Today explore the iSimangaliso Wetlands with your guide.
We start with a boat ride on the Lake St Lucia estuary, where you may see hippo, buffalo and crocodiles as well as abundant bird life. You may also see rhino, waterbuck, impala, nyala, kudu and many other species. Birding is also prolific with some of the best birding in the country including the African jacana, Goliath heron, African openbill, Woolly-necked stork, Whiskered tern, Grey-headed gull, Kittlitz’s plover, African wattled lapwing and numerous kingfishers, ducks and geese.
Along the western shores of Lake St Lucia there is dense vegetation with frequent patches of forest that hold populations of breeding Bateleurs, African goshawks, Long-crested eagles, Lizard buzzards as well as many smaller birds such as Gorgeous bushshrikes, African paradise flycatchers, Pale flycatchers, Yellow-bellied greenbuls, Narina trogons, Red-capped robin-chats and Eastern nicators. There are usually good sightings of African pygmy kingfisher, Pied kingfisher, Malachite kingfisher, Bearded robin, Brown scrub robin, Green twinspot, Green malkoha, Grey waxbill and Red-backed mannikin. Colourful butterflies, spiders and insects are also prolific.
The open grasslands are dotted with raffia and wild date palms, which offer excellent opportunities to spot White fronted bee-eaters, Little bee-eaters, Yellow-fronted canaries, African stone chats, Rattling cisticolas, Crowned hornbills, African pied wagtails and Brown-crowned tchagras amongst many others.
Particularly sought-after bird species include the Pel’s fishing owl, Palm nut vulture, Southern-banded snake eagle, Pink-backed pelican, African broadbill, Neergaards sunbird, Broad-billed roller, Rosy-throated longclaw, Swamp nightjar, Rosy-throated longclaw, Black coucal and Rudd’s apalis.
Note: The wet summer months (November to March) are generally the best months for birding, as this is when the migrants arrive.