Outing report- 29th April 2012 Bushbuck Trail

Some new facing at our Bushbuck Trail walk
(Photo Doug Butcher)

Attendees: Doug Butcher, Stan & Val Culley, Mike Fagan, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, J Hale, David Halle, Yegas, Yogee & Rosie Naidoo, Andy Ruffle, P Shelly, Hazel van Rooyen, I Weaver, Ron & Heather Whitham, David Wigley, Barry Willis & Sue Hansbury. (20 attendees).

Dave Halle
(Photo Doug Butcher)

Another good turnout today and it was nice to see some new faces also. Dave Halle, once again, was on hand to lead us through this little gem nestled in Southbroom.

A Brown Scrub-Robin sang for us, perched on an exposed branch, as we commenced our walk, while Trumpeter Hornbills did a flypast. Square-tailed Drongos were much in evidence. A Pigeonwood tree gave us excellent views of a Cape Batis and an interesting sighting of a Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler. The latter being something we normally associate with places like Oribi and Ingeli Forest.
Unfortuantely, no sightings of Spotted Ground-Thrush or Green Malkoha this time. David is now familiar with the Malkoha call (having played him the call), so hopefully he will have a better chance of tracking down this bird on his regular walks through the trail.

After breakfast, we headed towards the beach via the golf course. Blacksmith Lapwings dodged the golf balls, but no 'Gypos'........strange. Ron did glimpse a Water Thick-knee though. On the beach, a Pied Kingfisher fishing in the small lagoon was our first sighting. Some waders could be seen foraging on the rocks in the distance. After investigation, by Stan, they were identified as Ruddy Turnstones. These seem to be a familiar sight during winter on our coast.

Ruddy Turnstone
(Photo Stan Culley)

Birds recorded: Brown Scrub-Robin, Red-eyed Dove, Dark-capped Bulbul, Tambourine Dove, Black-collared Barbet, Black-bellied Starling, African Dusky Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbul, Thick-billed Weaver, Olive Sunbird, Square-tailed Drongo, Dark-backed Weaver, Trumpeter Hornbill, Knysna Turaco, Black-headed Oriole, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Cape White-eye, Spectacled Weaver, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Green-backed Camaroptera, Grey Sunbird, Terrestrial Brownbul, Southern Boubou, Black-backed Puffback, Speckled Mousebird, African Firefinch, Village Weaver, Yellow-throated Woodland-Warbler, Cape Batis, Collared Sunbird, Bar-throated Apalis, Purple-crested Turaco, Amethyst Sunbird, Red-backed Mannikin, Burchell's Coucal, Red-winged Starling, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Blacksmith Lapwing, Hadeda Ibis, Pied Kingfisher, White-fronted Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Kelp Gull, Malachite Kingfisher, Water Thick-knee, Southern Black Flycatcher, African Pied Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Cardinal Woodpecker (50 species).