Trogons Outing Report: Culley Dam & Gaze Farm, 22 January 2017

Attendees: Stan & Val Culley (hosts),  Doug & Angie Butcher, Clive & Margie Cowan,  Robin Eccles & Hanli Kloppers, Mr & Pat Fourie, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Margaret Jones, Eric Kok, B McDonald, Vaughan & Jenny Merryk, Hazel Nevin, Irma Smook, Joey van Niekerk, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Alastair Warman, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury (25)

Species recorded:52

Culley Dam proved its popularity yet again with an excellent turn-out of 25 people.

On arrival, half our number couldn’t wait to get down to the dam, whilst the more energetic tackled the hike up the hill, to be rewarded by the magnificent view of the Umthamvuna Estuary with the sparkling sea as a back-drop.  Some birds seen on the way up were Crowned Hornbill, Green Wood-hoopoe, Black Saw-wing and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird.

At the dam Stan was showing everyone the additional wetland he had created over the last few months and the excellent new hide he had built, facing the original one.  

 

Stan's new hide (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Yellow-billed and White-faced Ducks graced the dams which were now swollen with the recent rains.  Thick-billed Weavers busied themselves building their neat nests in between two bull-rushes and Village Weavers flitted amongst the long grass.

 

Yellow-billed Ducks (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

In the meantime the hill walkers were examining the dam on the hill-top which revealed Grey and Black-headed Herons, Yellow-billed Ducks and an African Jacana which was treading elegantly over the lily-pads foraging for insects.  Returning down the mountain-side Yellow-throated Longclaw, Southern Black Flycatcher and Black-backed Puffback were spotted.

Black-headed Heron (photo hazel van Rooyen)

Arriving at Culley Dam a Malachite Kingfisher flashed back and forth across the water – a turquoise and orange jewel catching the eye.  A Purple Heron drifted gracefully in and a Little Bittern lifted up out of the reeds, only to disappear back down as if it had never been there.  And all was once again peaceful.

Except of course, back at the house where we enjoyed a sociable braai.  On the veranda we were accompanied by Mrs Amethyst Sunbird who was incubating her eggs in the nest built on the chain of the light fitting.

Amethyst Sunbird (photo Hazel Nevin)

 

Many thanks to Stan & Val for a good day enjoyed by all.

Bird Count:52

Bittern Little Bulbul Dark-capped Buzzard Steppe (Common) Cameroptera Green-backed Canary Yellow-fronted Cormorant Reed Dove Red-eyed Dove Tambourine Drongo Fork-tailed Duck White-faced Duck Yellow-billed Fiscal Common Flycatcher Southern Black Goose Egyptian Goose Spurwinged Greenbul Sombre Guineafowl Helmeted Heron Black-headed Heron Grey Heron Purple Hornbill Crowned Ibis Hadedah Jacana African Kingfisher Malachite Kingfisher Giant Kite Yellow-billed

Longclaw Yellow-throated Mannikin Bronze Mousebird Speckled Oriole Black-headed Puffback Black-backed Saw-wing Black Sparrow Grey-headed Spurfowl Natal Starling Black-bellied Starling Red-wing Stork Woolly-necked Sunbird Amethyst Sunbird Olive Swallow Barn Swallow Lesser Striped Swallow White-throated Swift White-rumped Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Wagtail Cape Weaver Thick-billed Weaver Village Weaver Yellow Widowbird Fantailed White-eye Cape Whydah Pin-tailed Wood-Hoopoe Green

All photos property of photographer