The Western Cape for Oriole Birding - Day 4: 31st October 2026

We packed up and headed out of Cape Town after breakfast and stopped to check for White-backed Duck on the roadside pools but had no joy as there was very little emergent vegetation.  The now expected range of dabblers were seen along with Great Crested and Little Grebes, Reed Cormorants, Flamingos and Great White Pelicans.  An African Marsh Harrier quartered and Rock Kestrel, Yellow-billed and Black-winged Kite were also seen. 

Levaillant’s Cisticolas and Karoo Prinias sung and White Rumped Swifts rocketed in and out of the road bridge where they were nesting.  On again and onto the coast N27 where a haa was creeping in from the coast to our left. A couple of tracks were tried and the murk lifted at just the right time to prompt the birds into song and we quickly found Bokmakierie and Grey-backed Cisticola replaced the Levaillant’s in this dry habitat. Karoo Scrub Robins were seen by the whole group this time as they bounded along the road verge and this stop proved productive with Chestnut-vented Warblers showing incredibly well along with Yellow Canary, Malachite Sunbirds and breeding Pearl-breasted Swallows.

Pearl-breasted Swallow

We searched the landscape for Black Harriers but only found Black-winged Kites and a beady eyed Crowned Lapwing and pointy tailed Namaqua Doves were found on the verges.

Crowned Lapwing

Angulate Tortoise - the first of several road rescues

On and into the expansive West Coast NP where we spent most of the rest of the day.  We began at the Geelbek mud flats where our timing was pretty good to see the huge number of waders strewn across the mud.  There was a good selection of northern hemisphere species to be seen with Avocet, Whimbrel, Curlew, Greenshank, Curlew Sandpipers, Little Stints, Ring Plover, Grey Plover , Sanderling and Turnstone but try as I might I could not conjure up a Marsh or Broad-billed Sandpiper. 

Whimbrel

Greater Flamingo

Perfectly identifiable waders and a mingo

Hartlaub’s Gulls were dotted amongst them and over the outgoing tide there were Sandwich and Caspian Terns and two adult African Fish Eagles were patrolling the area but keeping very low to the water while two Ospreys were higher up in their hunting efforts.   The saltmarsh on the walk back was home to pairs of Kittlitz’s Plovers, Black-winged Stilts and Blacksmith Lapwings and I was pleased to find a small party of Orange-throated Longclaws that unfortunately flew over the reedbed after just a minute.

Hartlaub’s Gulls 

Kittlitz’s Plover

Kittlitz’s Plover

African Marsh Harriers and Yellow-billed Kites were noted and the Black-headed and Grey Heron colony was noisy in the eucalypts. There were various hirundines being blown around with Large Rock and Brown-throated Martins, White-throated, Pearl-breasted and Greater Striped Swallows and just like last year there was a small group of Banded Martins too which make some very peculiar noises.

The farm buildings at the end were checked for Pied Starlings but they rapidly left but we did find a Lesser Honeyguide and both the Weavers while a couple of male Ostrich strode along the skyline.

Common Ostrich

Onwards with ears open for Black Bustard and it did not take long for the guys to hear one seemingly close to the bus.  We crept out but could not pin point it until I realised that it was actually on to crest of the hill in the scrub where I could see his black and white head and red bill poking out.  He eventually walked out into the open and continued to throw his voice.

Black Bustard

The Shark Bay Shack was our lunch time destination.  They have one thing on the menu – a toasted bacon, egg and cheese sandwich and it was magnificent especially combined with the amazing view over the silver sand and blue water tidal flats where Common, Sandwich, Caspian, Great Crested and even an Arctic Tern dipped and dove whilst the humans tore up and down on kite surfboards and others paddled in the shallow sea.

Lunch here was about the quietest the crew was all tour.  Magic spot.

Large Rock Martins and even a Banded Martin flicked around us and the first Cape Bunting sang from the scrubby bits.  A male Yellow Canary sat up briefly.

Yellow Canary

Back into the park proper to be greeted by three humungous Ostriches close to the road only to be eclipsed by a male Black Bustard flying past the window and dropping in along us for a proper ‘look at me’ session. They are a properly smart bird and we were lucky to see one so close.

Common Ostriches

Black Bustard 

Black Bustard 

The track up to the Seeberg gave us more views of the first Black Bustard and as predicted a covey of eight Grey-winged Francolins fed in the open rocky area with one plump male keeping watch from the rear.  Up on the top it had suddenly become almost as windy as last year and resulted inevitably with everyone behaving like kids…

Rock Kestrels demonstrated their aerial prowess despite the wind and scanning around have us five beautiful Bontebok and more Ostriches.  There were many flowers to check out too and I have made another stab at identifications.  If you know any better please do message me with corrections.

Red Milkweed Locust - Phymateus morbillosus 
This monster is as big as it looks.

Common Fiddleneck - Amsinckia menziesii

Dwarf Felicia - Felicia dubia

Edging Lobelia - Lobelia erinus

Granite Trumpet - Babiana tubulosa 

Mini Beetledaisy - Gorteria personata

Moon Silverpod - Argyrolobium lunare

Nestlera biennis

Crystalline Ice Plant - Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Black Harrier was probably the most desired bird on this leg of the trip and as if by magic a male appeared with three Kites over the road and we leapt out to get better views before it was blown over the ridge.  Just a minute later it came back and started hunting the other side of the road affording everyone breathtaking views.  It was close but the haze make the images look like it was a long way off.  It was the closest one I have seen.

Black Harrier 

Black Harrier 

Black Harrier 

Yellow-billed Kite

Given the vast landscape in which we are searching I find it amazing that we get to see these (and other birds) so close to the roads.  He could have been a hazy pinprick a few pixels across in a scope quartering a distant hillside and not 30m away where you could see the glint in his eye.  A rather incongruous juvenile Wattled Starling was found in the verge just as we got back on the bus!

Wattled Starling

Wattled Starling

A final West Coast NP stop and a walk down towards the beach hide in the hope of finding Cape Penduline Tit.  While Brian and Wilfred were looking I scanned the sandbar for terns and waders and picked up our first and only Little Terns with the throng and among the hefty African Black Oystercatchers I found the snoozing Eurasian Oik too in what I think is his third year way down south.

A Cape Bunting sat up and sung and a nesting pair of Black-winged Kites were seeing off the local Pied Crows while back towards the van there were Bokmakierie and Karoo Scrub Robins to be seen.  I picked up the song of the Cape Penduline Tit and the group reconvened for excellent views of this tricky to see species.

It was time to go so we rejoined the road back north passing the male Black Harrier again on the way before leaving the park and dropping down towards Langebaan and then onwards into the countryside for a late afternoon check of the famous Lark Alley by the imposing façade of the Saldanha Iron Works.

It was a shrewd move as the larks were active at the end of the day and we quickly had good views of Karoo, Large-billed and Red-capped Larks and a brief sighting of Cape Long-billed Lark too.  There were African Stonechats and many Karoo Scrub Robins along with showy Bokmakierie and White-throated Canaries and it was a fine ending to our day exploring this part of the Cape coast.  We retired to the Albatross guesthouse back in Langebaan before heading out swiftly for dinner in town.

Karoo Lark

Karoo Lark

New Birds:

3: Chestnut-vented Warbler

4: Orange-throated Longclaw