TEA EASTATES

Vast mountains covered in beautiful green tea crop, even, green and rippling, these agricultural valleys mesmerize the eyes. Additionally, driving on twisty mountain roads can be quite an enjoyable activity. The tea estates are just part of the broader and diversified habitats that make the whole area ideal for tourist activities such as birding. The other habitats include: lowland and riverine forest, marsh, miombo woodland, and maize lands. It is precisely the combination of these habitats that make Honde Valley one of the premier birding destinations in the country, if not the region.

Target Birds:

Miombo specials including Whyte’s Barbet, Green backed Honeybird, Wood Pipit, Striped Pipit, White breasted Cuckooshrike, Boulder Chat, Miombo Rock thrush, Collared Flycatcher (in season), Stierling’s Wren warbler, Southern Hyliota, Green capped Eremomela, Red faced Crombec, Miombo Tit, African Spotted Creeper, Western Violet backed Sunbird, Miombo Double collared Sunbird, Miombo Blue eared Starling and Black eared Seedeater.

There are a variety of birds: Moustached Grass warbler, Pale Batis, Red winged Warbler, Magpie Mannikin, Short-winged Cisticola and the real biggie, Lesser Seedcracker, Moustached Grass warbler, Black winged Bishop, Little Banded Goshawk, Eastern Bronze napped Pigeon, Black fronted Bush shrike, Pallid Honeyguide, White eared Barbet, Green backed Woodpecker, Grey Tit flycatcher, African Emerald Cuckoo, Blue mantled Crested Flycatcher, Red chested Cuckoo, Red faced Crimsonwing, Lizard Buzzard, Palm nut Vulture, Bronzy Sunbird, Guineafowl.

Also look out for lizards. Geckos are plentiful on walls; flat headed Tropical House Geckos. Rainbow Skink but the most impressive lizards are the Southern Tree Agamas. The Swynnerton’s Reed Frogs are a real target for enthusiasts and they are easily found clinging to the reeds but one can manage to find a few platannas and one or two Common River Frogs.

Tea Crops