Bulwer away-trip, 26-30 November 2018 including Ashtonvale, Hela Hela, Highover, Sani Pass

Total Species identified: 102

Script: Hazel van Rooyen

Jackal Buzzard (photo Stan Culley)

Participants: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Stan & Val Culley, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Vic & Kay Neilson, and Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

View from Ashtonvale (photo: HvR)

A motley crew! (photo Sue Salthouse)

Red-chested Cuckoo (photo Stan Culley)

At the end of November 2018, 12 club members visited Ashtonvale Guest Farm for our Spring trip away.  On arrival, a pair of friendly Familiar Chats flitted in the garden of our house and became a “familiar” sight during our stay.  A small herd of cows and some donkeys grazed in the field next to us adding to the sense of peace of the rural scene of rolling hills and forestry.  The weather was threatening rain and so we contented ourselves with settling in and exploring the property and found a lovely place to braai on the garden patio which was next to an enclosed patio where we made ourselves comfortable each evening around a table tennis table to eat our supper.  Later we discovered a dining room but nobody seemed to mind our choice of eating-place!  Other birds seen on our way in and round about the farm were a Long-crested Eagle, Jackal Buzzard and Barn Swallows, amongst others (see list at end).

On Tuesday we added Speckled Mousebird, White-rumped Swift and a Red-chested Cuckoo which called incessantly from a forest across the field.  A 6am start found us en route to Hela Hela. 

View from Hela Hela

African Stonechat abounded on the telephone wires, while a Yellow-billed Kite and Jackal Buzzard graced the skies. 

Jackal Buzzard (photo: Stan Culley)

Cape Vulture (photo HvR)

Arriving at the farm gate a couple of Cape Vultures sailed curiously overhead.  We had called ahead to arrange a key from the Highover manager but a team of labourers were already busy moving recently logged trees.  Our target was the Black-rumped Buttonquail so we spread out to cover the grassland in the hope of flushing this special bird. 

Spread out to look for the Black-rumped Buttonquail

A slow walk of about 2 hours in 44 deg heat ensued, the only quails found being Common Quails.  We did disturb a Denham’s Bustard which was a nice sighting.  On returning to the vehicles, those who hadn’t managed more than 100 metres gleefully reported that the Black-rumped Buttonquail had flushed at their feet.  Some other species identified were African Black Swift, African Pipit, Rufous-naped Lark, Fan-tailed Widowbird, and Emerald Cuckoo.

Cape Batis (photo) HvR)

This was followed by a visit to Highover where we found a shady place to breakfast.  Green Wood-Hoopoe. Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Cape Batis, Bar-throated Apalis were noted, even though the bush was very very dry.  The accommodation looked quite run down which was a pity as we had enjoyed our previous stay so much.

On rising the next day our hopes for another early start dwindled as the heavy mist turned into rain.  We moved into the huge hotel lounge where the staff made us cosy with a roaring log fire as temperatures had dropped to 18 deg.  Barrie came to our rescue with a fun quiz – boys vs girls – which was won by the boys by half a point!  Around the hotel grounds we added Drakensburg Prinia, Hamerkop and Greater-striped Swallow and Ant-eating Chat to our Ashtonvale list
.

Ant-eating Chat (photo Stan Culley)

By this time it looked as if the weather was clearing so we took to our vehicles (doubling up as usual) and followed directions from Roberts to Comrie Dam.  We found an indentation that looked as if  it could have been a shallow dam sometime in the distant past but after travelling 15km over and above the 4km required, with no sign of water, we decided to turn around.  However, later on we thought we may have been hasty and should have continued along the dirt road.

African Olive Pigeons (photo Stan Culley)

So we moved on to the Marutswa Forest & Boardwalk, searching for the Orange Ground Thrush and Cape Parrot.  Close to the entrance a flock of African Olive Pigeons perched on a tall dead tree. The forest was lovely, wild gloxinias flowered at the foot of massive trees.  The boardwalks had sadly been trashed and some attractive, fairly new reception rooms at the entrance had been vandalised.  Very sad, what a waste.  Birdlife was scarce but we did at least hear the Orange Ground Thrush calling several times quite close by.  No sign of the Cape Parrot but Russell Hills, our host at Ashtonvale brought some of us up the next afternoon just before sunset to see them as they usually roost there.  He had recently taken an overseas film crew there with success. However, still no sign, maybe we left a little early – later I read the roosting times can be extended during misty weather.  Other birds heard in the forest were Sombre Greenbul, Knysna Turaco and Green-backed Cameroptera.  Stan also saw an African Harrier Hawk.

On some recently ploughed fields a flock of Blue Cranes, White Storks and two Grey Crowned Cranes foraged.

Brown-throated Martin (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Streaky-headed Seedeater (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

On Thursday we took a drive around the area and part-way up the Sani Pass.  We crossed a pretty river called the Polelwa, over which Brown-throated Martin and White-throated Swallows swooped.  Further on we spotted a Streaky-headed Seedeater, Levaillant’s Cisticola and a Red-necked Spurfowl, a Lifer for some.  

Red-necked Spurfowl (photo Stan Culley)

Giant Kingfisher (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Lake near Himeville (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

It was lovely to see Vic & Kay Neilson who are well and enjoying their retirement in Himeville, they joined in all the activities and send their kind regards to all the members they used to know.   Close to Himeville Vic & Kay took us to a pretty lake surrounded by exotic parkland, which was privately owned and maintained but open to the public.  Here we saw Little Grebe, Reed Cormorant, Common Moorhen, Giant Kingfisher, Red-knobbed Coot, and Brown-hooded Kingfisher.

When we reached the base of the Sani Pass we stopped off at the Giant Teacup where Vic arranged for us to trek up one of their trails.  Here we saw the Ground Woodpecker and Long-crested Eagle and around the tearoom were Olive Thrush, Drakensburg Prinia and Greater Double-collared Sunbird.

At Sani Pass major road works are happening and the going is very very slow.  Halfway up we pulled off for some lunch.  The scenery was amazing and the birdlife was good, especially considering the upheaval going on around. 

View of Sani Pass

Yellow Bishop (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Gurney's Sugarbird (photo Stan Culley)

Cape Canary (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Yellow Bishop, Gurney’s Sugarbird, Cape Canary, Red-collared Widowbird and Buff-streaked Chat kept us entertained.  On the drive back we passed a dam, close to Okhalweni Railway Station where we added Cape Shoveller, Black-winged Stilt, Whiskered Tern, Ruff, African Spoonbill, Shelduck, amongst others.

The owners of Ashtonvale Guest Farm, Russell and Carol Hills made us very welcome and if the accommodation stretched our imagination, the great company made up for it.  Thanks go to Russell and Carol for accommodating us and making us feel at home.  They have a great family holiday establishment with lots of animals including a friendly pot-bellied pig, milking cows, croquet, bowls, tennis and table tennis, a tiny chapel for weddings, plus a lovely swimming pool which cooled the writer down on the hottest of days.

Thanks again to one and all for another great trip.

Common (Steppe) Buzzard (photo Stan Culley)

 All photos copyright of photographer

Species identified: Apalis, Bar-throated; Barbet, Black-collared; Batis, Cape; Bishop, Southern Red; Bishop, Yellow; Bokmakierie; Boubou, Southern; Bulbul, Black-capped; Bustard, Denham’s; Buttonquail, Black-rumped; Buzzard, Common; Buzzard, Jackal; Cameroptera, Green-backed; Canary, Cape; Canary, Yellow-fronted; Chat, Ant-eating; Chat, Buff-streaked; Chat, Familiar; Cisticola, Levaillant’s ; Coot, Red-knobbed; Cormorant, Reed; Crane, Blue; Crane, Grey-crowned; Crow, Cape; Cuckoo, Black; Cuckoo, Emerald; Cuckoo, Red-chested; Darter, African; Drongo, Fork-tailed; Duck, Yellow-billed; Eagle, African Fish; Eagle, Crowned; Eagle, Long-crested; Egret, Great; Egret, Little; Fiscal, Common; Flycatcher, Dusky; Flycatcher, Paradise; Flycatcher, Southern Black; Goose, Egyptian; Grebe, Little; Greenbul, Sombre; Guineafowl, Helmeted; Hamerkop; Hawk, African Harrier; Heron, Black-headed; Ibis, Sacred (Polela River); Kingfisher, Brown-hooded; Kingfisher, Giant; Kite, Yellow-billed; Lapwing, Blacksmith; Lapwing, Wattled; Lark, Rufous-naped; Martin, Banded; Martin, Brown-throated; Moorhen, Common; Oriole, Black-headed; Pigeon, African Olive; Pipit, African; Prinia, Drakensburg; Prinia, Tawny-flanked; Puffback, Black-backed; Quelea, Red-billed; Raven, White-necked; Robin-Chat, Cape; Ruff; Seedeater, Streaky-headed; Shelduck; Shoveller, Cape; Sparrow, House; Spoonbill, African; Spurfowl, Red-necked; Starling, European; Stilt, Black-winged; Stonechat, African; Stork, White; Sugarbird, Gurney’s; Sunbird, Collared; Sunbird, Greater Double-collared; Sunbird, Olive; Sunbird, Southern Double-collared; Swallow, Greater-striped; Swallow, White-throated; Swift, African Black; Teal, Red-billed; Tern, Whiskered; Thrush, Olive; Thrush, Orange Ground; Turaco, Knysna; Vulture, Cape; Wagtail, Cape; Warbler, Yellow-throated Woodland; Waxbill, Common; Weaver, Cape; White-eye, Cape; Whydah, Pin-tailed; Widowbird, Fan-tailed; Widowbird, Long-tailed; Widowbird, Red-collared; Wood-hoopoe, Green; Woodpecker, Ground; Woodpecker, Olive.