Our first full day on the tour started out with a bang. We met at 5:15 am to travel to Zaagkuildrift which is an area of arid scrub. Of the 5 target birds for the day we found all but one but we also ended the day with 95 species, most of them new to us! We birded along the road getting out and walking at different points and at about 7:30 we broke out the breakfast food and ate as we birded. African birds have the most interesting names. Some of the ones we saw this day were Blacksmith Lapwing, Grey Go-away Bird, Red-faced Mousebird, Lesser Honeyguide, Red-throated Wryneck, Southern Boubou, Fork-tailed Drongo, Rattling Cisticola, Northern Black Korhaan and Black-chested Prinea.

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill

Southern Red-billed Hornbill

Speckled Mousebird

Southern Pied Babbler

Crowned Lapwing

Crimson-breasted Shrike

Capped Wheatear

Crested Barbet

After a full morning of birding we moved on to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens where we started off with a picnic lunch then birded throughout the gardens. This is an incredibly beautiful place. There was at least one wedding that had just happened and the outfits the guests were wearing were wonderful to see. At the end of the path was a lovely waterfall.

We found an interesting adder—Rhombic Night Adder crawling along the edge of the path. Fortunately we saw him first and were able to observe him at a safe distance.

Tortoise

Lots of great bird sighting and beautiful plants and flowers.

Hadada Ibis

Cape Robin Chat