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| Grey Crowned Crane (photo HvR) |
Species: 61 Text: Hazel van Rooyen
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| Early morning at Ellingham (photo HvR) |
A successful morning's birding was had at Ellingham Estate, 62 species being identified. Beginning the day with a walk towards the dams, some tall trees produced Southern Black Tit, Southern Black Flycatcher, Sombre Greenbull and White-eared Barbet.
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| White-eared Barbet (photo HvR) |
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| Yellow-rumpted Tinkerbird (photo HvR) |
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| Collared Sunbird (photo HvR) |
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Thick-billed Weaver, Paradise Flycatcher, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, Southern Boubou, Black-backed Puffback and Collared Sunbird were also very active in the early morning sunshine.
At the first dam a Malachite Kingfisher, 3-banded Plover and Cape Wagtail were spotted. Around the corner a Long-crested Eagle surveyed the world from a a stand of casaurinas. As we walked beneath some bushes reaching across the road two Grey Crowned Cranes were perched in the lower branches. After observing for a while they inevitably flew off as we moved passed them, trumpeting as they went.
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| Grey Crowned Crane (photo HvR) |
The next dam was home to Spurwing Geese. An African Darter dried off its wings, catching the breeze from the top of a shrub on the island while some African Jacanas investigated the lily pads. It was good to see them as they haven't been so prolific this summer.
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| African Jacana (photo HvR) |
Other birds seen in this area were Green Wood-hoopoe, Purple-crested Turaco, Black-collared Barbet, Black Saw-wing and Grey Heron. A Pygmy Kingfisher was sitting on a branch by the water's edge but disappeared on our approach.
After breakfast we drove across the road to another dam but we couldn't find a good vantage point and only saw a couple of White-backed Ducks and these through the scope. We tried a walk around the side but couldn't get closer. Along this road we saw Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Fiscal Flycatcher, Amethyst Sunbird and White-fronted Bee-eater.
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| Little Bee-eater (photo HvR) |
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| Hamerkop - can you do this with your head! (photo HvR) |
As Hazel Nevin left she added Cape Glossy Starling and Violet-backed Starling to the list and as the stragglers left, we saw a Crowned Eagle.
Special thanks go to Stanley Gengan for collecting and returning the forms to Rocky Bay resorts, especially as he had to delay joining his family on a weekend in the Drakensburg. Thanks Stanley!
Species: 61
Tit, Southern Black
Flycatcher, Southern Black
Ibis, Hadedah
Greenbul, Sombre
Barbet, White-eared
Weaver, Thick-billed
Flycatcher, Paradise
Robin-Chat, Red-capped
Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped
Bushshrike, Orange-breasted
Cuckooshrike, Black
Boubou, Southern
Puffback, Black-backed
Sunbird, Collared
Longclaw, Yellow-throated
Kingfisher, Malachite
Dove, Tambourine
Dove, Red-eyed
Starling, Black-bellied
Drongo, Fork-tailed
Plover, 3-banded
Cuckooshrike, Grey
Wagtail, Cape
Eagle, Long-crested
Canary, Yellow-fronted
Sunbird, Olive
Mannikin, Bronze
Crane, Grey Crowned
Darter, African
Goose Spurwing
Jacana, African
Woodhoopoe, Green
Hornbill, Trumpeter
Goose, Egyptian
Turaco, Purple-crested
Barbet, Black-collared
Moorhen, Common
Saw-wing, Black
Heron, Grey
Hamerkop
Kingfisher, Pygmy
Greenbull, Yellow-bellied
Bulbul, Dark-capped
Kite, Black-shouldered
Goose, Spurwing
Bee-eater, Little
Duck, White-backed
Kingfisher, Brown-hooded
Flycatcher, Fiscal
Sunbird, Amethyst
Sunbird, White-bellied
Buzzard, Jackal
Wagtail, Pied
Mannikin, Red-backed
Wagtail, Mountain
Eagle, Crowned
(Photos property of H van Rooyen)
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