Outing Report: Culley Dam, 27 October 2019

A quiet corner of the dam  (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Attending: Stan & Val Culley, Doug & Angie Butcher, Martin & Lia Steen, Nick Dreyer & Teresa Smith, Danie & Bella du Toit, Derek & Edith Megson, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Margaret & Richard, Hazel van Rooyen (17)

Species identified: 60 (listed below)                                                                              Text: Hazel van Rooyen

                                                                                         Photos: Doug Butcher, Hazel van Rooyen, Lia Steen

Sunday 27^th October dawned sunny and rain-free despite a dodgy weather forecast and 15 eager birders arrived at the Culley’s for our outing.  

Sombre Greenbul (photo Lia Steen)

White-faced Whistling Ducks a-waiting  (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

The forest behind their property is usually busy with birdlife at that time of the morning but today was fairly still with only a Sombre Greenbul and Cape Robin-Chat calling plus a Natal Spurfowl screeching a warning of our presence.

Yellow Weaver (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Yellow Weaver (photo: Doug Butcher)

Making our way to the dams, we noticed they were drying out, awaiting the summer rains.  Stan has recently completed another hide in a spot favoured in the past by some rarities.  Meanwhile the Spur-winged Goose juveniles were being shepherded by their parents and numerous White-faced Ducks were waiting for their morning treat of seed from Stan. 

Fork-tailed Drongo (photo: Doug Butcher)

Purple Heron  (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

 

Black Crake  (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Black Crake chick (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Great Egret (photo: Doug Butcher)

Thick-billed Weaver (photo: Doug Butcher)

 Taking a slow meander around the dam, pausing at the hides to examine the wetlands for waterfowl and waders, we identified Common Moorhen, Reed Cormorant, Great and Yellow-billed Egrets, Little Rush Warbler, Purple Heron, Black Crake and African Jacana.  Flitting amongst the reeds were Lesser Swamp Warbler, Thick-billed and Yellow Weaver and Fan-tailed Widowbird.

African Jacana  (photo: Lia Steen)

Bronze Mannikin (photo: Lia Steen)

After breakfast on Val’s patio, some people elected to climb the hill whilst others decided the birdlife amongst the indigenous flowers and shrubs from the patio was more their style whilst the indefatigable Lia re-visited the forest area coming up with Green Wood-hoopoe, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Little Bittern, Common Waxbill, Giant Kingfisher, Paradise Flycatcher, Long-crested Eagle and African Fish Eagle, amongst others.

Fan-tailed Widowbird (photo: Lia Steen)

Common Waxbill  (photo: Lia Steen)

A slow trudge up the hill produced Purple-crested Turaco, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Jackal Buzzard, Fork-tailed Drongo.  Clearwater dam was disappointing as it is in the process of being significantly enlarged but still showed Red-knobbed Coot, Common Moorhen and Spur-winged Geese.

Giant Kingfisher  (photo: Lia Steen)

This was followed by a relaxing afternoon with a braai on the patio, at the same time rugby fans followed the Boks in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.  Thanks to all who participated.

Relaxing on the patio (photo: Doug Butcher)

Species identified: 60

Barbet, Black-collared Bittern, Little Boubou, Southern Bulbul, Black-capped Bushshrike, Grey-headed Buzzard, Jackal Camaroptera, Green-backed Coot, Red-knobbed Cormorant, Reed Coucal, Burchell’s Crake, Black Crow, Pied Cuckoo, Klaas’s Drongo, Fork-tailed Duck, White-faced Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Long-crested Egret, Great Egret, Yellow-billed Flycatcher, Paradise Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spur-winged Greenbul, Sombre Heron, Purple Hornbill, Trumpeter Jacana, African Kingfisher, Brown-headed Kingfisher, Giant Kite, Yellow-billed

Longclaw, Yellow-throated Moorhen, Common Mousebird, Speckled Pigeon, African Green Pipit, Plain-backed Prinia, Tawny-flanked Puffback, Black-backed Robin-Chat Cape Robin-Chat, Red-capped Saw-wing, Black Spurfowl, Natal Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Red-winged Starling, Violet-backed Sunbird, Olive Swift, Palm Swift, White-rumped Tchagra, Black-crowned Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Purple-crested Wagtail, Cape Warbler, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Little Rush Waxbill, Common Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Whydah, Pin-tailed Widowbird, Fan-tailed Woodhoopoe, Green

All photos property of photographer