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
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| 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.
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| Purple-crested Turaco (Doug Butcher) |
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| 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.
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| Livingston's Coral Tree (Hazel van Rooyen) |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Dragonfly (Doug Butcher) |
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| 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.
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| Little Egret (Lia Steen) |
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| Village Weaver (Lia Steen) |
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| Woolly-necked Stork (Lia Steen) |
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| Common Greenshank (Lia Steen) |
Further along
another deck opened up to a beautiful beach view of surf and sunshine.
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| Participants on the seaview deck (Hazel van Rooyen) |
Arriving back at the bird hide, a Yellow-billed Duck proudly showed off
her ducklings.
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| 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
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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
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