BIRDING IN THE KRUGER PARK

by Stefan Kruger
(White River South Africa)

Birding is my passion & I just love to go birding in the Kruger National Park. As any birder would know, the best birding in Kruger is in the far North (Punda & Pafuri) - a couple of days spent here can produce a great & large bird list with 200 or more ticks over a period of 7 - 10 days.

I spent 7 days up in the Makuleki concession in the Pafuri area and came back home with a list of 180 ticks (December month). Obviously it will be less in Winter as our migrants are not here. I was on a specialist advanced bird guide course that Eco-Training provided & Bruce Lawson (a very well known bird guide & he is also high up on the FGASA board) (Field Guides Association of Southern Africa) was our lecturer / course instructor. I really learnt alot from him - thanx Bruce if you are reading this! We have seen Mottled Spinetail, Pel's Fishing Owl , Meves's Starling, Arnot's Chat, Jameson's Firefinch & much more.

Do your selves a favour & next time you want to visit the Kruger BOOK a COURSE (SPECIALIST ADVANCED BIRD COURSE)with Eco-Training it will only cost you about R6700-00 per person (if it is that much just call Eco-Training & make sure).It's great it's also worth the money it will cost you close to that price in anyway if you were to spend a few days in Kruger that price is for 7 days meals & accomodations in large canvas safari tents (Unfenced)are included as well as a drive & a walk or two drives every day plus you learn more about our birds in short its just worth it. like I said I was there in December 2009 it was relaxing & I gained a hole lot of new konwledge & we even had a pride of lions on one of our birding outings that had a kill we were about 16 students if I can remember correctly & we all had a ball out there & you really learn a lot from Bruce & his wife.