Outing report: Perlemoen Estate, Umzumbe - 8 March 2020

Malachite Kingfisher

Attending: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Derrick & Edith Megson, Robin Eccles, Teresa Smith & Nick Dreyer, Lia Steen, Graham Wells, Kobus Wentzel, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

Species identified: 38 (see below) 

                                                                                       Text & Photos: Hazel van Rooyen

For once, the weather was kind to us, although it did become very hot and most birds wisely stayed hidden in the coolth of the vegetation.  

First we had a pleasant walk through the lower forest area where the stream trickled and gurgled, wild foxgloves like delicate lace, edged the pathways.  After breakfast we took a longer walk up the hill where we split into two groups and one group climbed higher while the other got a bit lost, although we all came back together eventually. 

Wild Foxgloves, like lace, edged the pathways

Although the birds were difficult to find, butterflies and dragonflies were bountiful. 

Layman Butterfly

The terrain is quite challenging and we were happy to sit back and relax when braai-time came around.

Thanks to all the members who attended and to our two visitors, Graham Wells and Kobus Wentzel.  Thank you also to Bernhard Grdseloff for letting us visit his charming farm.

38 species

Barbet, Black-collared

Barbet, White-eared

Boubou, Southern

Bulbul, Black-capped

Brownbul, Terrestrial

Bushshrike, Grey-headed

Cameroptera, Green-backed

Dove, Lemon

Dove, Red-eyed

Dove, Tambourine

Drongo, Fork-tailed

Drongo, Square-tailed

Duck, African Black

Eagle, African Fish

Hoopoe, African

Hornbill, Trumpeter

Ibis, Hadedah

Kingfisher, Brown-hooded

Kingfisher, Malachite

Robin-Chat, Red-capped

Saw-wing, Black

Starling, Black-bellied

Starling, Cape (Glossy)

Sunbird, Amethyst

Sunbird, Collared

Sunbird, Greater Double-collared

Sunbird, Olive

Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped

Tit, Southern Black

Turaco, Knysna

Turaco, Purple-crested

Waxbill, Grey

Weaver, Spectacled

Weaver, Thick-billed

White-eye, Cape

Woodhoopoe, Green

Woodpecker, Cardinal

Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

Outing Report: San Lameer Estate - 26 January 2020

Participants: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Pete & Anne Wright (San Lameer residents who generously guided us for the day), Danie & Bella du Toit, Lia Steen, Doug Butcher, Derrick & Edith Megson, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Mark Liptrot & Cecily Salmon (Port Natal club), Bob & Hazel van Rooyen  (16)

Species identified: 44

Photographs: Lia Steen, Doug Butcher, Hazel van Rooyen

Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Amethyst Sunbird (Hazel van Rooyen)

This is a popular venue with the Trogons club and San Lameer are always very kind in allowing us on their estate.  After a drizzle of rain the night before, Sunday morning turned out gorgeous and saw us all donning our sunhats for our first walk between the golf fairways and streams.  Dark-capped Bulbul, Cape White-eye, Brown-hooded Kingfisher and Black-bellied Starling were seen very quickly, followed by Green-backed Camaroptera and Olive Sunbirds calling in the thicker bush.  A Purple-crested Turaco posed on a tree-top, while an Amethyst Sunbird flitted about lower down. 

Purple-crested Turaco (Doug Butcher)

Olive Sunbird (Lia Steen)

We were interested in a beautiful tree looking similar to our Coastal Coral but with different blooms and Ann explained it was Livingston’s Erythrina Coral tree from Zambia.  Moving along, the golf carts were starting to come through and we didn’t want to get in their way, Green Wood-hoopoes cackled and a Black-backed Puffback clicked and whistled.

Livingston's Coral Tree (Hazel van Rooyen)

Tree blossoms (Hazel van Rooyen)

The bird hide pond was really quiet except for a pair of Green-backed Herons.  It was a tranquil spot and we stopped here and breakfasted at the picnic tables.  After that we visited the fishing pond which was also very quiet.

Strolling around looking for birds (Doug Butcher)

A few people in our group had an interest in dragon and damsel flies.  There were plenty of these and they made very colourful photos.  Lia would know their names.

Dragonfly (Doug Butcher)

Dragonfly (Hazel van Rooyen)

The lagoon walk was mostly dead sticks and weeds as it was still recovering from a terrifying fire last September.  A deck provided an excellent view of the lagoon and although the water level was very low, merely large puddles, we still spotted a Pied Kingfisher, Woolly-necked Stork, Little Egret, African Fish Eagle, a few Common Greenshanks and Blacksmith Lapwing. 

Little Egret (Lia Steen)

Village Weaver (Lia Steen)

Woolly-necked Stork (Lia Steen)

Common Greenshank (Lia Steen)

Further along another deck opened up to a beautiful beach view of surf and sunshine.

Participants on the seaview deck (Hazel van Rooyen)

Arriving back at the bird hide, a Yellow-billed Duck proudly showed off her ducklings.

Yellow-billed Duck showing off her brood (Lia Steen)

The heat of the day was climbing and relaxing under a shady tree now seemed a good idea so we made our way to the picnic area by the beach where we chatted and braaied.  Thanks go to Pete & Ann Wright for showing us around.

(All photos property of photographer)
Species identified: 44

Barbet, Black-collared Boubou, Southern Bulbul, Dark-capped Camaroptera, Green-backed Coucal, Burchell’s Dove, Red-eyed Drongo, Fork-tailed Duck, Yellow-billed Eagle, African Fish Egret, Little Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Goshawk, African Greenbul, Sombre Hadedah, Ibis Heron, Green-backed Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kite, Yellow-billed Lapwing, Blacksmith

Mannikin, Bronze Oriole, Black-headed Prinia, Tawny-flanked Puffback, Black-backed Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Red-winged Stork, Woolly-necked Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Olive Swallow, Lesser-striped Swift, Palm Swift, White-rumped Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Purple-crested Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Pied Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Wood-hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

Outing report: Umnini Dam with Blessing Majoka - 12 January 2020

In attendance: Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Hazel Nevin, Sandy Olver, Lia Steen, Stan & Val Culley, Maxine Carter, Danie du Toit, Teresa & Nick Smith, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen, Blessing Majoka (Bird Guide) (13)

Species identified: 83 (see below)

Photographs: Stan Culley, Lia Steen, Hazel van Rooyen

Booted Eagle (Stan Culley)

New territory plus a bird guide - Blessing Majoka, from Ethekwini Parks Department - provided fresh incentive to our members. It was generous of him to offer to take the club around on a Sunday. Meeting up at the Shell Ultra City last Sunday, there was an air of excitement.  Even around the garage forecourt we spotted a pair of Mocking Cliff Chats.

Umbini Dam (HvR)

Mocking Cliff Chat (Lia Steen)

African Green Pigeon (HvR)

African Green Pigeon (HvR)

Blessing started us off with a drive through urban tribal villages.  We had gone only a short way when he suddenly pulled to the side of the road and pointed out a pair of African Green Pigeons, an unusual site in a semi-urban area and a bit further along, notwithstanding a double white line on the curve of the road, we all climbed out to see what had caught his attention – a European Honey Buzzard.  This was exciting for most of us as we hadn’t seen one for some years in our area.

European Honey Buzzard (Stan Culley)

On the way to the dam area, we stopped a few times, now being on safer dirt tracks, to see various species - Fan-tailed Widowbird, Crested Barbet, Burchell’s Coucal, Rattling Cisticola to name a few.

Rattling Cisticola (Lia Steen)

Burchell's Coucal (Lia Steen)

Fan-tailed Widowbird (Lia Steen)

Following the river course (HvR)

Following the course of the river we stopped at a spot where a Gorgeous Bushshrike was calling but today he wasn’t showing himself.  A Black Sparrowhawk was seen in the far distance whilst a lone Sacred Ibis flew overhead.  Looking over the dam we spotted a Little Egret and Yellow-billed Ducks and investigating the grassland next to a little quarry a pair of Pygmy Kingfishers and Little Bee-eaters were identified.

Further down the valley we stopped for breakfast beneath some shady bushes.  In this vicinity Blessing identified an Eagle which turned out to be a Booted Eagle (a Lifer for some)!

Booted Eagle (Pale Morph) (Lia Steen)

Moving along to some settling ponds all seemed quiet but then we saw a Hamerkop and African Black Duck, Grey and Black-headed Herons, White-breasted Cormorant, Common Sandpiper, Blacksmith Lapwing and a Purple Heron, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-faced Duck and Ruff, amongst others.

African Black Duck (Lia Steen)

Black-headed Heron (HvR)

Hamerkop (HvR)

Driving back to the main road and circling around we somehow got to the other side of the dam where we parked next to Blessing’s son’s house in the process of being built.  What a fantastic outlook he has, surrounded by lush bush and a wonderful view of the dam.  Here we took a walk around the side of the water, through the riverine bush but by this time it was so hot and the birdlife had gone into hiding, only an African Firefinch, Familiar Chat, Grey Waxbill and Willow Warbler were identified with definite calls from a Garden Warbler.

Grey Waxbill (HvR)

As there wasn’t much shade around, we drove to the picnic site at the Illovo Estuary where we had a relaxing braai, adding Red-winged and Black-bellied Starlings, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Speckled Mousebird and Cape White-eye to our daily list.

Green-backed Cameroptera (Lia Steen)

Once again, many thanks to Sithembiso Blessing Majoka for his guidance and kindness and time spent in showing us around and getting us so many birds. 

The Group 

Species identified (chronological order)

Roads through the villages Chat, Mocking Cliff Weaver, Village Fiscal, Southern Dove, Cape Turtle Dove Myna, Common Dove, Red-eyed Cuckoo, Dideriks Swallow, Lesser-striped Pigeon, African Green Cisticola, Rattling Bushshrike, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Amethyst Buzzard, European Honey Bulbul, Dark-capped Widowbird, Fan-tailed Barbet, Crested Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Swallow, Barn Coucal, Burchell’s Cuckoo, Klaas’s Camaroptera, Green-backed Warbler, Little Rush Dam area Bushshrike, Gorgeous Sparrowhawk, Black Ibis, African Sacred White-eye, Cape Dove, Emerald-spotted Widowbird, Red-collared Barbet, Black-collared Neddicky Sparrow, House Egret, Little Ducks, Yellow-billed Bushshrike, Grey-headed Tchagra, Black-crowned Turaco, Purple-crested Sparrow, Grey-headed Bee-eater, Little Kingfisher, African Pygmy Greenbul, Sombre Canary, Yellow-fronted Spurfowl, Natal Goose, Spurwinged Dove, Tambourine

Weaver, Spectacled Prinia, Tawny-flanked Eagle, Booted Waxbill, Common Weaver. Thick-billed Waxbill, Grey Cisticola, Red-faced Eagle, African Fish Kite, Yellow-billed Settling ponds Hamerkop Duck, African Black Heron, Grey Heron, Black-headed Jacana, African Cormorant, White-breasted Goose, Egyptian Sandpiper, Common Lapwing, Blacksmith Plover, 3-banded Heron, Purple Whydah, Pin-tailed Ruff Swallow, White-throated Ibis, Hadedah Cisticola, Croaking Duck, White-faced Walk Chat, Familiar Firefinch, African Starling, Violet-backed Robin, White-browed Scrub- Warbler, Garden Warbler, Willow Sunbird, Olive Picnic site by Illovo River Starling, Red-winged Starling, Black-bellied Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Mousebird, Speckled Warbler, Lesser Swamp Tit, Southern Black

  

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