Day Eight - Zaagkuildrift Road

Meeting time this morning was 5:30am, my kind of holiday. We hit the road and headed north to Zaagkuildrift Road, where the habitat is arid acacia bushveld. This road is the eastern extent of the ranges for a lot of arid country birds so if we missed them today we wouldn't get another chance to see them.

Spent the whole day slowly driving along this dirt road, which is fenced on both sides, with cattle farms and game reserves on either side.

Zaagkuildrift Road - A birder's paradise

Acacia thorns

The birding was incredible, we saw about a hundred species, most of which were new. Some highlights were Crested Barbet, Southern Pied Babbler, Blue Waxbill, African Hoopoe, Burchell's Starling, Lilac-breasted Roller, three species of hornbill, Crimson-breasted Shrike, a Southern White-faced Owl on her nest and it was when we came across a cow with a Red-billed Oxpecker on its back that I think it finally sunk in that this is Africa!

We also added a few new mammals; Vervet Monkey, Impala, Kudu, Slender Mongoose, Blesbok and Yellow Mongoose.
Tomorrow we head for Kruger National Park. Can't wait!

Big Sis

The outskirts of Haakdoornbult

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