Heading for Himmeville. February 1st

 We had an early start with tea and biscuits, loaded our stuff into one of the two vans and set off. Our first stop was by some grassland in the Karkloof area, where we spent much of the morning. There was a Long-crested Eagle sitting on a post and over our heads was a flock of Southern Bald Ibis. As we watched, they came down in a field so we drove along to a track off the road and stopped to scope them. Among the Ibis were a few Hadeda and a Black-wing Lapwing. Martial Eagle, Jackal Buzzard and a Honey Buzzard flew over. We had Drakensberg Prinia in the hedgerow and lots of Red-collared Widowbirds. We then drove along a gravel track into a timber area and stopped to scan around. Here we had good views of Neddicky, African Firefinch, Dusky Indigobird, Golden-breasted Bunting and Black Saw-wing. A Cape Grassbird was calling in the scrub but wasn't seen. A Double-collared Sunbird was heard in a small cleared area, so some of us walked closer and eventually managed to see the bird feeding among the flowers. 

We then drove further into Kwa-Zulu National Park and arrived the main site for the morning, Benvie Gardens. We had our breakfast with birds calling around us and then a walk around the grounds among the trees. We found Woolly-necked Stork, Olive Thrush, African Paradise Flycatcher, Black-headed Oriole, Forest Canary, Bar-throated Apalis and Cape Batis among others. As we began to walk back an Orange Ground Thrush was found and I eventually managed to see it skulking in the bottom of the bushes. 2 Crowned Eagles displayed above the our heads, viewed through the tree canopy.

After a quick lunch we moved on towards the Drakensbergs, going further inland and up in elevation. We travelled a gravel track and stopped at a dam just outside Himmeville and scanned across the water. Here we saw Cape Shoveller, South African Shelduck, African Spoonbill and African Wattled Lapwing. Slightly obscured but visible were a pair of Grey Crowned Cranes. Unfortunately, the 'usual' Wattled Cranes were absent.

Further along the ttack we stopped and scanned across the fields where there were many Long-tailed Widowbirds, performing their entertaining display flights. Other birds here were Yellow-crowned Bishops, Pale-crowned Cisticola, Pin-tailed Whydah and African Stonechats.

We then drove on to our accommodation which was set out in large lawns with a view across to some lakes. We settled in and then went for a walk round. Dinner was in the restaurant and the food was delicious. On the step up to the accommodation we found a Raucous Toad and a walk round with the bat detector located some Cape Serotine bats but a little distance away, probably over the water at the bottom of the property grounds.