Drakensberg
Plateau (Mountains of the Dragon)
Post-trip Extension to "South Africa: Birds & Beasts"
October 26 - 29, 2015
4 Days / 3 Nights 9530 Rand
The Drakensberg, a world heritage site, forms the border between South Africa and Lesotho and it is here, on the Sani Pass, that we’ll concentrate on finding the high-altitude specials of the Drakensberg Massif. This extension is a must for any endemic-hunter, with almost guaranteed sightings of several endemics. We’ll also do some birding in the foothills of the mountain.
Day 1 (Oct 26)
We’ll do some early morning birding around our lodge grounds in Umhlanga, just north of Durban and will hope to find Brown-backed Honeybird, Black-throated Wattle-Eye and maybe even the elusive Buff-spotted Flufftail. After breakfast we tackle the longish road to the village of Creighton in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and this will be our base for two nights of our extension. We’ll probably have time to do some birding en-route and we often take the scenic route via the Hella-Hella Pass, good birds to be on the lookout for include African Crowned Eagle, Pale-crowned Cisticola, White-starred Robin. We often encounter Striped Pipit and Lazy Cisticola on the dry, rocky slopes. African Black Duck and Mountain Wagtail can be seen from the bridge over the Mkomazi River. We’ll time our arrival at the lodge for the late afternoon.
O/N Creighton B&B or similar (LD) *Breakfast is provided as part of the main tour.
Day 2 (Oct 27)
We’ll be off to a very early start heading up Sani Pass into the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho so have your passports handy. The ascent up Sani Pass is rightly famous as one of the top birding routes in South Africa and this will soon become apparent as we have packed breakfast at our usual stop often in the company of Gurney’s Sugarbird, Malachite Sunbird, Buff-streaked Chat and even Cape Rock-Thrush. Higher up we’ll scan the skies for White-necked Raven, Cape Vulture and the majestic Bearded Vulture. We hope to find Barrat’s Warbler en-route but with the prospect of road works on the pass for the foreseeable future it might not be as easy as on past tours. One we reach the top we’ll be on the lookout for Drakensberg Siskin, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Mountain Pipit, Sickle-winged Chat, Cape Bunting and Large-billed Lark. Our lunch stop is usually good for Ground Woodpecker, Grey Tit, Layard’s Warbler, Sentinel Rock-Thrush and the dainty Fairy Flycatcher. We’ll be in no rush today as we’ll be staying over on the mountain. Our lodge, at an elevation of 2874 metres asl. can get very cold even in early summer so make sure to pack a few layers. The lodge is superbly comfortable with magnificent views over KwaZulu Natal.
O/N Sani Mountain Lodge (BLD)
Day 3 (Oct 28)
We’ll take it easy this morning as the birds here don’t get going too early, with a cup of coffee in one hand we’ll enjoy some of the birds around the lodge before settling in for a welcome breakfast. We’ll concentrate on finding any birds we might have missed the previous day as well as driving out to Black Mountain for African Rock Pipit, Black Stork and Bearded Vulture. After lunch we’ll start our descent, birding all the way. We’ll also stop at some of the streams on the way down to look for Half-collared Kingfisher and the dams at the base of the pass often hold some surprises. Fallow field on the way back to our guesthouse often yield Denham’s Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Secretarybird and Southern Bald Ibis.
O/N Creighton B&B or similar (BLD)
Day 4 (Oct 29)
Up at the crack of dawn we’ll head to a nearby stakeout for Blue Swallow, this critically endangered breeding migrant to South Africa occur here in small numbers annually and we hope to connect with it here. We’ll also look for Black-bellied Bustard, Denham’s Bustard and may even visit a nearby patch of forest that may hold Cape Parrot and Orange Ground Thrush. We’ll return to the lodge for breakfast before making our way to the busy port city of Durban but en-route we might stop at Bulwer or Karkloof for more forest birding with emphasis on finding Bush Blackap, Cape Parrot, Knysna Turaco, Forest Canary and Orange Ground Thrush. The extent of birding this morning will largely depend on the time of your flights out.
(BL)
PRICING DETAILS
Price includes:
~ Lodging in comfortable hotel/lodges/B&Bs
~ All meals as indicated
~ All land transportation
~ Transfers
~ Entrance fees
~ Expert local birding guide at a ratio not to exceed 1 guide per 6 birders
~ Cheepers! tour leaders
~ Pre-trip gift package
~ Post-trip electronic group checklist, photo disk, and trip report
Price does NOT include:
~ International airfare to Johannesburg and from Durban, South Africa
~ Alcoholic drinks
~ Travel insurance
~ Gratuities
~ Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, extra drinks and snacks, etc.
PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Deposit of $150 with registration (registration form can be downloaded from a link at the end of this page). Balance is due on or before June 1, 2015.
Checks should be made payable to Cheepers! Birding on a Budget and mailed with the registration form to:
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget
Post Office Box 385
Spring Valley, OH 45370
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation should be made in writing (email or snail mail)
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
If cancellation occurs after full payment is made, a refund will be given only if the vacant spot is filled.
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at this website:
http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Contact us:
email: cheepers@sbcglobal.net
oz1221@sbcglobal.net
snail mail: PO Box 385, Spring Valley, OH 45370
Phone: 937-862-4505
937-974-0802 (Jim's cell)
937-974-0803 (Cindy's cell)
Post-trip Extension to "South Africa: Birds & Beasts"
October 26 - 29, 2015
4 Days / 3 Nights 9530 Rand
The Drakensberg, a world heritage site, forms the border between South Africa and Lesotho and it is here, on the Sani Pass, that we’ll concentrate on finding the high-altitude specials of the Drakensberg Massif. This extension is a must for any endemic-hunter, with almost guaranteed sightings of several endemics. We’ll also do some birding in the foothills of the mountain.
Day 1 (Oct 26)
We’ll do some early morning birding around our lodge grounds in Umhlanga, just north of Durban and will hope to find Brown-backed Honeybird, Black-throated Wattle-Eye and maybe even the elusive Buff-spotted Flufftail. After breakfast we tackle the longish road to the village of Creighton in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and this will be our base for two nights of our extension. We’ll probably have time to do some birding en-route and we often take the scenic route via the Hella-Hella Pass, good birds to be on the lookout for include African Crowned Eagle, Pale-crowned Cisticola, White-starred Robin. We often encounter Striped Pipit and Lazy Cisticola on the dry, rocky slopes. African Black Duck and Mountain Wagtail can be seen from the bridge over the Mkomazi River. We’ll time our arrival at the lodge for the late afternoon.
O/N Creighton B&B or similar (LD) *Breakfast is provided as part of the main tour.
Day 2 (Oct 27)
We’ll be off to a very early start heading up Sani Pass into the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho so have your passports handy. The ascent up Sani Pass is rightly famous as one of the top birding routes in South Africa and this will soon become apparent as we have packed breakfast at our usual stop often in the company of Gurney’s Sugarbird, Malachite Sunbird, Buff-streaked Chat and even Cape Rock-Thrush. Higher up we’ll scan the skies for White-necked Raven, Cape Vulture and the majestic Bearded Vulture. We hope to find Barrat’s Warbler en-route but with the prospect of road works on the pass for the foreseeable future it might not be as easy as on past tours. One we reach the top we’ll be on the lookout for Drakensberg Siskin, Drakensberg Rockjumper, Mountain Pipit, Sickle-winged Chat, Cape Bunting and Large-billed Lark. Our lunch stop is usually good for Ground Woodpecker, Grey Tit, Layard’s Warbler, Sentinel Rock-Thrush and the dainty Fairy Flycatcher. We’ll be in no rush today as we’ll be staying over on the mountain. Our lodge, at an elevation of 2874 metres asl. can get very cold even in early summer so make sure to pack a few layers. The lodge is superbly comfortable with magnificent views over KwaZulu Natal.
O/N Sani Mountain Lodge (BLD)
Day 3 (Oct 28)
We’ll take it easy this morning as the birds here don’t get going too early, with a cup of coffee in one hand we’ll enjoy some of the birds around the lodge before settling in for a welcome breakfast. We’ll concentrate on finding any birds we might have missed the previous day as well as driving out to Black Mountain for African Rock Pipit, Black Stork and Bearded Vulture. After lunch we’ll start our descent, birding all the way. We’ll also stop at some of the streams on the way down to look for Half-collared Kingfisher and the dams at the base of the pass often hold some surprises. Fallow field on the way back to our guesthouse often yield Denham’s Bustard, Grey Crowned Crane, Secretarybird and Southern Bald Ibis.
O/N Creighton B&B or similar (BLD)
Day 4 (Oct 29)
Up at the crack of dawn we’ll head to a nearby stakeout for Blue Swallow, this critically endangered breeding migrant to South Africa occur here in small numbers annually and we hope to connect with it here. We’ll also look for Black-bellied Bustard, Denham’s Bustard and may even visit a nearby patch of forest that may hold Cape Parrot and Orange Ground Thrush. We’ll return to the lodge for breakfast before making our way to the busy port city of Durban but en-route we might stop at Bulwer or Karkloof for more forest birding with emphasis on finding Bush Blackap, Cape Parrot, Knysna Turaco, Forest Canary and Orange Ground Thrush. The extent of birding this morning will largely depend on the time of your flights out.
(BL)
PRICING DETAILS
Price includes:
~ Lodging in comfortable hotel/lodges/B&Bs
~ All meals as indicated
~ All land transportation
~ Transfers
~ Entrance fees
~ Expert local birding guide at a ratio not to exceed 1 guide per 6 birders
~ Cheepers! tour leaders
~ Pre-trip gift package
~ Post-trip electronic group checklist, photo disk, and trip report
Price does NOT include:
~ International airfare to Johannesburg and from Durban, South Africa
~ Alcoholic drinks
~ Travel insurance
~ Gratuities
~ Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, phone calls, extra drinks and snacks, etc.
PAYMENT INFORMATION:
Deposit of $150 with registration (registration form can be downloaded from a link at the end of this page). Balance is due on or before June 1, 2015.
Checks should be made payable to Cheepers! Birding on a Budget and mailed with the registration form to:
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget
Post Office Box 385
Spring Valley, OH 45370
Cancellation policy:
Cancellation should be made in writing (email or snail mail)
More than 6 months prior to departure – full refund of deposit
Between 4 and 6 months prior to departure – 50% refund of deposit
Less than 4 months prior to departure – No refund of deposit
If cancellation occurs after full payment is made, a refund will be given only if the vacant spot is filled.
Trip insurance is recommended.
You can compare prices offered by various trip insurance companies at this website:
http://www.quotewright.com/?sub_id=6056
Cheepers! Birding on a Budget LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary if the need should arise due to unforeseeable circumstances such as weather, landslides, and other natural phenomena, as well as suggestions by local guides in order to take advantage of an unusual birding opportunity. Lodging is subject to change based on availability.
Contact us:
email: cheepers@sbcglobal.net
oz1221@sbcglobal.net
snail mail: PO Box 385, Spring Valley, OH 45370
Phone: 937-862-4505
937-974-0802 (Jim's cell)
937-974-0803 (Cindy's cell)
| south_africa_registration_form_10_2015.pdf |