Outing report- Ingeli Forest & Summer CWAC 29th January 2012

By Andy Ruffle

One of the clubs two new gazebos
offers welcome shade at Harding Dam
(Photo Andy Ruffle)

Attendees: Stan & Val Culley, Mike Fagan, Eric Kok, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Andy Ruffle, Ron Whitham. (8 attendees)

The bird list for today's outing speaks for itself, with an impressive 85 species recorded, reflecting the varied habitats visited on this trip.
We decided to start our morning at Ingeli Forest from the top entrance (where we normally exit) for a change. There we found an old quarry, which proved very fruitful on further investigation. Swee Waxbill, Forest Canary, Drakensberg Prinia and Common Waxbill all showed themselves nicely, whilst Barratt's Warbler called incessantly. Did we actually see it? we're not sure. Overhead we caught a glimpse of three large birds scimming the tree line. To our delight they were Southern Ground-Hornbills. This sighting was a first for all present, I believe, with none having seen these birds in-flight before.
Our usual check of the parrot nest boxes again revealed no signs of activity other than bees.
Enroute to Harding Dam, we stopped off at the Weza Blue Swallow site. We were able to identify about 5 birds, but due to time constraints we couldn't stay long.
High water levels, at Harding Dam, didn't fair well for the CWAC count and with only 131 birds present, we weren't proved wrong.
For the results of this count and to compare with last years count see here.

Harding Dam gave us the ideal opportunity to try out the clubs new aquisition, a gazebo (one of two), proving to be a very worthwhile purchase.

Ron, Mike, Bob and Eric put up the gazebo in
minutes (just as it says on the box)
while Andy lights the braai (stage left)
(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

To download the results for this and previous counts click here.

Birds recorded: Hadeda Ibis, Fork-tailed Drongo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Black-headed Oriole, Sombre Greenbul, Barratt's Warbler, Eastern Olive-Pigeon, Bar-throated Apalis, Swee Waxbill, Forest Canary, Drakensberg Prinia, Dark-capped Bulbul, Green-backed Camaroptera, Cape White-eye, Cape Robin-chat, Knysna Turaco, Common Waxbill, Terrestrial Brownbul, Lazy Cisticola, African Firefinch, Southern Ground-Hornbill, Cardinal Woodpecker, Collared Sunbird, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Grey Cuckooshrike, Olive Bush-shrike, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, African Dusky Flycatcher, Black Cuckoo, African Goshawk, Black Saw-wing, Southern Boubou, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Emerald Cuckoo, Forest Buzzard, Red-collared Widow, Speckled Mousebird, Southern Red Bishop, Thick-billed Weaver, Little Rush-Warbler, Long Crested Eagle, Jackal Buzzard, Burchell's Coucal, Common Fiscal, Black-shouldered Kite, Yellow-billed Kite, Cape Canary, Neddicky, Wing-snapping Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Blue Swallow, Barn Swallow, Common Myna, Yellow-billed Duck, Fan-tailed Widow, White-throated Swallow, White-rumped Swift, Red-knobbed Coot, White-breasted Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, Grey-Crowned Crane, Little Grebe, Amethyst Sunbird, Cape Turtle-Dove, Cape Wagtail, Pin-tailed Whydah, Brown-throated Martin, Red-billed Teal, South African Shelduck, Egyptian Goose, Cape Shoveler, Wood Sandpiper, Blacksmith Lapwing, Black-headed Heron, Cape Longclaw, Diederick's Cuckoo, Greater Striped-Swallow, Rufous-naped Lark, African Stonechat, African Jacana, Brimstone Canary, Levaillant's Cisticola, African Marsh-Harrier, Zitting Cisticola, Cattle Egret. (85 species)