Mkhuze & Ndumo away trip report - 18-28 November 2019

Species counted: Mkhuze 176; Ndumo 120

Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Photos: Stan Culley, Lia Steen, Hazel van Rooyen

Participants
Taken at Red Cliffs, Usuthu River
Mozambique on the other side 
L-R: Barrie, Stan, Sue, Janice, Val, Asothie, Bob, Stanley, Peter, Sandra, Lia, Martin, Sandy, Hazel

Participants: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Margaret & Richard, Janice & Peter Hogarth, Stan & Val Culley, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Sandy Olver & Sandra Yorke-Mitchell, Lia & Martin Steen, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

Travelling via Ophansi Gate, Stan & Val, Bob & Hazel arrived at Mkhuze on 18 November making a short stop at Muzi Pan where they identified 18 waterbirds and waders.  The main body of participants arrived on the 21^st, entering via eMshoohi Gate with some using the Ophansi entrance.  Decisions were mixed about which route was the best. 

Over the first 3 days, Stan's group of 4 identified 104 species (including Muzi Pan) and with the arrival of Barrie’s group of 6, plus the Olvers, Gengans and Steens we added another 72, making a total of 176 species from 18-24 November. The tented camp needed a lot of TLC but improvements seemed to be happening. 

The first evening involving the full group we commandeered the communal braai under the boma.  At the start we were told that there would be no electricity so our very own ‘Mcgyvers’ - Stanley with his light and Richard with his height, fixed us up some lighting and a very pleasant evening ensued.  The following nights the boma was being used by other groups so we split into 2 groups and huddled beneath the tent extensions during the ensuing thunderstorms while the guys braiied with a big umbrella, courtesy of Val.  The thunder and lightning was very close and quite scary.

Thunder & Lightning were on the menu (HvR)

Apologies for lack of photos of Barrie's group. 
















Moving on to Ndumo, a count of 120 species was achieved.  The birding and hides were excellent but we were again disappointed with the accommodation. 

A few of us went on an early morning guided walk in the forest and were impressed with our guide, Bongani - our 3 hour walk lasted 5 hours and he was even prepared to continue as the day was cooler than normal.  However, we weaklings had to return for our coffee and breakfast.  He found us the African Broadbill, Narina Trogon, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, amongst many others which included yet another Gorgeous Bushshrike (they had become quite common and we heard them calling often).

African Broadbill (SC)

Gorgeous Bushshrike calling (HvR)

The hide at Nyamithi Pan -wonderful

Views over Nyamithi Pan (HvR)

You could sit for hours at kuMasinga Hide 

kuMasinga Hide (HvR)

The evenings at Ndumo were spent braaiing at the communal boma, eating and socialising in the main hall.  Barrie organised 2 fun quizzes (boys vs girls) which were greatly enjoyed by everyone.

Usuthu River (HvR)

Following are some of Stan and Lia's and my photos.   For this blog I decided to display the photos by Topic, in no particular order. The list of birds counted is at the end of the blog divided into Mkhuze and Ndumo.

NESTING:

Collared Sunbird peeping out of nest (HvR)

Red-breasted Swallow collecting mud for nest (HvR)

Nest of African Paradise Flycatcher (SC)

Dark-backed Weaver at nest (SC)

RAPTORS:

Long-crested Eagle (HvR)

White-backed Vulture (HvR)

Lizzard Buzzard  (LS)

Palm-Nut Vulture  (Juv) (LS)

African Cuckoo-Hawk (SC)

Wahlberg's Eagle (SC)

Yellow-billed Kite (LS)

Black-winged (shouldered) Kite (SC)

Brown Snake Eagle (SC)

African Harrier-Hawk (LS)

Common Buzzard (HvR)

ROBINS:

Bearded Scrub Robin (HvR)

White-browed Robin-Chat (HvR)

White-throated Robin-Chat (SC)

OTHER GAME AROUND THE RESERVES

Impala Bambi (HvR)

Nyala family (HvR)

Painted Reed Frog (HvR)

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother" (HvR)

VARIOUS SPECIES

Broad-billed Roller (HvR)

 Pygmy Kingfisher (HvR)

 Black-backed Puffback (HvR)

 Crested Guineafowl (LS)

Golden-breasted Bunting (LS)

African Hoopoe (SC)

European Bee-eaters (HvR)

African Yellow White-eye (SC)

Purple-banded Sunbird (LS)

Red-backed Shrike (M) (SC)

Red-backed Shrike (F) (HvR)

Crested Barbet (SC)

Black-bellied Bustard (LS)

INTERESTING SIGHTS

We came across these snake eggs on the path to Nyamithi Hide.  Something (Monitor Lizard perhaps) had uncovered them and begun to eat them.  When we came out of the hide, they were all gone.  That's life in the wild.

Snake eggs (HvR)

Just a tree  - not,
 dotted with Red-billed Queleas (HvR)

All things Bright & Beautiful - Violet-backed Starling family

Red-billed Oxpeckers cooling off (LS)

Woolly-necked Stork feeling pretty (LS)

WATERFOWL

Saddle-billed Stork (SC)

Showing difference in size of Pink-backed and Great White Pelican (LS)

Pink-backed Pelican (LS)

Green-backed Heron (HvR)

A Malachite Kingfisher watches
storks and egret preening(HvR)

Yellow-billed Storks (LS)

Saddle-billed Stork (HvR

African Openbill (LS)

African Jacana (LS)

Thanks to all who attended, for sharing their knowledge and making the trip such fun.  I am sure we all learned and saw something new.  Thanks too to Sandy Olver for sharing her interest in the flora which surrounded us everywhere.


All photos property of photographer

Bird Lists (Some species are repeated)

Muzi Pan (40) 18 November Bulbul, Dark-capped Camaroptera, Green-backed Cisticola, Rattling Coucal, Burchell’s Crake, Black Cuckoo, Diderick Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Red-chested Dove, Red-eyed Duck, Yellow-billed Egret, Cattle Fiscal, Southern Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Francolin, Crested Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Heron, Grey Heron, Squacco Hoopoe, African

Jacana, African Kingfisher, Pied Kite, Yellow-billed Mousebird, Speckled Openbill, African Pelican, Pink-backed Pratincole, Collared Spoonbill, African Spurfowl, Natal Stilt, Black-winged Stork, Yellow-billed Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallows, Wire-tailed Teal, Red-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Village

MKHUZE (90) 19-21 November Apalis, Rudd’s Apalis, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Acacia Pied Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Bateleur Batis, Chinspot Bee-eater, European Bee-eater, Little Bunting, Golden-breasted Bushshrike, Gorgeous Bushshrike, Orange-breasted Bush-Sparrow, Yellow-throated Bustard, Black-bellied Buzzard, Common Canary, Yellow-fronted Canary, Yellow-fronted Cormorant, Reed Darter, African Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Emerald Spotted Wood- Dove, Laughing Dove, Tambourine Drongo, Fork-tailed Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Black-chested Snake- Eagle, Brown Snake Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Wahlberg’s Egret, Little Firefinch, Red-billed Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Grey Tit Flycatcher, Pale Flycatcher, Southern Black Go-away bird Greenbul, Sombre Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Guineafowl, Crested Hawk, African Cuckoo- Heron, Black Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, Yellow-billed

Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Hadedah Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Pygmy Kingfisher, Striped Kite, Black-winged Lapwing, Blacksmith Lark, Sabota Mannikins, Red-backed Moorhen, Commo Mousebird, Red-faced Oriole, Black-headed Osprey Oxpecker, Red-billed Pelican, Great White Plover, 3-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Puffback, Black-backed Quelea, Red-headed Robin, Bearded Scrub- Robin, White-browed Scrub Robin Robin-Chat, White-throated Scimiterbill Shrike, Red-backed Sparrow, Grey-headed Starling, Glossy Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Purple-banded Sunbird, White-bellied Swallow, Red-breasted Swamphen, African Purple Tchagra, Black-crowned Thick-knee, Water Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Turaco, Purple-crested Vulture, White-backed Wagtail, Pied Warbler, Willow Waxbill, Blue Weaver, Southern Masked Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Yellow (L) Widowbird, White-winged Wood-hoopoe, Green-backed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

MKHUZE 22-24 November (115) Barbet, Acacia Pied Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Batis, Chinspot Bee-eater, European Bishop, Southern Red Boubou, Southern Brownbul, Terrestrial Brubru Bulbul, Dark-capped Bunting, Golden-breasted Bushshrike, Grey-headed Bushshrike, Orange-breasted Bush-sparrow, Yellow-throated Buzzard, Common Camaroptera, Green-backed Canary, Yellow-fronted Cisticola, Rattling Cisticola, Red-faced Cormorant, White-breasted Coucal, Burchell’s Crane, Grey Crowned Crombec, Long-billed Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Diederik’s Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Red-chested Darter, African Dove, Cape Turtle Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood Duck, White-faced Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Wahlberg’s Egret, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Yellow-billed Flycatcher, Pale Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Southern Black

Flycatcher, Spotted Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Greenbul, Sombre Greenshank, Common Guineafowl, Crested Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-headed Heron, Goliath Heron, Squacco Hoopoe, African Hornbill, Trumpeter Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Hadedah Jacana, African Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Woodland Korhaan, Red-chested Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, Blacksmith Lark, Rufous-naped Lark, Sabota Martin, Brown-throated Moorhen, Common Mousebird, Speckled Nicator, Eastern Openbill, African Oriole, Black-headed Pelican, Pink-backed Plover, 3-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Puffback, Black-backed Quelea, Red-billed Robin, White-browed Scrub Sandpiper, Common Saw-wing, Black Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Red-backed

Spoonbill, African Spurfowl, Natal Starling, Glossy Starling, Red-winged Starling, Violet-backed Stilt, Black-winged Stork, Woolly-necked Sunbird, Marico Sunbird, Purple-banded Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, White-bellied Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow, Red-breasted Swallow, White-throated Swallow, Wire-tailed Swamphen, African Purple Swift, Little Swift, White-rumped Tchagra, Black-crowned Tchagra, Brown-crowned Tern, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Thick-knee, Spotted Thick-knee, Water Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Tit, Southern Black Thrush, Kurrichane Wagtail, Pied Warbler, Willow Waxbill, Blue Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Village Whydah, Long-tailed Paradise (non-breeding) Widowbird, White-winged Woodhoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

NDUMO (total 120) Apalis, Rudd’s Apalis, Yellow-breasted Bateleur Bee-eater, Little Broadbill, African Brownbull, Terrestrial Bunting, Golden-breasted Bushshrike, Gorgeous Bushshrike, Orange-breasted Camaroptera, Green-backed Cisticola, Red-faced Cisticola, Rufous-winged Cormorant, Reed Coucal, Burchell’s Crake, Black Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo, Klaas’s Cuckooshrike, Black Darter Dove, Emerald-spotted Dove, Red-eyed Drongo Fork-tailed Drongo, Square-tailed Duck, Comb Duck, White-faced Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Long-crested Egret, Great Egret, Little Egret, Yellow-billed Firefinch, Jameson’s Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, Grey Tit- Flycatcher, Pale Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwinged Greenbull, Sombre Greenshank, Common

Guineafowl, Crested Hamerkop Harrier, Marsh Hawk, African Harrier Hawk, Cuckoo Heron, Black-headed Heron, Green-backed Heron, Squacco Hoopoe, African Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Sacred Jacana, African Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kite, Yellow-billed Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing, Blacksmith Lapwing, Blacksmith Longclaw, Yellow-throated Martin, Brown-throated Mousebird, Red-faced Nicator, Eastern Pelican, Great White Pelican, Pink-backed Pigeon, Green Pipit, African Plover, 3-banded Plover, Common Ringed Plover, Kitlitz Pratincole, Collared Prinia, Tawny-flanked Puffback, Black-backed Queleas, Red-headed Robin, Bearded Scrub Robin-Chat, Red-capped Roller, Purple Ruff

Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Saw-wing, Black Shrike, Retz’s Helmet- Spoonbill, African Starling, Violet-backed Stilt, Black-winged Stint, Little Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Woolly-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Grey Sunbird, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, White-bellied Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Tchagra, Black-crowned Teal, Red-billed Tern, Caspian Tern, Whiskered Thick-knee, Water Tit, Southern Black Trogon, Narina Turaco, Purple-crested Twinspot, Green Vulture, Palm-nut Vulture, White-backed Wagtail, Pied Warbler, Willow Waxbill, Blue Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Southern Masked Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Yellow Whydah, Pin-tailed Woodhoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Cardinal