Outing report: TC Robertson NR, Scottburgh - 26 August 2018

Spotted Ground Thrush (photo: Stan Culley)

Attendees: Hazel Nevin, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Stan & Val Culley, Stanley & Asothie Gengan, Lennart Erikssen & Evelyn Heunis, Albert & Denise Pienaar, Doug Butcher, Robin Eccles & Hanli Kloppers, Desiree Kruger & Butch Goldstone, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen (18)

Species identified: 60                                                              Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Sunday dawned full of good possibilities and proved true to its promise – good weather, good birding and an enthusiastic bunch of 18 people!

Meeting up just inside the gate and parking next to the river, Blacksmith Lapwing, 3-banded Plover, Egyptian Goose and Yellow Weaver were soon seen, along with a Yellow-billed Kite. 

Yellow-billed Kite (photo: HvR)

Nearly everyone was excited to report that during the previous two weeks, they had already seen their first “YBK” arriving back from its winter migration, the sightings of which always herald Spring just around the corner (not that we suffer from the cold in our neck of the woods but a new season is always eagerly anticipated).  Spurwing Goose, Village Weaver, African Darter, Bronze Mannikins, Reed Cormorant and Pied Kingfisher were also seen in this spot.

We then drove round to the picnic site where we parked the vehicles and paid our R20 per car to Keith Layfield who does a really excellent job of looking after the reserve, on a volunteer basis.  It was such a pleasure to spend our day there.

From here we took the grasslands trail, spotting Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Black-collared Barbet, Cardinal Woodpecker, Olive Sunbird, Common Waxbill amongst others.  Hazel Nevin led us to where she was sure we would see the Little Bee-eaters and indeed there were two swaying in some tall reeds.  Little Rush Warbler and Tawny-flanked Prinia could be heard and a Burchell’s Coucal gurgled some way off.  A flock of about 8 Cape Crows was a surprise sighting, being unusual for this area.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher with mud on her beak (photo: Lennart Erikssen)

 Further along a Brown-hooded Kingfisher posed nicely for the photographers.  We had been hearing the “what-to-to-dooo” call of the Orange-breasted Bushshrike for a while and then he was seen, hopping around in some bushes, lost and spotted again.  Dusky Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied and Sombre Greenbuls were also seen on this trail.  Red-capped Robin-Chats were seen a few times and although we kept our eyes open for Cape Robin-Chats, (as requested by Peter Vos) none were seen.  By this time the trail had led us up the hillside and into more wooded terrain.  Here the path split and the bottom route produced African Firefinch, Collared Sunbird and Cape White-eye while those who went on the higher route found an African Green Pigeon.

The people (photo: Lennart Erikssen)

Coming back down to the grassland we noticed an unfamiliar brown & blue butterfly.  This turned out to be a Forest Queen which my book says is one of the most saught-after butterflies.  The appearance of bluey-green in the males is a phenomenon "created by diffraction of light rays striking the microscopic sculpturing of the white areas".* So now we know! 

Forest Queen (Charaxes wakefieldi) (photo: HvR)

A cisticola singing from high on a tall dead tree was initially identified as Red-faced but on closer inspection later discovered to be a Rufous-winged Cisticola.

Rufous-winged Cisticola (photo: Stan Culley)

So far it had been an eventful morning and after a well-earned breakfast most of us took the forest path where Alfred had already found a Spotted Ground Thrush.  And yes indeed, with everyone treading carefully in the dead leaf litter, Stan spotted it on the path where it shot off.  However after a little while it decided we weren’t a danger and showed itself again, typically turning over dead leaves looking for grubs with gusto. 

Spotted Ground Thrush (photo: HvR)

Spotted Ground Thrush (photo Doug Butcher)

We searched in this area for the Black-throated Wattle Eye but weren’t lucky.  We did spot Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Purple-crested Turaco and Southern Black Tit along this trail which is very pretty with little bridges and tinkling streams.  Arriving back at the river Common Sandpiper and Pied Wagtail were busy foraging at the water’s edge while a Black Saw-wing performed aerial acrobatics.  White-eared Barbets perched on the tops of the Strelitzias.

White-eared Barbet (photo: Doug Butcher

Doubling up in the vehicles, Hazel Nevin led us up the hill to the Crookes family church.  Along the way she pointed out a new retirement village where the famous Elsa Pooley (botanist, landscaper, author) had planted a hillock with attractive and colourful indigenous flora. However, there was another purpose for this detour and from the bottom of the pretty church-yard we could look over the stone wall to where the Crowned Eagles were busy nesting and we watched for quite a while. 

African Crowned Eagle taking off (photo: Stan Culley)

People in the churchyard (photo: HvR)

In the meantime a Natal Spurfowl was creating a disturbance in the bush close by and Red-winged Starlings flew in flocks between the Erythrina trees, murmering and twittering happily.  Fantailed Widowbird and Black-headed Oriole were also seen.

After all this excitement we proceeded back to the reserve where Keith had shown us where we could braai with some privacy from the usual Sunday picnickers.  Thank you once again to TC Robertson for letting us share their very special “bird patch”.

African Crowned Eagle (photo: HvR)

Black-collared Barbet (photo: HvR)

Species Identified: 59

Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, White-eared Bee-eater, Little Boubou, Southern Brownbul, Terrestrial Bulbul, Dark-capped Bushshrike, Orange-breasted Cameroptera, Green-backed Cisticola, Rufous-winged Cormorant, Reed Coucal, Burchell’s Crow, Black Darter Dove, Red-eyed Drongo, Fork-tailed Eagle, Crowned Egret, Little Firefinch, African Flycatcher, Dusky Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Greenbul, Sombre Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Ibis, Hadedah Kingfisher, Brown Kingfisher, Pied Kite, Yellow-billed Lapwing, Black-smith Mannikin, Bronze

Mousebird, Speckled Oriole, Black-headed Pigeon, African Green Plover, 3-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Robin-Chat, Red-capped Rush Warbler, Little Rush Sandpiper, Common Saw-wing, Black Spurfowl, Natal Starling, Red-winged Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Collared Sunbird, Olive Swallow, Lesser-striped Thrush, Spotted Ground Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Tit, Southern Black Turaco, Purple-crested Wagtail, Pied Waxbill, Common Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Widow, Fantailed Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

*Field Guide to Butterflies of Southern Africa by Ivor Migdoll

(All photos property of photographer)

Trogons outing report - TC Robertson Nature Reserve, 13 March 2016

Hamerkops (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Attendees: Doug & Angie Butcher, Irma Smook, Margaret Jones, Hazel Nevin, Lennart Erikssen, Carol Louw, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen,

(Text: Hazel van Rooyen)

Bird count 47 (see end)

Sunday 13 March saw a small but serious bunch of birders meeting up at the TC Robertson Nature Reserve in Scottburgh.  Whilst waiting for the gate to open a Grey Heron on a dead stick in the river posed for us to give it closer inspection and two squawking and croaking Hamerkops on the far bank performed some not so innocent antics.  A third ran around wondering what was going on and an Egyptian Goose came to see what the fuss was about.  Pied Wagtails played in the dead tree and 3-banded Plovers scampered at the edge of the river.

Grey Heron (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Pied Wagtails (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Tasselberry - sumptious fare enjoyed by many birds (Photo : Hazel van Rooyen)

Eventually the gatekeeper arrived and we drove into the reserve.  Hazel Nevin ably led us through the forested Shaka/Bushbuck Trail which climbs up the side of the hill – and up, and up.  Most of the forest was quiet until the vegetation thinned out and here the sunshine was awakening the birds – Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds (naturally), White-eared Barbets, Bronze Mannikins, Amethyst and Grey Sunbirds and Cape White-eyes.  Here we noticed a tree with tassel after tassel of bright-coloured berries – the Tasselberry, enjoyed by most birds. And rounding the top of the hill Red-wing Starlings whistled musically, Black-capped Bulbuls chittered, while the hollow bubbling of the Burchell’s Coucall could be heard in the distance.  Descending the hill, we began to see Olive Sunbird, Yellow-fronted Canary, Thick-billed and Yellow Weavers.  Down at river level some Grey Waxbills in a tall far-away tree were difficult to identify but juvenile Little Bee-eaters proved more obliging.  A Familiar Chat flashed its rufous rump and a Chin-spot Batis sang “three blind mice”.

Little Bee-eater Juvenile (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Little Bee-eater (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Breakfast in a shady spot (Photo: Doug Butcher)

By this time we had worked up an appetite and enjoyed our breakfast beneath some shady trees, after which we approached the River Walk via a hide at a pond but this was quite dry and nothing stirred except for a Tawny-flanked Prinia in the reed-bed.   

Goliath Heron (Photo: Doug Butcher)

At the river a Goliath Heron sat humped like an old man on a dead tree.  Further around the river bend, the Kingfisher Hide was strategically placed and we spent some time watching Pied Kingfishers diving very successfully for small-fry.  

Pied Kingfisher diving for a meal (Photo: Butcher)

Pied Kingfisher with a tasty tidbit (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

 Blacksmith Lapwings patrolled the bank while Sacred Ibis flew in and out.  An African Harrier-Hawk soared high above and an immature African Fish-Eagle surveyed the river from the tree-tops.  Suddenly a Purple Heron flew in but disappeared quickly into the reeds.  Woolly-necked Storks circled in front of us but decided there was nothing worth stopping for and flew away over the hills.  At the side of the hide a Yellow Weaver had a nest and brought a yummy juicy grasshopper to his family.

Woolly-necked Stork (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Yellow Weaver (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

From here we walked back to the vehicles and Hazel showed us the way to the opposite side of the river where we drove slowly along the river bank.  A Malachite Kingfisher caught her eye but was too quick for the rest of us. 

Crookes Family Church, Renishaw (Photo: Doug Butcher)

Graveyard looking out to the ocean (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Driving further on up the hill we came to a lovely little church which belonged to the Crooke family, sugar barons from the 19^th century.  A well-kept churchyard of by-gone family members looked over the Mpenbanyoni River valley to the sea.  From this vantage point Hazel pointed out to us a Crowned Eagle’s nest and was about to say that there hadn’t been a chick last year when the wind blew a frond of green away from the nest and there sat a beautiful chick!  Delight all round!  It had been perfectly hidden by the frond and we had to wait for the wind to blow to get a good but fleeting look.

Crowned Eagle Juvenile (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Crowned Eagle Juvenile (Photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

What a lovely way to end our morning’s birding.  We had our picnic in the peace and quiet next to the church and parted company - until next time.

 (All photographs property of photographer)

Bird count: 47

Barbet Black-collared Barbet White-eared Batis Chin Spot Bee-eater Little Bulbul Black-capped Canary Yellow-fronted Chat Familiar Cormorant Reed Coucall Burchell’s Dove Red-eyed Dove Tambourine Eagle African Fish Eagle Crowned Egret Little Goose Egyptian Hamerkop

Harrier-Hawk African Heron Goliath Heron Grey Heron Purple Ibis Hadedah Ibis Sacred Kingfisher Brown-hooded Kingfisher Malachite Kingfisher Pied Lapwing Blacksmith Mannikin Bronze Martin Brown-throated Plover 3-banded Prinia Tawny-flanked Spurfowl Natal Starling Red-winged

Stork Woolly-necked Sunbird Amethyst Sunbird Grey Sunbird Olive Swallow Barn Swallow White-throated Tinkerbird Yellow-rumped Turaco Purple-crested Wagtail Cape Wagtail Pied Waxbill Grey Weaver Spectacled Weaver Thick-billed Weaver Yellow White-eye Cape