SANI PASS
and adjacent Lesotho Highlands

This road route over the Drakensberg provides the birder with a uniquely comprehensive and accessible section of Drakensberg habitats from 1600m to 3240m. A full day is needed which for convenience requires overnight accommodation in the vicinity of Underberg. 160 species are recorded for the area delimited on the map.

Specials
In order of possible/likely sighting are: Half-collared Kingfisher, Bush Blackcap, Barratt's Warbler, Gurney's Sugarbird, Ground Woodpecker, Buff-streaked Chat, Drakensberg Rock-jumper, Drakensberg Siskin, Bearded Vulture, Cape Vulture, Cape Eagle-Owl, Sentinel Rock-Thrush, Southern Bald Ibis, Mountain Pipit, African Rock Pipit. Black-headed Canary is an occassional.

Habitats
Valley basin thicket, boulder and protea studded grassland, secondary heath (fynbos), rock filled gullies and precipices on the Natal side; in Lesotho heavily grazed sub-alpine grassland and heath, seasonal bogs and rocky mountainsides.

Birding
Birding is best done along the single road.

1. The thicket about the ruins of an old trading store at the threshold to Sani Pass is good for Bush Blackcap, Barratt's Warbler, Swee Waxbill and Brown-backed Honeybird.

2. From where the road begins to climb, opportunistic stops in the protea/boulder grassland will reveal Ground Woodpecker, Gurney's Sugarbird, Buff-streaked Chat, Red-winged Francolin, Horus Swift and sometimes birds-of-passage, as this is a migration route.

3. In the rugged terrain between border posts, where the Pass zigzags through the main escarpment, occur Drakensberg Rock-jumper and Drakensberg Siskin. Somewhere in this or the following zones perhaps lies the interface of distribution of Drakensberg Prinia and Drakensberg Prinia.

4. The watershed at Sani Top marks the limit of distribution of typical karoo birds such as Sickle-winged Chat, Layard's Tit-Babbler, Fairy Flycatcher, Yellow Canary, Grey Tit and Large-billed Lark. On the adjacent short grass flats and heath covered slopes, are found Southern Bald Ibis, Mountain Pipit, Grey-winged Francolin, Sentinel Rock-Thrush and Black Harrier, with Bearded Vulture and Cape Vulture overhead. Further into Lesotho African Rock Pipit can be located with some difficulty and, occasionally, Black-headed Canary.

General
The road up Sani Pass between the two border posts is very steep and sometimes only 4-wheel drive vehicles are allowed through the RSA border post (open 8am to 4pm). A valid passport is essential. There is abundant accommodation of all categories in the Underberg district. Sought after grassland birds in the vacinity of Underberg include: Yellow-breasted Pipit, Wattled Crane, Pale-crowned Cisticola and Broad-tailed Warbler.

Accommodation and Tours
Rob Guy Sani Birding - Tel/fax 033-7011020 rguysani@hotmail.com www.robguysani.co.za
Button Birding - tel 039-8331129 buttonbirding@futurenet.co.za www.buttonbirding.com
Sani Top Chalet - 033-7021305 / 0825745476 sanitop@futurnet.co.za www.sanitopchalet.co.za
Sani Pass Hotel tel 033-7021320 fax 033-7020220 info@sanipasshotel.co.za www.sanipasshotel.co.za

Robin Guy 2001
Tel/fax 033-7011020 rguysani@hotmail.com www.robguysani.co.za