Outing report: Burchell's Coucal Eco Trail, Illovo - 8 July 2018

Attendees: Sandy Olver, Stanley Gengan, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Stan & Val Culley, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen (10)

Species: 57                                                         Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Water Thick-knee  (photo: HvR)

Our morning started off with some short sharp showers whilst travelling on the highway to Illovo but they quickly cleared to produce a lovely Indian ocean winter’s day.  On arriving at the business park we were temporarily flummoxed as the entrance was blocked off but we found another way in around the side.  The guard helpfully offered to get the key and open up the gate to the trail for us.

4 Water Thick-knees, well camouflaged (photo HvR)

As we parked we disturbed the resident family of Water Thick-knees which flew across the river and settled there for the day.  Blacksmith Lapwings, Cape Wagtails and Three-banded Plovers foraged at the water’s edge.  After a fairly quick breakfast we set off to do the walk.  Being mid-winter the river comprised of mostly trickles but deep enough in places to make it tempting for the African Fish Eagle and Reed Cormorant.  Red-wing and Black-bellied Starlings, Black-collared Barbets, Bronze Mannikins flitted amongst the trees while Southern Red Bishops and Thick-billed Weaver preferred the beds of tall reeds next to the river.

The track began with open grassland and produced African Stonechat, Fan-tailed Widowbird and Crested Barbet, amongst others.  

African Fish Eagle (photo: HvR)

Good views over the river (photo: HvR)

Viewpoints on hillocks provided good views of the river with bamboo fences providing some degree of cover.  Spurwing and Egyptian Geese congregated on a large sandspit and Stan spotted a Malachite Kingfisher and Brown-throated Martin flying across the river and the distinctive hollow bubbling call of the trail's namesake, the Burchell's Coucal, was heard.  A Hamerkop was seen several times searching up and down the river. 

Trail through riverine bush (photo: HvR)

After a while the track closed in and led us through quite dense riverine bush, producing Tawny-flanked Prinia, Bar-throated Apalis, Red-capped Robin-Chat and Dark-capped Yellow Warbler.  By this time, we had split into two groups and my group were meeting up with the leaders who were on their way back, having already done the loop.  En route they had seen Terrestrial Brownbul, Green-backed Cameroptera, and White-browed Scrub-Robin. Continuing back, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black Saw-wing, Black-headed Heron, Speckled Mousebird and Long-crested Eagle were spotted. 

Convenient shade for relaxing with views of the river (photo: HvR)

At the picnic site a barn-like structure provided a shady spot for us to relax and view the river and environs.  A flock of Woolly-necked Storks circled lazily overhead and Little Bee-eaters darted this way and that in the bushes on the opposite bank. 

Little Bee-eater (photo: Sue Salthouse)

Pied Wagtails inspected the river margin while a Familiar Chat popped over to see if we had dropped any crumbs.  Red-backed Mannikins and Cape White-eyes busied themselves in some young thorn trees close by.

A very pleasant morning was had by all and we were happy with our count of 57 species.

Apalis, Bar-throated Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Bee-eater, Little Bishop, Southern Red Boubou, Southern Brownbul, Terrestrial Bulbul, Dark-capped Cameroptera, Green-backed Canary, Yellow-fronted Chat, Familiar Cormorant, Reed Coucal, Burchell’s Dove, Laughing Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Tambourine Drongo, Fork-tailed Eagle, Long-crested Fiscal, Common Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Greenbul, Sombre Hadedah, Ibis Hamerkop Heron, Black-headed Hoopoe, African Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied

Lapwing, Blacksmith Mannikin, Bronze Mannikin, Red-backed Martin, Brown-throated Mousebird, Speckled Plover, Three-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Robin-Chat, Red-capped Saw-wing, Black Scrub-Robin, White-browed Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Red-winged Stonechat, African Stork, Woolly-necked Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Olive Thick-knee, Water Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Pied Warbler, Dark-capped Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Whydah, Pin-tailed Widow, Fan-tailed

All photos property of photographer