Trogon Outing Report - Lake Eland, 28 February 2016

Attendees: Val & Stan Culley, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Eric Kok, Alastair Warman, Joey van Niekerk, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Shona Lawson & Barry van Niekerk, Angie & Doug Butcher, Rob Eccles & Hanli, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

(Text: Hazel van Rooyen)

Bird count:  61 (see end)

Cape Rock Thrush (photo: Stan Culley)

Lake Eland is a popular venue evidenced by the good turnout of 17 people, which included Shona and Barry who we were especially pleased to welcome as they work at Lake Eland.  En route to the venue, numerous birds flitted amongst the sugar cane and grasses by the roadside, including Fan-tailed Widowbird, African Stonechat, Black-capped Bulbul, Speckled Mousebird, Barn Swallow, whilst Long-crested Eagle and Jackal Buzzard cruised the airwaves.  At the entrance a Grey-headed Heron stood sentry-like and Cape Rock Thrushes flashed amongst the tree and roof-tops.

Bulbine (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

White-necked Raven (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Proceeding into the park in a convey, we disturbed a herd of Blou Wildebeest grazing amongst the pretty yellow bulbines scattered throughout the grasslands. 

Red-backed Shrike (F) (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Red-backed Shrike (M) (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Pausing here and there to closer inspect the dams and landscape, we spotted, amongst others Red-backed Shrike, Cape Longclaw, Cape Grassbird and White-necked Ravens.  A white flash in a distant bush caught our eye and proved to be an African Firefinch with a long white feather in its beak.

African (Blue-billed) Firefinch with feather (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

At the picnic site Crowned Hornbills were playing in the treetops on the hill.  A Steppe Buzzard and Yellow-billed Kite also put in an appearance while a Cape Vulture soared lazily in the far-off distance.  A few people left at this juncture owing to previous engagements.

The illusive African Finfoot (photo: Stan Culley)

Moving down to the river the remainder were thrilled to spot the illusive African Finfoot and an African Fish-Eagle. At the lake there were quite a few people fishing so our group stayed on the bank in a new shelter to braai.  Egyptian Geese and African Black Duck flew across the lake, bringing the daily species count to 61. 

African Pipit (Juv) (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Species:

Barbet Black-collared Batis Cape         Boubou Southern Bush-shrike Orange-breasted (heard) Buzzard Jackal Buzzard Steppe Cameroptera Green-backed Canary Cape Canary Yellow-fronted Dove Cape Turtle Dove Red-eyed Drongo Fork-tail Duck African Black Eagle Long-crested Finfoot African Firefinch African Fish-Eagle African Goose Egyptian Grassbird Cape

Greenbul  Sombre Guineafowl Crested Heron Grey Honeyguide  Lesser Hornbill Crowned Kingfisher Pygmy Kite Yellow-billed Lark Rufous-naped Longclaw Yellow-throated Martin Brown-throated Mousebird Speckled Neddicky Oriole Black-headed  Pipit African Plover 3-banded Prinia  Tawny-flanked Raven White-necked Sawwing Black Shrike Common Fiscal Shrike Red-backed Starling Glossy

Starling Red-winged Stonechat African Sunbird Amethyst Swallow Barn Swallow Greater-striped Swallow Lesser-striped Tambourine Dove Thrush Cape Rock Tinkerbird Red-fronted Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Trogon Narina (heard)  Turaco  Purple-crested Vulture Cape Wagtail Cape Warbler Little Rush Weaver Cape Weaver Thick-billed Whydah Pin-tailed Widowbird Fan-tailed Widowbird Red-collared Wryneck Red-throated

 (All photographs property of owner)

Trogon outing report - Sezela Sugar Mill, 14 February 2016

Attendees:  Barry Willis & Sue Hansbury;  Margaret Jones; Doug & Angie Butcher; Stan & Val Culley;  Stanley Gengan; Sandy Olver;  Hazel Nevin

Text: Sandy Olver

Bird count: 76 (see end)

Red-chested Cuckoo (photo: Stan Culley)

The new venue of Sezela Sugar Mill was a great success,  with 76 species noted.  Below the mill are vast reed beds full of interesting sightings,  I am told it’s an excellent place for swallow roosts.  Birding was quite a challenge,  though rewarding,  with some special warblers  -  lucky we had Stan to ID!   The river then winds down towards the sea,  but choked unfortunately with water hyacinth,  so there were no ‘swimmers’ or ‘bank sitters’.   Management told us a year ago that they were waiting for summer floods to open the mouth and scour out the river!!   Looks as if the problem has gone passed any other control.

The gate to the top dam was locked.  Stanley knew a way to walk round to check the birds,  but the lunch braai members repaired to the relative coolth of Umdoni Forest.

 Species:

Barbet Black-collared Bee-eater Little Bishop Southern Red Bittern Little Boubou Southern Bulbul Dark-capped Buzzard Steppe Canary Yellow-fronted Cisticola Rufous-winged Cormorant White-breasted Coucal Burchell's Crane Grey Crowned Crow Pied Cuckoo Diderick Cuckoo Red-chested Darter African Dove Red-eyed Drongo Fork-tailed Duck White-faced Duck Yellow-billed Eagle Long-crested Egret Cattle Egret Great Fiscal Common (Southern) Fish-eagle African Flycatcher Southern Black

Goose Egyptian Goose Spur-winged Grebe Little Greenbul Sombre Greenbul Yellow-bellied Heron Black-headed Heron Purple Heron Squacco Ibis Hadeda Jacana African Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kite Yellow-billed Lapwing Blacksmith Mannikin Bronze Moorhen Common Mousebird Speckled Plover Three-banded Prinia Tawny-flanked Quelea Red-headed Reed-warbler African Reed-warbler Great Sandpiper Wood Saw-wing Black (Southern race) Seedeater Streaky-headed Snake-eagle Black-chested Sparrow House

Sparrow Southern Grey-headed Sparrowhawk Black Spurfowl Natal Starling Black-bellied Starling Red-winged Starling Violet-backed Stonechat African Sunbird Olive Swallow Barn Swallow Lesser Striped Swallow White-throated Swamp-warbler Lesser Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Turaco Knysna Wagtail African Pied Wagtail Cape Warbler Sedge Waxbill Common Weaver Spectacled Weaver Thick-billed Weaver Village Whydah Pin-tailed Widowbird Fan-tailed Woodpecker Golden-tailed