Mpumalanga — Northern Province — Kruger National Park 

Kruger is unrivalled in its diversity of life forms which include an impressive number of species: 507 birds; 330 trees; 147 mammals, including the Big Five; 114 reptiles; 50 fish and 33 amphibians. For the birder, the high diversity and density of bird species is the great attraction. The Park is especially good for large raptors, while many other scarce and migrant species are attracted to its unspoiled wilderness.

See a map of Kruger National Park.

Fly from Johannesburg to Nelspruit where Peter Lawson will meet you on arrival at Nelspruit airport. Should time permit we will do some birdwatching in either Nelspruit Nature Reserve or Lowveld Botanical Gardens. We could see Purplecrested Lourie, Heuglin's Robin, African Green Pigeon, Golden Weaver and possibly the rare Broadtailed Warbler, which bred in Nelspruit for the first time the previous year. We overnight at The Roost, a suburban private guesthouse.

We have a long but interesting drive today with plenty of birding spots en route. Our destination is Mopani in northern Kruger National Park and our route will take us through the northern Drakensberg Mountains where a stop will be made to view the spectacular Blyde River Canyon. As we wind up Abel Erasmus Pass we will visit the nest site of the extremely rare Taita Falcon. Hopefully we will locate this tiny falcon on the high cliffs where it nests. Shortly after we pass through the mountains via Strydom Tunnel we will see where a colony of endemic Cape Vultures nest in the mountains. The colony is distant from the road, but birds should be seen in flight in the vicinity. 

We then drop to the Lowveld with a dramatic change in habitat and consequently new birds for the list. The first Yellowbilled and Grey Hornbills will be seen as well as Lilacbreasted Roller and Grey Lourie. Brief stops will be made, but as we still have a long drive ahead we will not waste time on species we are likely to see in Kruger. 

We enter the Park at Phalaborwa and head north for Mopani where we stay in comfortable thatched chalets for two nights. The final leg of our journey will be in the Park and the drive will be slow with frequent stops for birds and mammals. There will be a variety of shrikes, francolins, sunbirds and raptors. 

Mammals should include Impala, Giraffe, Kudu and possibly Buffalo.

Full day in the Mopani area. We will birdwatch in the spacious camp grounds and also explore the many roads in the area. There is a large reservoir just off the perimeter of the camp and here we should see Marabou, Yellowbilled and Saddlebilled Storks, Goliath Heron, Water Dikkop and African Fish Eagle. The surrounding mopani bush will have Marico Sunbird, Redbilled Buffalo Weaver, Longtailed Shrike, Redbilled Hornbill and lots more. 

Mammals will include Elephant, a variety of antelope and perhaps Lion. 
Overnight as previous.

We move south to Letaba for the next two nights. This well-wooded camp has large trees and is frequented by birds such as African Mourning Dove, Whitefronted Bee-eater and Goldentailed Woodpecker. Redbilled Oxpeckers roost in tall palm trees near the restaurant and Bushbuck patrol the lawns. There is a good bird hide nearby on the Letaba River and some time will be spent here. We should see African Jacana, Black Crake, Greenbacked Heron, Whitefaced Duck, African Darter and others. 

Hippo and Crocodiles will also be in evidence. 
Overnight in thatched rondavels.

Further south today to Satara for the final two nights. The habitat changes to more open knobthorn savannah country and new birds. We could get Ostrich, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard, Ground Hornbill and Montagu's Harrier.

The camp area is full of birds and a walk here is a must. We will see Bennett's Woodpecker, Natal Robin, Blackheaded Oriole, Groundscraper Thrush, African Hoopoe and the tiny African Scops Owl in its daytime roost. It is cryptic and difficult to locate, but we usually find it and have close up views. 

Mammals are plentiful in the Satara area and we could see Burchell's Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Common Waterbuck, Elephant, Buffalo and perhaps Lion and Leopard. 
Overnight in thatched rondavels.

We leave Kruger today and head for Johannesburg and the airport. There is good birding to be had on the way and thus an early start will be made with a packed breakfast, which we can enjoy at Orpen before leaving the Park. Thus we still have a couple of hours in Kruger, and birds to look for as we drive west are Lesser Blackwinged Plover and Temmincks Courser on open plains close to Orpen. Part of our drive will cover the same ground as on Day 2 and we thus have another chance at Cape Vulture and Taita Falcon if previously missed.

We then head for Lydenburg where the only Whitebrowed Sparrow-weavers in the region will be seen. As we head towards the high grasslands of Dullstroom we could find Southern Bald Ibis and Blue, Crowned and Wattled Cranes. The latter is extremely rare, but we often find it and know where to look for it. Other good endemics for this region are Sentinel and Cape Rock Thrush, Ground Woodpecker and Gurney's Sugarbird.

Depending on your flight times we may have time for one last short deviation to some highveld pans on farmland. Here we could pick up waterbirds such as Whitebacked Duck, Maccoa Duck, Cape Shoveller, Greater Flamingo, Whiskered Tern and various waders, herons and egrets.

The final checklists can be updated at the airport after checking onto your flight. 

Note: This itinerary is subject to minor change due to weather conditions and the best birding options at the time.

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