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Cape Vidal gets a facelift PDF Print E-mail
Written by Johan van Rensburg   
Tuesday, 17 June 2008

Two new routes and two new view points add fantastic value to the Cape Vidal birding experience. The dune and vlei loops add 9 kilometres to the iSimangaliso Eastern Shores' gravel tracks available for game viewing. The first loop road opens vlei and coastal woodland habitats while the second loop makes grass covered dunes and coastal forest available to the birder.

To further bolster the birding experience a comprehensive bird hide is replacing the old decrepit hide at Mafazana Pan that has been closed to the public for the last four years. The new bird hide has been designed by architects with comprehensive input from BirdLife South Africa. It is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. I went to have a sneak preview and was pleasantly surprised by the effort that is going into making this one of the best bird hides I have ever seen. Access to the hide will be on foot through dense virgin coastal dune forest, in itself promising a birding experience of note. The hide will be built on a tiered concept, giving the birder some unique angles for viewing the pans. The possibility exists for the hides to even cater for sleepovers a la Sable Dam hide in Kruger.

A new view point overlooking iZindondwe Pan offers fresh water species - waders and water fowl not normally seen at Cape Vidal. Catalina Bay on Lake St Lucia has also been made accessible and I predict sightings of countless numbers of rare resident and migrant bird species from this vantage point.

I have personally benefited from the Vidal facelift with sightings of bat hawk, crowned eagle and Narina trogon seen from the newly opened loop roads.

» 8 Comments
1Comment
at Tuesday, 17 June 2008 18:20by Jackie
oh weeeow bat hawk and Narina Trogon... me GREEN!!
2Comment
at Tuesday, 17 June 2008 20:36by Katja
NARINA TROGON !!!????? 
You see me absolute green ;.) 
It really seems it was a great trip.
3Comment
at Wednesday, 18 June 2008 11:14by Laine
oh wow!! nice sightings!! and the bird hide sounds very exciting.. can't wait to go birding there... to think i went to that area so often when i was younger but wasn't birding yet... *rolling eyes*
4Comment
at Wednesday, 18 June 2008 13:53by Jean
SO close and you did not drop in for coffee - shame on you. Glad you had a good time tho'
5Comment
at Wednesday, 18 June 2008 19:18by Johan van Rensburg
Watch it, Jean. I get to that part of the country on a regular basis. In the past I have tried (unsuccessfully) to get in touch with other birders in Northern Natal. If I get wind of where you hide out I will certainly call around...
6Comment
at Wednesday, 18 June 2008 22:05by Jackie
Jean hides at Ghost Mountain Inn, Johan...and I have it on good authority that she is an EXCELLENT guide :-))
7Comment
at Thursday, 19 June 2008 08:39by Jean
You are welcom Johann for longer than a cup of coffee if I can arrange it. 
Thank you Jax but the problem is that I am not an excellent bird guide - good not excellent. My knowledge tends to be good on the birds that have interesting stories attached so I am afraid that if Johann drops b he is going to be turned into a tutor so the cup of coffee may be quite expensive.
8Comment
at Thursday, 19 June 2008 11:00by Johan van Rensburg
I'd love to swop bird stories, Jean. Never had an encounter with a bird that left me without a story to tell... The trick is not to spot-and-run, but to stay until the bird ends the encounter. And I don't mind at all paying my way with information. 
I'll let you know when I'm down that part of the world again. It will probably be near the end of July.
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