Birding

Here’s a list of the bird species our guests have seen (and confirmed!) at Blommekloof. Please mail us if you’ve recorded any others during your stay, and we’ll add them to this page - and your name will go onto our Birding Roll of Honour too, of course. 

• Please scroll down for our Birding Roll of Honour, and for more birding sites close to Blommekloof.

Birds at Blommekloof

Numbers according to Roberts 7 - Names in English & Afrikaans

62 Grey heron; Bloureier

71 Cattle egret; Veereier

94 Hadeda ibis; Hadeda

101 White-faced duck; Nonetjies-eend

102 Egyptian goose; Kolgans

104 Yellow-billed duck; Geelbekeend

149 Steppe buzzard; Bruinjakkalsvoel

150 Forest buzzard; Bosjakkalsvoel

152 Jackal buzzard; Rooiborsjakkalsvoel

158 Black sparrowhawk; Swartspewer

198 Red-necked spurfowl; Rooikeelfisant

203 Helmeted guineafowl; Gewone tarentaal

213 Black crake; Swartriethaan

226 Common moorhen; Grootwaterhoender

350 African olive pigeon; Geelbekbosduif

352 Red-eyed dove; Grootringduif

354 Cape turtle dove; Gewone Tortelduif

377 Red-chested cuckoo; Piet-my-vrou

424 Speckled mousebird; Gevlektemuisvoel

435 Brown-hooded kingfisher; Bruinkopvisvanger

526 Greater Striped swallow; Grootstreepswael

536 Black saw-wing swallow; Swartsaagvlerkswael

541 Fork-tailed drongo; Mikstertbyvanger

545 Black-headed oriole; Swartkopwielewaal

547 Cape crow; Swartkraai

550 White-necked raven; Withalskraai

566 Cape bulbul; Kaapse Tiptol

572 Sombre greenbul; Gewone Willie

577 Olive thrush; Olyflyster

598 Chorister robin-chat; Lawaaimakerjanfrederik

601 Cape robin-chat; Gewone Janfrederick

645 Bar-throuted apalis; Bandkeelkleinjantjie

681 Neddickey; Neddikkie

686 Karoo prinia; Karoolangstertjie

700 Cape batis; Kaapse Bosbontrokkie

710 African paradise flycatcher; Paradysvlieevanger

732 Common fiscal; Fiskaallaksman

736 Southern boubou; Suiderlike Waterfiskaal

742 Southern tchagra; Grysborstjagra

746 Bokmakierie; Bokmakierie

768 Black bellied starling; Swartpensglansspreeu

783 Southern double-collared sunbird; Klein-rooibandsuikerbekkie

792 Amethyst sunbird; Swartsuikerbekkie

796 Cape white-eye; Kaapse Glasogie

804 Southern grey-headed sparrow; Gryskopmossie

813 Cape weaver; Kaapse Wewer

827 Yellow bishop; Kaapse Flap

860 Pin-tailed; wydah Koningrooibekkie

872 Cape canary; Kaapse Kanarie

873 Forest canary; Gestreepte Kanarie

879 White-throated canary; Witkeelkanarie

Roll of Honour

• Species on this list were kindly recorded by Mike Saunders (2010, 2011)
• Thanks Sally Adam and Pam Eloff at Laaiplaats Farm - our awesome neighbours who compiled our downloadable list of birds of the Leeukloof valley

Many habitats make Mossel Bay magnificent

Mossel Bay’s municipal boundary encloses about 2,000 square kilometres of land that’s covered by an amazing number of natural habitats: sandy beaches, rocky shores, estuaries, rivers, open plains, forests, fynbos (especially in our area - the Outeniqua Mountains), as well as cultivated fields, parks and gardens.

...That’s a recipe for a magnificent bird list!

Birding sites close to Blommekloof

• Great Brak River: explore the estuary for waders and waterfowl - white-faced duck, Cape teal, half-collared kingfisher, pied kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, Kittlitz’s plover, three-banded plover, white-fronted plover purple heron. In the village itself, look for Knysna loerie, terrestrial bulbul, chorister robin, African crowned eagle, African goshawk, jackal buzzard, forest buzzard, Knysna woodpecker, olive woodpecker, brown-hooded kingfisher
• Little Brak River Lagoon: African rail, African snipe, cormorants, ducks, grey heron, black-headed heron, egrets, little bittern, whiskered tern, white-winged tern.
• Gouritsmond (Gouritz River Mouth): follow the road from the N2 to Gouritsmond for some of the best sightings of waterfowl, blue cranes, and raptors, including secretary bird, Lanner falcon and black-shouldered kite.
• Eight Bells Mountain Inn: this 100 hectare, forested private estate in Ruiterbos (about 10 km from Blommekloof) has marked walking trials and mountain-biking trails (MTB trails). Bird lists are available from reception.
• Gondwana Game Reserve: 11,000 fynbos reserve. Denham’s Bustard, blue crane, African fish eagle, Verreaux’s eagle, ostrich, secretary bird, jackal buzzard, African stone chat, cape grassbird, malachite sunbird, black-crowned night heron, bokmakierie. Day visitor programmes available. 
• Hartenbos Game Lodge: fynbos habitat; 135 species of birds.
• Nyaru Game Lodge: fynbos reserve with 120 recorded species – including 5 different shrikes (bokmakierie, southern tchagra, southern boubou, common fiscal shrike, olive bushshrike); 3 endemic larks (Large-Billed Lark, Cape Clapper Lark, Agulhas Long-Billed Lark); also protea canary and Cape sugarbird.
• Outeniqua Nature Reserve: 38,000 hectare Provincial reserve in the Outeniqua Mountains. Habitats include fynbos, Afro-montane forest (Knysna forest), and the semi-arid Karoid scrub of the Klein Karoo. For information about walking and hiking trails (from 1 hour to 7 days, please go here.
• The Robinson Pass (the R328 from Mossel Bay via Ruiterbos to Oudtshoorn) passes through the Outeniqua Reserve. It often rewards with great sightings – you could find yourself watching raptors soaring from above! (First prize: black eagle.)

Resources

• BirdLife South Africa 
• Roberts Birds 
• Cape Birding Route: Garden Route 

Video

Regional conservation manager for the Western Cape, at BirdLife South Africa, Dale Wright, speaks to Martin Hatchuel of www.thistourismweek.co.za about Important Bird Areas (IBAs), citizen scientists, and other projects in the Garden Route.