Three days were spent in the area around Crocodile Bridge. The weather was very overcast with rain in the evenings. The vegetation was dry so visibility into the park was good. Now all we had to do was find the birds.
The first day was spent on the S28 from Croc Bridge to Lower Sabie via the Ntandanyahti Hide. The hide was productive but few birds were seen on the S28. On exit from the hide a rather large elephant stood guard over our car. Appropriate action was taken and we returned to the hide until it was safe to leave. Not long as it happened.
African Elephant
African Elephant
A visit to Sunset Dam and then to Mlondozi Dam (looking for the reported Collared flycatcher – no luck) were also productive.
The second day we took the S25 and S26 to Mpondo Dam – again very quiet along the way. However on a detour off the S25 to Hippo Pool we were fortunate to see 3 Verreaux’s Eagle-Owls together. They flew over the road and stopped in nearby trees.
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl
Mpondo Dam was disappointing. Onward we went back along the S26 to the S114 turned south to the then S119 and S25 returning to the camp. Along the S114 Sally called for me to stop. She had heard a Coqui Francolin – her bogie bird. It called several times but we never had a sighting.
Despite what appeared to be a paucity of birds we did manage to record 144 different species during our time there.
White-browed Robin-Chat
White-browed Robin-Chat
White-crowned Shrike
Bedraggled Brown-crowned Tchagra.
White-throated Robin-Chat
White-throated Robin-Chat
White-throated Robin-Chat
White-throated Robin-Chat
White-throated Robin-Chat
Wire-tailed Swallow
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow-billed Stork – juvenile
Yellow-throated Longclaw
Acacia Pied Barbet
African Green-Pigeon
African Jacana
African Pied Wagtail
Barn Swallows
Barn Swallows
Black Crake – juvenile
Black-backed Puffback
Blue Waxbill with red beak
Booted Eagle
Booted Eagle
Booted Eagle
Booted Eagle
Chinspot Batis
Chinspot Batis
Common Buzzard
Common Sandpiper
Common Scimitarbill
Crested Barbet
Curlew Sandpiper
Diderick Cuckoo
Double-banded Sandgrouse and chick
Double-banded Sandgrouse
Green-backed Cameroptera
Green-backed Heron
Grey Go-away-bird. Head
Grey Go-away-bird.
Grey-headed Bushshrike
Grey-headed Bushshrike
Klipspringer
Kurrichane Thrush
Lappet-faced Vulture
Lappet-faced Vultures
Lappet-faced and White-backed Vultures
Laughing Dove – very dark looking
Laughing Dove
Lions
Malachite Kingfisher
Mocking Cliff-Chat
Mocking Cliff-Chat
Nest thought to be a Penduline-Tit nest.
Orange-breasted Bushshrike
Orange-breasted Bushshrike
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Pearl-spotted Owlet
Purple Roller
Purple-banded Sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Purple-banded Sunbird
Red-billed Hornbill
Red-faced Cisticola
Reedbuck
Sabota Lark
Slender Mongoose with his snail
Southern Ground-Hornbill
Swainson’s Spurfowl
Violet-backed Starling
Violet-backed Starling
Wattled Starling
Which Roller is this?
White Rhino – resting his head on rock.
Satara was our next venue for 4 nights. See Part 3
Four days were spent in Mkuzi Nature Reserve. The weather was cool and overcast with some sun occasionally.
The Reserve was starting to look green due to the recent rains. Visibility into the bush was excellent. We were told another 3 lionesses were recently added bringing the lion population to 8 – they are very shy. The waterhole at the kwaMalibali hide was dry and the hide and walkway itself in desperate need of renovation. The campsite had sorted its water issues and was quite busy. Maintenance remains an issue with leaking taps everywhere.
The Fig Forest walk was the highlight simply because the Pel’s Fishing-Owl gave us great views. Narina Trogons and African Broadbills were also calling but not seen,
Pel’s Fishing-Owl
We came across a Crowned Lapwing nest with 2 eggs right beside a side road. The Lapwing parents were nearby. However a couple of days later the nest had gone.
Crowned Lapwing on nest
Crowned Lapwing eggs
Crowned Lapwing guarding nest
In the campsite we could hear the African Broadbill calling nearby. Eventually we found one in the camp out in the open. Then it dashed back into the bush and we could hear it wing-snapping for a long time but it did not call.
We witnessed the arrival of a pair of Wahlberg’s Eagles near their nesting site close to the start of the loop road. They settled into a nearby tree and went through their mating ritual.
Wahlberg’s Eagles on arrival.
Wahlberg’s Eagles in courtship
Wahlberg’s Eagles procreating
Wahlberg’s Eagles procreating
Birding was excellent as usual with a number of specials sighted including the Pels fishing-Owl; African Broadbill (in the campsite); numerous raptors including a mating pair of Wahlberg’s Eagles; a silent but obliging Diderick Cuckoo; Rudd’s Apalis; a number of Black-bellied Bustards; Village Indigobird in transition; Striped Kingfishers calling everywhere; Eastern Nicator; Western Osprey; vocal Bearded Scrub-Robins; Broad-billed and Lilac-breasted Rollers; Neergaard’s Sunbird; Pink-throated Twinspots to name a few.
As usual, the kuMasinga hide midday proved to be one of the best and most relaxing spots to see a wide variety of birds and animals as they come to drink.
Photo Gallery of some of the birds and other creatures we saw – including a couple of Mystery birds:
African Firefinch
African Goshawk
African Pygmy-Kingfisher
Bearded Scrub-Robin
Black-bellied Bustard
Black-bellied Bustard
Black-collared Barbet
Black-shouldered Kite
Broad-billed Roller
Broad-billed Roller in flight
Brown Snake-Eagle
Brown-crowned Tchagra
Cape Glossy Starling
Chinspot Batis
Common Buzzard
Common Fiscal – female
Common Sandpiper
African Firefinch
Crested Guineafowl
Crowned Eagle
Crowned Eagle
Crowned Hornbill
Dead Snake
Dead Snake
Diderick Cuckoo
Black Cuckooshrike – female
European Bee-eater
Golden-breasted Bunting
Golden-tailed Woodpecker
Greater Honeyguide
Green Woodhoopoe
Grey Duiker
Grey Waxbill
Grey Waxbills
Helmeted Guineafowl
Lesser Striped Swallow
Little Sparrowhawk
Long-tailed Paradise-Whydah
Martial Eagle
Martial Eagle
Mystery Bird
Mystery Raptor
Nsumo Pan – Picnic Site
Nyala – young male
Pale Flycatcher
Pel’s Fishing-Owl
Pel’s Fishing-Owl
Pel’s Fishing-Owl
Pel’s Fishing-Owl
Pink-throated Twinspot
Purple-banded Sunbird
Purple-crested Turacos
Purple-crested Turacos
Purple-crested Turacos
Red-billed Oxpecker
Red-breasted Swallow
Red-eyed Dove
Ruff
Scarlet-chested Sunbird
Snake
Snake
Speckled Mousebird
Spectacled Weaver.
Striped Kingfisher
Striped Kingfisher
Sun Spider
Trumpeter Hornbill
Village Indigobird in transition
Water Thick-knee
Western Osprey
White-browed Scrub-Robin
White-fronted Bee-eater
White-throated Robin-Chat
Wire-tailed Swallow
Yellow-bellied Greenbul
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Zebra with full mouth of water
In all we saw 168 different bird species. Click here to see our list.
And then we were off to the Kruger National Park for four weeks, entering at Crocodile Bridge. Part 2 to follow.
A group of about 12 of us met for the Midlands Bird Club outing to Darvill, just outside Pietermaritzburg – led by Gordon Bennett.
The morning started with a stroll along the road beside the sewerage canals. A Grey Duiker took us all completely by surprise. Not something you see here with all the poaching.
Grey Duiker
We ambled along a-ways when I decided to have a closer look to see if anything was hiding in the canals. And that is when it all happened – the biggest excitement for the day.
The scope came out when I noticed a wader in one of the canals – sleeping on a log. At first I thought it was a Common Sandpiper but it lacked the white patch up the shoulder. Then I noticed barring on the tail and a prominent white eyering (no eyebrow supercillium nor speckled back so not a Wood Sandpiper either, I thought). Then I got excited and called the rest of the group to come have a look. Meanwhile I went to get closer which meant crossing the fast flowing nearer canal. Fortunately there was a crossing further down and I managed to get up to about 30 metres from the bird – all the while stopping and taking photos. When it eventually flew we were able to see its rump which was white but not extending up its back and the end of the tail was barred.
Green Sandpiper – initial view.
Green Sandpiper – getting closer
Green Sandpiper getting even closer
Green Sandpiper
Much discussion and book searching followed. There was mention of it possibly being a Solitary Sandpiper which a number of us had never heard of. The features are similar. (At home I looked it up and found that Solitary Sandpipers breed in woodlands across Alaska and Canada. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Central and South America, especially in the Amazon River basin, and the Caribbean).
That aside, it was felt at the time that this could be a Green Sandpiper – all the pointers seemed right but we were nervous about making a bad call and decided to wait and see the photos. Once home, the call for confirmation of ID went out on Facebook etc and Green Sandpiper it was.
The amble continued along the side of the canals to the river then up to the ponds. Along the way a swarm of Swifts and Swallows passed overhead. There were many different species of Swift seen amongst them – African Black, African Palm-, Alpine (special), Little, and White-rumped.
African Sacred Ibis – a small group
Red-eyed Dove
Mystery Bird -TFP
Mystery Bird – TFP.
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Tawny-flanked Prinia – Sally Bartho
Levaillant’s Cisticola – Sally Bartho
The paths are clear so the view of the ponds was good. Numerous water birds were on the ponds. Some of the highlights included a group of 6 African Snipes, a Squacco Heron, Little Stints, all 3 Teals etc.
African darter – Sally Bartho I like the hazy background.
One of the open ponds
Pond view
Hottentot Teals
Birders in action
Close to where the group of 6 African Snipes were seen – Sally Bartho
Both Klaas’s and Dideric Cuckoos were heard and the Klaas’s seen. African Marsh Harrier was seen quartering one area and Kites and a Jackal Buzzard flew above us. Altogether Sally and I recorded 81 different species. Click here to see our list. This excludes a number of other birds seen by other members of the group. To conclude we had the pleasure of seeing a pair of Grey-crowned Cranes in the fields above the ponds.
Grey-crowned Crane
Grey-crowned Crane – Sally Bartho
Excitedly we returned home to check our photos of the Sandpiper.
Need confirmation but we think that this is a Green sandpiper – seen this morning at the Darvill Sewerage Works outside Pietermaritzburg. Note the prominent eye-ring with no supercillium behind the eye (not a Wood Sandpiper); the barring on its tail; the lack of a white shoulder patch (thus not a Common Sandpiper); the dark back with white speckling faintly visible. When it took off the rump only was white (not up the back) and there was distinct barring on the end of its tail.
After the Palmiet BMCG (Bird Monitoring and Conservation Group) meeting 13h30 Saturday 13 September, we took a short stroll to the river’s edge.
We were delighted to have good sightings of Mountain Wagtails (see photos) at the lowest deck from the hide/lapa. One flew up into a crevice of the rock face (looking slightly upstream) which we think is its nesting site (see picture).
Mountain Wagtai
Mountain Wagtai
Mountain Wagtai
Mountain Wagtail nest site under top overhang below overhanging grass
Mountain Wagtail nest site under top overhang below overhanging grass
In the 20 minutes we were there we recorded:
Southern Black Tit
Olive Sunbird
White-eared Barbet
Mountain Wagtail (2) at nest
Purple-crested Turaco
Grey-headed Bushshrike (heard)
Southern Boubou (heard)
Cape White-eye
Yellow-billed Kite
Cape Batis
Dark-capped Bulbul
Green-backed Cameroptera
African Paradise-Flycatcher
African Dusky Flycatcher
This excludes the birds heard at the lapa during the BMCG meeting: Hadeda Ibis, Sombre Greenbul, Bar-throated Apalis, Purple-crested Turaco, and Yellow-billed Kite.
There were 12 present and us locals were delighted that the Durbanites supported the outing.
The Mpanbonyoni river that came down in flood two years ago all but destroyed TC but as time went by it turned out a blessing, we now have wide river banks and a lagoon that ends on Scottburgh beach. This has improved the variety of birdlife.
TC Robertson
TC Robertson
TC Robertson
TC Robertson
Birding began at the entrance to the reserve overlooking the Mpambanyoni river as we waited for everyone to arrive. The day started with an African Fish Eagle sighting and finished with excellent sightings of Black Cuckooshrikes (male and female) foraging on the ground in the area close to the bird hide (overlooking a dried out pan at present).
An Olive sunbird entertained us repeatedly hovering in mid air flapping its wings like mad – an unusual sight.
During the morning there were sightings of four of the kingfisher species – the African Pied had a couple of successful fishing expeditions. All in all, 67 different species were sighted and or the calls heard.
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Dusky Flycatcher
Hamerkop
Lapsmith
Olive Sunbird
Olive Sunbird
Red-capped Robin-Chat
Southern Black Tit
Speckled Mousebirds
African Pied Wagtail singing to its heart’s content.
Sally and I went to SAPPI (the saw mill close to Stanger, KZN) on Sunday to watch the bird ringing efforts of Garth Aiston and James Rawdon. The variety of the birds which were ringed included Cape White-eyes; African Paradise-Flycatcher; Sunbirds – Scarlet-chested and Olive; Dark-capped Yellow Warbler and numerous other warblers; Black-throated Wattleye; Weavers – including Southern Masked-Weaver; Malachite, Pygmy and Brown-hooded Kingfishers to name a few.
It is impressive to watch the way the birds are delicately handled and the records that are kept. It is a chance to see the birds up close and personal and to be shown how each bird is correctly identified by Garth and James. Their knowledge is immense.
The lasting impression you get when you see the birds so close is how small they actually are compared to when you see them in their natural habitat (especially through binoculars).
Whilest there we visited the bird hide and wandered around the ponds. This is an excellent place to see a wide variety of waterbirds including some of the more difficult species – like Snipes, Crakes and Rails. Only African Snipes made an appearance for us.
The hide overlooks a stretch of land protruding into the pond and provides an ideal place to practice bird photography. To show you what I mean by variety of birds to be seen I have attached the following photos. Amongst them is a photo of a mystery warbler – have a go at IDing it. Click on the bird to enlarge it then add your comment below it.
Peter Steyn has asked me to share photos of a raptor taken on the Kafue River at Mayukuyuku Safari Camp on 13 August 2014 because he is not certain about it. The co-ordinates to the safari camp are: S 14 deg 57.2′ E 26 deg 02.4′.
Some points are:
It was buzzard-size, like a JB. I thought it was a buzzard but according to some maps there are no buzzards there. Peter has excluded buzzard.
It seemed to stick to the riverine area, as though that was its natural habitat.
The “feathering” on the legs is very fine and almost absent.
Some feathers on the nape and towards the crown have distinctive marks on.
I think there was barring on top of the tail. I did not detect a white rump.
The whitish feathers on the sides of the head and neck seem notable.
Please click on the photos below to enlarge them. Leave your comments beneath the photos at the end of the post.
Birds are our Story 