We recently spent 3 nights at the Nthakeni Bush and River Camp There was plenty of evidence of the recent floods, but the camp is in top shape. The road from Magoebaskloof Birders Cottage via Louis Trichardt, Zvakanaka, was an absolute pleasure to drive. The N1 was busy, but the R525 from the N1 to Nthakeni was almost completely devoid of traffic. We camped in the Baobab site under a magnificent baobab. There were always some birds to see in the baobab and in the surrounding bush. I did get off my camp chair a few times to go birding.
I was hoping to see the Orange-winged Pytilia and the Southern Yellow White-eye, but I was not successful. The bird list below was composed entirely from within the camp fence, and most birds were seen or heard from our camp chairs.
The Cape Parrot call that I am so familiar with in Magoebaskloof sounds indistinguishable from the Brown-necked Parrot which often flew over us. We found a pair of Mosque Swallows nesting in a large hole in a baobab tree.
Trip: Nthakeni Bush and River Camp
Date: 2026-02-07 to 2026-02-09
Observations: 41
Species: 27
Species (heard only): 14
1. Common Waxbill, 2026-02-07 09:45
2. Village Indigobird, 2026-02-07 09:45
3. Terrestrial Brownbul, 2026-02-07 09:46
4. Collared Sunbird, 2026-02-07 09:47
5. Tropical Boubou, 2026-02-07 09:48
6. Dark-capped Bulbul, 2026-02-07 09:50
7. Yellow-bellied Greenbul, 2026-02-07 09:51
8. Orange-breasted Bushshrike, 2026-02-07 09:55
9. Spectacled Weaver, 2026-02-07 09:56
10. Klaas’s Cuckoo, 2026-02-07 09:57
11. Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, 2026-02-07 09:59
12. Blue Waxbill, 2026-02-07 10:06
13. Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, 2026-02-07 10:06
14. Southern Black Tit, 2026-02-07 10:06
15. Retz’s Helmetshrike, 2026-02-07 10:09
16. Southern Red-billed Hornbill, 2026-02-07 10:10
17. Laughing Dove, 2026-02-07 10:16
18. Chinspot Batis, 2026-02-07 10:16
19. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, 2026-02-07 10:36
20. Golden-tailed Woodpecker, 2026-02-07 10:38
21. Brown-crowned Tchagra, 2026-02-07 11:31
22. Brown-necked Parrot, 2026-02-07 11:45
23. Black-backed Puffback, 2026-02-07 13:13
24. Fork-tailed Drongo, 2026-02-07 13:57
25. White-bellied Sunbird, 2026-02-07 14:06
26. Black-collared Barbet, 2026-02-08 06:14
27. African Goshawk, 2026-02-08 06:14
28. Egyptian Goose, 2026-02-08 07:47
29. Mosque Swallow, 2026-02-08 08:56
30. Cardinal Woodpecker, 2026-02-08 09:02
31. African Paradise Flycatcher, 2026-02-08 09:10
32. Grey-backed Camaroptera, 2026-02-08 09:16
33. Brown-hooded Kingfisher, 2026-02-08 10:39
34. Woodland Kingfisher, 2026-02-08 13:19
35. Tawny-flanked Prinia, 2026-02-09 06:17
36. Speckled Mousebird, 2026-02-09 06:20
37. Natal Spurfowl, 2026-02-09 07:01
38. Bearded Scrub Robin, 2026-02-09 10:56
39. White-browed Robin-Chat, 2026-02-09 10:56
40. Northern Carmine Bee-eater, 2026-02-09 11:28
41. White-browed Sparrow-Weaver, 2026-02-09 11:29