At the western end of the Garden Route, the Wilderness National Park encloses a system of reed-fringed coastal lakes which are sandwiched between a beach and an escarpment cloaked with lush coastal forest. A number of tranquil paths lead through the forest, offering easy and pleasant access to an excellent selection of forest birds, including Knysna Lourie (p.125*). The park’s rest camp is at Ebb and Flow (1 on site map, p.120), a 1-km drive north of the N2 national road (turn inland at the signs just east of Wilderness village). The hutted camp and campsite, particularly at Ebb and Flow North (adjacent to Ebb and Flow south), offers good birding (including nightly Wood Owls) and is a rewarding place to base your explorations into the surrounding forests.

Leading from Ebb and Flow are four trails, all named after local kingfishers. Good forest birding is to be had along the Giant Kingfisher Trail, which begins at the northern end of the Ebb and Flow North campsite. It runs alongside the eastern bank of the Touw River, ascending its forested valley and ultimately reaching a waterfall at 2, 3.5 km from the campsite. The most conspicuous species in the forest are usually Bar-throated Apalis and Green-backed Bleating Warbler. Terrestrial Bulbul and Chorister Robin (p.125*) lurk in the lower strata (see box opposite), while common species of the mid-canopy are Cape Batis, Dusky Flycatcher, Sombre Bulbul, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-mantled Flycatcher, Olive Woodpecker and, less conspicuously, Olive Bush Shrike. It is especially important to familiarize yourself with the calls of otherwise cryptic canopy species such as Black-headed Oriole, Narina Trogon (p.125*), Grey Cuckooshrike, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Black-bellied Starling, Knysna Lourie (p.125*), and Red-billed Woodhoopoe. The latter two birds often venture into the rest-camp edges.

Look out for Red-necked Francolin feeding cautiously in open areas near the forest edge, especially in the early morning and in the evening. Listen for the deep hoot of Buff-spotted Flufftail at night. Crowned Eagle and African Goshawk may be seen overhead here, as indeed in any of the Garden Route forests. Cinnamon (the most common) and Tambourine Doves are birds of the forest floor and are most often seen when flushed.

Also providing good access to these forest species is the Half-collared Kingfisher Trail, running along the other side of the Touw River for 2.5 km. It offers a good view of the river edges, and thus better access to its scarce and inconspicuous namesake, which is resident along its length. The reeds along the Touw River at the Ebb and Flow campsite edges have hosted Great Reed Warbler, which may be a scarce visitor here despite being almost unknown in the Cape.

In the Wilderness system, the best lakes for birding are Langvlei and Rondevlei, largely because both have well-positioned hides (at 3 and 4 respectively, see map overleaf) which are accessed along boardwalks cut through dense reedbeds. These hides, especially the one at Rondevlei, are excellent places to search for stubborn skulkers such as Red-chested Flufftail and African Rail. The best way to see these birds is to lure them across the gap in the reeds formed by the boardwalk. Baillon’s Crake also occurs here, but is less likely to be enticed into view and is best searched for at the reed edges in the early morning. Rallids aside, the lakes offer a pleasant selection of more conspicuous species, including Yellow-billed Egret, Purple Heron, African Fish Eagle, Osprey (summer), African Marsh Harrier, Malachite Kingfisher and Cape Reed and African Sedge Warblers.

Excellent forest birding (possibly even superior to that at Wilderness) may also be enjoyed in Woodville Forest, just to the north of the lakes (see map, above; follow the signs to the ‘Big Tree’ at 5). A few minute’s walk from the parking area leads you to the aptly named tree — a gargantuan Outeniqua Yellowwood (Podocarpus falcatus) — from which a 2-km footpath loops gently through the forest. All the birds listed for the Wilderness forests occur here. Furthermore, Woodville is probably a better site for Starred Robin, Knysna Woodpecker (albeit scarce; p.72*) and, in streamside undergrowth and scrubby forest edge habitats, Knysna Warbler (p.32*). Secondary growth at forest edges — such as that along the short section of road leading to the parking area — is worth checking for Forest Canary, Swee Waxbill and Greater Double-collared Sunbird.

Another excellent site for Knysna Warbler (p.125*) is Victoria Bay, situated between Wilderness and George. Take the signposted turn-off south from the N2 and follow this winding road all the way down to the beach, where there is a gate and parking area. Knysna Warbler is common in the undergrowth of the adjacent dense coastal thicket (for example, near the boardwalk on the left of the parking area).

Forest Buzzard occurs in forests and plantations throughout the Garden Route, and regularly perches on roadside telephone poles along the N2 from Wilderness through Knysna and to Nature’s Valley. In summer, it is joined by Steppe Buzzard, posing an identification challenge.