UPCOMING OUTING: River Valley Nature Reserve in Uvongo - 22 March 2020

Little Bittern

Dear Members & Friends

Sunday, 22 March 2020 at 06:30 BirdLife Trogons will visit River Valley Nature Reserve in Uvongo.  Bring chairs, breakfast and something to braai for lunch.  ALL WELCOME.  There is a R20 pp charge for non-members of BirdLife Trogons and R25 entrance charge.  Outings may be cancelled due to weather, check www.birdlifetrogons.blogspot.com or phone Hazel before setting off.  For further details telephone Hazel van Rooyen on 072 355 8837 or visit the blog.  Please let Hazel know if you will be attending the outing.

Meet at the gate to River Valley.

Travel south from Durban on the N2 toll road. At the Port Shepstone toll head continue on highway towards Port Edward. Take the second off ramp, (Margate/Uvongo) and turn Right into Wingate Ave and cross the highway. You will pass the Margate Country Club on your right hand side. Carry on along Wingate for another 500m past Country Club and you will see our sign pointing right into Portal Ave. Drive down Portal Ave and follow signs to the gate.

GPS Co Ordinates S 30.83’436” E 30.35’880”

Kind regards

Hazel van Rooyen

Secretary

BirdLife Trogons BirdClub

Outing report: River Valley Nature Reserve - 27 January 2019

African Crake (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Species Identified: 51                                                                     Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Attending: Stan & Val Culley, Danie & Bella du Toit, Doug & Angie Butcher, Margie Cowan, Margaret Jones, Hester & Babs Pieterse, Rooksane Gangat & Rouida Kathrada, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

The day started off well for Bob and Hazel with a sighting of the out-of-range African Crake just outside the gates of River Valley.  Unfortunately, everyone arrived all at once and frightened it back into the long reeds.  Andrew Lewis, the owner, had been seeing it with a single chick but we didn’t get a sighting of the chick.

African Crake (photo HvR)

The cavalcade drove down to the Vungu river, en route setting in motion lots of Yellow-fronted Canaries and Fan-tailed Widowbirds in the grassland.  Lesser-striped Swallows and Barn Swallows swooped about, drawing circles in the air.  Down by the river a Pied Wagtail foraged while male and female Thick-billed Weavers chased each other around in the never-ending pursuit of procreation. 

Thick-billed Weaver (photo Sue Salthouse)

A very well camouflaged Jackal Buzzard looked over its domain from a Euphorbia tree high up on the opposite hillside.  Walking through the undergrowth all was still and quiet except for the pop-pop-popping of the Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds and kwit-kwit-kwit of the Green-backed Cameroptera.  Out in the open a Common Buzzard perched on a tall tree accompanied by African Green Pigeons.  In the grassland a Croaking Cisticola was identified while a Tambourine Dove called softly in the distance.  Re-tracing our steps Olive Sunbirds were spotted in the shrubbery and Sombre Greenbulls called.  Back at the vehicles coffee and breakfast was the order of the day and we all tucked in.

Olive Sunbird (photo HvR)

Having re-fuelled our bodies we set off in the opposite direction through rippling grassland on the right and woods on the left.  A Golden-tailed Woodpecker screeched to the left and a Yellow-throated Longclaw flapped over the grass-tops.  Further along, the pathway led down to a lovely viewpoint overlooking the river.  

Doug, the photographer (photo HvR)

Crowned Hornbill (photo HvR)

Tawny-flanked Prinia (photo: HvR)

Back at the picnic area we sat for a while watching Crowned and Trumpeter Hornbills criss-crossing the valley while Crowned Eagles called from on High whilst a Tawny-flanked Prinia hopped amongst the reeds at the edge of the river. After a relaxing braai we packed up and made our way home, just in time as the promised rain arrived soon after.

Thanks to everyone who came and special thanks to Andrew Lewis for letting us visit his beautiful verdant valley.  We must not forget to mention the many buck on his farm – impala, duiker, nyala amongst others.

Village Weaver nests on fever trees 
but many more on the ground,
 blown off by our recent strong winds.
 (photo HvR)

Along our walks we noticed several of these frogs which were well camouflaged against the leaf matter on the forest floor, even to the yellow stripe down its back.

Apalis, Bar-throated

Barbet, Black-collared

Boubou, Southern-capped

Bulbul, Dark-capped

Buzzard, Jackal

Buzzard, Steppe (Common)

Cameroptera, Green-backed

Canary, Yellow-fronted

Cisticola, Croaking

Crake, African

Dove, Red-eyed

Dove, Tambourine

Drongo, Fork-tailed

Eagle, African Fish

Eagle, Crowned

Fiscal, Common

Goose, Egyptian

Greenbul, Sombre

Hornbill, Crowned

Hornbill, Trumpeter

Ibis, Hadedah

Kingfisher, Brown-hooded

Kite, Yellow-billed

Longclaw, Yellow-throated

Mousebird, Speckled

Oriole, Black-headed

 Pigeon, African Green

Prinia, Tawny-flanked

Raven, White-necked

Robin, Brown Scrub

Robin-chat, Red-capped

Sawwing, Black

Spurfowl, Natal

Starling, Black-bellied

Sunbird, Olive

Swallow, Barn

Swallow, Lesser-striped

Swift, African Palm

Swift, White-rumped

Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped

Turaco, Knysna

Turaco, Purple-crested

Wagtail, Mountain

Wagtail, Pied

Weaver, Dark-backed

Weaver, Spectacled

Weaver, Thick-billed

Weaver, Village

Weaver, Yellow

Widowbird, Fantailed

Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

Outing report: River Valley Nature Reserve, Uvongo - 25 February 2018

Attendees:  Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Doug, Angie & Andrew Butcher, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen

Species identified: 36                                               Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Thick-billed Weaver (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Yet another cloudy morning greeted us at River Valley but this was our second attempt in a few weeks to visit and although there were some cancellations, a few of us were determined to “get out there”.

Arriving a bit early, we parked by the small dam just before the entrance where a Pied Wagtail flew over to welcome us.  At the dam a Black-headed Heron stood frozen in concentration and in contrast a Black Crake put in a fleeting performance, flashing across our vision – blink and you would miss it.

Black-headed Heron (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Andrew Lewis, the owner, met us at the gate, very organised with a bird list and map of walking trails.  He explained the geography of the reserve and Barrie led us down a winding sand road to the river.  On route, a Jackal Buzzard flew overhead, investigating the usurpers of its hunting pastures.  Yellow-fronted Canaries chased each other in the tree-tops.

Vungu River (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Down by the lush little river, Green Wood-Hoopoes cackled as they bounced around in the branches while Crowned Hornbills clambered about in the tree canopy.  Southern Black Flycatchers swooped from the lower branches and pounced on their unsuspecting prey in the filtered light.  In the reed-beds Thick-billed Weavers were busy making their neat nests between two reeds and as mom dived into one, tiny squawks issued from within.

Following the Impithi trail through tussocky grassland, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds could be heard pop-pop-popping and a Klaas's Cuckoo sang meit-jie, meit-jie in the distance.   Yellow-throated Longclaws flapped and glided to their perches on the topmost twigs of shrubs. Those are seriously long claws!

 

Yellow-throated Longclaw (photo: Doug Butcher)

Locostylis alata (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Locostylis alata (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

Amongst some rocky grassland a tree stood out with pinky-red blossoms.  Later research identified it as Loxostylis alata or Tarwood.  The female flowers are borne on separate trees from the male.  Both are small and a creamy-white but once the fruit starts forming the surrounding sepals expand rapidly and become bright pink to brick-red and the tree looks as though it is in flower.  Other horticultural stand-outs were clumps of Watsonia densiflora whose startlingly pink flowers lit up the grassland. 

Watsonia densiflora (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

A small bird caused some discussion as to what type of fly-catcher it could be but later on, showing our expert Stan the photos, he identified it as an immature Brown-backed Honeybird (an addition to the River Valley bird list).

Brown-backed Honeybird (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

The Culprits (photo Doug Butcher)

 Re-tracing our steps back to the picnic site for breakfast, we startled a pair of Yellow-billed Ducks which flew up river.  A Tambourine Dove called woohoo, woo tutu-tu-tu-tu .....and a Knysna Turaco crowed gruffly from the mid-canopy.  

Trumpeter Hornbill (photo Doug Butcher)

After a good breakfast next to the river, accompanied by the baby-like cries of Trumpeter Hornbills and Crowned Eagles, the Nyala trail took us in the other direction through some forest.  Out in the open once again, a rumour in the wind spoke of an imminent shower and after a while our party decided to turn back and head for shelter.  Along the way a chirpy little bird caught our attention and from its song we identified it as a Levaillant’s Cisticola.  By the time we got back the rain had stopped but soon started up again and we took refuge sitting on the long verandah.  The sharp shower dissipated and the guys decided to start the braai.  Whilst we were quietly relaxing we noticed a Bush Buck foraging half-way up the steep bank on the other side of the river.  Just then an African Fish Eagle called out which perfected the peaceful scene.

Bush buck (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

The people (photo Hazel van Rooyen)

The people  (photo Doug Butcher)

Thanks go to all participants for their knowledge-sharing and fun attitude.  Also thanks to Andrew Lewis, the owner and moral custodian, for providing such a lovely venue which was a delight - well-maintained and cared for.

Species identified: 36

Barbet, Black-collared Bulbul, Dark-capped Buzzard, Jackal Canary, Yellow-fronted Cisticola, Levaillant’s Coucal, Burchell’s Crake, Black Cuckoo, Klaas’s Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Tamborine Duck, Yellow-billed Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Crowned Fiscal, Common Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Heron, Black-headed Honeybird, Brown-backed

Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Longclaw, Yellow-throated Saw-wing, Black Sparrow, Grey-headed Starling, Glossy Starling, Red-winged Starling, Violet-backed Swallow, Barn Swallow, Lesser-striped Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Knysna Wagtail, Pied Weaver, Cape Weaver, Thick-billed Widowbird, Fan-tailed Wood-Hoopoe, Green