Roy Cowgill, Steve Davis and I visited St. Kitts – a private farm inland from Amatikulu on the North KZN Coast.
The sugar cane farm has a number of dams which we birded. Waterbirds included numerous African Purple Swamphens, Common Moorhens and Spur-winged Geese.
African Purple Swamphen
Black Crakes, Yellow-billed and White-faced Ducks, White-breasted Cormorants – nesting, Reed Cormorants, Little Grebe, African Darter, Hamerkop, Hadeda Ibis, Malachite Kingfisher, Egyptian Geese, African Jacanas and their young were among the many waterbirds we found.
Black Crake
Juvenile African Jacana
Malachite Kingfisher
A juvenile African Fish-Eagle flew overhead and another, an adult, was seen perched overlooking the main dam.
Juvenile African Fish-Eagle
The main dam at St. Kitts seems to be a reliable spot to find two special species -White-backed Ducks (we saw 12) and African Pygmy Geese.
White-backed Duck
White-backed Ducks
Male African Pygmy Goose.
Female African Pygmy Goose.
African Pygmy Geese – male and female
The other two large dams were by comparison very quiet – the odd Common Moorhen and Reed Cormorant and several Blacksmith Lapwings. A Giant Kingfisher (male) also made an appearance as well as a Diderick Cuckoo.
Diderick Cuckoo
Male Giant Kingfisher
Unusually there was only one Heron – a Grey – and no waders and no Pied Kingfishers. In all 57 bird species were identified. A full bird list can be viewed – click here.
Butterflies and Dragonflies were everywhere and Steve and Roy made a list of them which can also be seen by clicking here.
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonfly
Two Dragonflies locked together
One of the highlights was a rather large reptile which I had heard about but never seen there.
Crocodile
Crocodile basking in the sun close to were we had a view over the dam.