Bird watching at Stonecutters Lodge is most rewarding. Spot the Gurney's Sugarbird flying amongst the protea bushes or the Buffstreaked Chat boulder hopping. The river banks are home to a variety of Kingfishers and in Spring the reeds in the wetland are ablaze of scarlet when the Red Bishops come into breeding plumage.
A self-drive tour of the area takes one into the Highlands Meander covering the "change-over zone" between Highveld and Escarpment grasslands and low-lying river valleys offer migration routes from the Bushveld into the Escarpment.
The nearby Steenkampsberg Mountains and Slaaihoek area are important refuges for a number of scarce grassland birds including Wattled Crane, Stanley’s Bustard, Ground Woodpecker, Rudds Lark, Yellow-Breasted Pipit and Bald Ibis.
The high altitude wetland habitat is one of the most threatened habitats in South Africa and is home to the Wattled Crane, the Crowned Crane and the White-Winged Flufftail. The fast flowing mountain streams of the escarpment should be searched for African Black Duck, Half-collared Kingfisher and Long-tailed Wagtail. In secluded kloofs some stunning birds can be seen – Crowned Eagle, Cinnamon Dove, Nerina Trogon, Olive Woodpecker and many more.
Birding Hot Spots
Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve, Lakenvlei / Middelpunt, Machado, Ohrigstad Dam Nature Reserve, Gustav Klingbiel Nature Reserve, Kwena Basin and Elands Valley. Mpumalanga Birding Route
About the Area | Touring | Bird Watching
