Grassland is what the area is truly known for. The grassland areas are home to a wide range of birds both common and more sought after. In the summer the area is alive with the sound of African Pipit, Zitting, Desert, Cloud and Wing-snapping Cisticolas. Around many of the grassy pans, lookout for Levailant's Cisticola and also listen skywards for the display call of Pale-crowned Cisticola. These two birds seem not to like the presence of each other's company so if you get to one of the many grassland pans and you hear Levaillant's, move on as Pale-crowned will probably then not be there. Many of the more desirable grassland and farmland specialists are also there like Blue and Grey-Crowned Cranes. Also keep a lookout for Blue Korhaan.

The area is also home to all the abundant seed-eaters like Long-tailed and Red-collared Widowbirds and the little streams in the grassland areas should produce both Southern Red and Yellow-crowned Bishop.

You should also lookout for Secretarybird, particularly in the hillier areas. In summer the grasslands are also home to predatory birds in the forms of Jackal and Steppe Buzzards.

Cape Longclaw
Courtesy Doug Newman

The grasslands are also popular birding venues for the much sought after Rudd's and Bothas's Larks and let us not forget Yellow-breasted Pipit. Also look out for the ever-present Cape Longclaw, one of the most beautiful grasslands species of Southern Africa. The grasslands come alive throughout the shorter summer and one needs to keep an eye out for many prized "ticks". As you leave Wakkerstroom on the road to Piet Retief, keep your eyes open on the flatter grassland sections above the escarpment for displaying Denhams's Bustard. Also listen out for the familiar call of the Common quail although finding it can be another matter.

The open sections of grassland should also produce Orange River Francolin and as you head into the hillier areas, keep your ears fine tuned for the differences between the calls of Grey-winged and Red-winged Francolins.

If you are planning to try and get some of the grassland specials you need to be perfectly familiar with their desired habitats as you may well have many fruitless visits until you know how to find them. There is a much easier alternative. There are a few guides in the area and you could always contact BirdLife Travel to arrange to book a guide who knows where each of the specials are. In addition there are other birding enterprises in the area and they can also be contacted to arrange for guided outings to assist you in finding what you are looking for.

The grasslands are not only what Wakkerstroom is about. The wetland in the town of Wakkerstroom is of important ecological significance and has been declared a RAMSAR site. The conservation of this important area is vital to the tourist economy and the wetland itself has many amazing birds. The collection of waterfowl is impressive with many duck species present. In addition there are the usual wetland species such as African Purple Swamphen, Squacco Heron, White-backed Duck and a variety of other heron species. Also lookout for Grey-crowned Crane as they often visit the wetland. In addition you should not have much trouble finding African Marsh Harrier. Some of the more amazing specials to look out for include White-winged Flufftail which is almost impossible to find unless you are lucky enough to see them arrive from migration. Rather listen out for their calls. Also keep and eye and an ear open for Black Crake, African Rail and Baillons's Crake. One should also look for a range of wader species when there are exposed mudflats and you should have no problem finding Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stint, African Snipe and Common Greenshank. Also check the rivers for Malachite and Half-collared Kingfishers.

The hillier areas of Wakkerstroom
Courtesy Doug Newman

You do not only have to stick to the grassland areas of Wakkerstroom as there is much good birding to be had throughout the area. Take a drive on the road to Piet Retief from the center of town and you soon discover some amazing scenery with a new range of birds to be found in this area. This area goes down through Luneberg and the birding constantly changes as you drive. Some of the sand roads may also produce some good birding and we have seen Olive Woodpecker in the area. All you need to find is some indigenous bush in some hilly areas and you should have a good chance of finding what you are looking for. Keep an eye out for Southern Bald Ibis and if you do see any of them, note what they are doing and the number of birds and please report them to the Bald Ibis Project run by BirdLife South Africa. This important project needs our support in reporting all sightings of these birds. You should also find many larks throughout the Wakkerstroom area so be on the lookout for Rufous-naped, Eastern Clapper, Spike-heeled, Eastern Long-billed, Pink-billed Rudds's  and Bothas's Lark at various habitats throughout the region.

Retirement forest is a beautifully preserved area of escarpment forest, an habitat that is sadly in short supply these days. The birding here is of the highest quality in the area and you should be almost guaranteed in summer of Bush Blackcap, Cape Batis, Olive Bushshrike, Barrats's Warbler and a host of more common forest birds. You will need a guide as this is private property so please either contact BirdLife Travel or one of the local birding ventures to arrange access to the forest. You will not be sorry as there are birds here that are very difficult to get any where else in the region. Also aware that you are walking down and back up the escarpment so it is a very step climb so take a water bottle with and some good walking shoes and be prepared for a lot of breathlessness on the way back up but that would be equally from the walk and the breathtaking scenery and birding. In addition you should lookout for other sought-after species like Olive Woodpecker, White-stared Robin, Greater Double-collared Sunbird and some of the montane birds like Wailing and Lazy Cisticolas at the top of the ridge. You should also pick up Sombre Greenbul, Southern Boubou and some of the more common forest birds with little trouble.

The drive down to Luneberg is very scenic and as you drop down the escarpment you will pass through a range of areas with a range of birding. You need to stop in the town and look at how well kept and picturesque it is. There is a lot of history around this town based of a local German population that settled here many years ago. In the town itself you will find many common suburban species and check the cow paddocks for Yellow Wagtail in summer. We have not found them there yet but the conditions seem right for them to occur in this area. Continue through the town and turn left to Piet Retief at the T-junction.

There are a range of habitats as you travel out of Luneberg. When you get to the pine plantations, listen out for Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler.