Trogons Outing Report - Culley's Dam & Gaze Farm, 10 April 2016

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher, Barry Willis & Sue Hansbury, Stan & Val Culley, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Keith & Maureen Roach, Vic & Kay Nielson, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen,

(Text: Hazel van Rooyen)

Bird list:  (Count: 56)

Having met up at Banner’s Rest our group wended our way to Stan & Val’s beautiful garden and home where we were welcomed by numerous Village Weavers in the tree aloes. 

Culley's Dam (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

The garden was absolutely alive with a variety of birds, Speckled Mousebirds, Dark-capped Bulbuls, Cape White-eyes, Thick-billed Weavers and more, flitted amongst the lush indigenous trees and shrubbery.  A Greater Double-collared Sunbird gathered nectar from Aloe fosterii.

Greater Doubled-collared Sunbird 

Knysna Turaco (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Proceeding through the gate and around to the forested area which extends up the cliff to the Gaze Farm we searched the trees with our binocs for forest birds and found Black-backed Puffback, Southern Black Flycatcher, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Tambourine Dove and Knysna Turaco, amongst others.  Turning back, our eyes focused on the amazing wetland area that Stan has created.  Common Waxbills and Bronze Mannikins swung amongst the tall grasses as they foraged and when startled would take off as a flock with a whir of tiny wings. 

After having attracted some very special birds over the summer months – African Rail, Baillon’s AND Spotted Crakes, Lesser Jacana, Allen’s Gallinule and Pygmy Goose, and providing a safe habitat for the Spurwing and Egyptian Geese plus African Jacana to rear their chicks, it was now time for the dam to have a period of rest. “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven”. Even so we spotted Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Reed Cormorant, Little Grebe, Black Crake, African Jacana, and the five surviving Spurwing Goose chicks, now almost adult-size but still being watched over by mom and dad.

Spurwing Goose (photo: Doug Butcher)

Spurwing Goose (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

African Jacana (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Coffee-time called and we settled on Val’s patio for our breakfast, becoming somewhat soporific in the shade as the day was fast warming up. 

Val's Patio (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

The sight of a Long-crested Eagle and African Harrier-Hawk soaring above, spurred us on.  Onward and upward!  With Stan leading, a few of us tackled the steep walk through the forest and up the mountainside to the open grassland looking out over the Umtamvuna estuary to the sparkling Indian Ocean.  En route we spotted Purple-crested Turaco, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Olive and Amethyst Sunbirds, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Crowned Hornbill and Paradise and Dusky Flycatchers. 

Yellow-throated Longclaw (photo: Doug Butcher)

 

White-faced Ducks on Gaze Dam (photo: Doug Butcher)

White-faced Ducks and Yellow-billed Ducks puddled about on the top dam and African Jacana treaded daintily on the lily pads.  Who could resist a posing butterfly and this one is a Diadem, male.  The female of the species Hypolimnus Misippus looks so different it even has a different common name, ie Mimic because it mimics the Milkweed butterfly which is distasteful to predators.

Diadem Butterfly (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

For others, the lure of the wetland was too much and they made their way back to the hides (yes, Stan has built another hide on the opposite side), and they were pleased to add Giant Kingfisher and Little Bittern to our day’s list.

After all the excitement we once again made ourselves comfortable on Val’s patio and enjoyed a relaxed and sociable braai.

(All photographs property of owner)

Birds seen (56 species)

Barbet Black-collared Bittern Little Boubou Southern Bulbul Dark-capped Canary Yellow-fronted Cormorant Reed Coucal Burchell’s Crake Black Dove Cape Turtle Dove Red-eyed Dove Tambourine Drongo Fork-tailed Drongo Square-tailed Duck White-faced Duck Yellow-billed Eagle Long-crested Flycatcher Dusky Flycatcher Paradise Flycatcher Southern Black

Goose Egyptian Goose Spurwing Grebe Little Greenbul Sombre Harrier-Hawk African Hornbill Crowned Ibis Hadedah Jacana African Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kingfisher Giant Kingfisher Malachite Kingfisher Pied Longclaw Yellow-throated Mannikin Bronze Moorhen Common Mousebird Speckled Oriole Black-headed Puffback Black-backed Robin-Chat Red-capped

Sparrow Grey-headed Starling Black-bellied Starling Red-wing Sunbird Amethyst Sunbird Greater Double-collared Sunbird Grey Sunbird Olive SunbirdCollared Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco Knysna Turaco Purple-crested Warbler Little Rush Waxbill Common Weaver Forest Weaver Thick-billed Weaver Village White-eye Cape Whydah Pin-tailed

Outing report - 8th March 2015 Gaze Farm & Culley's Dam, Port Edward

Attendees: Eric Kok, Liz Blomeyer, Bobby & Hazel Van Rooyen; Andrew Pickles, Stanley & Asothie Gengan; Piet & Marietjie Beukes; Lorraine Duncan, Ina de Koker, Vic & Kay Neilson; Ron & Elaine Whitham; Stan & Val Culley. (17 attendees).

female Eurasian Oriole
(Photo Stan Culley)

female Eurasian Oriole
(Photo Stan Culley)

Birds recorded: Fiery-necked Nightjar, Black-collared Barbet, Olive Sunbird, Dark-capped Bulbul, Long-crested Eagle, Giant Kingfisher, Black-bellied Starling, Cape Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Thick-billed Weaver, Village Weaver, Cape White-eye, Sombre Greenbul, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Tambourine Dove, Pin-tailed Whydah, Amethyst Sunbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Reed Cormorant, Egyptian Goose, White-faced Duck, Black Crake, African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher, Black-headed Heron, Common Waxbill, Little Grebe, Fork-tailed Drongo, Yellow-billed Duck, Tawny-flanked Prinia,  Common Moorhen, Fan-tailed Widowbird; Bronze Mannikin, African Pygmy-Kingfisher, Red-winged Starling, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Natal Spurfowl, Hadeda Ibis, Red-eyed Dove, African Fish-Eagle, Little Bittern,

Lazy Cisticola, Yellow-fronted Canary, Knysna Turaco, Lesser Striped Swallow;

Barn Swallow, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler, Lesser Swamp-Warbler,

Alpine Swift, African Firefinch, Cape Glossy Starling, Speckled Mousebird,

Crowned Hornbill,  Common Fiscal, Trumpeter Hornbill, African Darter, African Purple Swamphen, Collared Sunbird. (59 species).

Outing report - Culley's Dam (Gaze Farm), 12th October 2014

Attendees: Margaret Jones;  Herbie & Jeanette Osborne; Ron & Elaine Whitham;  Andrew Pickles;  Hazel Parry; Doug Butcher;  Sue Hansbury;  Barrie Willis;  Stanley & Asothie Gengan;  Mervyn Todd;  Ina de Koker; Vic & Kay Neilson; Bobby & Hazel van Rooyen;  Graham & Patricia Pirie;  Sandy Olver;  Hazel Nevin; Stan & Val Culley and Sipokazi Lubando (Lolly) (25 attendees)

Birds recorded: African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher, Egyptian Goose, Black Crake, Thick-billed Weaver, Yellow-billed Duck, Sombre Greenbul, Bar-throated Apalis, Purple Heron, Hadeda Ibis, Little Rush-Warbler, Water Thick-knee, Green-backed Camaroptera, Burchell's Coucal, Amethyst Sunbird, Woolly-necked Stork, Violet-backed Starling, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Lazy Cisticola, Grey Cuckooshrike, Yellow-fronted Canary, Olive Sunbird, Fork-tailed Drongo, Black-backed Puffback, Common Waxbill, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Common Moorhen, Purple-crested Turaco, Collared Sunbird, Lesser Striped Swallow, Little Bittern, Red-billed Firefinch, Cape Glossy Starling, Southern Boubou, Long-crested Eagle, Black-collared Barbet, Grey-headed Bush-Shrike, Giant Kingfisher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Yellow-billed Kite, African Pied Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, African Dusky Flycatcher, Red-winged Starling, Black-headed Oriole, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Terrestrial Brownbul, Spur-winged Goose, Village Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Yellow Weaver, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black Saw-wing, Dark-capped Bulbul, Bronze Mannikin, Red-eyed Dove, Little Grebe, Tambourine Dove, Pin-tailed Whydah, Cape White-eye. (62 species).

Outing report- 16th March 2014 Gaze Farm, Port Edward

Photos and text by Andy Ruffle

Clearwater Dam

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher, Stan & Val Culley; Stanley & Asothie Gengan; Vic & Kay Neilson; Andy Ruffle, Irma Smook, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen; Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury. (14 attendees).

Another very pleasant outing to Gaze Farm today, with some six species added to the club list (highlighted in red below) for the venue.
An added bonus was the new Culley's Dam, which has been constructed on Stan & Val's property. This will prove to be a very special birding spot in the future we think.

The new Culley's Dam with it's visitor centre

The hide is a converted pump-house

Stanley in the hide, hoping for that Baillon's Crake

Birds recorded: Red-eyed Dove, Hadeda Ibis, Sombre Greenbul, Black-collared Barbet, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Village Weaver, Dark-capped Bulbul, Barn Swallow, Black-bellied Starling, Collared Sunbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Brown Scrub-Robin, Chorister Robin-Chat, Purple-crested Turaco, Tambourine Dove, Black-headed Oriole, Common Fiscal, Amethyst Sunbird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-fronted Canary, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Black Sparrowhawk, Fork-tailed Drongo, Olive Sunbird, Yellow-billed Duck, Black-headed Heron, White-faced Duck, Common Moorhen, African Jacana, Egyptian Goose, Knysna Turaco, Red-winged Starling, Burchell's Coucal, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, Pin-tailed Whydah, Natal Spurfowl, Little Grebe, Black Saw-wing, Malachite Kingfisher, White-throated Swallow, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Southern Boubou, White-necked Raven, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Speckled Mousebird, Bronze Mannikin.(47 species).

Outing report- 23rd June 2013 Gaze Farm, Port Edward

By Andy Ruffle

Viewing deck at Clearwater Trails
(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher; Stan & Val Culley; Frans & Lana du Plooy; Eric Kok; Yegas Naidoo; Vic & Kay Neilson; Herbie & Jeanette Osborne; Hazel Parry;  Andrew Pickles; Andy Ruffle; Cees, Sharlene & Kyle van der Slikke; Bob & Hazel van Rooyen; Ron & Elaine Whitham; Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury. (24 attendees).

It was a glorious winter's day for today's outing to Gaze Farm. Birding started off well with some nice sightings at Banners rest as we assembled. African Green-Pigeon were particularly obliging, but unfortunately the light wasn't, so no pics I'm afraid.

 

(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Our strenuous, but slow walk up to the dam, was made much easier thanks to Ken Gaze laying paving along much of the route.

Square-tailed Drongo could be heard calling in the forest patches at the start of the walk, with some fleeting glimpses had by some. Knysna Woodpecker remained elusive, but I'm sure we will get it one day.
Barrie's vigilant search of the marshy area proved  fruitless for his bogey bird, Broad-tailed Warbler as did Angie's search of the old ruins for Narina Trogon.

African Olive-Pigeon, Trumpeter Hornbill and Cape Vulture were seen flying overhead, with Rufous-naped Lark being spotted on the grassy slopes.
 

At the dam, we found Yellow-billed Duck, African Jacana, Black Crake, Common Moorhen and Reed Cormorant.
After reaching the dam, we would normally return back down the hill. Today, we decided to do something different and continued up to Clearwater Trails, where we had breakfast at the Taverna. Our after breakfast walk now became the leisurely jaunt back to Stan & Val's for lunch.

Yellow-billed Duck
Another April Fool Joke waiting to happen
(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

African Jacana
(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Pycnostachys reticulata found in moist, swampy,
grassy places and the larval host of the
Marsh Commodore Butterfly
(Photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Thanks go to Stan & Val for hosting another enjoyable day's birding at Gaze Farm. It is always a pleasure seeing their beautiful garden too.

(Photo Doug Butcher)

Birds recorded: Red-eyed Dove, Fork-tailed Drongo, African Green-Pigeon, Dark-capped Bulbul, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Red-capped Robin-Chat, Village Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver, Amethyst Sunbird, Southern Black Flycatcher, Red-winged Starling, Bronze Mannikin, Reed Cormorant, Olive Sunbird, Green Wood-Hoopoe, African Pied Wagtail, Sombre Greenbul, Southern Boubou, Square-tailed Drongo, Thick-billed Weaver, African Goshawk, Collared Sunbird, Black-collared Barbet, Cape White-eye, Natal Spurfowl, Black-headed Oriole, African Olive-Pigeon, Tambourine Dove, Trumpeter Hornbill, Rufous-naped Lark, Cape Vulture, Yellow-billed Duck, African Jacana, Black Crake, Common Moorhen, Greater Double-collared Sunbird, Common Fiscal, Woolly-necked Stork, African Dusky Flycatcher, Knysna Turaco, African Paradise-Flycatcher, Black-backed Puffback, Green-backed Camaroptera, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Jackal Buzzard, Hadada Ibis, Pin-tailed Whydah, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. (48 species).

Outing report- 10th March 2012 Gaze Farm, Port Edward

(Photo Andy Ruffle)

Attendees: Stan & Val Culley, Doug & Angie Butcher, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Cathy Lee, Andy Ruffle, Irma Smook, Ron Whitham, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury. (12 attendees)

We finally made it to Gaze Farm, following the cancellation of the outing last week due to the rain. Our walk up to the Dam and back revealed an immature Lanner Falcon which perched long enough for us to determine it's true identity. An immature African Fish-eagle (see Doug's photo below) was also seen souring over the grasslands. Both Croaking and Lazy Cisticola showed themselves nicely. Good views of a Black-crowned Tchagra were had by Stan, Barrie and Andy.

Breakfast at Culley's Curio & Coffee Shop
(Photo Doug Butcher)

immature African Fish-eagle
(Photo Doug Butcher)

After breakfast some of the group headed up to the viewing deck at Clearwater Trails. Little birdlife was seen, but the view is always stunning. Whilst at Clearwater we learnt that Cape Vultures have been seen hanging around the area. Let's hope they start breeding here again.

viewing deck at Clearwater Trails
(Photo Doug Butcher)

Thanks go to Stan & Val for their hospitality and another enjoyable visit to this popular venue.

Birds recorded: Village Weaver, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Black-bellied Starling, Purple-crested Turaco, Hadeda Ibis, Southern Boubou, Cape Glossy Starling, Red-winged Starling, Black-collared Barbet, Knysna Turaco, Black-headed Oriole, Tambourine Dove, Square-tailed Drongo, Sombre Greenbul, Collared Sunbird, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Dark-capped Bulbul, Amethyst Sunbird, Red-throated Wryneck, Lanner Falcon (immature), Black-crowned Tchagra, Yellow-fronted Canary, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Pin-tailed Whydah, Croaking Cisticola, Speckled Mousebird, African Jacana, Blacksmith Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Cape Longclaw, Olive Thrush, Black Saw-wing, Barn Swallow, Cape Wagtail, Common Moorhen, African Fish-eagle (immature), Natal Spurfowl, White-necked Raven, Lesser-striped Swallow, Lazy Cisticola, Brown Scrub-robin, Olive Sunbird, African Hoopoe, Jackal Buzzard. (45 species)

Outing report- 6th July 2008 Gaze Farm

(Photo Barry Porter)