**UPDATED** Outing report- 24th June 2012 Uvongo River Conservancy

Text by Andy Ruffle

(Photo Andy Ruffle)

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher, Val Culley, Sue Hansbury, Margaret Jones, Hazel Parry, Andy Ruffle, Irma Smook, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Barrie Willis. (11 attendees).

The previous night's scattering of rain certainly contributed to today's excellent birding at this local reserve. The walk was alive with bird activity, as attested by the birdlist below.
My early arrival was rewarded with a lovely sighting of a female African Finfoot which flushed from the near bank. Luckily Hazel van Rooyen was just in time to share this also.
Good sightings were had of many species, but in particular an Orange-breasted Bush-shrike and adult African Harrier-hawk. The latter was made more special by the fact that it appears to be an addition to the reserve birdlist.

African Harrier-hawk (Gymnogene)
(Photo Doug Butcher)

Water (Dikkop) Thick-knee
(Photo Doug Butcher)

Once again we thank the Ivungu River Conservancy for the exceptional way this reserve is maintained, making this such a special place on the south coast.

Birds recorded: Egyptian Goose, African Finfoot, African Darter, Reed Cormorant, Water Thick-knee, Natal Spurfowl, Hadeda Ibis, African Harrier-Hawk, Brown Scrub-Robin, Red-capped Robin-Chat, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Dark-capped Bulbul, Terrestrial Brownbul, Sombre Greenbul, African Dusky Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Drongo, Square-tailed Drongo, Black Cuckooshrike, Cape Batis, Southern Black Tit, Black-bellied Starling, Red-winged Starling, Lesser Honeyguide, Black-headed Oriole, African Pied Wagtail, Black-backed Puffback, Southern Boubou, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Orange-breasted Bush-Shrike, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Black-collared Barbet, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Olive Sunbird, Grey Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Purple-crested Turaco, Little Rush-Warbler, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Green-backed Camaroptera, Bar-throated Apalis, Black Saw-wing, Speckled Mousebird, Tambourine Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Laughing Dove, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Thick-billed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Cape White-eye, Yellow-fronted Canary, African Firefinch, Red-billed Firefinch. (63 species)