Hi Martin
I’ve been three times to Kruger and found it marvellous for birding. It would
be best to spend at least a week. I’ve always spent more than that, and we’ve
driven ourselves from rest camp to rest camp from the extreme south to the
extreme north (varied habitats, very varied birdlife: the further north you go,
the less the crowds).
In most of the Park you can’t leave the car, but you can still see an amazing
variety of birds from your vehicle, often very close to it, especially if you
leave the rest camp straight after dawn each morning, but there are plenty of
birds visible throughout the day as well. Just parking near a waterhole or
river for an hour or so usually produces many sightings.
There are also many places where you can leave the vehicle and walk around -
e.g. at all the rest camps (you can enter the ones you’re not staying at, for
lunch etc. or general wandering), seeing birds within the camps and outside,
through the fence, also a number of picnic grounds and occasional long bridges
whee you can park in the middle, as you can see any leopard or buffalos
entering the bridge long before it reaches you, also some wonderful hides, with
at least one (near Mopane) where you can spend the whole night. You can also
go on a ranger-led walk into the park (accompanied by two rangers with rifles,
just in case).
You can’t drive yourself before dawn or after dusk (heavy fines) but the
rangers lead some good tours, where you may see owls etc.
In most rest camps there are noticeboards where people record their sightings
for the day. Most are about the big mammals, but sometimes rare birds like
kori bustard, or various other big ones like ostriches, goliath herons, storks
or eagles get mentioned. There are also notices asking people to report
online if they see various species of the rarer birds.
Although I don’t mention most of the birds seen on my most recent visit
(concentrated more on mammals here), you may like to scroll through my blog on
http://araucariaecotours.com/wordpress/?cat=9
<http://araucariaecotours.com/wordpress/?cat=9> to get some feel of exploring
Kruger. I was there alone that time - gave myself a wonderful week and a half
there before a conference I was attending in SA.
Btw, the first two times I visited (once with son and once with husband) we
picked up our hire car from Johannesburg and drove from there, but it’s a long
drive, mostly past bare paddocks, and driving back into Jo’burg is a bit of a
nightmare. Last time I flew to Neilspruit and hired a car from there - I drove
to Hazyview where I spent a couple of nights, and then into KP. Much more
relaxing. There’s apparently an airport
Neilspruit Kruger, right in the Park, but I don’t know if you can hire a
vehicle there. Oh …and don’t put your entire trust in Google Maps. When I had
a long drive to a second conference, it led me astray and I found myself
driving in the dark on little country roads, thoroughly lost!
Finally, purchase a Wild Card (more economical that way) and book several
months in advance - some of the rest camp accommodation gets booked out months
ahead.
Cheers
Ronda
> On 16 Jan 2018, at 3:00 am, wrote:
>
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>
> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. White-throated Needletails at Ryde, Sydney (Cathy Goswell)
> 2. Fork-tailed Swifts in BIG numbers yesterday at Lower
> Daintree, FNQ (martin cachard)
> 3. Re: White-throated Needletails at Ryde, Sydney (and Canada
> Bay) (Philip Griffin)
> 4. Rufous Scrub-bird (Alan Gillanders)
> 5. Aleutian Terns Old Bar 15/01 (Alan Gillanders)
> 6. Lost scope (Joan Wharton))
> 7. Lost a Scope (Joan Wharton))
> 8. 2017 Plains-wanderer report
> 9. RFI South Africa (Martin Woodward)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2018 22:37:48 +1100
> From: Cathy Goswell <>
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] White-throated Needletails at Ryde, Sydney
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> On Thursday, 11 January at 8:30am I saw approximately 30 White-throated
> Needletails circling around Burrows Park (-33.814229, 151.114767) in
> Ryde in the heart of the city slowly heading south towards Parramatta
> River. There could have been more, it wasn't possible to tell if the
> same birds were circling around or there were more groups moving
> through. I couldn't make out any Fork-tailed Swifts in the flock. The
> weather was fine but unsettled.
>
>
> Cathy
>
> --
> abc
>
>
> ---
> This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
> http://www.avg.com
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2018 21:07:31 +0000
> From: martin cachard <>
> To: "" <>, "mike
> tarburton (SWIFT records)" <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Fork-tailed Swifts in BIG numbers yesterday at
> Lower Daintree, FNQ
> Message-ID:
>
> <>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> hello all,
>
>
> FINALLY some big numbers of Fork-tailed Swifts have turned up on the
> Cairns-Port Douglas-Daintree lowlands.
>
>
> as far as I am aware, these are the first seen near the coast up here since
> early Dec when Marie Tarrant saw a few around Cairns.
>
>
> yesterday's birds were MY first for the season, and their arrival coincided
> with the first day of gentle northerly influence in the weather here for 2
> weeks. it was a clear, VERY hot, & sunny day.
>
>
> from our office on the Daintree River near the car ferry crossing at around
> mid-morning yesterday, I saw more than just a few hundred Fork-taileds (+/-
> 1000) wheeling around at a height of about 40-100mtrs above ground. with them
> were tens of Aust Swiflets too.
>
>
> Cairns resident and close friend of mine, Adam Arnold, spent the day with me
> and these were his first for the season as well. he and I bumped into my dear
> friend Del Richards last eve, and he saw what were probably the same birds
> not long after at Newell Beach. this was Del's first record this season for
> Forkies on the lowlands around here too.
>
>
> so it seems that these birds were quite likely to have been the first big
> influx of Forkies up here...
>
>
> cheers,
>
> martin cachard
>
>
> solar whisper wildlife cruises,
>
> Daintree River
>
>
> & trinity beach, cairns
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:13:45 +1000
> From: Philip Griffin <>
> To: birding-aus <>
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] White-throated Needletails at Ryde, Sydney
> (and Canada Bay)
> Message-ID:
> <CAPxD7_+DkP0pcXNSOM=>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
>
> Around the time (probably 0820hr) and on the same day (Thursday, 11th
> January), that Cathy was seeing her needletails in Ryde, I was driving
> through the Sydney suburb of Canada Bay with around 40 needletails swirling
> around on either side of the road and overhead.
>
> Always good to see them!
>
> Philip Griffin
>
> *To*: "
> <m("birding-aus.org","birding-aus");">https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=>"
> <
> <m("birding-aus.org","birding-aus");">https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=>
>>
> *Subject*: White-throated Needletails at Ryde, Sydney
> *From*: Cathy Goswell <
> <m("bigpond.com","cathycrg");">https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=>>
> *Date*: Sun, 14 Jan 2018 11:37:48 +0000
>
> On Thursday, 11 January at 8:30am I saw approximately 30 White-throated
> Needletails circling around Burrows Park (-33.814229, 151.114767) in
> Ryde in the heart of the city slowly heading south towards Parramatta
> River. There could have been more, it wasn't possible to tell if the
> same birds were circling around or there were more groups moving
> through. I couldn't make out any Fork-tailed Swifts in the flock. The
> weather was fine but unsettled.
>
>
> Cathy
>
> --
> abc
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:31:44 +1000
> From: Alan Gillanders <>
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Rufous Scrub-bird
> Message-ID:
> <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Greetings,
> Can anyone provide me with recent information on the Rufous Scrub-bird
> and Barrington Tops?
>
> TIA,
> Alan
>
> --
> Alan's Wildlife Tours
> 2 Mather Road
> Yungaburra 4884
>
> Phone 07 4095 3784
> Mobile 0408 953 786
> http://www.alanswildlifetours.com.au
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 14:34:44 +1000
> From: Alan Gillanders <>
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Aleutian Terns Old Bar 15/01
> Message-ID:
> <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Greetings,
> This morning one could have driven to the terns but the tide was a bit
> high for me. I walked. There were five Aleutians on bank inland of the
> fenced area and a little south. Opposite the end of the fence there were
> eight more. When they all took off at7 am, crossing the bar out to sea,
> they were joined by other terns at least some of which were Commons. I
> could not see that any of the new terns were Aleutian but could not rule
> that out. My on ground count was 13 Aleutian Terns.
>
> Most of the Common Terns returned to the inlet and fished with pelicans,
> a pied Cormorant and one human in a deeper gutter. Two Aleutians
> returned and sat on the sandbar slightly north of the end of the beach
> and were still there when I left in the pouring rain and 15*C.
>
> When is it safe to visit southern Australia!? 34*C when I left Brisbane,
> 21*C when I arrived in Taree and 15*C, wet and windy this morning.
> Fortunately the wind was not as strong as yesterday but still not pleasant.
>
> Regards,
> Alan
>
> --
> Alan's Wildlife Tours
> 2 Mather Road
> Yungaburra 4884
>
> Phone 07 4095 3784
> Mobile 0408 953 786
> http://www.alanswildlifetours.com.au
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 15:52:23 +1100
> From: "Joan Wharton)" <>
> To: "" <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Lost scope
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hello
> A Townsville birder, Ivor Preston, accidentally left his Scope on Morris Rd,
> Giru, Nth Qld recently and when he went back for it the same day it was gone.
> Just wondering if anyone going along that road may have picked it up? He
> would love to get it back.
> Many thanks, Joan Wharton
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 16:01:15 +1100
> From: "Joan Wharton)" <>
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Lost a Scope
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Hello
>
> These are the details of Ivor's lost scope.
> I lost my scope on Morris Ck Road, Giru. It was a VORTEX Razor HD 11-33x50 on
> an aluminium tripod. Forgot to put it back in the car and when I returned it
> was gone. I tell you this in case someone contacts you about finding it.
>
> Thanks, Joan Wharton
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 03:11:45 -0500
> From:
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] 2017 Plains-wanderer report
> Message-ID:
> <>
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed; DelSp=Yes
>
> Hello birders
>
> For those interested in how plains-wanderers fared in 2017 on the Hay
> Plain, our annual plains-wanderer report can be found at
> http://www.philipmaher.com/plains-wandererreportmainpage.html
>
> All the best
>
> Philip Maher
> Deniliquin, NSW.
>
> Australian Ornithological Services P/L
> P.O. Box 385
> South Yarra 3141
> Victoria
> Australia
> Telephone: 0417310200
> _http://www.philipmaher.com_
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 20:44:56 +1100
> From: "Martin Woodward" <>
> To: <>
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] RFI South Africa
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
>
>
> My wife and I are travelling to South Africa at the end of June this year
> for the first time.
>
> I'd appreciate any advice on birding hotspots, guides and accommodation for
> east and southern parts of South Africa.
>
> In particular, within Kruger NP, Pretoria and the Garden Coast from Capetown
> and Port Elizabeth.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>
> Martin Woodward
>
> 0408 805 179
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
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>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of Birding-Aus Digest, Vol 51, Issue 15
> *******************************************
Ronda Green, PhD
Proprietor, Araucaria Ecotours
http://www.learnaboutwildlife.com <http://www.learnaboutwildlife.com/>
Chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia
http://www.wildlifetourism.org.au <http://www.wildlifetourism.org.au/>
Chair, Scenic Rim Wildlife
http://scenicrim.wildlife.org.au <http://scenicrim.wildlife.org.au/>
Adjunct Researcher, Griffith University
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