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| Mpenjati Estuary (photo: Hazel van Rooyen) |
Attendees: Ron
& Elaine Whitham, Eric Kok, June Burnett, Vaughn & Jenny Meyrick, Alastair
Warman, Joey van Niekerk, Val & Stan Culley, Vic & Kay Nielson, Doug
& Angie Butcher, Louis Marx, Irma Smook, Keith & Maureen Roach, Bob
& Hazel van Rooyen
Bird count: 32
(see end)
Instead of the rain that was forecast, a misty morning
greeted us at Mpenjati Nature Reserve. A
grand-spanking 20 folk turned up – a very encouraging turn-out and it was
lovely to see some of the longer-standing members once again as well as some
new faces.
 |
| Sunrise over Mpenjati (photo: Hazel van Rooyen) |
Arriving at the South gate, the pop-pop-pop of the
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, the squawk of the Brown-hooded Kingfisher and screech
of the Golden-tailed Woodpecker were the first to welcome us. Moving down to the parking area,
Woolly-necked Storks puddled about at the water’s edge and Pied Kingfishers
dived spectacularly into the river.
Black Oyster-catchers and Grey Herons circled over the estuary while a
Ruff and Common Sandpiper inspected the waterline for insects and other
interesting invertebrates.
 |
| Woolly-necked Storks (photo: Hazel van Rooyen) |
 |
| Brown-hooded Kingfisher (photo: Hazel van Rooyen) |
Half the party ventured a walk up to the grassland
area and although fairly quiet produced Green-backed Cameroptera, Fork-tailed
Drongo, Black-collared Barbet, Amethyst Sunbird, Fan-tailed Widowbird,
Dark-capped Bulbul, Hadedah Ibis, Glossy Starling and Sombre Greenbul. A long-crested Eagle surveyed its world
haughtily from a telephone pole, whilst a family of Yellow-billed Ducks flew
overhead, quacking heartily. Our usual
pathway to the beach through the dune forest had become swampy but having
found another route, on reaching the sand-dunes, it began to rain and not
wanting to get equipment wet, we hurriedly retraced our steps to the cars by
which time the rain had, of course, stopped.
 |
| Little Tern (photo: Stan Culley) |
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| White-fronted Plover (photo: Stan Culley) |
The other half of the party were by this time tucking
into breakfast and we gladly joined them.
While we had been looking for birds of the veld and vlei, they had
navigated the little bridge to the beach where they had espied Blacksmith Plover, Little Tern, Swift Tern,
Common Greenshank and a White-fronted plover scampered up and down the tideline
like a bit of blown spume. More
Woolly-necked Storks strode and darted along the beach and on closer examination
Vaughn observed they were trying to catch crabs. Stan zoomed in on the Little and Swift Terns
with his wonderful scope, demonstrating the difference in size.
 |
| Getting stuck into breakfast (photo: Doug Butcher) |
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| Replete (photo: Doug Butcher) |
 |
| White-breasted Cormorant (photo: Stan Culley) |
A White-breasted Cormorant perched proudly on a log as
we finished our coffee, after which we drove round to the north side of the
river. On a reconnoitre of the trails,
it appeared they were either partly under water, washed away or still in need
of repair and as it was very hot and humid, after a short walk, we decided to
view the birds from the comfort of our picnic chairs! Lesser-striped and Barn Swallows fluttered
and swooped over the water and a Giant Kingfisher flashed from one side to the
other. A pair of Water Thick-knees
blended into the river bank beneath the bridge, a Little Egret sat stock still
in the reeds and all was quiet and peaceful.
(All photographs copyright of the photographer)
Bird List:
Barbet, Black-collared
Bulbul, Dark-capped
Bulbul, Sombre
Cameroptera, Green-backed
Cormorant, White-fronted
Drongo, Fork-tailed
Duck, Yellow-billed
Eagle, African Fish
Eagle, Long-crested
Egret, Little
Greenshank, Common
Heron, Grey
Ibis, Hadedah
Kingfisher, Brown-hooded
Kingfisher, Giant
Kingfisher, Pied
Lapwing, Blacksmith
Oystercatcher, Black
Ruff
Sandpiper, Common
Starling, Glossy
Stork, Woolly-necked
Sunbird, Amethyst
Swallow, Barn
Swallow, Lesser-striped
Tern, Little
Tern, Swift
Thick-knee, Water
Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped
White-eye, Cape
Widowbird, Fan-tailed
Woodpecker, Golden-tailed
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