st lucia 5 day tour - escape to the wildtravel to st lucia estuary and the bridge, st lucia sewerage...
TRANSCRIPT
Birding St Lucia Zululand Tour North East Zululand KwaZuluTour North East Zululand KwaZuluTour North East Zululand KwaZuluTour North East Zululand KwaZulu----Natal ProvinceNatal ProvinceNatal ProvinceNatal Province
January – December 2019
5 Days
iGwalagwala Forest, St Lucia Estuary,
Dukuduku Western Shores, Futululu Park, Mission Rocks,
Mfabeni Swamp, Catalina Bay, Lake Bhangazi , Cape Vidal,
False Bay, Nibela Peninsula and Mpempe Pans.
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5 Days
ITINERARY ST LUCIA & ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
Days Destination Summary
Day 01Arrive St Lucia
Transfer from the airport if necessary.
Arrive at St Lucia Village early morning. Meet at Hotel.
Birding walk around St Lucia Village.
Continue a short distance to iGwalagwala Forest.
Travel to St Lucia Estuary and the bridge, St Lucia Sewerage works.
Browse the pans outside St Lucia and into local Khula Village.
Overnight Hotel
Day 02 St Lucia,
Dukuduku Western
Shores , Futululu Park
Early morning boat cruise on the St Lucia Estuary (2 hours)
Breakfast at Hotel
Drive to Dukuduku Western Shores and Futululu Park
Overnight Hotel
Day 03 Mfabeni Mission
Rocks, Catalina Bay,
Lake Bhangazi
and Cape Vidal.
Explore Mfabeni Mission Rocks, on to Catalina Bay, Lake Bhangazi and
Cape Vidal.
Overnight Hotel
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Day 04 False Bay ,
Nibela Peninsula
Mpempe Pans
Explore False Bay , Nibela Peninsula and Mpempe Pans.
Overnight Hotel
Day 05 Departure Tour concludes – After Breakfast Departure - Transfer to the airport if
necessary.
TOUR CONCLUDES
Day 1: Arrival in St Lucia
St Lucia Estuary is situated within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s First Unesco World
Heritage Site.
The Park comprises a number of conservation areas, the oldest of which is the St Lucia Game Reserve,
established in 1895. The Park is recognized for its superlative natural beauty and biodiversity covering
332 000 ha and includes a coastline of 230 km.
Livingston’s Turaco Rudd’s Apalis Woodward’s Batis Swamp Nightjar
Caspian Terns Southern Banded Snake Eagle Rosy-throated Longclaw Green Twinspot
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The park’s habitats are extremely varied from the Estuary and its Floodplains with Pans to Dune
and Sand Forests, Coastal thickets, Mangroves and Grassland (with flooded areas in the summer).
Caspian Terns Southern Banded Snake Eagle Rosy-throated Longclaw Green Twinspot
IGwalagwala Forest St Lucia Village Khula Zulu Village
Bird List
Special birds include Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, White-eared Barbet, Yellow-rumped
Tinkerbird, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Trumpeter Hornbill, Scaly throated Honeyguide (listen out
for it calling at the first T-junction of the trail as it has a calling perch nearby) Yellow-breasted
Apalis, Rudd's Apalis, Livingstone’s Turaco, Dark-backed and Yellow Weavers, Narina Trogon, Grey,
Olive and Collared Sunbirds, Green Malkoa, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Emerald Cuckoo,
Woodward's Batis and Southern Boubou. Red-capped Robin-Chat, Brown Scrub Robin, Buff-
spotted Flufftail, Red-backed Mannikin, Grey Waxbill, Green Twinspot and Terrestrial Brownbul can
be spotted on or near the ground.
Overnight at Hotel
Day 2: Dukuduku Western Shores and Futululu Park.
Early Morning Boat cruise St Lucia (2 hours)
Bird list on the Estuary
Caspian Tern, Swift Tern, Lesser Crested
and Whiskered Terns, Purple Swamphen,
Malachite, Pied and Giant Kingfishers,
Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans,
Woolly-necked and Yellow-billed Storks,
African Spoonbill, Grey-headed Gull, Cape
Shoveler, Yellow-billed Duck, White-faced
Whistling Duck, African Jacana, Yellow
Weaver, Blue-cheeked Bee-eater, Lesser
Flamingo, Common Ringed Plover, Curlew
Sandpiper, Little Stint, African Fish Eagle,
Osprey, African Marsh Harrier.
Futululu Park is situated in coastal forest near Monzi, between Mtubatuba and St Lucia. It is
situated within the 1 800ha Futululu Section of the Dukuduku Forest and within the Greater St
Lucia World Heritage Site.
Birds
Osprey, White-backed Duck, African Jacana and Pygmy Goose can be seen. Look out for
Grey Waxbill, Ashy Flycatcher, Dark-backed Weaver, African Green Pigeon, White-eared Barbet,
Narina Trogon, Green Malkoa, Tambourine Dove, Green Twinspot, Black-bellied Starling and
Red-fronted Tinkerbird. Southern Banded Snake Eagle, Whiskered Tern, Goliath Heron,
and Woolly-necked Stork, Livingstone’s Turaco, Black-bellied Starling and Grey Sunbird. Red-
capped Robin-Chats vie with Brown Scrub Robins for the loudest dawn chorus, and the shy
Green Twinspots and Grey Waxbills feed on seeding grasses on the edge of the path. Olive and
Collared Sunbirds, Purple-crested Turaco, Ashy Flycatcher, African Pied Wagtail, Yellow-bellied
Greenbul and even Narina Trogon are all regularly seen in the grounds. Red-backed Mannikin
and Crested Guineafowl search for seeds and small insects on the camp ground verges. There
are occasional sightings of a pair of Crowned Eagles, whilst a sedate 10-minute walk brings you
to a pan where African Jacanas, White-backed Duck and African Fish Eagles make their home.
Overnight at Hotel
Osprey, African Marsh Harrier.
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Day 3: Mfabeni Mission Rocks, Catalina Bay, Lake Bhangazi Cape Vidal.
Mfabeni Mission Rocks is part of the spectacular iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site
in KwaZulu-Natal, less than 300 kilometres from the tourism hotspot of Durban.
Mission Rocks is a spectacular retreat where the breath-taking views transport visitors to an
other-worldly place of sheer beauty and tranquillity in the heart of Zululand coast.
At certain times of the year, whales can be spotted making their way past the shore.
Mission Rocks is a great picnic spot, and there are picnic tables available for groups of friends or
families that want to enjoy the warm South African sunshine and fresh air together.
Mfabeni Mission Rocks Catalina Bay Cape Vidal Forest
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Lake Bhangazi
Lake Bhangazi with its fresh-water
pans, swamp forest and grasslands
hosts many sought after avian species
such as Pink-throated Twinspot,
Rufous-bellied Heron, Livingstone’s
Turaco, Dwarf Bittern, Rudd’s Apalis
and Southern Banded Snake Eagle.
Overnight at Hotel
Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher African Emerald Cuckoo Green Malkoa Black-throated Wattle-eye
Pink-throated Twinspot African Pygmy Goose Buff-spotted Flufftail Neergaard’s Sunbird
Narina Trogon
Birds
Some of the more difficult birds we hope to find are Sooty Tern,
Eurasian Oystercatcher, Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Lesser Jacana,
Terek Sandpiper, Little Stint, Cheastnut-banded Plover, Grey-rumped
Swallow, Lemon-breasted Canary, Grey Waxbill, Southern Brown-throated
Weaver and Eastern Nicator.
Day 4 : False Bay, Nibela Peninsula & Mpempe Pans
False Bay Park.
The False Bay Park is on the western shore of the lake
and habitats include dry woodland, sand forest and the
grassy margins of the lake. Self-guided trails allow
access to the woodland and lake shore.
Birds
Look and listen for Green Malkoa, Narina Trogon, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Eastern Nicator.
African Broadbill is also best located by its frog-like call before sunrise. White-throated Robin-
Chat, Bearded Scrub-Robin, Rudd's Apalis and Neergaard's Sunbird are relatively common in the
campsite and Pale Flycatcher near the gate. Check thickets along the entrance road for Pink-
throated Twinspot. The lake edge is not highly productive but African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed
Stork and various terns and shorebirds may be seen. The more extensive marshy grassland below
Dugandlovu Rustic Camp hosts Swamp Nightjar and Rosy-throated Longclaw.
Nibela Peninsula
Habitats are Coastal sand forest, coastal grasslands, acacia and palm savanna.
Specials
Neergaard's Sunbird (endemic), Pink-throated Twinspot (endemic), Lemon-breasted Canary (near-
endemic), Rudd's Apalis (near-endemic), African Broadbill, Swamp Nightjar, Southern Banded
Snake Eagle, Rosy-throated Longclaw, Pel's Fishing Owl, African Finfoot, African Cuckoo Hawk,
Green Malkoa, Crested Guineafowl, Bearded Scrub Robin, Gorgeous Bush-shrike, Yellow-breasted
Apalis, Senegal Lapwing, Black-bellied Bustard, African Grass-Owl, Black Coucal, Grey-rumped
Swallow, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Black Saw-wing, Cape Longclaw, Southern Black Tit, White-
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Overnight at Hotel
Next morning Departure via road to Durban – Tour Concludes.
Swallow, Rufous-winged Cisticola, Black Saw-wing, Cape Longclaw, Southern Black Tit, White-
throated Robin-Chat, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Batis, Southern Boubou, Southern Tchagra, Olive
Bush-shrike, Cape Glossy Starling and Cape White-eye.
Grasslands occur on the eastern and western boundaries of the reserve and are seasonally
inundated and grow on heavy black clay . This area yields Rufous-naped Lark, Desert, Zitting,
Croaking and Rattling Cisticolas, African and Long-billed Pipits, Yellow-throated Longclaw and
Common Fiscal.
Mpempe Pans
To the north of the main Mkhuze swamp are the Muzi, Mpempe and Mdlanzi pans, which are
long, narrow cut-off lakes with mostly bare shorelines and reed beds. The soil is sandier and
grassland dominates. This area contains a diverse mosaic of wetland vegetation and is largely
undisturbed.
Birds - Short-tailed Pipit, Black-rumped Buttonquail , Swamp Nightjar , Black Coucal, Rosy-
throated Longclaw and African Marsh Harrier may be found hunting over flooded grassland or
marshy or swampy habitat. Marginal vegetation around the swamps supports Southern Brown-
throated Weaver.
Themba Mtembu offers you, our guests the finest in birding and
wildlife viewing that South Africa has got to offer.
We sincerely hope we have enriched your trip with a unique
Escape to the Wild….
Important Info
This price includes
Accommodation
All meals
2 litres water per day
All Guiding fees
Park Entrance fees
Tour price quoted is per person sharing
Single supplement can be arranged at an additional cost (+- 25% additional)
This price excludes
Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks
Internet, laundry, phone calls, room service etc.
Personal travel / medical insurance (we highly recommend you take Travel insurance in case of
any emergency).
Gratuities (tips)
Important Information
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Please keep all your valuables safe, secure and insured.
Due to unforeseen circumstances we may be forced to alter our itinerary at short or no notice
however we will try our best to stick to the original tour programme.
Travel Tips
Ensure you have packed a torch and extra batteries
It can be cooler in the early mornings and evenings therefore ensure you have a warm jacket,
scarf, etc.
Ensure you travel with all your medication including a Prescription’s from your Doctor.
Binoculars, Camera’s etc.
Comfortable walking / hiking shoes that cover your entire foot.