This trip report was provided by Steve Peck.
In May this year, Lee and I took a trip to the Augrabies Falls National Park, just at the time that the Orange River was in full flow due to the high rainfall the month before.
The Falls were spectacular with the flow peaking at 427 cubic meters per second instead of the average 30-50, and it had reached a mammoth 3000 cubic meters per second the month before!
We saw scores of Dassie all sunning themselves on the rocks, not the least bit concerned by us as we passed by merely feet from them.
However, although we had come primarily to see the Falls, we did manage to get a bit of birding in as well. The Falls were a great place to see Alpine Swifts and Brown-throated Martins in their hundreds as they swooped along the gorge hawking insects below us.
Around our chalet, we picked up Palm Swifts, Red-eyed Bulbul, both Red-faced and White-backed Mousebirds; and the call of an African Fish Eagle alerted us to one that was sitting on the top of the gorge while her youngster flew high in the sky.
The ‘find of the day’ was watching a group of Orange River White-eyes around our neighbour’s braai – this was a lifer for me.
A trip to the bird hide near the camping area revealed Red-billed Quelea, Red Bishop and Lesser-swamp Warbler and Karoo Thrush turning leaves over on the nearby lawns.
We, then, moved into the spectacular Gorge Cottage, situated on the edge of the ravine with drops in excess of 300 feet to the water below.
We saw Pale-winged Starlings, Karoo Chat, Lark-like Buntings, Mountain Wheatear and a pair of Verreaux Eagle on a daily basis.
We watched in awe as a group of White-breasted Cormorants were nest-building on a large rock directly beneath us in the raging water.
A road trip to the famous Moon Rock revealed Malachite Kingfisher, Karoo and Northern Black Korhaan, Sabota Lark, Black-chested Prinia, Pririt Batis and a great viewing of a Booted Eagle as it flew over the rock on a cloudless day.
So, the four day stay at the falls revealed 55 species recorded, which was a great return alongside the sight of the magnificent Falls.