The Lowveld, world-famous for its big game, is also home to considerably more than half of the total species of southern African birds. More than 500 such species are found on the flats alone. However, these are augmented by even more specialized bird species from the forests and cliffs along the Drakensberg escarpment, which forms the Lowveld's western boundary. Complementing the Lowveld's exciting mammals, many of the rarest and most beautiful of South African birds are found in Hoedspruit District.

Eyrie nestles in spectacular Lowveld scenery on the lower slopes of Mariepskop, highest peak of the stunningly beautiful Blyde Canyon complex. Its frostfree Lowveld climate, at 1000 metres altitude, is higher and therefore cooler than the endless flats stretched out towards the eastern horizon. The location, between two cascading streams and right against the exceptional backdrop of Drakensberg peaks, attracts many of the rarer and more specialized escarpment birds to Eyrie from higher up. A striking example is the beautiful Gurney's Sugarbird dropping down nearly 1000 metres in altitude from the protea belt to feed with various sunbirds on coral trees in full bloom. Another visitor from higher altitudes is the showy Malachite Sunbird.

This ecotone, or border-line effect, brings bird species together at Eyrie which do not often meet. It must be one of the extremely few localities where the Knysna Lourie, Purple-crested Lourie and Narina Trogon can be heard and seen together. Our "status symbol", recording these "Beautiful Three" on the same day, has been achieved by more than twelve birder groups. Numerous other examples can be given, such as Paradise and Blue-mantled Flycatchers, Chinspot and Cape Batises, Bronze and Red-backed Mannikins, Black and Grey Cuckoo-shrikes, Golden-tailed and Olive Woodpeckers, Yellow-fronted and Golden-rumped Tinkers, White-bellied and Lesser Double-collared Sunbirds.

Remarkably, nine species of robin occur at Eyrie, with the Bearded, Natal and White-throated Robins most often seen, while Brown Robins tend to stay high up. Four species of honeyguide occur in the garden: Greater, Lesser, Scaly-throated and Sharp-billed. At Eyrie, 18 of 21 regional shrike species occur. Conversely, only one pipit (Striped), and one wagtail (Long-tailed) occur. However, the flats below admirably complement the escarpment where birding is concerned.

As an example, we study a game farm 25 kilometres away as the falcon flies, and here eight of the ten South African cuckoo species have been recorded, including the Thick-billed Cuckoo. Missing are only the Madagascar/Lesser Cuckoo (recorded rarely in South Africa, twice in the Lowveld nearby) and the Emerald Cuckoo, found in our garden at Eyrie. Similarly, eight of the fourteen indigenous South African doves and pigeons have been recorded here, and of the "missing" six, the Tambourine Dove is common at Eyrie, flocks of up to forty Rameron Pigeons have been recorded in the garden feeding on pigeonwood berries, the secretive Cinnamon Dove is regularly recorded, Delegorgue's Pigeon rarely, and the vagrant European Turtle Dove once observed near Hoedspruit.

On this game farm, eight of our twelve South African owls have been observed. However, at Eyrie 25 kilometres away, one of the least widespread, the Wood Owl, is common and heard hunting nightly, the Cape Eagle Owl calls from the cliffs, and the Pel's Fishing Owl occurs downstream relatively nearby on the Blyde and Olifants Rivers. Locally all 12 southern African owl species have been recorded, all 10 southern African kingfisher species including the vagrant Mangrove Kingfisher, and all five roller species.

The unusually high numbers of raptors, 61 species recorded within 30 kilometres of Eyrie, must be seen in context with the world-famous concentration of mammalian predators found in the Lowveld area, and the available prey species. Obviously, many such raptors are transient for various reasons, and recorded from time to time. Some are palearctic migrants like three harrier species, three kestrel species, eagles like Steppe, Lesser Spotted and Booted, buzzards like Honey and Steppe, and falcons like Sooty and European Hobby.

The full southern African spectrum of scavengers is present with two awaiting confirmation, but the Egyptian and Palmnut Vultures are rarely recorded. Some raptors are extremely rare, including breeding residents like the Taita Falcon (its southernmost distribution at Eyrie), the African Hobby Falcon and the Pygmy Falcon. This latter species is common in the arid west of southern Africa, utilizing Sociable Weaver nests, but local Pygmies are rare, and represent the southern tip of the East African population, which utilizes buffalo weaver nests.

EYRIE Birding Lodge