Trogons outing report - Ellingham Estate, 14 August 2016

Attendees: Sandy Olver, Stan & Val Culley, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Doug & Angie Butcher, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Margaret Jones, Caryl Lowe, Clive & Margie Cowan, Robin Eccles, Hanli Kloppers, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Lia Steen, Fiona Butchart (19)

Species counted: 84                                                            Text: Hazel van Rooyen

 

Yellow-billed Kite (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Our club was very happy to welcome Wits Bird Club members, Lia Steen and Fiona Butchart, excellent birders and atlassers.  Ellingham Estate, as usual, amazed us with its differing habitats of riverine forest, bush, dams, picturesque streams as well as rolling fields of sugar cane.  We, however, preferred the indigenous flora and fauna biomes and were duly rewarded. 

Cape Weaver, Cape White-eye, Black-collared Barbet called greetings to us at the gate to the farm and driving to the first parking area Yellow-throated Longclaw darted in the short grass while a Burchell’s Coucal clambered heavily in the top of a small bush.

Walking down the road towards the dam Glossy Starlings and Purple-crested Turacos called from the tree-canopy, along with Dark-capped Bulbuls and Olive Sunbirds.  An African Green-Pigeon perched on the top-most twig of the highest tree it could find while Black Saw-wings and Lesser-striped Swallows swooped and cavorted over the grassland.  On our previous visit the dam was almost dry but the recent rains had swelled it a little encouraging a Common Moorhen and Little Grebe to make it their home.   As we got closer to the woods, flocks of White-eared Barbets flashed over our heads and a Yellow-billed Kite sat sentry-like in a tree-top.  Quite a few Little Bee-eaters were playing around amongst tall grasses at the forest margin. 

Ellingham Estate & mystery tree

Moving closer to the woodland, Grey & Common Waxbill were seen, along with Sombre Greenbul, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Southern Boubou, Gorgeous Bush-Shrike, Red-throated Wryneck and Dusky Flycatcher. 

Returning to the vehicles, we enjoyed a well-deserved breakfast, then drove down to the other ponds where we disturbed Yellow-billed Ducks which flew from one pond to the other and an African Jacana which immediately vacated the water to sit in some short reeds, maybe it had a nest.  On an island in the dam opposite, a Yellow Weaver was busy building a nest while a Southern Black Tit flitted about.  African Harrier-Hawks, a Black-chested Snake Eagle and a Crowned Eagle graced the skies above.

White-eared Barbet and Dark-capped Bulbul (photo Stan Culley)

From here we retraced our way to the gate and crossing the main road, drove up another farm road to view a large dam.  Here with espied the elegant Grey-Crowned Crane together with a multitude of Spurwing Geese.  A Black-headed Heron also found a nice vantage point from which to view the scene.

From here we returned, winding our way further into the estate, past bubbling streams and parked next to a bridge.  We took a walk along the edge of the river which was still recovering from the recent heavy rains evidenced by broken-down vegetation and stranded logs.  One of the bridges showed signs of being recently repaired.  However calm had now returned, along with the birds – Little Rush Warbler, Mountain and Pied Wagtails, Hamerkop, Malachite and Brown-headed Kingfishers.

Ending the day with our usual sociable braai, we added the following birds to the day’s list – Spectacled Weaver, Red-eyed Dove, Green-backed Wood Hoopoe, African Hoopoe, and Little Swift.

Please note that I will be away for a month, so the blog will be quiet but it will get going again at the end of September.  In the meantime, Val Culley will be sending out details of outings - thanks Val!

Barbet Black-collared Barbet White-eared Batis Chinspot Bee-eater Little Boubou Southern Brownbul Terrestrial Bulbul Dark-capped Bush-shrike Gorgeous Buzzard Jackal Camaroptera Green-backed Canary Yellow-fronted Coucal Burchell’s Crane Grey Crowned Crested-flycatcher Blue-mantled Dove Red-eyed Drongo Fork-tailed Drongo Square-tailed Duck Yellow-billed Eagle African Crowned Eagle Long-crested Fiscal Common (Southern) Fish-eagle African Flycatcher African Dusky Flycatcher Ashy Flycatcher Southern Black Goose Egyptian Goose Spur-winged Goshawk African Grebe Little Greenbul Sombre Greenbul Yellow-bellied Green-pigeon African Hamerkop Harrier-Hawk African Heron Black-headed Heron Grey Hoopoe African Ibis Hadeda Ibis Sacred Jacana African Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kingfisher Malachite

Kite Yellow-billed Lark Rufous-naped Longclaw Yellow-throated Mannikin Bronze Moorhen Common Neddicky Neddicky Oriole Black-headed Prinia Tawny-flanked Puffback Black-backed Robin-chat Cape Robin-chat Red-capped Rush-Warbler Little Saw-wing Black (Southern race) Snake-Eagle Black-chested Starling Black-bellied Starling Glossy Stonechat African Sunbird Olive Sunbird White-bellied Swallow Lesser Striped Swift African Black Swift Little Swift White-rumped Thrush Olive Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Tit Southern Black Turaco Purple-crested Wagtail Mountain Wagtail Pied Waxbill Common Waxbill Grey Weaver Cape Weaver Spectacled Weaver Thick-billed Weaver Village Weaver Yellow White-eye Cape Wood-hoopoe Green Woodpecker Cardinal Woodpecker Golden-tailed Woodpecker Olive Wryneck Red-throated

(All photographs property of photographer)