ACTIVITIES ON OUR RESERVE
(PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL)
Bird & Botany Guided walk (per person): R450
Duration: 2hrs
As traversing the bush on foot provides an entirely new perception into nature’s mysterious wonders, we offer a leisurely bush walk suited to young and old alike. The walking trails are conducted within our reserve and take place in the company of a knowledgeable guide. This valley bushveld region encompasses habitats ranging from semi-arid Karoo areas, across Fynbos-covered slopes which merge with impenetrable thickets and forests, extending into rolling grasslands which stretch all the way to the Sunshine Coast of the Eastern Cape. Blessed with this natural biodiversity the reserve is able to support a wide range of approximately 91 tree species, various birds of prey, canopy birds, song birds, nocturnal birds, ground birds and grassland birds. Be sure to look out for these species of plantlife – Pork bush, Spekboom, Elephant’s Foot Portulacaria afra, Outeniqua Yellowwood Podocarpus falcatus & Real Yellowwood Podocarpus latifolius, Plumbago Plumbago Auriculata, Schotia Schotia Afra, Karee Rhus Lancea, Sneezewood Ptaeroxylon Obliquum, White Milkwood Sideroxylon Inerme, Wild Olive Olea Africana, Kiepersol (Mountain Cabbage Tree) Cussonia Paniculata, Fynbos Cape Macchia. Be sure to look out for these species of birdlife. Birds of Prey – Black-Shouldered Kite, African Fish Eagle, Steppe Buzzard, Jackal Buzzard, African Goshawk, Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Black Harrier, African Harrier Hawk, Lanner Falcon, Rock Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon. Canopy Birds – Crowned Hornbill, Black-Collared Barbet, Greater Honeyguide, Narina Trogan, Olive Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Red-Chested Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Kacobin Cuckoo, African Emerald Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Diderick Cuckoo, Speckled Mousebird, Red-Faced Mousebird, Ducky Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Grey-Headed Bush Shrike. Song Birds – Chorister Robin-Chat, Cape Robin-Chat, Brimstone’s Canary, Olive Thrush, Cape Robin, White-Starred Robin, White-Browed Robin, White-Browed Scrub-Robin, European Golden Oriole, Black-Headed Oriole. Nocturnal Birds – Barn Owl, African Grass-Owl, African Wood-Owl, Spotted Eagle-Owl, European Nightjar, Fiery-Necked Nightjar. Nectar Feeders – Southern Double Collared Sunbird, Greater Double Collared Sunbird, Collared Sunbird. Forest Birds – Dark-Backed Weaver, Knysna Turaco. General Birdlife – Cape Batis, Common Fiscal, Southern Boubou, Cape White-Eye, African Firefinch, Common Waxbill, Red-Winged Starling, Cape Glossy Starling, Green-Backed Camoropetera, Village Indigobird, Golden-Breasted Bunting, Bar-Throated Puffback, Cape Bulbul, Dark-Capped Bulbul, Terrestrial Brownbul, Grey Tit, Southern Black Tit, Familiar Chat, Levaillant’s Cisticola, Neddicky, Red-Throated Wryneck, Grey Cuckooshrike, Fork-Tailed Drongo, Cape Crow, Pied Crow. Aerial Birds – Common Swift, African Balck Swift, White-Rumped Swift, Horus Swift, Little Swift, Alpine Swift, White-Throated Swallow, Greater Striped Swallow, Lesser Striped Swallow, Rock Martin, Common House-Martin. Ground Birds – Red-Necked Spurfowl, Common Quail, Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Ground Woodpecker, Speckled Pigeon, African Olive Pigeon, Red-Eyed Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Namaqua Dove, African Hoopoe, Green Woodhoopoe, Cape Wagtail, African Quail Finch. Grassland Birds – Secretary Bird, Great White Egret, Cattle Egret, European Roller, Plain-Backed Pipit, Cape Longclaw. Wetland / Riverine Birds – White Stork, African Darter, Grey Heron, Blackheaded Heron, African Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Goose, African Black Duck, African Finfoot, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Brown-Hooded Kingfisher, Half-Collared Kingfisher, Burchell’s Coucal.