Outing report- Buhr's farm 24th November 2013

Attendees: Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Eric Kok, Andy Ruffle (4 attendees).

Sadly we didn’t have a very good turnout for this morning’s visit to Buhr’s Farm. However, birding was pretty good, with some good views of some birds we don’t often see well.

Red-necked Spurfowl was the first of these, with one scurrying along the road as we entered the upper part of the farm. Forest Canary, Levaillant's Cisticola, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Black-crowned Tchagra and Lazy Cisticola all showed nicely for us.

Birds recorded: At Paddock Station & Buhr’s Farm- Red-winged Starling, Yellow-fronted Canary, Cape White-eye, Common Myna, Village Weaver, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Hamerkop, Black-headed Heron, Black-headed Oriole, Brimstone Canary, Cattle Egret,Common Starling, Common Moorhen, Diderick Cuckoo,  Hadeda Ibis, African Stonechat,  Red-eyed Dove, Natal Spurfowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Speckled Mousebird, Southern Boubou, African Firefinch, Blacksmith Lapwing, Common Waxbill, Forest Canary, Burchell's Coucal, Green-backed Camaroptera, Olive Sunbird, Red-collared Widowbird, Little Rush-Warbler, Spectacled Weaver, Levaillant's Cisticola, Spur-winged Goose, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Little Grebe, Chinspot Batis, Streaky-headed Seedeater, Lesser Striped Swallow, Southern Black Flycatcher, Amethyst Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Sombre Greenbul, Lazy Cisticola, Neddicky, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Barn Swallow, Grey Crowned Crane, Jackal Buzzard, Cape Starling, Croaking Cisticola, Yellow-billed Kite, Cape Grassbird, Yellow-billed Duck, Black Saw-wing, Zitting Cisticola, Black-shouldered Kite. (57 species)

Oribi Gorge area- Ashy Flycatcher, Black-backed Puffback, Square-tailed Drongo, Red-chested Cuckoo, Red-capped Robin-chat, Cape Turtle-dove, Common Fiscal.  (total 64 species).

Outing report- 8th January 2012 Buhr's Farm, Paddock

by Andy Ruffle

(Image: Google Earth)

Attendees: Nick Baglow, Stan & Val Culley, Mike Fagan, Margaret Jones, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Andy Ruffle, Irma Smook, Ron Whitham, Sue Hansbury & Barry Willis. (12 attendees)

Incredibly, the last time we visited this venue was in March 2007. Gerald meeting us to show us the way was much appreciated, as many of the more recent members are unfamiliar with the location of the farm. Thanks go to Eric for arranging this. It was quite an amusing sight I believe, seeing a 5ft 4in me standing next to the huge stature of Gerald. Thankfully no photos, I hope.
Birding saw the usual suspects and was challenging as always at this time of year.
There was a surprising lack of activity on the dams, but with high water levels maybe it's to be expected.
A pair of Grey Crowned Cranes entertained us nicely whilst eating our picnic lunch. 

Birds recorded: Barn Swallow, Egyptian Goose, Long-crested Eagle, Red-collared Widow, Fan-tailed Widow, Blacksmith Lapwing, Olive Sunbird, Burchell's Coucal, Common Fiscal, Yellow-billed Kite, White-browed Scrub-Robin, Hadeda Ibis, Spectacled Weaver, Yellow-billed Duck, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Three-banded Plover, Cape Batis, Cape Grassbird, Little Rush-Warbler, Black-collared Barbet, White-bellied Sunbird, Pin-tailed Whydah, Village Weaver, Yellow-fronted Canary, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, Cape Weaver, Southern Red Bishop, Levaillant's Cisticola, Steppe Buzzard, African Stonechat, Neddicky, Cape White-eye, Southern Boubou, Black Cuckoo, African Fish-Eagle, Lesser Striped-Swallow, Red-eyed Dove, White-necked Raven, White-throated Swallow, Eastern Olive-Pigeon, Spur-winged Goose, Brown-throated Martin, Speckled Pigeon, Lesser Honeyguide, Sombre Greenbul, Grey Crowned Crane, Black-headed Oriole, Amethyst Sunbird, Red-throated Wryneck, Zitting Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola. (52 species)