Total Species identified: 102
Script: Hazel van Rooyen
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| 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
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| View from Ashtonvale (photo: HvR) |
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| A motley crew! (photo Sue Salthouse) |
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| 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.
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| View from Hela Hela |
African Stonechat abounded on the telephone wires, while a Yellow-billed Kite
and Jackal Buzzard graced the skies.
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| Jackal Buzzard (photo: Stan Culley) |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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
.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Brown-throated Martin (photo Hazel van Rooyen) |
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| 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.
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| Red-necked Spurfowl (photo Stan Culley) |
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| Giant Kingfisher (photo Hazel van Rooyen) |
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| 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.
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| View of Sani Pass |
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| Yellow Bishop (photo Hazel van Rooyen) |
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| Gurney's Sugarbird (photo Stan Culley) |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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