I then started the 150km drive to Brandvlei stopping and starting as I went. A long list of species seen here and even better I was alone for the most part. This area of SA is deadly quiet.
Once arrived in Brandvlei I birded to the east of town until dark where I arrived at my accommodation with a meal waiting for me. A long but rewarding day in temperatures reaching 42 Celsius.
Species capitalised are lifers and only species of note are included below.
Akkerendam NR/Calvinia
Grey-winged Francolin - 8
Booted Eagle - 1
Layard's Tit-babbler - 1
PALE-WINGED STARLING - 20
Mountain Wheatear - 1 female
Alpine Swift - 5
Bokmakiere - 10
Karoo Prinia - 4
R27-Calvinia to Brandvlei
Yellow Canary - ca. 80
Spike-heeled Lark - 10
TRACTRAC CHAT - 6
Karoo Chat - 10
Familiar Chat - 15
Fairy Flycatcher - 3
Southern Grey Tit - 2
Spotted Thick Knee - 1
South African Cliff Swallow - ca. 100
African Marsh Warbler - 1
BLACK-EARED SPARROWLARK - 1 male
DUSKY SUNBIRD - 2
Grey-backed Sparrowlark - 50
Yellow-bellied Eromomela - 3
Black-chested Snake Eagle - 1
East of Brandvlei
KAROO LONG-BILLED LARK - 5
Long-billed Crombec - 2
Pin-tailed Whydah - 2
Namaqua Warbler - 2
BLACK-CHESTED PRINIA - 1
Namaqua Sandgrouse - 6
Spike-heeled Lark
Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk
Southern Grey Tit
Namaqua Dove
Karoo Long-billed Lark
stunning scenery in Bushmanland
this was my attempt at abandoning my car on the R27. It was for a Black-eared Sparrowlark though, but thankfully this road is as quiet as it looks in this picture.
