‘Let us probe the silent places,
let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
There’s a whisper on the night-wind,
there’s a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go.’
Robert Service ‘The call of the wild’
Within the sub-region, three very large and majestic bustards occur, with the largest, the Kori Bustard, favouring the central region of woodland savanna, while the Ludwig’s Bustard prefers the arid savanna further west and the scrubland of the Great Karoo. Denham’s...
Usually encountered in pairs loafing unobtrusively amidst floating water plants, lilies in particular, in quiet backwaters and floodplain margins, as well as settling ponds in urban water treatment systems. A confiding diving duck exposes its conspicuous white back...
A lanky intra-African migrant with a characteristic quirky ‘wing flicking’ walking behaviour, making identification easy and separable from the similar looking ‘spotted’ thrushes found in the sub-region, that arrives at the start of the summer rains. Favours areas...
Similar in appearance to Pipits, but noticeably larger and more colourful and usually located in closely bonded pairs as they stride about purposely in search of insects as the main prey form. All three have distinctly different preferred habitat types with little...
This stunning medium sized black and white harrier is now classified as ‘endangered’ due to a progressive loss of prime ‘fynbos’ habitat in the wake of expanded agricultural activity throughout its range in the south-western part of South Africa. Fittingly, the Black...
Sometimes heard but seldom seen. The Cinnamon-breasted Warbler is rodent like in its behaviour, favouring boulder strewn, thinly grassed slopes within a dry and sparsely vegetated environment in the heart of the Great Karoo. As such it represents an integral part of...
Birding has been an all-consuming interest for Patrick Cardwell since boyhood days spent in a wildlife-rich environment. When he isn’t snapping photos in the field, training local bird guides, or supporting seabird-related conservation initiatives, he runs Avian...
This elephant shrew usually presents as a surprise encounter in the riverine thickets along the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers in the Pafuri corner of the Kruger Park. These creatures are not rare but are seldom seen as they inhabit dense forests and thickets in Central...
A ‘near endemic’ species, classified as a typical ‘bushveld’ lark, with two identifiable forms evident within the sub-region, easily separated by bill size and shape, as well as geographic and habitat preference. ...
The African Hawk Eagle is a medium sized raptor often encountered in the woodland, perched conspicuously or circling in pairs in open savanna, throughout the central and western parts of the sub-region. These striking raptors are dashing in flight, often cooperating...
Patrick and Marie-Louise Cardwell
88 Dorries Drive, Simon’s Town 7975
Patrick Mobile: +27 83 560 5510
ML Mobile: +27 83 272 2455
Email: enquiries@avianleisure.com