Trip reports
- Trip report: Greyton via the Helderstroom Road
The twelve birders left the Onrus OK parking area at 07:30 for what promised to be a great day of birding. At Salandra, two more birders joined the group. The 2-way radios were distributed, and we left for the Helderstroom road turn-off from the Villiersdorp road. The thick mist necessitated careful driving. As we neared the turn-off the mist cleared miraculously. - Farther afield: Bass Rock, Scotland
A trip to Scotland with Lee to see some friends and family started with a boat trip from North Berwick to visit the returning Puffins at Bass Rock. - Trip report: Stanford and surrounds
A small group of birders gathered at Willem Appel Dam bird hide in Stanford. We could not have had better birding conditions! It was still with enough cloud cover to shield us from too much sun. - Trip report: Rooiels, Harold Porter and Stony Point
Thirteen birders left the Onrus OK parking area just before 7 am, in perfect weather conditions, with only a light breeze blowing, destination Rooiels. By the time we reached Betty’s Bay, the wind had picked up significantly. - Farther afield: A trip to West Coast National Park
Earlier this year Lee and I spent a week in the park just chilling out and, of course, doing some bird spotting!
Events
- Birding Big Day December 2025 in the Overberg
The Big Day finally arrived, and the teams and individuals set about covering the Overberg in search of as many bird species they could record in a 24 hour period. The challenge was centred on either a 6km radius or, for the more adventurous, a 50km radius. - Changing Overberg bird profiles
Facebook Email Print A summary of the monthly meeting presented by Anton Odendal on 14 October 2024. Anton presented an illustrated talk at the BirdLife Overberg monthly talk in October. He reviewed species recorded in the Overberg during 2024 that had not been included in the first checklist of the birds of the region that… Read more: Changing Overberg bird profiles - BirdLife Overberg year-end function 2022
At BirdLife Overberg’s year-end function fifteen members each showcased their five favourite photographs taken during the year. - October Talk: Gravel Road Birding – Napier Style
The birding potential of the Napier region particularly as far as overseas birders are concerned was well illustrated through species such as Cape Clapper and Agulhas Long-billed larks, Cape Grassbird, Cape Longclaw and many more.
Bird of the year
- The Bateleur as the Bird of the Year 2024
BirdLife South Africa recently announced that the Bateleur is Bird of the Year 2024. “Surely a Bateleur soaring high above the African bushveld, with its rocking, gliding motion, is one of the most iconic sights of our country and indeed our continent?” - World Parrot Day will focus on fate of the vanishing Cape Parrot
Since its inauguration in London by the World Parrot Trust in 2004, World Parrot Day highlights the threat to wild and captive parrots throughout the world. - The Bird of the Year 2023: The Cape Parrot
BirdLife South Africa announced that the Bird of the Year for 2023 will be the Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus). The usual educational resources will once again be released throughout the year.
Monthly counts
- January 2023 ObservationsWe managed to record 259 species that are the highest score for a single month, except for the three previous Birding Big Day months.
- Birds recorded in the Overberg since March 2020
We reacted to the COVID19 lockdown period by requesting members, collaborators and friends to report bird species recorded in the Overberg each month. n the end we managed to record more than 350 species in the Overberg region since March 2020. - December 2022 Observations
A total of 285 species have been identified during December. Most of the species on this list were recorded on Birding Big Day on 3 December. Maybe 300 species in one month could be attainable in future? - Birds recorded in the Overberg on Birding Big Day 2022
This impressive list of species was recorded in the Overberg region on Birding Big Day. A total of 252. - November 2022 observations
A total of 233 species were seen by members and friends of BirdLife Overberg during November 2022.