Outing report- 11th September 2011 Vernon Crookes

(Photo Doug Butcher)

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher, Stan & Val Culley, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Margaret Jones, Cathy Lee, Sandy Olver, Herbie & Jeanette Osborne, Irma Smook, Barry Willis & Sue Hansbury. (14 attendees)

Thanks go to Doug Butcher for leading this outing and Sandy Olver for guiding the group walks.

(Photo Doug Butcher)

(Photo Doug Butcher)

Those who attended and saw the giant earthworm casts, may be interested to know, this was produced by an endemic species to Vernon Crookes called Microchaetus vernoni. There are three giant earthworm species found at Vernon Crookes, of which this is the largest, reaching some 2.6m in length. The following picture of a giant earthworm was taken at Oribi Gorge NR by Paddy Norman. It is not sure whether this is the same species, but is certainly very similar.

Giant Earthworm at Oribi Gorge NR
(Photo Paddy Norman)

Unfortunately, there were no sightings of the Red-capped Robin-chat x Chorister Robin-chat hybrids or Short-tailed Pipit. Maybe next time.

Species recorded- Dark-capped Bulbul, Lesser Striped Swallow, Natal Spurfowl, Tambourine Dove, Chinspot Batis, Red-eyed Dove, African Pied Wagtail, Spectacled Weaver, Black-headed Oriole, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Speckled Mousebird, Neddicky, Little Rush-Warbler, Thick-billed Weaver, Bronze Mannikin, Crowned Hornbill, Fork-tailed Drongo, Yellow-fronted Canary, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Burchell's Coucal, Sombre Greenbul, Red-capped Robin-chat, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Red-throated Wryneck, Green-backed Camaroptera, Bar-throated Apalis, Cape White-eye, Black-collared Barbet, Lesser Honeyguide, Lazy Cisticola, Gorgeous Bush-shrike, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Southern Boubou, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, Green Wood-hoopoe, Amethyst Sunbird, Olive Sunbird, Black-bellied Starling, African Dusky Flycatcher, Brown Scrub-robin, Knysna Turaco, Rufous-naped Lark, Cape Longclaw, Cape Weaver, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Black Saw-wing, Cape Glossy Starling, Spur-winged Goose, African Stonechat, Black-backed Puffback, Trumpeter Hornbill, African Paradise-flycatcher, Collared Sunbird, Jackal Buzzard, Cape Canary, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Croaking Cisticola, Cape Grassbird, Southern Black Tit, Olive Bush-shrike (61 species)