Outing Report: Culley's Dam and Old Pont, Umtamvuna River Walk - 22 October 2017

Culley's Dam (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Attendees:  Stan & Val Culley, Margie & Clive Cowan, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Richard & Margaret, Alastair Warman, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Doug & Angie Butcher, Irma Smook, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Danie & Bella du Toit, Dave Bishop & Barbaroza Bernaldo, Eric Kok, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen (23)

Species:  59 (see below)                                                  Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Happily we were blessed with a beautiful sunny morning for our outing last Sunday.  Having met up at Banners Rest, we proceeded, for a change, down towards the Old Pont where we walked through primeval riverine forest, which had somehow managed to grow amidst massive boulders that had tumbled down the bank of the gorge over millennia.

 
Bobby led the way, fending off the spider webs with a long stick.  Most of the many different trees were labelled and trail directions were clearly marked by pretty pottery signs.

At the entrance a Crowned Hornbill flew over to see if we had anything tasty for it (no) and a Water Thick-knee family used a quiet corner of the adjacent complex as their home base. 

Water Thick-knee (photo: Doug Butcher)

A Burchell’s Coucal glug, glug, glugged in the distance while a Black-collared Barbet doo-puddlied close by.  Our presence startled a pair of Yellow-billed Ducks which flew off the river in a panic but the forest was very quiet.  Maybe the birds hadn’t returned since the river broke its banks two weeks ago.

We walked as far as the bridge and returned via the other half of the circular route which was a bit more open and sunny.  Here, a Green-backed Camaroptera was unusually visible, issuing its penetrating call from high in the top of a tree.  It kindly stayed while the photographers clicked happily away.

Green-backed Camaroptera (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Green-backed Camaroptera (photo: Doug Butcher)

Woolly-necked Storks (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Moving on to Culley Dam, we made ourselves comfortable on Stan & Val’s patio for our breakfast.  A Black Cuckoo called nearby “I’m so sad”.  Eric had arrived earlier and was keen to tell me all the birds he had seen, which included an African Darter and Black Crake.  These had made themselves scarce by the time we arrived.  But we did have the lovely sight of a graceful flock of nine Woolly-necked Storks circling over the dam.  Other birds seen were Little Rush Warbler, Hamerkop, Malachite Kingfisher and Common Waxbills entertained us swinging on the grasses.

Common Waxbill (photo: Doug Butcher)

Common Waxbills (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

After a great morning of bird-spotting in and out of the hides, we relaxed with a hearty braai, kindly made by Stanley and Barrie – with a little help from their friends, of course.

The Braai Masters - Stanley & Barrie (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Pin-tailed Whydah (photo: Doug Butcher

Lunch on Val's patio (photo: Doug Butcher)

Umtamvuna NR (24)

Culley Dam (35)

Barbet, Black-collared Boubou, Southern Bulbul, Dark-capped Camaroptera, Green-backed Coucall, Burchell’s Dove, Tambourine Drongo, Fork-tailed Drongo, Square-tailed Duck, Yellow-billed Goose, Egyptian Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Kite, Yellow-billed Mousebird, Speckled Oriole, Black-headed Robin-Chat, Red-capped Starling, Black-bellied Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Olive Thick-knee, Water Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Knysna Turaco, Purple-crested Weaver, Village

Canary, Yellow-fronted Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, White-fronted Crake, Black Cuckoo, Black Darter, African Dove Red-eyed Firefinch, African Goose Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Greenbul, Sombre Hamerkop Hornbill, Trumpeter Kingfisher Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Longclaw, Yellow-throated Mannikin Red-backed Mannikin, Bronze Oriole, Black-headed Prinia Tawny-flanked Sparrow, Grey-headed Stork, Woolly-necked Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow, White-throated Swift African Palm Swift White-rumped Warbler, Little Rush Waxbill, Common Weaver Spectacled Weaver, Cape Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow Whydah, Pin-tailed Widowbird, Fan-tailed

All photographs property of photographer