The Western Cape for Oriole Birding - Day 2: 29th October 2026

Pre-breakfast compound birding at Woodbridge Lodge with a coffee is always a rewarding way to start the day here. The selection of ‘Cape’ specialities all performed and the Red-faced Mousebirds posed nicely when the sun reached the tree tops. 

Rush hour view across the road

Red-faced Mousebird

Red-faced Mousebird

Acacia Pied Barbet was a hoped for bird here and one duly started popping away and showed well to Phil and I first thing as it clambered around the Mousebird bush and collected its breakfast. Little Swifts, White-throated and a couple of Barn Swallows zipped around the recreation area on the other side of the main road where Hadada Ibises probed and a party of four heavyweight African Black Oystercatchers flew in exaggerated slow display along the river channel which was populated with the two gulls, Caspian Tern, Reed and White-breasted Cormorants and a hunched Grey Heron.  A summer plumaged Great Crested Grebe was a new South African species for me.

After breakfast we made our way up to Kirstenbosch for a leisurely walk.  It was a joy to watch the crew taking in the glorious sights of the famous botanical gardens with the escarpment of Table Mountain rising above them and all the wondrous birds found there just as I did for the first time a year ago.  The Cape prefix continued to work its magic and we enjoyed the Sugarbird and Grassbird at close quarters, spectacled Bulbuls, tail flashing Robin-chats and beady eyed Batis along with most of those encountered at breakfast.  There is something exceptionally special about Cape Sugarbird though with that outlandish tail and confiding habits as it sticks it head deep into the mighty Protea flowers.

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Sugarbird

Cape Grassbird

Cape Batis female

Cape Batis male

Cape Bulbul

Cape Robin-Chat - Sue Westoby

There were Southern Double-collared Sunbirds around every bed and chunky Malachite Sunbirds popped up now and then but rarely stopped for long here.  Sombre Greenbuls were singing from every section of the gardens and with some patience we got prolonged views in the leafy canopies.  They have such white eyes.  Red-faced Mousebirds were joined by White-backed and Speckled to complete the set on the first morning and African Olive and Ring-necked Doves were added to the quickly growing list.

Southern Double-collared Sunbird

Sombre Greenbul

Forest Canaries were found with their Cape cousins (that look like Citril Finches) and after hearing several Southern Boubous we eventually tracked one down although just how such a chunky pied bird manages to remain hidden is a mystery.  Like, Golden Oriole, this is one of those birds that I can vocalise enough to have a conversation with.

Cape Canary

Gangs of Cape White-eyes roved through the Erica and Protea beds and were joined by Common Waxbills and introduced Bronze Mannikins and mini machine gun Karoo Prinias posed on the tops. In the wooded ravine we heard Olive Woodpecker and found African Dusky Flycatchers but the highlight was watching a nest change of the African Paradise Flycatchers which left the male with his preposterous tail elegantly sat across the lichen, moss and cobweb nest.  The insecty call of a Brown-backed Honeybird was heard and a short while later it was seen in a tree top where the strange fine slightly curved bill was noted before it bounced off revealing white tail sides that all the Honeyguide tribe possess.

African Paradise Flycatcher - follow that tail

Black Saw-wings effortlessly glided around us as we came out through the Cycad beds and on looking up we found ourselves looking at the back of one of the famous Spotted Eagle Owls.  Moving around the other side gave us an uninhibited view but it took an age before someone noticed that its partner was in the same tree.  Strangely only one Cape Spurfowl was seen walking the lawns.

Spotted Eagle Owl

Spotted Eagle Owl

Spotted Eagle Owl

Cape Spurfowl

A Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk dashed through with prey being chase by Bulbuls and two African Goshawks called and engaged in a low level chase through the trees just a few metres from where Brian was standing!  Screaming Swifts had us looking up and after only seeing a couple last year it was good to see a cloud of African Black Swifts with a few much larger Alpine Swifts.  The first White-rumped Swifts were also with them and higher up we quickly picked up a pale Booted Eagle, Yellow-billed Kite, Steppe Buzzard and one of the curious local resident ‘Cape Common Buzzards’.  I was not expecting to see a African Harrier Hawk though and even more surprised with one became four – my second country tick of the day.

African Black & Alpine Swifts

The gardens were still awash with blooms and amongst them we also found Painted Lady, non-native Large Whites, Garden Acraea, giant Citrus Swallowtails and one of the larger Geranium Bronzes.  There was a Cape River Crab in the ‘Otter Pond’ and dragonflies included the familiar Blue Emperor and local Cape Skimmer.  Once again the weird clicking beetle-thing with orangey elytra that hurtle around noisily failed to pause long enough for me to have a proper look at one. A Cape Skink crossed the path and like my last visit there was lots of evidence of Cape Golden Moles which must really annoy the gardening team. 

Small Knobwood (Zanthoxylum capense)

Streptocarpus sp

Streptocarpus formosus

Cape River Crab (Potamonautes perlatus)

Cape Skink (Trachylepis capensis)

Garden Acraea

Garden Acraea

Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli)

Lunch beckoned elsewhere so we escaped the wonders of the garden and drove towards the coast and Melkbosstrand where lunch was taken once more at Ou Meul. I had just mentioned about the tame Southern Fiscals that we saw last time when an adult popped up on the restaurant sign as we pulled in and in fact joined us for lunch.  They had a nest in the bushes around the garden but at least one of the adults came and sat on the tables although I am not sure what he thought was suitable on a plate! 

Southern Fiscal

Southern Fiscal

Southern Fiscal 754

I noticed that he was ringed and I managed to read 754 on one side.  I am hoping that Brian can track down his origins for us.  While we ate our pies of various species we got to watch both the Weavers along with very smart Cape and House Sparrows and a Cape Wagtail that scurried after morsels under our tables.

Cape Weaver 

Cape Weaver 

Cape Weaver - Sue Westoby

Cape Sparrow

Cape Wagtail

It was time to head down to the beach but not before checking the lagoon on the other side of the road. It was instantly successful with a rich chestnut male Maccoa Duck complete with black head and turquoise blue bill.  This was one of the species I did not see last time and was my first lifer of the trip.  We watched him actively feeding, bringing back happy memories of all those countless Ruddy Duck days of my birding past. It was a bit hazy but scanning the rest of the pool gave us broods of South African Shelduck and Egyptian Goose, Little Grebes, Western Cattle Egrets and flouncing Red Bishops.

It was a joy to be down at the beach without the wind trying to blow us over this time.  The exposed rocks were liberally dotted with both Cape and Crowned Cormorants and there were also two White-breasted Cormorants and a smart adult Kelp Gull.   Sandwich and Common Terns disappeared behind the rolling breakers and a Cape Fur Seal swum along on its back waving flippers and trying not to look like the beds of giant kelp that poked through the moving surface.

Crowned Cormorants and Kelp Gull

We also found a pair of African Black Oystercatchers and Brian stealthily located a White-fronted Plover on the shelly beach.  The beach front below the lovely properties held Cape and House Sparrows, White-throated and Cape Canaries and a family of Cape Spurfowl. White-rumped Swifts, Greater Striped Swallows and Large Rock Martins zipped around the houses.

African Black Oystercatcher

Red-eyed Dove and Speckled Pigeon

Greater Striped Swallow

Onwards and inland to the farmland around Duynefontein where driving slowly along the lanes was very rewarding.  Blue Crane is always very high on the want list for the crew and we found two pairs slowly walking through the cut wheat field with those astonishing tertial feathers wafting along behind.  Fiscal Flycatchers and Southern Fiscals were on the fences with African Pipits, African Stonechats, Karoo Prinias and Zitting Cisticolas and a pair of Bokmakierie started duetting and even came up to do so from the top of a brash pile.  It took days last year to see one this well.

Blue Cranes

Blue Cranes

Fiscal Flycatcher

A small pond was attracting both Weavers and both Bishops and Wilfred found a Lanner that dropped off a pylon but was gone before the crew could get onto it.  Rock Kestrels, Black-winged Kites and a juvenile Jackal Buzzard however, showed much better and way off in the distance we watched three Great White Pelicans battling into the increasing wind.

It was time to head back to Milnerton but even that journey added a Karoo Scrub Robin to the tally as we sat at some lights in the traffic!