Indicator Birding - Warbler Weekend

Palearctic migrant warblers are among the most fascinating and remarkable birds one can see in Southern Africa. Many are tricky to identify and others hard to see. Top stars on these weekends include River Warbler, Thrush Nightingale, Olive-Tree and Icterine Warblers. Both weekends are run as field-courses with a mix of skills sessions, ID discussion and just plain good birding ! The second weekend has a bigger emphasis on the River Warbler - one of the most sought after birds in the region!

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Introduction



	Warbler Weekends Feb/March '12	Book/Ask for information Read feedback from Participants on previous Weekends
Palearctic migrant warblers are among the most fascinating and remarkable birds one can see in Southern Africa. Many are tricky to identify and others hard to see. Top stars on these weekends include River Warbler, Thrush Nightingale, Olive-Tree and Icterine Warblers. Both weekends are run as field-courses with a mix of skills sessions, ID discussion and just plain good birding ! The second weekend has a bigger emphasis on the River Warbler - one of the most sought after birds in the region! Due to popular demand in the last "warbler season" of 2010 and '11, we will be running two Warbler weekends in 2012. These are: 1. Warbler Course 2 - 4 March 2012 , Wolfhuiskraal. This weekend will be run as a course in the identification and location of warblers in South Africa, with an emphasis on the palearctic migrants which are present. 2. Warbler Weekend 16 - 18 March (River Warblers & Rallids!) The latter event take place during mid-march, which is usually (depending on sufficient rains) prime time for the highly elusive River Warbler). Other Warbler species are also present, but not in the same numbers as in February. All three weekends include a course booklet with additional information on warblers and the aim is to become confident in their identification and location. This is of course a fantastic area for other birds. In 2011 our "Warbler weekend" birdlist included Western Marsh Harrier, Bronze-winged Courser, Southern White-faced Owl, Black-winged Pratincole, Collared Pratincole, Cuckoo Finch, Great Sparrow, Great Spotted Cuckoo, Pink-billed Lark and Red-footed Falcon to name a few! Introduction Come and take part in a birding weekend with a difference! This is currently the only birding event on the South African birding calendar specialising in seeing difficult warblers, and has become an annual event - which is usually booked out several months in advance. Based at Wolfhuiskraal - a bird-rich cattle ranch in the Zaagkuildrift area, these weekends will enable you to learn about this difficult group of birds, and work towards mastering the identification of warblers as well as learning how to watch and find them in the field. The March weekends takes place at the very best time to find the elusive and sought after River Warbler - which may be present if rainfall during mid and late summer is sufficient. The February weekend is unlikely to produce River Warblers but this is a superb time for Common Whitethroat, Icterine, Great Reed and Olive-Tree Warblers, as well as all the aquatic species (we will run an excursion to nearby wetlands to ensure we find virtually all the warbler species!) The weekends will be focussed on getting to know and getting to see several of the more difficult warblers, which are found in our region and become more active before migration. Species to be expected include Common White-throat, Olive-tree Warbler, Garden Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, and quite possibly at this time of year, the very elusive River Warbler. The latter usually requires an early start and some patience to have a chance of seeing, and we will be there at the right time to locate this bird, which has in some previous years been common in the area. Depending on conditions, the wetland birding can also be excellent and apart from those mentioned above (2010), we expect to encounter species such as Dwarf Bittern, Greater Painted-Snipe, Lesser Moorhen, and even possibly Harlequin Quail. Other species which occur in the area and which one may see at this time of year include Eurasian Hobby, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Cuckoo Finch, Kurrichane Buttonquail and Bronze-winged Courser. Rufous-bellied Heron , Saddlebilled Stork and African Pygmy-Goose have also been recorded and at times the floodplain is visited by large numbers of assorted herons and may also host pratincoles and harriers. This is a self-catering weekend, and we will be staying at the new improved Wolfhuiskraal Bush Camp. The house has several en-suite rooms, as well as rooms which share a bathroom, and/or for which the bathroom is outside. There is a well equipped kitchen and the braai area in front of the house will be the focus of much good cheer. Firewood and braai-fires will be provided for the evenings. Cost is dependent on the types of rooms used: En-suite rooms with shower (2 or 3 ) = R1200-00 per person sharing, R1500-00 single Rooms sharing bathroom (3 or 4) = R900 per person sharing, R1100 single Camping or Caravan = R700-00 per person (max 2 persons) Booking of specific accommodation is on a first-payed first served basis and a 50% deposit is required to confirm your booking. Book/Ask for information