The Guide's Tale Blog.

Above: African Rock Pipit, Wakkerstroom

Eastern South Africa Endemics set-departure tour trip report, November / December 2021.

Last year we hosted Volkert van der Willigen on our epic Eastern South Africa Endemics serious birding tour from 19 November to 4 December. With international travel still in the doldrums, Volkert was the only participant, which was to his advantage as we could then also concentrate on the birds he's missed on previous trips to Southern Africa. And of course, the itinerary is designed around the endemics and other special birds found in eastern South Africa (which, together with the Western South Africa Endemics tour gives participants a real chance of bagging most of South Africa's endemics and near-endemics). All in all it was a very successful tour, delivering 408 bird species seen overall, and 58 of Volkert's 77 target species.

Southern Africa has an amazing number and variety of birds. From the biggest living bird to ocean-going pelagic species, an array of raptors and a plethora of tiny Passerines, the 971 recorded species are enough to keep any birder busy for a lifetime. And, while some are rare or require tremendous effort to see, there are plenty of common birds that are pretty spectacular, or at least very interesting in their biology and behavior. So, rather than examine the rare birds of Southern Africa, in this blog we're going to look at five common (or relatively common, at least) species that are actually pretty amazing for some or other reason. And the stipulation for inclusion is that they can't just be awesome to look at, such as the Turacos and Rollers, but that they actually need to do something awesome, or exhibit some kind of awesome behavior...

August's Greater Kruger Discoverer Safari Trip Report.

After close to a year and a half of inactivity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was time to roll out the safari vehicle as our six clients from the USA arrived in South Africa. We had started chatting with them in April, discussing exactly what they wanted from their experience, and eventually settling on a Greater Kruger Discoverer safari for 6 people, three of whom were keen photographers. Four months later we met them at AfricaSky Guest House in Johannesburg at the start of what was to prove to be an incredible 12 day experience...

Safari greetings!

This month we ran a Western Cape Voyager tour for two clients from Washington, USA, as part of an almost month-long sojourn in South Africa. And what a great place to start! The Western Cape is about as un-African as it gets without leaving the continent. Indeed, the scenery and landscapes are definitely not what one thinks of when thinking about Africa! But it's an incredibly beautiful part of the world, particularly at this time of the year, the austral spring, when wild flower displays make the vistas truly spectacular in some places. Indeed, this action-packed tour is also one of the most cost-effective, offering a whole lot of bang for your buck!

Safari tour packing: a guide’s guide to packing for your safari:

Who knows more about packing for a safari tour than a safari guide? Exactly. Check out our article by Leon Marais about packing for your upcoming safari trip.