Outing report: Burchell's Coucal Eco Trail, Amanzimtoti - 12 November 2017

Attendees: Sandy Olver, Hazel Nevin, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Alastair Warman, Robin Eccles, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

Species: 62

Water Thicknee (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

The Burchell’s Coucal Eco Trail was a new venue for the club to try out and it certainly proved worth the effort.  It was quite easy to find and very safe, the entrance being in a business park with security.  We heard it was a 4km trail but it took us a good two hours to cover one and a half kilometres, there was so much to see.  

Little Bee-eater (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Brown-hooded Kingfisher (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Southern Red Bishop (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

After signing into the business park, we drove around the back and parked on the banks of the Illovo River.  Next to the parking there was a grassy area and an open barn-type structure providing shelter and benches.  Approaching the river we disturbed a family of Water Thick-knees, which flew across the river, landing on a stony patch of sand on the opposite bank.  We spent a while scanning the river and quickly identified Little Bee-eater, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Southern Red Bishop and more.  Yellow-billed Kites were numerous, two or three at a time, swooping up and down the river looking for fish. 

African Fish Eagle (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Occasionally an African Fish Eagle would also fly over the river.  Proceeding through the gate onto the trail proper, Sandy identified the call of a cisticola as that of a Rattling Cisticola., while Bob spotted a Red-throated Wryneck.  

Red-throated Wryneck (photo Hazel Nevin)

In places short bamboo fences had been erected on hillocks, providing a simple hide-like view of the river where a large flock of Egyptian Geese with the odd White-breasted and Reed Cormorant rested on a sandbank.  Little Swifts, Lesser-striped and White-throated Swallows and Black Saw-wings performed their aerial acrobatics over the waterway. 

Lesser-striped Swallow (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Egyptian Geese (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Grey-headed Sparrow (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

After walking for quite a while we started to show signs of dehydration and returned to the business park, the barn provided an excellent shelter as the day had turned surprisingly sunny and hot.  After coffee we started up the trail again but one didn’t need to go far to see a variety of birds – Trumpeter Hornbill, House and Grey-headed Sparrow, Cape White-eye, Yellow-throated Longclaw, amongst others.

Yellow-throated Longclaw (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Klaas's Cuckoo (photo Hazel Nevin)

The mix of trees and grasses and the odd dead tree next to the sandy river created a wonderful habitat for a large variety of birds.  Black-headed and Grey Heron were spotted at the same time as Common Waxbill and Yellow-fronted Canary.  We enjoyed good sightings of both Diederik’s and Klaas’s Cuckoos and even saw the trail’s namesake, a Burchell’s Coucal.  Just as Sandy, Hazel and Alastair were leaving, Robin, who had been watching a Giant Kingfisher from the parking area, suddenly caught sight of a Fish Eagle which had caught a large fish.  Hazel Nevin got this shot of the Fish Eagle with its prey.

African Fish Eagle (photo Hazel Nevin)

Goliath Heron (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

After our picnic we called it a day but as we were leaving Robin spotted a Goliath Heron up the river on a sandbank and as we watched it tried to get some speed up to take off but changed its mind it seemed.  An entertaining end to an entertaining day! Thanks go to the guys who put photos on Andrew’s website, thereby bringing this gem to our attention.

For future reference there is a cafe open 7 days a week if anyone is in too much of a rush to bring food.

(All photos property of photographer)                                  Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Species identified: 62

Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Bee-eater, Little Bishop, Southern Red Bulbul, Dark-capped Camaroptera, Green-backed Canary, Yellow-fronted Cisticola, Rattling Cormorant, Reed Cormorant, White-breasted Coucal Burchell’s Cuckoo, Didericks Cuckoo, Klass’s Darter, African Dove, Red-eyed Drongo, Fork-tailed Duck, Yellow-billed Eagle, African Fish Firefinch, African Fiscal, Common Fly-catcher, Southern Black

Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Greenbull, Sombre Heron, Black-headed Heron, Goliath Heron, Grey Hornbill, Trumpeter Ibis, Hadedah Ibis, Sacred Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Pygmy Kite, Yellow-billed Lapwing, Blacksmith Longclaw, Yellow-throated Mousebird, Speckled Plover, 3-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Saw-wing, Black Sparrow, Grey-headed

Sparrow, House Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow, White-throated Swift, Little Thick-knee, Water Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Purple-crested Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Pied Waxbill, Common Weaver, Cape Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Whydah, Pin-tailed Widowbird, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Red-collared Wryneck, Red-throated