretty sluggish before it warmed up enough to give me a nip on the finger.
Grey-backed Cisticola and my first decent views of a Long-billed Crombec punctuated our journey to the Seeberg hide. Walking down the boardwalk Trevor heard Cape Penduline-tit but we were unable to find it in the dense scrub. More conspicuous were a Cape Longclaw, Curlew Sandpiper, Kittlitz’s Plover and our target White-fronted Plover. Large-billed Lark was picked up on call as we walked back to the car and before long it was time to check-out of our accommodation.
Driving back to the chalets we came across a covey of Grey-winged Francolins which hung around long enough for decent views.
Even better were the Bush Karoo Rats that we stumbled across moments later.
We were a little late checking out in the end and by now it was nearly time to bid farewell to Trevor and Margaret. After a fabulous time in the park I was more than happy with the wildlife we had seen, despite the fact that Caracal had been mentally assigned to the dip list alongside Aardvark and Brown Hyena.
Before we departed Trevor suggested that we take one last look from the Abrahamskraal hide where we had missed African Rail the previous day.
Arriving at the hide we found another couple quietly eating lunch while looking out across the pond. Trying our best not to disturb them we gingerly opened our window shutters and quietly whispered amongst ourselves while scanning the reeds for our elusive quarry.
Suddenly the man muttered something to his wife in Afrikaans. In the corner of my eye I noticed Trevor quickly turn his head before reaching for his binoculars. Seconds later he jumped off his seat, almost knocking Margaret off hers! ‘CARACAL!!!’ Chaos ensued as Trevor tried to get us all onto the yellow cat that was slowly making its way through the long grass to the right of the hide. Fortunately we all had great views before the Caracal decided to lie down leaving only its ear tuffs showing.
For some reason the other couple were less enthusiastic in sharing our excitement and left shortly after. It turns out Trevor knew a Caracal frequented the area but didn’t want to get our hopes up too much!
Elated we continued to bird from the hide adding a couple of late Barn Swallows to the trip list. Various Black Crakes put on a good show and eventually we all enjoyed views of an African Rail. A celebratory meal in the restaurant rounded off the perfect weekend and by now it really was time to leave our friends and go our separate ways.
As Trevor and Margaret headed south back to Cape Town, Sarah and I took the road north spotting a Southern Black Korhaan just past Langebaan. The weather was already taking a turn for the worst as we made our way up the coast to Lambert’s Bay.
The journey was pretty uneventful although we spotted a pair of African Fish-eagles as we passed Elands Bay. Road-killed Wildcat and Striped Polecat (Zorilla) were also noteworthy if a little macabre.
We found the Grootvlei Guest Farm on a coastal dirt road just south of Lambert’s Bay and were happy to find a friendly host and luxurious accommodation. Less welcome was the news that our trip to see Heavisides’s Dolphin the following day had been cancelled due to the storm that was already hitting the coastline.
Inclement weather combined with darkness does not give the best impression of a town so we weren’t overly surprised to find Lambert’s Bay a bit of a dump when we visited for a quick dinner in the seafood restaurant overlooking the harbour. With the main event not going ahead and a poor weather forecast, we were somewhat at a loss what to do on our last full day in the country. Fortunately South Africa still held a surprise or two in store for us.
Day 16 (May 23) One last treat
Opening the curtains still half a sleep, I momentarily thought I had woken up on the west coast of Scotland on a blustery winter’s morning. The howling wind and persistent rain did little to entice us from our warm cosy accommodation in pursuit of wildlife that was probably hunkered down well out of sight anyway.
A very leisurely breakfast killed an hour and in this time the weather only got worse. Back in our room I gazed out of the window towards the sea and was somewhat surprised to see two large mongooses emerge from the scrub that bordered the beach before running down the road in tandem and then disappearing back into the scrub. I’m certain they weren’t Small Grey leaving Egyptian or Water as possibilities. If only they had been nearer!
Moments later we left the guesthouse and headed towards Lambert’s Bay to visit the Cape Gannet colony on Bird Island, accessed by a concrete breakwater extending from the harbour. The lady in the admission kiosk looked shocked to see us and suggested that because there were only about nine gannets on the island we would be wasting time and money going to see them. Nine birds clearly aren’t as impressive as the usual 14, 000 pairs, however we made the short walk to the colony anyway. Here we spent an hour or so watching the birds from a specially constructed hide which also allowed us to dry off for a short while.
Apart from the Cape Gannets (which incidentally swelled in number from nine to eleven during our visit), we also enjoyed Cape Fur Seals and birds such as Rock Kestrel, Swift Tern, Yellow Canary and …. Plover.
With the weather showing little sign of improvement we drove back towards the marshes of Elands Bay where the birding was even more fruitful. From the comfort of the car we quickly found the resident African Fish Eagles along with a supporting cast of Pied Avocet, Blacksmith Plover, Greenshank, Black-winged Stilt and African Purple Swamphen.
A Black-shouldered Kite watched from an overhead wire as we added Caspian Tern, Yellow-billed Duck, Reed Cormorant, Little Egret, Grey Heron, African Spoonbill and my only Purple Heron of the trip. Unsurprisingly the passerines were a little more difficult to find in the strong wind, however African Stonechat and Levaillant’s Cristicola were spotted skulking around in the reed beds.
After lunch we investigated some side roads with little success apart from a Springbok and four wet looking Blue Cranes which at least gave us something to look at for a short while. At a loss of what to do next we decided to explore a toll road that passed saltpan known locally as Wadrifsoutpan or ‘Wagon drift saltpan.’ This proved successful and before long we were watching twenty Greater Flamingos in addition to Cape Teal, Black-winged Stilts, South African Shelduck and two summer plumaged Black-necked Grebes.
We ate dinner back at the harbour side seafood restaurant where we were ‘entertained’ by an obnoxious British traveller and his equally intolerable South African sister-in-law. Fortunately the food was good as were the huge chocolate milkshakes we substituted for dessert.
Despite the continuing rain it would have been inconceivable not to spend our last night cruising the back roads in search of nocturnal wildlife. We drove east to an area suggested by Trevor and before long we had seen Scrub Hare, Steenbok and Common Duiker in the beam of our spotlight. At this point the rain became torrential forcing us to return back to Lamberts Bay where we concentrated on the main road just south of Grootvlei Guest Farm.
Traffic was light as we reached the tarmac section of the road where a Steenbok was seen feeding on the grassy verge. We picked up the eyeshine of a second antelope although this one looked very different with a more hunched posture and white flecking on its pelage. Predictably it disappeared into the night before I could confirm its identity although I had a very good idea what it might have been.
Another five minutes down the road we found another white flecked antelope and this time Sarah managed to fire off a couple of camera shots. Subsequent evaluation of these photos allowed us to confirm that we had seen the elusive Cape Grysbok – an endemic of the Western Cape which can be very difficult to connect with.
Encouraged by our good fortune we headed towards Elands Bay picking up more eyeshine in the roadside scrub. Confusingly there appeared to be two sets of eyes, one evidently belonging to a Scrub Hare which bounded across the road in front of the car. Sarah got a better look at the second animal – a long-legged cat of some description, and most probably an African Wildcat. Like its prey, the cat quickly vanished and we were unable to find it again despite a lengthy search.
At this point we decided to call it a night although in retrospect I wish we had continued towards Elands Bay where I’m sure the marshlands would have produced a creature or two.
Day 17 (May 24) All good things come to an end
The day of our departure had come round all too quickly and the continuing poor weather did little to lift our spirits. There was no chance of an early morning boat trip in search of Heaviside’s Dolphins, so instead we enjoyed a long breakfast before checking out of our accommodation and heading back towards Cape Town.
A brief stop at the Berg River Bridge in Velddrif gave us good numbers of Pied Kingfishers, Curlew Sandpipers and Greater Flamingos, while the usual Blue Cranes and Jackal Buzzards were common in the surrounding farmland.
We clearly didn’t have enough time to revisit Strandfontein Sewage Works or anywhere else for that matter. Instead we decided take the small detour through West Coast National Park for one last look if nothing else.
The persistent drizzle made birding difficult although we did manage to see some of our favourite species such as Bokmakierie and Cape Spurfowl. I was unable to locate the Cardinal Woodpecker I heard near Geelbek Manor, but had better luck with a couple of Grey-winged Francolins. Our final sighting was of a wet looking Angulate Tortoise that was slowly making its way across the road.
All too quickly it was time to head back to Cape Town where we handed back our trusty (if not a little dirty) hire car and checked in our luggage. A rather uneventful flight back to the UK soon followed.
Books I found useful
Apps P (2000) Smither's Mammals of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
Branch B (1998) Field Guide to Snakes and other Reptiles of Southern Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
Cohen C, Spottiswoode C & Rossouw J (2006) Southern African Birdfinder. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.
Kingdon J (2003) The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals. Christopher Helm, London.
Sinclair I, Hockey P & Tarboton W (2003) SASOL Birds of Southern Africa. Third Edition. Struik Publishers, Cape Town.