Page 21 - Dainfern Precinct Living Issue 8 2024

NATURE

and Karoo Lark. On rocky outcrops close finding this rather secretive bird. Dantes
to the shore we observed Bank, Cape and also stopped at the water trough in the
White-breasted Cormorants. Aggeneys area where we were rewarded
with sightings of the Sickle-winged Chat
From Port Nolloth we headed north up the and the Damara Canary, considered by
coastal road to the rather dreary looking some authorities as a subspecies of
town of Alexander Bay, where diamond the Black-headed Canary. Our tour with
digging was being carried out with the Dantes and Dennis ended when they
use of heavy machinery. We skirted the dropped us off at our overnight stop in
diggings and continued up to the vleis Upington, the excellent Riverplace Manor
near the Orange River mouth, where situated on the banks of the Orange
there were hundreds of mainly Lesser River.
Flamingos filtering tiny organisms from
the brackish water. White Pelicans and Our tour guide Dantes was
Damara Canary Pied Avocets were also in the area. We
then started heading back to Springbok extremely helpful in compiling an
on our return journey.
itinerary that included many of the
On the last morning of our tour, Dantes birding hotspots in the Northern
and Dennis drove us to the Goegap
Nature Reserve for one more attempt Cape, and also proved to be an
at finding the Cinnamon-breasted excellent spotter of our target
Warbler. After about an hour of really birds. Dantes Private Tours is
hard searching, we finally spotted our
target bird half way up the rocky slope. highly recommended for tours of
The Cinnamon-breasted Warbler hops, the Northern Cape, Namibia and
hides and scrambles around the rocks
on the hillside like an agitated rat, and Botswana and may be contacted
is difficult to photograph as it appears on dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za or
and then disappears just as quickly.
Nevertheless, we were all elated at having 054 338 0375.
Karoo Chat a good sighting on our third attempt at

Grey-backed Sparrowlark

The Springbok Inn, Springbok

Rosy-faced Lovebird

Karoo Lark Spitting Cobra (Rinkhals)

18 DPL issue 8 2024 Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 1 • 2024 19
DPL issue 8 2024 19