Birding

Makapa Lodge is a BirdLife South Africa Birder Friendly Establishment, meaning we are committed to providing bird-watching visitors with quality service. We are environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism providers. We support BirdLife South Africa' strategic objective of conserving wild birds and their habitats.

There are many good birding sites within easy reach of Makapa Lodge, but your bird watching can begin in, or from our own beautiful gardens. (We normally have a spare pair of binoculars should you wish to borrow them.) Bulbuls, Fiscal Shrikes, Speckled Pigeons, Bokmakerie, Cape White-eye and Red-winged Starlings are never far away. Fynbos specials such as Cape Sugarbirds and sunbirds (Double Collared, Malachite and Orangebreasted) are frequent visitors to our proteas.

Guineafowl, Cape Francolin, Spotted Dikkop, Cape Canaries, Cape Weavers and Speckled Mousebirds are often seen either in the garden or on the mountainside next to the lodge. Raptors such as Rock Kestrels and Steppe Buzzards patrol the mountainside and as the light fades a Spotted Eagle Owl sometimes perches on the rocks above the house or even on the roof of the log chalet.

In summer, especially, various swallows, swifts and martins display their arial skills around the lodge.

Rondevlei Nature Reserve (20 minutes drive) – Established in 1952 it consists of a large lake (vlei) surrounded by low coastal dunes. Over 200 bird species have been recorded at Rondevlei of which about 80 are resident or regular visitors.

Cape Point (20 minutes drive) – Over 250 bird species recorded, coastal fynbos, scrub and sea birds. Also an excellent place for whale viewing, (June – November), and there are Mountain Zebra, Ostriches, several species of antelope and Chacma Baboons in the park.

Boulders Beach (15 minutes drive) – Famous for its colony of African (jackass) penguins.

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (25-30 minutes drive) – In addition to the splendour of an internationally acclaimed botanical gardens is also an excellent place for some bird spotting.

Pelagic trips from Simons Town harbour to see albatrosses and petrels can be arranged.

There are also many other good spots for birding, local vleis, wetland, forest and coastal areas within 10-15 minutes drive from Makapa Lodge. We would welcome the opportunity of helping to plan your itinerary should you wish to spend time bird watching during your stay.

Breakfast-n-Birds

Strandfontein is a water treatment works about 30-35 minute drive from Makapa Lodge, there have been over 200 species recorded in the area and you could easily see between 40 and 50 in a short visit. This is an ideal place for the ‘casual’ birdwatcher to see some interesting bird species.

Your host, Ian, himself a keen ‘birder’ can take you to Strandfontein from the lodge. We would aim to depart straight after breakfast and be back at Makapa by lunch time. Total duration – about 3 hours.

At the waterworks we will drive along tracks beside the ponds, so if you wish you can do all your viewing from the car. (If you do not have your own binoculars you can borrow a pair from us.)

Types of bird you might expect to see – flamingoes, pelicans, kingfishers, ducks, geese, gulls, herons, egrets, cormorants, plovers, raptors, warblers and many others.