Cape Town birds - Where to find them?

Great birding spots in the Cape Peninsula include:

Boulders Beach

Cape Gull	Spotted Dikkop

The fynbos holds a number of species including Bishop, Bokmakierie and Cape Grassbird. Check the larger flowering plan
ts for Orange-breasted Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Malachite Sunbird and Cape Sugarbird.

The best seawatching vantage points are on the cliffs near the Cape Point car park.
Birds seen frequently include Shy Albatross, Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross, White-chinned Petrel and Great-winged Petrel. Cape Town Birds continued...

Bokmakierie	Double Collared Sunbird

Cape Pelagic Birding

Albatrosses, petrels and other oceanic wanderers to within close reach of our shores.
The plentiful scraps and off casts as a result of the processing deep sea fish provide an easier source of food for these foraging birds.
It is not unusual to find in excess of 5000 pelagic seabirds in the wake of an active trawler.

Intaka Island

The man-made island boasts 7 habitats in the wetlands where 70 of the 120 bird species can be seen regularly.

Canal surrounding Intaka Island

The mountain fynbos endemics, Cape Sugarbird and Orange-breasted Sunbird, are prolific in the cultivated protea and erica patches in the south western corner of the gardens.

Kommetjie

Situated on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, Kommetjie is a well-known spot to find a variety of coastal species.

The rocky coast hosts all four cormorant species and a variety of migratory tern species including the Antarctic Tern.

Rietvlei

Rietvlei is a freshwater wetland ensuring that both freshwater and coastal birds are regularly seen.

The most rewarding viewing seasons are spring and summer when large numbers of migrant waders are present.

The bird hide is perfectly positioned for the best viewing of small migrant waders. Cape Town Birds continued...

African Spoonbill	Shy Albatross

There is always a diversity of duck, heron, egret and grebe present plus African Spoonbill, Great White Pelican and African Darter. It is the best spot close to cape Town to see the delightful Malachite Kingfisher and, when the water levels drop in Autumn, spectacular views of African Snipe.

Strandfontein Sewage Works

The Strandfontein Sewage Works is the best waterbird locality close to Cape Town. A good variety of waterbirds inhabit the pans, among them Greater Flamingo, South African Shelduck and Maccoa Duck.

The coastal pans, adjacent to Baden-Powell Drive, usually have small numbers of African Black Oystercatcher, and there is a vast roost of Cape Cormorant, sometimes numbering in the tens of thousands. Cape Town Birds continued...

Tokai Forest

Situated on eastern slopes of Table Mountain, Tokai is an excellent raptor-watching site and a summer morning's visit will not disappoint the dedicated raptorphile.

Within the Cape Peninsula, Tokai plantation is synonymous with the presence of European Honey-Buzzard, and it is also one of the easiest spots to observe Common Chaffinch.

Cape Town birds Source: sabirding.co.za
Editorial Comment:

This is but a few places to go birding. The whole of the Western Cape is great to see birds.

Jy kan regtig by enige oop ruimte verras word, met beide die hoeveelheid sowel as die verskeidenheid voëls!

My gunsteling voël? Ek is nou nog nie so kenner dat ek die Latynse name kan aframmel nie, maar ek geniet dit om die Dikkop en die Swartrugmeeu dop te hou.
Maar miskien moet ek 'n beter verkyker kry sodat ek die Janfrederik beter kan sien!

A collection of bird images added by Afton Grove Country Retreat

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