Birding along the Garden Route - Part 1.

South Africa's Garden Route in the Western Cape Province (Previously known as Southern Cape) is arguably one of the country's most scenic areas. The name Garden Route was given to this area as it said to be Nature's Garden due to the number of plant species to be found in the area. With 8600 (5800 endemic) fynbos species alone (compared to UK's total plant species of 1500 and the entire African continent's 30000 plant species) it makes this area unequalled to any other on the planet.

The Garden Route consits of rolling fields, mountains (The Outeniqua range must surely be the prettiest in the country), forests (the biggest indigenious
forest in South Africa), unspoilt beaches and the deep blue sea. The town of Mosselbay is joined Guiness Book of Records record holder for having the most
consistent climate throughout the year. It therefore creates a multitude of different habitats for a magnitude of bird species!

I want to describe a few birding spots from this region and the first is going to be the water purification works just outside Mosselbay.

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The mud flats are covered with all sorts of birds and in some instances a scope will be of great aid, especially when you are trying to id that tricky wader. Scan the flats for the smaller plovers and sandpipers which are both numerous in summer. The water is covered with ducks, teals and geese. This spot also sports with a sighting of American Golden Plover in 1996. The grasslands are home to egrets, Blue Cranes (a vulneable species) and African Marsh-Harrier, sometimes seen hunting.

I never miss an opportunity to bird this location when down in the Garden route on holiday. And I never leave disappointed. It just seems to be one of those ever trustworthy birding sites and one always get the feeling that something interesting is to be encountered. Hopefull I will find that special rarity one of these good days.

On a day visit you are bound to encounter some of the following species:

African Darter
African Snipe
African Spoonbill
African Stonechat
Barn Swallow
Black Crake
Black-Crowned Night Heron
Black-headed Heron
Black-shouldered Kite
Blacksmith Plover
Black-winged Lapwing
Black-winged Stilt
Blue Crane
Cape Bulbul
Cape Glossy Starling
Cape Shoveler
Cape Teal
Cape Wagtail
Cape Weaver
Cattle Egret
Common Fiscal
Common Greenshank
Common Moorhen
Common Ringed Plover
Common Wimbrel
Crowned Plover
Egyptian Goose
Fiscal Flycatcher
Glossy Ibis
Greater Crested Grebe
Greater Striped Swallow
Grey Heron
Grey-headed Gull
Hadeda Ibis
Kitlitz's Plover
Knob-billed Coot
Lesser Swamp Warbler
Levaillant's Cisticola
Little Egret
Little Rush Warbler
Mallard
Marsh Sandpiper
Pied Avocet
Pied Kingfisher
Pintailed Whydah
Purple Swamphen
Red Bishop
Red-billed Teal
Red-winged Starling
Reed Cormorant
Ruff
Sacred Ibis
South African Shelduck
Southern Masked Weaver
Southern Pochard
Spur-winged Goose
Swift Tern
Water Thickknee
White-Breasted Cormorant
White-faced Duck
White-fronted Plover
White-necked Raven
White-rumped Swift
White-throated Canary
White-throated Swallow
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow Bishop
Yellow-billed Duck
Zitting Cisticola

• 18/06/2011 12:00 - Bird Watchers to Explore Colombia Vol. 1
• 01/03/2010 12:46 - Birding in the Kloof
• 23/01/2010 22:06 - A road Worth Travelling...part 3
• 17/01/2010 12:19 - A road Worth Travelling...part 2
• 14/01/2010 20:39 - A road Worth Travelling...
• 28/07/2009 10:54 - Garden route – Part 3
• 04/06/2009 09:47 - Travelling east to Suikerbosrand
• 25/05/2009 07:39 - Birding along the Garden Route – Part 2.