Introduction
Grahamstown is better known as an educational and cultural centre than as a base for birding, and there are few species in this part of the Eastern Cape which do not also occur at better-known localities. Nevertheless there is a great diversity of bird habitats within easy reach of the town. The Diaz Cross Bird Club has branches in Grahamstown and Kenton-on-Sea, which both hold monthly meetings and outings; visitors are welcome to join these. The local tourist offices and travel agents can provide information on the club’s programme, and contact telephone numbers.

1. Grahamstown Botanical Gardens
The botanical gardens adjoining the university are worth a visit, particularly on week-day mornings when few people are about. A one-hour walk can produce a list of 30 species. From Somerset Street, turn up the road between the Natural History and Cultural History sections of the Albany Museum; the main gates to the gardens are on the left, soon after you pass the Eden Grove section of Rhodes University. In winter when the aloes are in bloom, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Southern Double-collared Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird and Malachite Sunbird are numerous. Black-headed Oriole, Fork-tailed Drongo, Red-winged Starling and Cape Weaver also feed on nectar. Wild fig trees in fruit attract Speckled Mousebird, Red-faced Mousebird, Dark-capped Bulbul, Sombre Greenbul, Olive Thrush and Black-collared Barbet. seedeaters such as Streaky-headed Seedeater, Yellow-fronted Canary, Swee Waxbill and Bronze Mannikin feed alongside the paths. Proteas on the upper slopes and around the Settlers’ Monument sometimes attract Cape Sugarbird, while Cape Rock-Thrush and Rock Kestrel have nested on the buildings. There is a resident African Goshawk, and regular visitors include African Harrier-Hawk, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Lesser Honeyguide, Klaas's Cuckoo, Olive Woodpecker, Southern Black Flycatcher and Grey Sunbird.

2. Great Fish River Reserve
About 45 minutes’ drive inland lies a group of three adjoining reserves, which together cover some 50 000 hectares. More than 220 bird species have been recorded here, and bird-club outings have logged 100 species in a day; the main habitat is valley bushveld flanking the Fish River. Travelling east from Grahamstown, take the road to Kingwilliamstown, then turn north to Fort Beaufort. After the Ecca Pass and before the bridge across the Great Fish River, at a crossroads with a sign to the Kudu Reserve, turn east again and follow the signs. The road is untarred and may be muddy after rain. There is no entrance fee; after the gate, take the first road left, which leads to Kwalamanzi Hide. The dam below the hide is at times completely dry, but often holds numerous waterbirds, and game come to drink there. Driving through this section of the reserve will lead you out onto Bucklands Farm (which offers B & B accommodation, phone +27 46 622 8055). Follow the main road, which soon enters the Sam Knott Reserve and leads down to Double Drift Fort, an outpost during the frontier wars. There is a picnic site here, and a causeway over the river is passable for vehicles with a high clearance, giving access to Double Drift Game Reserve on the east bank. Accommodation in lodges, chalets and more basic cabins is available through the Eastern Cape Tourism Board (phone +27 43 701 9600).
Walking is restricted, since both Black Rhino and Buffalo occur; Hippo have also been reintroduced to the river. In summer the valley can be intensely hot, and game are seen mostly in the early morning or evening. The birds range from African Black Duck, African Fish-Eagle and African Finfoot along the river, Black-winged Stilt and South African Shelduck on the dams, Knysna Woodpecker and Acacia Pied Barbet in thornveld, to Knysna Turaco and Dark-backed Weaver in well-watered kloofs. Regular sightings include Southern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Red-throated Wryneck, Southern Black Tit, Sombre Greenbul, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Karoo Scrub-Robin, Chestnut-vented Tit-Babbler, Fiscal Flycatcher, Cape Glossy Starling, Spectacled Weaver and Golden-breasted Bunting. Conspicuous among the summer migrants are Ruff (on the dams), Jacobin Cuckoo, Pearl-breasted Swallow, Willow Warbler, African Paradise-Flycatcher and Red-backed Shrike. Red-billed Oxpecker have been reintroduced, and may be sighted on kudu or eland. An overnight stay will provide a serenade from the black-backed jackals, African Scops-Owl and Fiery-necked Nightjar.

3. Watersmeet Reserve
On the way to Port Alfred, about 45 minutes from Grahamstown, this site near the village of Bathurst has dense valley bushveld with many typical forest birds. Entering Bathurst from the north, continue straight on at the stop street next to the "Pig and Whistle", and follow this dirt road to the reserve gate. An entrance fee is payable. Just past the gate there is a lookout over the horseshoe bend in the Kowie River; a well-known African Crowned Eagle nest is visible directly below, and other raptors such as Lanner Falcon and Jackal Buzzard are often seen from here. The road down to the riverside picnic site is steep, and should not be attempted in very wet weather. Half-collared Kingfisher occur along the river at the ebb-and-flow, and forest birds include Red-necked Spurfowl, Knysna Turaco, Olive Woodpecker, Terrestrial Brownbul, Chorister Robin-Chat, Cape Batis, Black-backed Puffback, Grey Sunbird, Dark-backed Weaver and Forest Canary. There are several walking trails in the reserve, and a map is available.

4. Kap River Reserve
This site is about an hour and a half from Grahamstown. One approach follows the main road to Kingwilliamstown and then turns south to "Coombs" after about 15 km, continuing south along this dirt road until you reach the reserve office; the road is poor in some sections, but there is a chance of White-bellied Korhaan in the grasslands above the Fish River. Alternatively the reserve can be reached from the main coastal road east of Port Alfred, turning inland immediately before the bridge across the Great Fish River, of which the Kap River is a minor tributary. Overnight accommodation is available in a converted farmhouse; canoes can be hired, and there is a fee for following the walking trails (phone +27 46 625 0631).
The best trail starts at the top of the hill near the office, crosses open grassland where Cape Longclaw are common, and then descends into the valley to follow the river’s edge. A quiet group has a good chance to see African Finfoot, and White-backed Night-Heron are recorded occasionally. When the fig trees on the opposite bank are in fruit, Trumpeter Hornbill are common and Black-bellied Starling are likely. Along the trail one may encounter a variety of forest birds, such as Knysna Turaco, Terrestrial Brownbul, Chorister Robin-Chat, White-starred Robin, Olive Bush-Shrike and Collared Sunbird. Yellow Weaver are the commonest species in the reedbeds in summer.

5. Ghio Pans Reserve
On the main road from Grahamstown to Kenton-on-Sea, about 8 km inland from Kenton, there is a crossroad with the western branch marked "Alexandria"; this gravel road descends to the floodplain of the bushman’s river, and runs alongside the Ghio (or Ngciyo) Pans. This area of the valley floor is flooded for long periods after rain, but may also be dry for months on end. When full, the pans attract a wide variety of waterbirds, and can be viewed from the road. There is also a hide, on the strip between the main pans. Both the numbers of birds and the species present fluctuate widely; Black Stork, Yellow-billed Stork, Osprey, Maccoa Duck, and Whiskered Tern have been recorded periodically. Maximum counts have included 80 African Spoonbill, 40 Cape Shoveler, 50 Black-winged Stilt, 130 Little Stint, 600 Ruff and 80 Common Tern.

6. Coastal Sites
Both Port Alfred and Kenton-on-Sea are some 60 km from Grahamstown, and can be reached within an hour on tarred roads. At low tide, the mud-flats of the Kowie River at Port Alfred hold large numbers of waders in summer: Common Greenshank, Common Whimbrel, Grey Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling are particularly common. Local species include Great Egret and African Black Oystercatcher, while there are often Black-winged Lapwing on the golfcourse at Port Alfred. At Kenton-on-Sea the Bushman’s River generally has more waders than the Kariega River, and vagrant Goliath Heron appear quite regularly. Various operators offer boat or canoe trips on these rivers. To the west of Kenton, the estuary at Boknes is easily reached from the road to Alexandria and may be rewarding if the water level is not too high; this is generally a closed estuary. Cape Cormorant, Reed Cormorant and White-breasted Cormorant are often to be seen alongside African Darter, and the terns may include Caspian Tern. Cape Gannet are regularly seen from the beach. To the east of Port Alfred, on the coastal road to East London, the Great Fish River Estuary lies below the road bridge. This is an excellent site for migrant waders, and recent notable records include Terek Sandpiper, Common Redshank and Little Tern.