Cape Town to Cape Agulhas 4-Day Birding Tour

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Cape Town – Rooi-Els – Kogelberg – Hermanus – Platbos – Cape Agulhas

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Scheduled Dates: 

• ​26 − 29 August 2023

• 16 − 19 September 2023

Or alternate date on request. 

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Introduction

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This Cape Town to Cape Agulhas 4-day birding tour explores much of the glorious Overberg region, and will lead you along the Cape south coast from Paardevlei in the west to Cape Agulhas in the east. We will also explore the Kogelberg mountains and the region from Hermanus to Gansbaai as well. The tour focuses on several different geographic areas and varied habitats that host a wide range of species, including many coastal and seashore birds, including birding the southern tip of Africa.

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We set a sightings goal of 220+ bird species in the summer months and 170+ bird species in winter, many of them resident endemics and specials. On the mammal front, we hope to see upwards of 20 species, with an array of reptiles, amphibians and butterflies also to be found, as well as many delightful orchid and protea species across the greatly varied habitats.

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This safari both commences and ends in Cape Town or Cape Town International Airport.

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Tour Highlights:

• The probability of seeing 36 of the country's 69 endemic bird species, as well as many red-listed species and specials, highlighted by Cape Rockjumper and Cape Sugarbird.

• Birding a multitude of varied habitats supporting diverse bird species including fynbos, thicket, lowland Afrotemperate forest, gardens, wetlands and riverine areas, estuaries, sandy beaches and rocky shores.

• Birding the southernmost point of Africa, Cape Agulhas.

• Glorious scenic drives along the exceptionally picturesque Clarence Drive, Hermanus coastline and De Mond offering seabird and sea mammal sighting opportunities.

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Top 15 birds: Cape Rockjumper, Cape Sugarbird, Fynbos Buttonquail, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Protea Canary, Cape Eagle Owl, Knysna Woodpecker, Forest Buzzard, African Penguin, Crowned Cormorant, Bank Cormorant, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Southern Black Korhaan, Victorin's Warbler and Southern Tchagra.

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Itinerary and species

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This safari both commences in Cape Town and ends in George or at George Airport.

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Day 1: Cape Town, Rooi-Els, Betty's Bay, Rooisand to Hermanus

On Day 1 we depart Cape Town in an easterly direction and first stop in at the Paardevlei pan, which has previously offered us over 70 bird species in 2 hours, including White-backed Duck, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, African Snipe, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black Sparrowhawk, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Pied Avocet, Black Crake, Cape Teal, Cape Shoveler, and endemics such as Jackal Buzzard, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Karoo Prinia, Cape Spurfowl, Cape Weaver, Cape Bulbul, Cape Grassbird, Fiscal Flycatcher and Grey-backed Cisticola.

We then meander along the breath taking Clarence Drive coastal road beneath the magnificent Hottentots Hollands Mountains on one side and the east coast of False Bay. This is the start of the Whale Route and one the most beautiful scenic drives in South Africa. We next stop at the hamlet of Rooi-Els, where our primary targets are Cape Rockjumper, Cape Sugarbird, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Ground Woodpecker, Cape Siskin, Malachite Sunbird, Cape Rock Thrush, Grey-backed Cisticola, Verreaux's Eagle, Cape Eagle Owl, Yellow Bishop and Cape Bunting. Here we may also spot Klipspringer, Chacma Baboon, Rock Hyrax and even (Cape) Leopard.

We then head to Betty’s Bay to visit Stoney Point for its African Penguins and numerous other shoreline specials, including Crowned Cormorant, Bank Cormorant, Cape Cormorant, African Oystercatcher and Cape Gannet offshore.

We enjoy lunch here and then advance to the productive Rooisand Nature Reserve and its extensive vlei environment in search of waders and rallids. Possible new additions here include Victorin’s Warbler, African Marsh-Harrier, Western Osprey, Great White Pelican, Cape Longclaw, Caspian Tern, Sandwich Tern and numerous other tern species, Red Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Great Egret and African Spoonbill. Should time allow we will pop into the Vermont Salt Pan as well. 

We then head through to the glorious coastal town of Hermanus, where we spend our first night.

Accommodation: Whale on Main B&B (or similar), Hermanus

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       Macassar Estuary mouth          Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve                  Montagu Pass

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Day 2: Fernkloof, Kleinrivier to Platbos Forest

On Day 2 we set off early for the remarkable Fernkloof Nature Reserve, located in the Kleinrivier Mountains behind Hermanus. Here we look to add Protea Canary, Sentinel Rock Thrush, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Swee Waxbill, Klaas's Cuckoo, Olive Thrush, Bar-throated Apalis, Cape Batis, Speckled Mousebird, Red-faced Mousebird, Neddicky and African Paradise Flycatcher, while still getting a second look at many of the other endemics. The reserve ranges in altitude from sea level to 824m, and comprises 0.002% of the Cape Floral Kingdom but contains 18% of its plants in just 18 square kilometres. No other place on earth will you find so many different species growing in such close proximity - more than 1250 species of plant have thus far been collected and identified in the reserve.

We then venture to the Platbos Forest Reserve, which conserves a Lowland Afrotemperate forest remnant and Agulhas limestone fynbos on the slopes of the Baviaanspoort Hills near Gansbaai. The forest is filled with ancient trees, some of which are over 1000 years old. Along the way we stop to scan the Uilenskraal Estuary to survey for Antarctic Tern and other. We spend our thrid night in ths area. Our main targets at Platbos are endemics such as Protea Canary, Knysna Woodpecker, Forest Buzzard, Southern Tchagra, Grey-winged Francolin, Cape Clapper Lark, Large-billed Lark, Swee Waxbill, Victorin’s Warbler, Forest Canary and Cape Siskin. Others to look out for include Olive Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Olive Bush-Shrike, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Black Sparrowhawk, Verreaux’s Eagle, Black Harrier, Lemon Dove, African Black Duck, Southern Pochard, Tambourine Dove, African Olive Pigeon, Karoo Scrub-Robin, White-backed Mousebird, Acacia Pied Barbet White-throated Canary, Yellow Canary and Bokmakierie. While mammal treats here include Caracal, Leopard, Aardvark, African Wild Cat, Cape Porcupine, Striped Polecat, Cape Grysbok, Honey Badger, Grey Rhebuck, Bushbuck, Chacma Baboon, Cape Grey Mongoose, Steenbok and Scrub Hare.

Accommodation: De Uijlenes (or similar), Platbos

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Day 3: De Mond and Cape Agulhas

On Day 3 we depart Gansbaai in an easterly direction as we make our way through the farmlands and wetlands of the Agulhas Plains and southwards to the magnificent De Mond Nature Reserve. We then head down to Agulhas for our third and final night's stay. The target birds we seek to add in this area are numerous, and include Fynbos Buttonquail, Damara Tern, Chestnut-banded Plover, African Grass Owl, Karoo Korhaan, Denham’s Bustard, Southern Black Korhaan, Blue Crane, Secretarybird, Black Harrier, Martial Eagle, Booted Eagle, Lanner Falcon, African Fish Eagle, Agulhas Long-billed Lark, Cape Clapper Lark, Namaqua Sandgrouse, Southern Tchagra, Cloud Cisticola, Capped Wheatear, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Acacia Pied Barbet, Red-capped Lark, Wattled Starling, Long-billed Crombec, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Nicholson's Pipit, Plain-backed Pipit, Black Sparrowhawk, Cape Canary, Lesser Honeyguide, Greater Honeyguide, Buff-spotted Flufftail, Red-chested Flufftail, Little Bittern, Purple Heron, Ruddy Turnstone, Maccoa Duck, Blue-billed Teal, Sanderling, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Brimstone Canary, Cape Batis and Red-capped Lark. ierie. While mammal treats here include Cape Clawless Otter, Caracal, Cape Porcupine, Cape Grysbok, Honey Badger, Cape Grey Mongoose, Large Grey Mongoose, Common Duiker, Steenbok and Scrub Hare. Along the beach in the right seasons we will survey for Indian Ocean Hump-backed Dolphin, Southern Right Whale and Hump-backed Whales.

Accommodation: Agulhas Country Lodge (or similar), Agulhas​​​

 

Habitats: Each destination we visit en-route offers unique habitats, extraordinary scenery, and breath-taking beauty, providing you with fantastic photographic opportunities. Habitats we explore include fynbos, thicket, lowland Afrotemperate forest, gardens, wetlands and riverine areas, estuaries, sandy beaches and rocky shores. These host numerous regional endemics, threatened and endangered bird and mammal species, as well as great floral diversity that include a variety of orchids and proteas.

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Accommodation: We typically use very comfortable private lodges and country cottages, but should you prefer, luxury lodging options can also be arranged at an added cost.

 

Tour tempo: The tempo of our Birding and Wildlife Tours are typically medium-fast paced, with occasional mid-day breaks (advisable on hot days). If you are a keen photographer, well so are we, and we can offer many opportunities to capture the moments that will make you the envy of your birding photography friends.

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Expected weather conditions: The Mediterranean climate of this region is warm and temperate, with more rainfall received in the winter than in the summer. The temperature here averages 16.5 °C, while rainfall averages around 610 mm per year. The summers are warm, dry, and mostly clear; the winters are cool and partly cloudy; and it is windy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 8°C in July to 25°C in January, and is rarely below 4°C or above 29°C. Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Hermanus for warm-weather activities is from late November to late March. The driest month is January, with the most precipitation falling in July. The month with the highest relative humidity is August (78%), and the lowest relative humidity is December (68%).

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Optional extensions: Optional tour extensions available include:

• Cape Town Day Birding Tour – add a day of touring the numerous birding hotspots around one of the world's most beautiful cities, Cape Town.

• Cape Town Pelagic Birding Tour – add a full-day deep sea pelagic birding tour departing from Hout Bay harbour to experience the best seabirding in South Africa and some of the best anywhere in the world. Expect a multitude of albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters and many others.

• Along the Garden Route – add a further 3 days exploring further up the Garden Route to also explore the regions of Swellendam, George and Wilderness.

• Up the West Coast – add a further 4 days by first birding for a day around Cape Town before heading northwards up the picturesque west coast to Langebaan and then inland through the rugged Cederberg mountain ranges into the Tankwa Karoo, another of Africa’s great endemic hotspots.

 

Please note: this set-departure tour is also available as a private or custom tour on request. Please submit an enquiry with your preferred dates and group size.