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BIRDING |
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BIRDING |
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Click here for the Bird List
BIRDING AT
KURISA MOYA AND THE WOODBUSH-MAGOEBASKLOOF AREA
Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge
is situated near Magoebaskloof, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
It boasts
over 250
species of birds in 5 different habitats. When you take a
guided bird walk, you have the unique opportunity to find and identify
the special birds of the area. If you are staying in the Forest
Lodge cabin at Kurisa Moya, your accommodation
is 3 metres up in the canopy of the
indigenous forest with forest birds all around.
This birding season has
been an exciting one on Kurisa Moya Nature Lodge and in the
Woodbush-Magoebaskloof and Polokwane areas, with two rarities being
sighted within 20 minutes of the farm. The Grey Wagtail returned
to Debengeni Falls and the Pectoral Sandpiper turned up at
Turfloop Dam.
Besides this excitement,
the usual fantastic birding has been enjoyed by a variety of guests.
Kurisa Moya offers an opportunity to access a whole range
of habitats in a very short space of time. Forest birding on
Kurisa Moya has delivered its usual crop of specials: the
Black-fronted Bush Shrike, Narina Trogon, Green
Twinspot Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers top most people's lists but the Knysna Turaco, Olive Woodpeckers, Chorister and White Starred Robins also always impress. The hard work and stiff necks of forest birding is usually rewarded by 15 to 20 forest species.
The 4 x 4 drive to the top of the farm and to an altitude of 1900 m has provided opportunities to see Guerney's Sugarbird, Drakensburg Prinia, Striped Pipit and Barrett's Warbler among a host of other grassland and raptor species.
The fallow lands and
bushveld areas of the 422 hectare farm have also been productive with
Grassbirds, various Cisticolas (including Croaking, Wailing and Lazy)
as well as Shelly's Francolin being spotted.
There has also been a
single sighting of a Harlequin Quail in the fields and a European
Honey Buzzard was also spotted near the Turfloop Dam in January.
If a birder travels an
extra 20 minutes further in any direction it will take them to
amazing birding spots. After all, this is the area
where the Rubber Ducks set a new Birding Big Day record of 293 species
in 24 hours. A single day's birding for Rob and Gail Dalton of
Australia on Kurisa Moya and the Turfloop Dam resulted in 112 species.
The winners of BirdLife South Africa's Birding Big Day in 2007 got their 313 total in this area too. Polokwane Nature Reserve boasts the Short-clawed Lark as a regular. There is the Bat Hawk nest near Debengeni and magnificent birding on the Woodbush drive or the Lowveld. Kurisa Moya offers guided bird walks on the property and we also are lucky enough to have expert guide David Letsoalo in this area - he can be contacted on 083 568 4678. We hope to see you in the area soon!
Guided
birding walks:
A one to three hour walk along the marked trails identifying
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David Letsoalo, Birdlife SA guide at Kurisa Moya. |
| David
Letsoalo is a qualified Birdlife SA guide with intimate knowledge of the
Woodbush forest area. He has been guiding in the area for more
than 3 years and has "stakeouts" for most of the specials in
the area like Cape Parrot, Bat Hawk, Black-fronted Bush-shrike, Narina
Trogon, Green Twinspot, Orange Ground Thrush and many more. He offers guided walks on Kurisa Moya to the various habitats on the farm. Alternatively, he can guide birders to the local birding hot-spots like Woodbush forest, Turfloop Dam, the montane grassland habitats of the Blue Swallow, Polokwane Game Reserve and environs or down to the tropical lowveld of the Tzaneen area. Kurisa Moya guests enjoy reduced rates for David's services. David's trip reports can be accessed on the website, SA Birdnet or can be e-mailed to you if you are interested.
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David
Letsoalo has been the focus of numerous magazine and newspaper
articles including Die Beeld,
Africa Birds and Birding Magazine, Limpopo
Living Magazine, The Star Newspaper and Country Life Magazine.
He has also been interviewed for television slots including Kaelo, Stories of Hope and for BBC3.
David is a living legend in the birding world
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David Letsoalo is interviewed for Kaelo - Miracle Stories, SABC 2 |
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Kurisa
Moya Nature Lodge, South Africa, +27 (0)15 276 1131,
Tel: +27 (0) 82 200 4596, +27 (0)
83 294 1013,
e-mail: info@krm.co.za,
P O Box 280, Haenertsburg, 0730, Limpopo, South Africa, http://www.krm.co.za
