Northern Kruger National Park is a place I love. It is wild, remote and enchanting. With more than 350 bird species and 80 per cent of the park’s biodiversity, it is prime birding country. Combine that with jaw-dropping scenery and unique wildlife encounters and it makes for a spectacular adventure destination as well as a calming tonic for the soul.
But what should you do when you get there? Head immediately to the Luvuvhu bridge to look for a Böhm’s Spinetail or the well-known Pel’s Fishing Owls, or hurry to the Pafuri picnic site for a breeding pair of Black-throated Wattle-eyes? What about the lala palms at Crook’s Corner to find Lemon- breasted Canaries, keeping an eye open for Southern Ground-Hornbills along the way? Or you could start at the Punda Maria camp and search for Eastern Nicators and Crested Guineafowls. Or drive along the Mahonie Loop to locate Bennett’s Woodpeckers, Dickinson’s Kestrels and Grey-headed Parrots. A night drive from Punda Maria may reveal a Pennant-winged Nightjar or, if you’re in the Makuleke Concession, a Three-banded Courser. And that’s just scratching the surface.
The more time I spend in the area, the more I notice things that weren’t obvious before. I used to rush from one place to the next hoping to see a new species, but now I’ve slowed down and pay more attention to a bird’s behaviour, its unique attributes and its habitat. I have also recognised how birding and photography are as much about the people I meet as it is about the birds. Slowing down, being curious and taking time to soak in my surroundings have changed my approach, my priorities and how I find fulfilment in these incredible wildlife locations.
This story is from the July/August 2023 edition of African Birdlife.
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This story is from the July/August 2023 edition of African Birdlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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