South Africa | Birding and Wildlife Safari with the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance

Depart the U.S. for South Africa today.

Arrive in Johannesburg today; most participants’ flights arrive in the evening. The temperature in South Africa ranges from high 80s to mid-50s in the summer months, with chances of afternoon thunderstorms. In the winter, temperatures range from low 60s to mid-30s, with minimal chance of rain.

Elevation is 5,600 feet above sea level, with open Highveld Grassland habitats.

After an early breakfast and orientation, load up the vehicle for the drive to Mount Sheba Hotel, which is situated in a beautiful area of escarpment forest. Spend much of the day traveling to the hotel, stopping en route for some birding if time allows and perhaps visiting a small pan (seasonal, rain-filled body of water), where there are opportunities to search for species such as White-backed Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, Little Grebe, Great-crested Grebe, Purple Heron, and Eurasian Moorhen. Then, drive through the unique Highveld town of Dullstroom. Due to its high-elevation location making it the highest village in South Africa, Dullstroom's temperate climate nurtures the only place in the country where beech and elm trees grow. Continue birding your way to Mount Sheba via the beautiful Verloren Vallei Nature Reserve, a highly biodiverse protected wetland where some of the Highveld grassland species to seek out include Wing-snapping Cisticola, Eastern Long-billed Lark, Yellow Bishop, Denham's Bustard, and possibly Yellow-breasted Pipit, Southern Bald Ibis, and Blue Crane. From here, finish the drive with the aim of reaching Mount Sheba late in the afternoon and spend some time relaxing before dinner.

Elevation is 5,300 feet, with Afromontane forest and grassland habitats.

Wake up early to explore the surrounding escarpment forest on foot. Although the number of species that occur in this habitat type is not as high as in other habitats, several of the species here are unlikely to be seen again anywhere else on this journey. Some of the specialties to look for include Knysna Turaco, Grey Cuckooshrike, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, Narina Trogon, Cape Batis, African Crested-Flycatcher, and White-starred Robin. Afterward, have a relaxed breakfast before packing up the gear and driving through to the next destination, situated on the edge of Blyde River Canyon. Encompassing more than 1,100 square miles of protected land, the Blyde River Canyon is one of the largest in the world, along with the likes of the Grand Canyon in the United States and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Its beauty and magnificence make it one of the most visited attractions in South Africa. The canyon is home to an impressive variety of species of birds, antelopes, primates, and fish, as well as hippos, crocodiles, and more. Along the way, do some birding in search of species such as Rufous-necked Wryneck, Amethyst Sunbird, Piping Cisticola, and Streaky-headed Seedeater. The aim is to reach Forever Blyde Canyon Resort in the early afternoon to allow some time to relax during the hottest part of the day before going on a stroll up to a viewpoint overlooking the canyon later in the afternoon. Along the winding paths of the canyon, search for more species like Rock-loving Cisticola, Brimstone Canary, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, and Green-backed Camaroptera. Enjoy watching the sun set over the stunning Blyde River Canyon before returning to the resort for dinner.

Elevation is around 3,840 feet, with cliffs and gorges, and forest and thickets habitats.

Start the day off with a birding walk in search of a few more species, including White-throated Robin-Chat, Yellow-fronted Canary, Mocking Cliff-Chat, Familiar Chat, and Striped Pipit. Return to the resort for a relaxed breakfast and some time to pack before departing toward the next destination. Begin the journey to the majestic Kruger National Park and search for species along the way that include Cape Griffon, Cape Rock-Thrush, Mountain Wagtail and, with luck, Taita Falcon. Arrive at the entrance gate of Kruger National Park around mid-day and have some lunch. Spend most of the afternoon driving through to Satara Rest Camp, situated about 30 miles away from the entrance. There are a multitude of new species to encounter in the area such as Magpie Shrike, Tawny Eagle, White-backed Vulture, Brown-headed Parrot, and Green-winged Pytillia to keep travelers distracted during the drive. Kruger is world-renowned for its unparalleled biodiversity and for being home to the Big Five and many other species like impalas, blue wildebeest, kudus, southern giraffes, and much more. Satara is especially regarded for having an ideal location within Kruger due to its prolific bird life.

Elevation ranges from 800 feet at Satara to 1,920 feet at Pretoriuskop, with various habitats that include mainly savanna, with various sub-types such as basalt sweetveld, Sabie River thickets, and Pretoriuskop sourveld.

Spend a full day exploring the area around Satara. Focus initially on birding around the northern part of the camp, where it may be possible to spot Chestnut-backed Sparrow-Lark, Double-banded Sandgrouse, Namaqua Dove, Kori Bustard, Red-crested Bustard, and perhaps also Gabar Goshawk, Sabota Lark, Burnt-necked Eremomela, and African Pipit. Later, return for a late breakfast in the camp, followed by a short birding stroll before taking some time to relax during the hotter parts of the day. Later in the afternoon, head out once again to add a few more species to the list, and hopefully bump into some more of the large mammals in the area, as Satara offers excellent habitat for lions.

Today, the morning starts with a short drive in the region to search for more species such as African Green-Pigeon, African Harrier-Hawk, Grey Tit-Flycatcher, Southern Red-billed Hornbill, and Southern Ground-Hornbill. As usual, be on the look-out for the big predators -- lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Then, head back to the camp for breakfast and to pack up all the gear for the drive to the next camp, right in the heart of Big Five territory. Spend the next two nights in the capital of Kruger National Park, Skukuza Rest Camp, known for its particular abundance of wildlife due to its location on the banks of Sabie River. The drive to Skukuza from Satara takes up the rest of the day, so there are great opportunities for birding along the way during the 57-mile journey. Be ready to spot plenty of other species, as this drive affords travelers magnificent views of Kruger. Around mid-day, stop at Tshokwane Picnic Site for lunch and a chance to stretch before continuing on to Skukuza. Arrive in the late afternoon and enjoy some time to relax in the camp before dinner.

Explore the area around Skukuza in a similar structure as at Satara; go out during the morning and afternoon, and enjoy some relaxing time back at the camp around mid-day, when activity slows down during the warmer hours of the day. Start by exploring the Sabie River, where there are chances to encounter Red-backed Scrub-Robin, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, Ashy Flycatcher, Golden-breasted Bunting, and White-fronted Bee-eater. On the river itself, it may be possible to find White-headed Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Goliath Heron, and with a fair share of luck, African Finfoot. Return around mid-morning for breakfast. Afterward, spend some time birding in the camp, where Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Crowned Hornbill, White-browed Robin-Chat, and Cape Crombec may all be seen. After some time relaxing in the camp, take an afternoon drive around the area in the hopes of finding some of the usual thickets species such as Southern Cordonbleu, Red-billed Firefinch, Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Natal Spurfowl, and Brubru. Return to the camp just before gates close and in time for a lovely dinner, possibly even spotting a greater galago along the way.

Wake up early today for a drive to a nearby bird hide, where the hopes are to spot some species like African Darter, Malachite Kingfisher, African Pied Kingfisher, Water Thick-knee and African Jacana, and also make the most of the excellent photography opportunities at this location, as hippos often come fairly close to the front of the hide. Spend some time here before returning to the camp for breakfast, perhaps making a quick stop around the Skukuza Indigenous Nursery for some birding. Then, begin the journey toward the last destination in this Kruger adventure. Arrive in camp by early afternoon and enjoy some time to settle in and relax. Head out on an afternoon drive with a focus on some target species such as Greencap Eremomela, African Penduline-Tit, Brown-headed Parrot, Little Bee-eater, Yellow-throated Bush Sparrow, and Bush Pipit, before returning to the camp for some more leisure time to get ready for dinner.

After a short morning exploration around the camp, return for breakfast. Then, begin the journey to Wakkerstroom to spend the last two nights of this trip. Wakkerstroom is world-renowned for its birding, which has helped the town develop significantly over the years due to the interest of visitors from all around the world. It is located in a valley that offers stunning panoramic views and features a myriad of species, from grassland endemics to water and forest birds. There may only be one stop en route at a grassland area to try and track down the White-bellied Bustard, which is sometimes treated as a distinct species. Arrive in Wakkerstroom late in the afternoon and have some time to relax and get settled in before dinner.

Elevation is 5,700 feet, with mainly high-altitude grassland habitat.

Today, venture on a morning outing with a packed breakfast to explore the area around Wakkerstroom. Focus on tracking down some of the more elusive species of the northern grassland areas like Blue Bustard, Secretarybird, Grey-winged Francolin, Red-capped Lark, Eastern Clapper Lark, Pink-billed Lark, Blue Crane, Grey Crowned-Crane, and Southern Bald Ibis. Two of the most important species to be on the lookout for are Rudd's Lark and Botha's Lark, which are globally threatened and with populations of fewer than 5,000 each, possibly even as low as 1,500 each. Although the Yellow-breasted Pipit can be tough to track down during the winter months, it may also be possible to encounter it in this area. Return to town around lunch time for some time to relax. Then, spend the afternoon birding the wetlands along Wakkerstroom to track down Cape Shoveler, Red-billed Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Spur-winged Goose, African Snipe, African Marsh-Harrier, Little Rush Warbler, and Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Spend the final morning of this journey on an early birding drive in the region. Search for any outstanding species and, perhaps, find one of the local meerkat mobs before heading back to the lodge for breakfast and departure for Johannesburg. All morning activities on this day depend on departure flight times, as it is a four-hour drive from Wakkerstroom to the airport.

Overnight flight and arrival home today.