Rita and myself spent three blissful days at Little Stone Cottage at Laaiplaats near Mossel Bay. We attended a wedding in George and grabbed the opportunity to get away from people and do some birding at the same time.
We could not have chosen a better place. The cottage is well equipped, comfortable and ideally located. Our hosts, Marius & Joeline are a delightful couple who are passionate about nature and conserving this remnant of indigenous forest as well as its fauna & flora.
For more info (and the birdlist) click on this link : Little Stone Cottage
Birding was great early in the morning and quieter in the heat of the day. Forest birding is difficult, but also very rewarding if one is patient. Marius opened up various trails that one can walk in the forest.
I managed a total of 58 species with highlights being a Scalythroated Honeyguide which visited us while we were having a braai. Just sitting on the deck is also very rewarding with birds like the Half-collared Kingfisher , Giant Kingfisher, Knysna Turaco, ect seen. There is also a family of Brownheaded Kingfishers very active near the deck of the cottage.
Little Stone is very highly recommended but do take everything with you as you are a long way from shops and if you cannot live without your TV, laptop or cellphone( limited Vodacom reception at cottage) then rather go somewhere else!
Below are some photos to give you an idea of what to expect. Also some of the birds I managed to capture.
Please enjoy.
Click on photo to enlarge.
Birds Seen
Egyptian Goose, African Black Duck, Hadeda Ibis, Western Cattle Egret, Black-shouldered Kite, Common Buzzard, Forest Buzzard, Jackal Buzzard, Crowned Lapwing, African Olive Pigeon, Red-eyed Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Laughing Dove, Tambourine Dove, Knysna Turaco, Klaas's Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Red-chested Cuckoo, White-rumped Swift, Speckled Mousebird ,Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Half-collared Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Olive Woodpecker, Cape Batis ,Southern Tchagra, Southern Boubou ,Black Cuckooshrike, Common Fiscal, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Paradise Flycatcher, Cape Crow, Cape Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Black Saw-wing, Barn Swallow, Rock Martin, Common House Martin, Greater Striped Swallow, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Neddicky, Karoo Prinia, Bar-throated Apalis, Cape White-eye, Olive Thrush, Fiscal Flycatcher, African Dusky Flycatcher, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Swee Waxbill, Common Waxbill, Cape Wagtail, African Pipit, Forest Canary, Yellow Canary, Streaky-headed Seedeater.
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