Tucked into the rolling foothills of the Central Drakensberg, The Nest Hotel is a place where mornings begin with birdsong and evenings close with silhouettes of raptors gliding against a fading sky. With Birding Big Day taking place on 6 December, there is no better time to discover just how rich and rewarding birding around The Nest can be.
For seasoned birders and curious beginners alike, our gardens, grasslands and nearby riverine areas offer a full day of relaxed, immersive birding – all within easy reach of your room.
A Valley Alive With Birds
Step outside your chalet at first light and you will quickly understand why birders fall in love with this valley. Over the years, guests and local birders have recorded an impressive variety of species in and around the hotel grounds. From soaring raptors such as Crowned Eagle, Jackal Buzzard, Long crested Eagle and Yellow billed Kite, to the iconic Cape Vulture that often circles high above the Berg, the skies are seldom quiet. On nearby farmland, Southern Bald Ibis and Ground Hornbills are regular highlights.
Closer to the lawns and gardens, the colour and movement never really stops. Greater double collared, White bellied and Amethyst sunbirds move between flowering shrubs, while Cape White-eye and Cape Robin Chat work their way through the foliage. Weavers bring constant activity to the trees, with Village, Southern masked, Spectacled and Thick billed weavers all recorded, and in season the bright reds of Southern red bishop and Red collared widowbird stand out above the grass.
Along the nearby water and wetlands, kingfishers are a special attraction. Half collared, Pygmy, Malachi, Pied, Giant and Brown hooded Kingfishers have all been seen in the area, while Hamerkop and Reed Cormorant patrol the shallows. In the surrounding thickets and forest edges you may encounter Cape Batis, African Paradise flycatcher, African Dusky flycatcher, Cape Grassbird, Cape Thrush and a full chorus of cisticolas and warblers. Add in the calls of African Hoopoe, Green wood hoopoe, Black headed Oriole, Black collared barbet and the ever present Hadeda Ibis, and you have a soundscape that is pure Drakensberg.
What Is Birding Big Day
Birding Big Day is a national celebration of birds and birders. On this day, teams across South Africa spend up to 24 hours recording as many bird species as possible within a defined area. The results are submitted to BirdLife South Africa and SABAP2, contributing valuable information to bird conservation while giving everyone a reason to get out, explore and sharpen their skills.
Some teams choose to range widely with a large radius, but many are discovering the joy of a smaller, focused area. Watching and listening carefully within a limited distance allows you to slow down, notice behaviour and really get to know a place and its birds. The Nest Hotel, with its mix of gardens, grasslands, farmlands and riverine habitat within a few kilometres, is perfectly suited to this style of Big Day birding.
Planning Your Big Day From The Nest
A relaxed Big Day at The Nest might begin well before sunrise, with a quiet walk around the gardens to pick up the early callers – doves, robins, bulbuls, thrushes and the first sunbirds starting to move. As the light improves, you can work the hotel grounds and nearby fields for weavers, widowbirds, bishops, sparrows and starlings, keeping an eye on the skyline for vultures and raptors.
Late morning is ideal for exploring nearby riverine and wetland areas for kingfishers, Hamerkop, Reed Cormorant and other water associated species. During the heat of the day, you can return to the hotel for a well deserved rest, a leisurely lunch and time to log your sightings before heading out again in the cooler afternoon. Forest edges and thickets often become active again as the day cools, providing another chance for species you may have missed earlier.
If you still have energy after dinner, a quiet evening stroll may reward you with night sounds and the possibility of owls or nightjars, rounding off a full Big Day without needing to travel far or rush from one habitat to another.
Birding For Everyone
One of the beauties of Birding Big Day is that it is as flexible as you need it to be. Serious birders can plan a full dawn to dark effort and aim for an impressive species total, while families and casual nature lovers can simply dedicate a few relaxed hours to seeing how many birds they can identify around the hotel.
Children often take to birding with great enthusiasm, especially when they can tick off colourful species such as sunbirds, weavers and kingfishers. A pair of binoculars, a field guide or birding app, a notebook and a good hat are usually all that is needed. The Nest’s expansive lawns, open spaces and beautiful views make it easy to combine birding with family time, tea on the terrace or a gentle stroll between activities.
Make The Nest Your Big Birding Day Base
With comfortable accommodation, hearty country meals and easy access to a variety of habitats, The Nest Hotel is an ideal base for Birding Big Day on 6 December. Whether you are a lifelong birder, an atlassing enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of a sunbird on a flower or a raptor circling against the mountains, the Drakensberg will not disappoint.
Plan a stay over the Birding Big Day weekend, invite friends or family to form a small team, and experience a full day of birding in one of South Africa’s most scenic valleys. As you sit on the veranda at the end of the day, tallying your list with the mountains fading into dusk, you will be reminded why birding is such a special way to connect with nature, with place and with one another.
We look forward to welcoming you – and your binoculars – to The Nest Hotel for Birding Big Day and beyond.
Download Our Full Bird List HERE
Photo Credit : Anthony Gray
