Western Cape, Republic of South Africa. While not a place to visit in mid-winter, for much of the year this is a very special area for a variety of endemic and other birds. It is a far cry from the urban development of Cape Town but is actually only 4 hours by car from the city. The country is well known for its sheep farming but somehow this does not seem important as one views the wonderful land forms created by water and wind in the sandstones of the Cape System. From here it is possible to visit the Karoo or go west to Namaqualand for the flowers in spring, and Langebaan Lagoon to see the concentrations of waterbirds and waders.

The Cape Francolin is common and tame, but the smaller endemics take some searching for. It is a “wild” area where ones sees few other people.