Atlasville, 02 Aug 2005
Ever since the birding weekend undertaken by me and fellow members of the East Rand branch of the Witwatersrand Bird Club, when we took the Sani Pass up the Drakensberg into Lesotho, I have wanted to take my wife to see this special place.
So we are just back from a weekend at the Bushman’s Nek Berg and Trout Resort near Underberg. On the first of our two full days there, while my wife relaxed and did lots of reading, I birded the grounds of the resort seeing amongst others Olive Thrush, Southern Fiscal and Cape Wagtail. I also took a short drive up the valley into Bushmansnek Park. At least half of the tinder dry grassland in the park had been burnt. These extensive veld fires are common in mid to late winter and can be started intentionally, to promote new growth at the onset of the summer rains, or can simply start spontaneously.
[Postscript : Bushman’s Nek Berg and Trout Resort was destroyed by one of these fires in August 2024]
Choosing the trail that was still in the unburnt area I added many of the birds I had expected in this environment – African Stonechat, Cape Longclaw, Ground Woodpecker, Bokmakierie, Karoo Prinia and Buff-streaked Chat.
The following day was the drive up the Sani Pass into Lesotho. Although you must have a 4×4 vehicle to be allowed onto the pass (South African customs and immigration is at the bottom of the pass not the actual border at the top) the conditions in winter can make the drive even more challenging. Birds seen on the pass included Long-crested Eagle, Grey Tit (lifer), Gurney’s Sugarbird, Cape Rock Thrush, Mountain Chat and Drakensberg Rockjumper. We made it to the top and while relaxing with a hot coffee at the Sani Top Chalet I added Drakensberg Siskin and Cape Bunting, while one of the resident Sloggett’s Vlei Rats put on a show.
The trip back home added Ant-eating Chat, Southern Bald Ibis, African Sacred Ibis and Hadada Ibis in the vicinity of the Sterkfontein Dam.
A trip total of 76 for winter in this part of the country was not too bad.
