Lunch At Berg-en-Dal Restcamp

Even though we had only a short stay in Kruger this time, I wanted to check out one last restcamp because you never know when you may come back!  Berg-en-Dal is conveniently located near Malelane Gate and we got there around 1pm-ish.

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A Golden-tailed Woodpecker welcomed us in……………….and didn’t tell us to “G’waaaaayyy”!

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The restaurant has a beautiful setting overlooking a river.  The service was a bit slow but who cares when you have THIS to look at!  The food was good!

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Yummy milkshakes!

IMG_4425 IMG_4426 IMG_4428 IMG_4430This camp is supposed to be famous for Leopard so I wouldn’t mind a return visit here sometime!  After a quick wander around to see a few birds it was time to hit the road.  We needed to return the car by 8pm.

Final Game Drive – Pretoriuskop To Malelane Gate

We got a pretty late start since the birds were so engaging at Pretoriuskop restcamp, but luckily we didn’t have far to go.  In a pinch, we could have simply exited at Numbi Gate and driven back to JNB at normal speed.  But I didn’t want to miss one last chance to see more birds and animals in Kruger so we took the scenic route!  In the map below, a red road is paved and a yellow road is a dirt road but well-maintained.  Our route is in blue.

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We saw lots of Fork-tailed Drongos but not close to each other.  They seem to be pretty territorial.

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There are also a lot of these “Jock of the Bushveld” plaques.

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I really wanted to get a decent shot of a Lilac-breasted Roller in flight.  I had to wait a bit but this little guy finally obliged!

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European Bee-eaters come here to escape the cold in Europe.

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Vervet monkeys are always amusing.

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Combining this with the map, you can see distances aren’t that great.

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G’waaaayyyyyyy!

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Greater Blue-eared Starling

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Weaver birds are also everywhere.

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This Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill was at a picnic spot.

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An elegant Pin-tailed Whydah.

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The quintessential African photo.

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Red-breasted Swallow

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Red-billed Ox-pecker, apparently near-sighted as he is pecking a giraffe!

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Jacobin Cuckoo

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Americans, Take Notice – Australia Is Currently A Bargain For You!

If anyone has read my series on birding in West Australia and Tasmania and wishing they could afford to come here but scared off by the high Aussie dollar, wait no more!  The USD is especially strong right now but you never know when things could change.  With the AA/US merger happening and the generous redemption rates currently in effect, this may be your year to visit Australia.  If you haven’t bought that $5 Lonely Planet book, you still have 4 hours from now!

I also have a series about birding in Queensland coming up after I finish the Africa series.

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Bad news for us Aussies but good news for Americans!  Thankfully since we are only going to Southeast Asia & Cook Islands this year we won’t be too badly burned.  I’m really glad we did the bulk of our travel last year!

Books For Planning A Trip To Kruger

I realize that the search engines will bring all kinds of people researching South Africa to this page, not just birders but people who are more interested in mammals.  While the routes I have chosen were selected due to my interest in birds, there are other resources to help you decide which part of Kruger National Park to visit.  It’s always good to have a mammal field guide on hand if that is your interest as you will see a lot more besides lions and elephants!

I’d go with the Kindle versions to keep your baggage weight down.  You can always take a photo and look the critter up later!  These affiliate links provide me a small commission and I do appreciate you using them for these or any purchases you make at Amazon.com

Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus)

The Purple-crested Turaco (Tauraco porphyreolophus) is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family.   It is the National Bird of the Kingdom of Swaziland.  According to Wikipedia, sadly the crimson flight feathers of this and related turaco species are important in the ceremonial regalia of the Swazi royal family.  I really hate when birds are killed so their feathers can provide decoration.  Especially when the bird is as stunning as this one!

IMG_4350 IMG_4349 IMG_4254 IMG_4260 IMG_4128aThey have a very large range which is great news for African safari enthusiasts!  They can be found in It is found in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Their southernmost occurrence is at the Mtamvuna River on the KwaZulu-Natal-Eastern Cape border.

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I found them easily in the Pretoriuskop Restcamp in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE-CRESTED TURACOS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Biodiversity Explorer

Swaziland National Trust Commission

VIDEO

Not live action but a great sound clip of this bird’s call.

I can’t tell if this is filmed in a bird park or in a restcamp but it’s excellent quality.

The Birds Of Pretoriuskop Restcamp

As promised, here are some of the amazing birds of Pretoriuskop Restcamp.  I was thrilled to see so many Brown-headed Parrots which were my main target bird, but there were lots of other great birds too!

This first batch of photos was taken near the laundry room in the late afternoon.

Helmeted Guinea-fowl

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African Green Pigeon

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Purple-crested Turaco – stunning bird, photos don’t do them justice!

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Black-collared Barbet

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These remaining photos were taken early in the morning.  We were up around 5:30 and we spent a good 3 hours just wandering around following the birds (especially the parrots) as they went about their daily activities.

Grey-headed Bush-shrike

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Finally!  A flock of Brown-headed Parrots!

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They really like the trees just outside cabin 124!

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African Mourning Dove

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Scarlet-chested Sunbird

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Meanwhile back at the cabin, Ina was watching the Crested Guinea-fowls who came right up to us and the monkeys who were trying to rob some campers of breakfast.

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The Brown-headed Parrots beckoned again and we were off chasing them as they flew from tree to tree.

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We also saw several Purple-headed Turacos!

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The Grey Go-away Bird told me to g’wayyyyyyyy……………so I did and kept following the parrots.

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Black-collared Barbet

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G’waaayyyyyyyyyy!

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Crested Barbet

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Dark-capped Bulbul

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Blue Waxbill

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Southern Black Flycatcher

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Red-headed Weaver

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Black-backed Puffback

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Yellow-fronted Canary

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As we were pulling out of the camp, I spotted this Purple Crested Turaco and anther Bulbul in the trees outside reception.

IMG_4343 IMG_4344 IMG_4349 IMG_4350 IMG_4351 IMG_4352Obviously this is not a complete list of all the birds you can find here, this is just what we saw on one particular early November morning.

Lodge Review: Pretoriuskop Restcamp, Kruger National Park

Pretoriuskop Restcamp has it all!  It’s one of the easiest Kruger Restcamps to get to if you can only spare a few days from a Jo-burg business trip.  They have accommodation to suit all budgets from tent campers to fully furnished cabins.  But from my point of view, this is what really attracted me!

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Brown-headed Parrots!  But more about them tomorrow in the Birds of Pretoriuskop post.  Let’s focus on the facilities for now.

It’s about a 4-5 hour drive from Jo-burg if you enter at the nearest gate which is Numbi Gate, then you have at least 20 minutes more to reach the camp.  If you are coming from elsewhere inside Kruger then make sure you leave enough time considering the 50 kph speed limit and the fact that you will be stopping to watch birds and animals frequently.

IMG_4101 IMG_4102On the camp map below, I highlighted the location of our cabin #103, the ablution blocks (showers & toilets), retaurant, laundry and areas I found good for birding as we walked around the camp.

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Each cabin has a car space next to it and are surrounded by trees.

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The cheapest cabins don’t have ensuites but there are always ablution blocks nearby.  You will need a torch/flashlight for night time visits.

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Although small, they do have decent sized fridges with a spare power point for charging batteries.  You won’t get wifi here, possibly mobile phone reception though we didn’t use phones while we were in South Africa.

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This would be our last chance to do laundry before leaving for Mauritius.  My husband was happy to watch the machines while I wandered off to find birds.

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The restaurant is run by South African chain Wimpy and has mostly comfort food – hamburgers, steaks, ribs and such.  Prices are reasonable so there really isn’t a need to self-cater unless you prefer cooking and doing dishes to watching birds!

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The next morning, Ina just hung out watching monkeys while I was listening for the parrots.

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There are the usual maps with game viewing sightings posted near reception.

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Here’s a view of Wimpy’s in the morning.  You can have an al-fresco breakfast and watch birds!

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The camp store is next to Wimpy’s though I wasn’t thrilled to see animal skins on offer.

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They also have a wide variety of biltong (like jerky but harder).  I just didn’t want to be eating the beautiful animals we’d come halfway across the world to see!

IMG_4334Tune in tomorrow to meet the birds of Pretoriuskop!

 

15% Off Qantas & Jetstar Classic Award

This was emailed to me by Qantas, good deal for those who have travel plans they can book at such short notice.

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For 7 days only, we’re offering 15% off Qantas and Jetstar Classic Award flights in Economy to all Australian domestic destinations and selected international destinations*.

Hurry, offer ends 25 January 2015 at 11:59pm (AEDT)! Just be sure to book your Classic Award seat (including any connecting domestic Australian flights) on Qantas or Jetstar operated flights with a QF or JQ flight number within the promotional periods to receive the discount.

How can I book?

  • Check below to see our wide range of destinations on sale.
  • Log in to Your Account.
  • Select the ‘Search Qantas and Partner Classic Awards’ option when searching for your flight. Your 15% discount will be applied where the full itinerary only contains Qantas (QF) or Jetstar (JQ) flights (including domestic transfers) within the promotional period. If a booking is made on partner airlines, no discount will apply for the entire itinerary.
  • Book your Qantas or Jetstar Classic Award flight online before 11:59 (AEDT) on 25 January 2015.

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Grey Go-away Bird (Corythaixoides concolor)

The Grey Go-away Bird (Corythaixoides concolor), (also known as grey lourie, grey loerie, or kwêvoël) is one of the most entertaining birds you will see in Africa.  Even when they are telling you to “go away”, they are still endearing and I look forward to seeing them on a safari.  They are widespread in savanna woodland, a clumsy flier though extremely agile in clambering through tree crowns. It has a distinctive loud alarm call “quare”, fancifully sounding like “go away”. The crest is raised when excited.
IMG_3797 IMG_3938 IMG_3952They have a large range in Southern Africa.  I saw them all over Kruger National Park.  Although the Birdlife map shows them only in southern Tanzania, I saw them in the Whistling Thorn Camp near Tarangire National Park, and was personally told to “go away” after checking into my tent!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

VIDEOS

Excellent sound quality, you can hear them saying “Go away”!

 This is a very old movie clip from “The Gods Must Be Crazy”.  The first part is hilarious, the last part (I hope that’s a prop) not so much.