Birding Expedition - Karoo Poort and Tankwa Highlights - October 2023

An old client needed to spot two target birds—Black-headed Canary and Cinnamon-breasted Warbler—from Tankwa but didn’t have more than a half-day! We met in Ceres the night before and left for Karoo Poort at 5:30 am on Friday morning.

A short detour on the way there rewarded us with Cape Clapper, Red-capped, and Large-billed Larks. A delightful surprise and a lifer for the client was a Long-billed, now Nicholson's Pipit, quietly sitting on a fence pole.

Karoo Poort Birding Experience

Once we arrived at Karoo Poort, the storm damage in the riverbed was very obvious, with many estuarine trees, which had been there for years, now missing. Despite this, the Poort did not disappoint:

  • A pair of Black-headed Canaries were nesting and made regular appearances.
  • Lark-like Buntings were numerous.
  • The usual Namaqua Warbler was away from the reed beds, as they were small and recovering from the damage.
  • Mountain Wheatears were evidently nesting and were very tame.
  • Layard’s Tit-Babbler and Grey-backed Cisticolas called from up the mountain slopes.

Further into the Poort, White-throated Canary and White-backed Mousebird were seen feeding in the scrub.

Farmhouse Area – A Trip Down Memory Lane

The farmhouse area, a national monument, and the old picnic site are now a sight for sore eyes. Gone are the poplar trees where breakfast used to be had, and one of the old oak trees in the backyard, under which TBC members braaied snoek about 20 years ago, is also gone. This house used to serve as the Toll House for entry into the Karoo. My founding father used to travel through here to reach the farm near Sutherland. I wonder what he would think about the state of it now!

Back to the birds:

  • Pied Starlings were breeding in the derelict building walls, along with Mountain Wheatears and House Sparrows.
  • No sign of Red-winged or Pale-winged Starling, as the figs were still in the developmental stage.

Search for the Cinnamon-breasted Warbler

Further along, we began searching for the Cinnamon-breasted Warbler on the cliff face and amongst boulders. It was very quiet, with only Layard’s Tit-Babbler, Long-billed Crombec, and Fairy Flycatcher making their presence known. I whistled for the Warbler a few times, but there was no response… until there was some movement at the cliff face.

Suddenly, a small dark bird flew towards us and fed quietly just 3 metres away, moving in, around, and under shrubs, and disappearing into crevices around boulders like a mouse. The target bird appeared with saturating sightings, and many photos were taken—some even too close!

Birding After the Target Sightings

With the pressure off, we enjoyed a slow drive through the area, encountering:

  • Karoo Lark
  • Pale-chanting Goshawk
  • Booted Eagle
  • Black Harrier

My logo bird, the Rufous-eared Warbler, was feeding quietly around us, not bothered by our presence—what a great bird!

Throughout this trip, I was atlassing, and the Karoo Poort card was filled with some fantastic sightings.

Conclusion

It was a successful half-day birding trip, with both target species seen and several other notable species making appearances. We left with a sense of accomplishment, enjoying the beauty and birdlife of Karoo Poort.