Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens, Johannesburg, South Africa, July 2014

Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens nestle beneath a rocky bluff in a well-heeled, well-guarded neighbourhood in the western suburbs of Johannesburg. Its finest feature is a beautiful waterfall that cascades down the face of the cliff, providing protection on one side for the nest of a resident pair of Black Eagles.

Being a Sunday morning, I expected the gardens to be busy, but the early morning chill of July kept the gardens quiet for the first couple of hours until the sun had time to warm the air.

A small flock of Speckled Mousebirds were perched in a leafless bush soaking up the warmth from the early morning sun. I noticed that they were all perched legs apart, exposing their bellies and breasts to the sun. Is this simply a more efficient way to warm up that the mousebirds have found? Answers on a postcard please.

I arrived a few minutes before the opening time of 08.00 and had to wait on the street outside until the gates were opened. The car park is worth exploring before venturing into the gardens and brought Southern Boubou, Fairy Flycatcher and Karoo Thrush before I handed over RSA 35 (@RSA 16 = £1) to enter.

I was greeted by an African Wattled Lapwing on the lawns just inside the gate. Further up the slope a Spotted Dikkop skulked like a petulant teenager with his hands in his pockets.

The main body of the gardens are to the south of the gate and I followed the path towards the waterfall which could be seen as I walked along.  Little side excursions brought Helmeted Guineafowl, Cape Robin Chat and Grosbeak Weaver. A Bokmakerie slowed my progress as it posed on a small patch of lawn.

The eagles were tending to a chick during this third week of July and the eagle-watchers had set up a stand with a scope, information on the pair, their history and breeding success of previous years. They kept notes on the comings and goings and were able to update anyone who was interested, on the birds’ breeding progress so far this year.

My attempts to capture decent photos were not very successful despite many, many shots fired. The intent at the back of my mind for a 10,000 Birds post featuring the eagles may have to wait until I have mastered this photographic lark. Nevertheless, a couple of useable ones came out as the male (I was reliably informed) glided across the face of the cliff, harried by Pied Crows that leapt into flight every time the eagles took to the air.

If you prefer better picture quality, try the live eagle cam mounted on the cliff, close to the eagles' nest.

The female (again I am relying on local knowledge) remained on the nest and the chick could be seen over the edge of the structure when it sat up.

The male caught a Rock Hyrax as we watched, but I was surprised that he didn’t take it to the nest. Instead, he found a cliff perch and appeared to eat the dassie without any thought given to his partner or their offspring.

A trail leads up the slope to the right of the waterfall and a good vantage point can be found a little way up. It gives a better angle to view the nest and brings the watcher closer to the eagles’ early morning flight level as they cross the cliff before the thermals give them lift for soaring.

The trail leads to the top of the waterfall where signs advise people who need advising, that they should not throw stones at the eagles’ nest. The birds have actually moved nest sites to a position just beyond normal stone-throwing distance and with a ledge above to protect from the stronger arm. The new site for the nest is just out of view from the top of the cliff, but Rock Martins, Black-collared Barbet and Red-winged Starlings were seen while I was up there.

The trail then drops back down through acacia scrub towards the northern part of the garden. The acacia bushes are popular with Common Fiscal Shrike, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Bar-throated Apalis and Common Bulbul.

A hide overlooks a small dam at Google Earth ref;26 5 5.57S 27 50 36.85E. A Green-backed Heron hid amongst the grass at the edge of a small island in front of the hide. A Long-tailed Cormorant flew in and despite hauling up right in front of the heron, neither bird even acknowledged the other.

The peace was ruined by the arrival of a small flock of Hadeda Ibis. They flew into the tree beside the dam with a loud squawking and flapping. One dropped down to a dead snag in the water and gave a beautiful view of the sheen that can be seen on its plumage in good light.

Bird list for Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens; 40

Egyptian Goose 2, African Black Duck 1, Helmeted Guineafowl 4, Lon-tailed Cormorant 1, Cattle Egret 1, Striated Heron 1, Hadada Ibis 7, Verreaux’s Eagle 3, Peregrine Falcon 1, Blacksmith Plover 8, Crowned Lapwing 2, Speckled Pigeon 6, Red-eyed Dove 15, Ring-necked Dove 4, Laughing Dove 2, Grey Go-away-bird 4, White-browed Coucal 1, Speckled Mousebird 15, African Grey Hornbill 1, Black-collared Barbet 2, Southern Boubou 3, Bokmakerie 2, Common Fiscal 2, Pied Crow 15, Rock Martin 5, Fairy Flycatcher 1, Common Bulbul 20, Bar-throated Apalis 2, Tawny-flanked Prinia 3, Cape Robin-Chat 2, Cape Rock-Thrush 2, Karoo Thrush 2, Cape Glossy Starling 2, Red-winged Starling 5, White-breasted Sunbird 1, Yellow-fronted Canary 6, Cape Sparrow 20, Yellow-throated Petronia 10, Village Weaver 3, Grosbeak Weaver 1.

Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens is open every day from 08.00 until 17.00 and costs RSA 35 to enter. Secure parking is offered in the marshalled, gated car park.

Facilities include toilets, restaurant and gift shop.

An open air stage at the lower end of the first lawn is the venue for musical evenings as the audience picnic on the grass. Event information can be seen at this link;

http://www.sanbi.org/events/walter-sisulu

Previous visits to Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens can be seen at the links below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/walter-sisulu-botanical-gardens.html

http://www.redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/walter-sisulu-botanic-gardens.html

http://www.redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-lions-of-krugersdorp.html

Visit the dedicated Africa page for more posts from Johannesburg and South Africa.

Birding, Birdwatching, Safari, South Africa.

Suikersbosrand, Johannesberg, South Africa, July 2014

This tour of Suikersbosrand was much more relaxed than my previous visit, except for the last 30 minutes when I realised that I had not allowed for the time change and the park was about to shut. Despite some nice views of Eland, Bontebok, Black Wildebeest and Zebra, the hot-spot of the visit was the picnic site where an ants’ nest was attracting birds to feed.

Just inside the park gate is a small pond on the left at Google Earth ref; 26 27 48.57S 28 13 17.34E. It is the northern end of a larger damp patch and had some floating weeds that allowed some White-backed Ducks to rest without being blown into the bank by the strong wind.

This was a good start to the day, but I shan’t trouble you with the photograph which will remain in my private collection of shaky, blurry, out-of-focus record shots.

I had come straight from the airport and stopped at the visitor centre car park to get changed out of my uniform. Here I was able to note Grosbeak Weaver, Southern Grey Sparrow and Mountain Wheatear as I tried to wriggle into my safari silks.

As is often the case, the start of the circuit was quiet. The high grass often obscures the view and a chap is limited to birds that flush from the edges of the road; in this case, Cinnamon-breasted Buntings, Orange-throated Longlaws and Ring-necked Doves. Stonechats clung to grass stems and sturdier perches close to the road.

I seldom see mammals before the dam at the bottom of the circuit and Southern Anteating Chats usually appear beyond the water.

A few herds of antelope were seen on the approach to the Holhoek Picnic Site at Google Earth ref; 26 32 26.03S 28 13 34.08E. This rest stop is situated at the bottom of an acacia-covered slope and was easily the hottest spot in the park and should not be missed by birders in Suikersbosrand. 

Stone tables and chairs are set out for picnickers and an ants’ nest was overflowing from the base of one of the chairs. This attracted Mocking Cliff-Chats, Cape Robin-chats, Cape Rock-Thrushes and Fiscal Flycatchers to feast on the insects.

This is where I spent most of my time found over 20 species without moving from the picnic table, including the Ashy Tit which was gleaning on the rough bark of a tree there.

A Piping Cisticola picked through the short grass and Rufous-vented Warblers searched for insects through the branches of low bushes.

The light was growing dim now and I had to press on to reach the park gates by chucking out time at 18.00. It was dark by the time I reached the gate just at the top of the hour and a movement caught my eye as the security guard came from his office to see me out. A pair of Barn Owls roost in the thatched roof of the security post and one made a pass through the gate a couple of times before landing on the roof.

Bird list for Suikersbosrand; 53

White-backed Duck 10, Yellow-billed Duck 8, Helmeted Guineafowl 30, Swainson’s Francolin 14, Little Grebe 5, Long-tailed Cormorant 1, Cattle Egret 1, Sacred Ibis 8, Hadada Ibis 3, African Spoonbill 1, Black-shouldered Kite 1, Black Crake 1, Eurasian Moorhen 3, Red-knobbed Coot 15, Blacksmith Plover 2, Ring-necked Dove 8, Laughing Dove 4, Barn Owl 2, Speckled Mousebird 8, Black-collared Barbet 2, Common Fiscal 8, Fairy Flycatcher 1, Ashy Tit 1, Black-fronted Bulbul 20, Bar-throated Apalis 2, Piping Cisticola 1, Tawny-flanked Prinia 2, Rufous-vented Warbler 7, Fiscal Flycatcher 13, Kalahari Scrub-Robin 3, Cape Robin-Chat 10, Cape Rock-Thrush 2, Stonechat 40, Southern Anteater Chat 15, Mocking Cliff-Chat 2, Familiar Chat 12, Mountain Wheatear 25, Capped Wheatear 12, Common Myna 2, Cape Wagtail 1, African Pipit 2, Orange-throated Longclaw 4, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting 5, Black-throated Canary 8, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 4, Yellow-throated Petronia 15, White-browed Sparrow-Weaver 1, Cape Weaver 1, Southern Masked-Weaver 8, Red Bishop 3, Long-tailed Widow 1, Grosbeak Weaver 1, Green-winged Pytilia 2.

 A visit to Suikersbosrand will typically describe a circuit of 60kms. The drive is on a one-way road, so the full circuit must be completed once started. The picnic site at Holhoek is about half-way round. The park opens from 07.00 and visitors are required to leave by 18.00. An entrance fee of RSA 20 will give you all day in the park if you wish.

Suikersbosrand can be accessed from the N3 heading south from Johannesburg. Take the R550 west and the north entrance is signposted after 6kms at Google Earth ref; 26 26 16.32S 28 13 10.84E

A previous visit to Suikersbosrand can be seen at the link below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/suikersbosrand-nature-reserve.html 

Visit the dedicated African page for more sites in South Africa.

Birdwatching, Birding, Safari, South Africa.

South Africa - teaser, July 2014

Logistically, this was a much more successful trip than my last visit to South Africa. We arrived in plenty of time, I didn’t get mugged, parks were open and roads were clear (except for the bit with the Leopard). It wasn’t as species-rich as some trips, but 110+ birds, including 2 life ticks, was a reasonable total I felt.

The red-letter birds, a White-backed Duck and an Ashy Tit, came from a drive around the circuit at Suikersbosrand. This time I was not time stressed and was able to enjoy an ant nest overflowing and bringing in the birds at the picnic site.

The large animals were reticent to come out and be seen. A whole morning in Pilanesberg NP passed without a single Big 5 sighting. There were 3 "lucky mongooses" so I was expecting a big day but the White Rhinos and Lions didn't come 'til later in the afternoon which gave the day a “quiet” feel.

The last morning was spent trying to get pictures of the Black (Verreaux’s) Eagles that are nesting on the cliffs by the waterfall in Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens. The male (I was reliably informed by the eagle watchers) caught a Hyrax and ate it without offering any to the female or the chick back on the nest (yet the relationship persists).

It will take a little time to delete all the rubbish photos and find a few usable ones, but I will make links to the respective posts once they are published.
If you need any information in the meantime, visit the dedicated Africa page for details of sites in South Africa.

Marievale, Rondebult and Johannesberg Botanic Gardens, Johannesburg, South Africa, March 2014

If I had managed to get out of bed just 5 minutes earlier, the day would have had a completely different complexion and the South African Traffic Police would have remained, in my opinion, a group of stalwarts working for the public well-being. Ah well!

Note to self; when driving in South Africa, carry licence AND passport.

Note to self; do not follow a South African Traffic Police patrol car away from a roadblock and lose touch with an in-charge officer.

Note to self; an on the spot fine does not involve emptying your wallet to a patrolman by the side of the road.

Of course if I hadn’t been stopped, I would not be able to impart this important experience to you. So all in all, you are getting great value for money here.

Anyway, on to Marievale. The journey took three and a half hours after being stopped and having to return to the hotel to fetch my passport. I was pretty grumpy by the time I reached the wetland, but an African Rail skittered into the reeds as I pulled up at Otter Hide (Google Earth ref; 26 21 32.83S 28 30 27.15E) and put a smile back on my face. The Pied Kingfishers seemed determined to cheer me up too as they were fishing in the middle of the road. From the hide, Red-knobbed Coots, Eurasian Moorhens and a Black Crake made a nice foursome of Rallids.

A White-throated Swallow rested on the structure in front of the hide and a Squacco Heron flushed from the reeds.

Three Pied Kingfishers fished as the overflowing wetland forded the road. There is a small bridge to the side of the road which allowed me to press further on, but at the junction, I met a couple in a large 4x4 that had turned back, unable to get into the reserve.

The road was inundated just beyond the junction and that was as far as I was able to get. Still, the birds seemed as if they were sympathetic to my mood and a Black Heron posed at the water’s edge, right by the road. Truth be told, the high water was probably pushing rails and herons closer to the edge, but I was cheering up a little.

Small islands on the north side of the road appeared to be sprouting roots and Grey-hooded Gulls roosted here along with a Ruff and another wader that escaped me. There was not much area to explore here today, so I moved on. Engineers’ Road on the way in and out is always worth a look. Ironically what is usually a wet patch when all around is dry, held no water today, but the spot on the south side of the road (Google Earth ref; 26 20 37.73S 28 28 11.80E) still held some appeal for Spur-winged Goose and Glossy Ibis.

Birds seen;

Spur-winged Goose 3, Yellow-billed Duck 2, Little Grebe 3, Long-tailed Cormorant 4, Squacco Heron 1, Black-headed Heron 1, Black Heron 1, Glossy Ibis 1, African Rail 1, Eurasian Moorhen 6, Red-knobbed Coot 3, Blacksmith Plover 2, Ruff 1, Grey-hooded Gull 35, White-winged Tern, Laughing Dove 2, Pied Kingfisher 3, White-throated Swallow 8, Stonechat1, Red Bishop 4, Yellow-crowned Bishop 1,Long-tailed Widowbird 1.

I moved on to Rondebult Bird Sanctuary (Google Earth ref; 26 17 43.52S 28 12 39.48E ) and was disappointed by its sad neglect. The sentry at the gate was upset to be disturbed and reluctantly let me through. She was unhelpful in the extreme when I asked for the keys to the hides. The area near the car park has been over-run by feral geese and paths have become overgrown. The walkway out to the hide nearest to the car park, has almost completely fallen apart. What is left is mostly rotted through and unsafe. The tower hide was inaccessible.

I stayed for a short while and saw the birds below, but found myself recalling the first time that I visited here and left feeling very sad.

Birds seen;

Egyptian Goose 14, Spur-winged Goose 3, Red-billed Duck 2, Hottentot Teal 2, Little Grebe 6, Long-tailed Cormorant 1, Black Heron 1, Glossy Ibis 5, Hadada Ibis 2, Eurasian Moorhen 6, Red-knobbed Coot 12, African Palm Swift 3, Barn Swallow 4, Karoo Thrush 3, Southern Masked-weaver 5, Red Bishop 8.

So I pushed on again; this time to a new site at Johannesburg Botanic Gardens (Google Earth ref; 26 9 7.44S 28 00 09.66E). This was a much more pleasant way to spend the afternoon. By now, time had almost run out and I was only able to make a very cursory exploration of the gardens. It was Sunday afternoon and the good citizens of Emmerentia were cycling, picnicking and generally enjoying their facility.

A popular pastime amongst parents with kids was to feed the many Egyptian Geese on the dam. At the shallow end of the lake, Great Cormorant, Long-tailed Cormorant and African Darter (one of each) dried their wings on a dead branch.

In the weedy, reedy area beyond, a White-browed Coucal popped his head up to see who was pishing and a pair of Tawny-flanked Prinias came out from the long grass to shoo me away. 

The gardens, as one might expect contained lawns, plantings and formal gardens. The dam was fed by a sluggish stream that in turn flowed from a lake further on. Though I was tempted, I simply didn’t have the time to investigate “Bird Island” on the far lake. Instead, I made my way back through the upper lawns and added Grey go-away-bird, Crested Barbet and Common Fiscal to my list. The last bird of the trip was a grand Rameron Pigeon seen as I left the gardens.

Though I was not able to do justice to the gardens today, it has an eBird Hotspot list of 56 birds. I am sure that this can be improved upon with a few extra visits.

Birds seen;

Egyptian Goose 200, Great Cormorant 1, Long-tailed Cormorant 1, African Darter 1, Black-headed Heron 1, Hadada Ibis 2, Eurasian Moorhen 2, Red-knobbed Coot 2, Rameron Pigeon 2, Red-eyed Dove 1, Ring-necked Dove 8, Laughing Dove 3, Grey Go-away bird 1, White-browed Coucal 1, African Palm-swift 3, Eurasian Hoopoe 1, Crested Barbet 1, Common Fiscal 1, Pied Crow 2, Tawny-flanked Prinia 3, Karoo Thrush 2, Common Myna 15, Southern Masked-weaver 6.

There is a gate, but no entrance fee for the gardens, so I cannot say how secure it might be during the week when the area is likely to be quieter. Docents assisted with parking on a Sunday afternoon, but I cannot say if they would be present when the visitor numbers are lower.

Visit the dedicated African page for more posts from Johannesburg, including; Dullstroom Grasslands and Mount Sheba. You will also find previous posts from Marievale and Rondebult.

Birding, Birdwatching, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Pilanesberg NP, Johannesburg, South Africa, March 2014

My beautiful colleague, GJ, joined me today on a restricted trip around Pilanesberg National Park. It was restricted by damage to the roads and bridges caused by biblical rain over the last couple of days. The topography of the park funnels water down gullies in the mountain-sides and feeds streams that barely see a flow from one year to the next. Most of the roads in the park are unmade and had flooded or been washed away. We were limited to the main tarmac roads; Kubu/Kgabo that runs northeast/southwest and Tshwene that spurs from the Pilanesberg Centre to Manyane Camp in the east.

The flow had ebbed by the time we arrived at 06.30, but evidence was all around. Vegetation for many meters either side of tiny streams had been knocked down by the torrents and meadows were flattened as sheets of water washed down the slopes without the benefit of a gulley to guide them. The first turn-off from Kubu crosses a bridge, but the road had almost completely gone from the nearside of the span. The dam at Lengau, where the Baboons often spend the night on the wall, had become a waterfall.

Animals usually rely on the dams as reliable permanent water and can be predictably found in the proximity, but with so much water and green vegetation available, there was no reason for them to stay nearby and they were widely dispersed and difficult to find during the morning.

Impalas however, are always reliable and a young male was found shortly after we entered the park. He looked bedraggled and cold, but out of respect, I show him only from the neck up where he looks much better.

Brindled Wildebeest are also very common and were seen a number of times during the day.

Rufous-naped Larks appeared to top every thorn bush that projected above the grass. Their call was a constant presence through either window of the car. One called from close to the road and enhanced his performance with a wing flap at intervals.

Our first puzzle was set by a Levaillant’s Cuckoo which stubbornly refused to turn around to show its streaky throat that would distinguish it from the otherwise similar Jacobin Cuckoo. Secretary-Birds at the top of an acacia bush (possibly on the site of a nest?) were easy by comparison. 

We were close to Mankwe Dam and cheekily poked our noses down the gravel road that leads to the hide, but were immediately turned back by the flood water. A bridge the crossing a small river looked to be damaged. 
We gallantly allowed a young lady to go first from the opposite direction to see if her low-slung car would become grounded in the large pot-hole. She negotiated it successfully, so we were able to continue on to the Pilanesberg Centre.

At last we started to find a few animals as we drove along Tau Link. GJ was especially pleased to find Giraffes.

We were headed towards the eastern gate and found more Impala, Kudu and Zebra along the way.

We brunched at Golden Leopard’s Manyane Complex and compiled a list of 23 birds in just a short walk there, including the day’s only sightings of Crowned Plover, Black-collared Barbet and Groundscraper Thrush.

A Crested Barbet was very approachable as it fed from a fruiting tree near the entrance and a family of Warthogs were relaxed enough to crash out on a small lawn beside reception.

Back in the park we decided to head to Bakgatla to pad out the bird list and were stopped along the way by a large bull Elephant as he crossed the road. I am sure that the elephants of Pilanesberg should have an identification guide, but I was unable to find one on the web. This one should be very distinctive with his broken right tusk. He was leaning on his longer, left tusk and digging it into the ground. He ate some of the dirt that he had dislodged and threw the rest up onto his back.

Shortly afterwards, we came across a small group of White Rhino. I heaved a big sigh of relief at seeing some of the mega-fauna at last. My companion was very patient and seemed to be enjoying the drive, but I wanted her to see some of the big stuff.

Other animals and birds began to appear and be more cooperative. A herd of Zebra were feeding by the roadside and a young foal followed its mother out onto the tarmac causing a short-lived zebra-jam.

European Bee-eaters sat out on dead snags and hawked for insects in flight and the smallest giraffe I have ever seen passed in the wake of its huge mother.

At Bakgatla, also run by Golden Leopard, we took a stroll around the camp and added Green-backed Camaroptera, Cape Wagtail and Rufous-vented Warbler that would otherwise not have appeared on the list below.

Two Southern Red-billed Hornbills with the vacant stare of new parents everywhere were feeding their large youngster which appeared happy to sit and ingest anything that came its way.

The last pass down the main road featured mostly giraffe with a number of close sightings. The day had brightened up and the place appeared to be drying out a little and getting more productive. 

We stopped in at Pilanesberg Centre, I can’t remember why, and found a large herd of Kudu licking the ground where the salt lick used to be (it may have dissolved in the rain). A White Rhino had just come close to the centre and was still grazing just beyond the waterhole.

Finally and to GJ’s delight, we found a family of Hippo in the stream beneath Lengau Dam. The stream was much higher than normal and would not normally be able to support such big animals. No doubt they will return to the dam as the levels drop.

Birds seen; 67

Ostrich 2, White-faced Whistling Duck 2, Egyptian Goose 2, African Black Duck 2, Yellow-billed Duck 2, Helmeted Guineafowl 5, Natal Francolin 11, Little Grebe 1, Great Cormorant 3, African Darter 4, Cattle Egret 30, Sacred Ibis 30, Black-shouldered Kite 6, Brown Snake-Eagle 1, Secretary-Bird 2, Blacksmith Plover 3, Crowned Lapwing 3, Speckled Pigeon 12, Red-eyed Dove 2, Ring-necked Dove 29, Laughing Dove 17, Grey Go-away-bird 13, Levaillant’s Cuckoo 1, Dideric Cuckoo 2, White-browed Coucal 2, African Palm-swift 2, Red-faced Mousebird 15, Woodland Kingfisher 1, European Bee-eater 15, Lilac-breasted Roller 2, Southern Red-billed Hornbill 3, African Grey Hornbill 3, Crested Barbet 3, Black-collared Barbet 1, Black-backed Puffback 1, Crimson-breasted Gonolek 2, Red-backed Shrike 9, Lesser Grey Shrike 2, Fork-tailed Drongo 3, Pied Crow 4, Rufous-naped Lark 20, Sabota Lark 1, Barn Swallow 15, Pearl-breasted Swallow 1, Greater Striped-Swallow 6, Black-fronted Bulbul 16, Green-backed Camaroptera 1, Rufous-vented Warbler 1, Cape White-eye 2, Spotted Flycatcher 9, Familiar Chat 3, Groundscraper Thrush 1, Karoo Thrush 1, Common Myna 20, Cape Glossy Starling 20, Red-winged Starling 4, Red-billed Oxpecker 12, Cape Wagtail 1, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting 2, Black-throated Canary 3, House Sparrow 6, Cape Sparrow 8, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow 3, White-browed Sparrow-weaver 2, Southern Masked-weaver 30, Blue-breasted Cordonbleu 11, Pin-tailed Whydah 2.

Groundscraper Thrush

Mammals seen; 13

African Elephant 1, Black Rhinoceros 1, White Rhinoceros 4, Giraffe 22, Impala 60, Kudu 45, Brindled Wildebeest 120, Waterbuck 3, Springbok 20, Zebra 25, Vervet Monkey 2, Hippopotamus 5, Warthog 12.

Pilanesberg National Park is administrated by the Northwest Parks Board. It has a dedicated website at this link. http://www.parksnorthwest.co.za/pilanesberg/index.html  The website includes a phone number for the park office. If I had used this number, they may have been able to forewarn me that many of the roads were closed. Would that have mattered? Would I still have gone? Of course I would have!

The park is about 2-2.5 hours drive northwest from Johannesburg. Call it 3 if you are heading out from the airport. It is close to Sun City with which it shares the volcano.

The closest entrance is at Bakubung, the southern gate (Google Earth ref; 25 20 22.75S 27 3 48.45E)

Facilities in the park include; Restaurant and gift shop at Pilanesberg Centre and Toilets at each viewing hide. There is accommodation at each of the 4 gates, but they differ greatly in standard and budget. See the link above.

Smith's Bush Squirrel

For previous posts from Pilanesberg, follow the post links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/delicious-dilemma.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/do-elephants-grieve.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/pilanesberg-johannesberg-jnb-south.html
http://www.redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/pilanesberg-part-1-johannesberg-south.html
http://www.redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/pilanesberg-np-part-2-johannesberg.html
http://www.redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/pilanesberg-national-park-johannesburg.html

Visit the dedicated Africa Page for more posts from Johannesburg including; Walter Sisulu Botanic Gardens, Zaagkuildrift Road and Kruger National Park

 Birding Birdwatching, Safari, Pilanesberg, Johannesburg, South Africa