While you are walking around the dam, be on the look-out for flocks of swifts and swallows coming down to drink from the water’s surface. Most common are the White-rumped Swifts, but George also has a growing population of African Palm Swifts, and these often visit the Van Kervel Dam for a drink. Apart from the more common Greater Striped Swallows, look-out for Black Saw-wing that regularly come to drink from at this Dam. A pair of White-throated Swallows live in the vicinity of the dam and often sit on the dead trees that stick-out above the water level.

From here you can follow walk to the Wetland (-33.9462, 22.4637), a smaller, shallower dam, adjacent to the Van Kervel Dam. The Wetland is covered in reed-beds, and this habitat is a heaven for birds! The Wetland is home to Little Grebe, Purple Heron, Little Rush Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler and Levaillant’s Cisticola. There is a very nice bird hide on the northern side of the Wetland (-33.9454, 22.4637), and from this hide you have a view over a small area of open water. Here you are might see some of the more elusive wetland birds, such as Little Bittern, Common Moorhen, Black Crake, and Malachite Kingfisher. In summer there is always a colony of Cape Weaver that next on the reeds and on the overhanging tree branches next to the hide. African Black Duck, Common Waxbill and Cape Wagtail also use this wetland as a roosting site and arrive in the late afternoon.

To the east of the Bird Hide is a lawn with a picnic area and a Gazebo (-33.9454, 22.4642). The lawn is surrounded by well established trees that offer excellent garden birding. Here you will find several large wild fig trees, and if they are in fruit then they attract many different bird species. Keep a eye out for African Goshawk and Little Sparrowhawk that lurk in the tree canopy, waiting for an opportunity to hunt the smaller birds.

The Medicinal Spiral that located directly north of the Bird Hide (-33.9445, 22.4637), provides a good vantage point from where you may spot several birds of prey. Black Sparrowhawk and African Harrier Hawk regularly patrol the Garden, and Peregrine Falcon like to sit in either of the two large pine trees that stand near the railway line (-33.9447, 22.4645, -33.9440, 22.4638). There is a resident pair of Forest Buzzards so you need to listen for their calls as they often fly overhead, calling.

Sunbirds abound throughout the Garden, and of the seven species that occur in the area, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird and Amethyst Sunbirds are by far the most prominent. During winter, when the Aloe Bed (-33.9444, 22.4628) is in full bloom, you can expect numerous sunbirds visiting the flowering blooms of the Aloes. The Garden also has a great number of Tree Fuchsia, Halleria lucida, and Wild Pomegranate, Burchellia bubalina, trees, as well as various Pincushions, Proteas and Ericas, that, between them, provide sustenance for all the nectar loving birds during all seasons of the year. When in bloom, the proteas also attract Cape Sugarbird to the Garden.

Once you enter the forest along the Mushroom Meander Trail (-33.9433, 22.4624), you will inevitable hear the loud calls of the Grey Sunbird. Both this forest specialist, as well as the Collared Sunbird are especially fond of the nectar in the flowers of the Tree Fuchsia, Halleria lucida; so be sure to scan these trees very carefully for any signs of sunbird activity. For forest birding, you will find that the Mushroom Meander Trail is the best path in the Garden Route Botanical Garden. Follow this trail down to the small stream, and listen-out for bird parties that move through the forest canopy. Such bird parties usually contain Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Olive Bushshrike and Black-backed Puffback. Search the forest understory for Terrestrial Brownbul, Chorister Robin-chat, White-starred Robin and Green-backed Camaroptera. This particular patch of forest is also a very good spot for both Buff-spotted Flufftail and Knysna Warbler, both of which are best located by their distinctive calls.

When you exit the Mushroom Meander Trail, cross over the small wooden bridge that spans that old furrow and enter a great open lawn (-33.9427, 22.4625). Then you will find that there is a line of dead trees along the Eastern border of this lawn, and many of the forest birds enjoy gleaning the branches of these dead trees as they search for various insects. It is a particularly good place to find Olive Woodpecker, Grey Cuckooshrike, and Black-headed Oriole. In and amongst the dead trees there is growing, a Wild Peach, Kiggelaria africana; and this particular tree is (seasonally) infested with Acraea horta caterpillars – the favourite food of many a cuckoo! Scan this tree carefully for African Emerald Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo and Diederik Cuckoo. Red-chested Cuckoo and Black Cuckoo also frequent the area. Apart from the Klaas’s Cuckoo, all these cuckoos are strictly summer visitors. The long grass under these trees as well as the grass growing along the boundary fence often attract flocks of Swee Waxbill and Forest Canaries. There is a well kept trail that leads all along the eastern boundary fence that is particularly good for finding these little seed eaters.

Whenever there was a fire up in the Outeniqua Mountains, many of the Fynbos birds move and take refuge within the Botanical Garden. Here, they will remain until the Fynbos vegetation in the mountain has recovered to such an extent so that there is sufficient habitat for them to survive. Such visitors include Fynbos specialists like Victorin’s Warbler and Orange-breased Sunbird. The bird hide is a great asset to the facilities that are available at the Garden Route Botanical Garden, and over the year there have been several exciting records captured at this hide; including African Rail and Half-collared Kingfisher!