5 DAY KRUGER PARK BIRDING SAFARI

Day 1: Johannesburg - Haenertsburg (D)
Departing Johannesburg in the early morning, we travel North to the small town of Haenertsburg, situated in the mountain forests and grasslands of the Northern Drakensberg Mountains. En-rout we will stop off at the Polokwane Nature Reserve, where our target bird will be the Short-clawed Lark. The reserve is however also home to the striking Crimson-breasted Bushshrike, Violet-eared Waxbill and Black-face Waxbill.
You will enjoy an afternoon bird watching in the wood bush forest where you will search for amongst others: Black-fronted Bush Shrike, White-starred Robin, Green Twinspot and if we are lucky Buff-spotted Flufftail during the summer months. The surrounding grasslands are home to breeding Blue Swallows, a highly endangered species.
Tonight we enjoy a home cooked meal listening to the hooting of the resident Wood Owls.

Day 2: Haenertsburg - Kruger Park - Punda Maria Camp (B D)
Departing Haenertsburg we continue driving North for a few more hours to the Northern section of the Kruger National Park. Before entering the park at Punda Maria Gate you will have the opportunity to do some shopping, to stock up the cooler box with some drinks, film, snacks, insect repellent.
We will spend the next two days exploring the Northern limits of the Kruger Park with the view of seeing some of the bird specials only found in this part of the park.
On a good day around the Punda Maria region you could record several of the following ‘specials': White-breasted Cuckoo Shrike, Crowned Hornbill, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Crested Guineafowl, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Grey-headed Parrot, African and European Golden Oriole’s (both summer), Eastern Nicator, Stierling's Wren Warbler and Dickinson's Kestrel.
Arriving at Punda Maria camp, you check in, move into your chalet and freshen up. Time permitting we may do a short afternoon drive within the area. Tonight a traditional South African meal is prepared giving you a taste of our countries delicious, barbeque cuisine.

Day 3: Kruger Park - Punda Maria Camp (B D)
On this day we will have an early morning departure making our way north to the Pafuri region for the day. This area has some beautiful river line forest and we will stop for breakfast at a famous picnic site.
One can simply spend several hours in this picnic site seeing: Trumpeter Hornbill, Purple-crested Turacos, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Tropical Boubou, Meve's Starling, Gorgeous, Grey-headed and Orange-breasted Bush Shrike and several different species of Robin, Sunbird and Firefinch. Other rarities recorded at the picnic site include Lemon Dove, Brown Scrub-Robin and Pel’s Fishing Owl. This is also the best place in the Kruger and South Africa to see both Mottled and Böhms Spinetail’s
To conclude this very productive day we return back to camp in time for an open vehicle sunset drive. A SANParks ranger in an open sided truck conducts the drive, which lasts for approx three hours.
On your return from your sunset drive your dinner would have been prepared, cooked and ready to be served outside under the stars, with talk of the days events.

Day 4: Kruger Park - Letaba Camp (B D)
Making our way south down through the Kruger Park we drive via Shingwedzi camp where you will have several more birds to add to our list: Bennett’s Woodpecker, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Grey Penduline Tit, Green-capped Eremomela, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Saddle-billed Stork and if we are lucky we may get a glimpse of the resident Collared Palm Thrush.
Continuing south we head through Mopane woodland and open savannah. When given the time these areas may yield: Pallid Harrier, Lesser Moorhen, Secretary Bird as well as Double-banded Sand grouse.
Arriving at 'Letaba' camp just before the entrance gates close for the evening, you check in, visit the camps shop to stock up with drinks, move into your chalet and freshen up ready for dinner.
Letaba is particularly good for viewing and hearing Owls: Pearl-spotted, Barred, Scops and Giant Eagle Owl.
You enjoy dinner out in the open listening to the African night sounds whilst we discuss the last day's exciting events.

Day 5: Kruger Park - Johannesburg (B)
Leaving the Kruger National Park in the early morning we make our way back to Johannesburg via the J.G. Strydom Tunnel, where we will hope to see one of only a few breeding pairs of Taita Falcons within southern Africa. Scanning the skies we may also be lucky enough to see both Cape Vultures and Verreaux’s Eagles soaring above.
From here our next stop will be the spectacular Blyde River Canyon – 3rd largest in the world. Keep your eyes open for Jackal Buzzard, Cape Bunting and Mocking Cliff-Chat.
Returning to the main road our next diversion will be through the Verloren Vlei Valley. This is a protected area and being at an altitude of 2000m is home to a few very select species. Here we will hope to find Cape Rock Thrush, Yellow-breasted Pipit, Southern Bald Ibis, Gurney’s Sugarbird and if we are lucky some Wattled Cranes.
Our lunch stop will be in the town of Dullstroom and then we push on to Johannesburg, but make one last stop at a roadside pan where we will hope to find Cape Shoveler, Lesser and Greater Flamingo’s and provided it is the summer a host of other waders too.
We will arrive back in Jo'burg at approx 7.00pm with drop off at the airport or at any hotel.

Note
Interested in this 5 day itinerary, email us right now - we'll check availability and reply within 48 hours.
(B L D) refers to the meals included - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Our Birding Tours generally run at a slower pace than our wildlife safaris. Time is often spent at the camps as there are birds in abundance. You do also spend time at waterholes as they make for excellent birding.
Itinerary may vary slightly due to accommodation availability, gate opening times, weather etc

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