Southern African Forum (4 Viewers)

[Martin Hobbs]

Hi Dave

Have just returned from holiday so am trying to catch up. (Will be posting at a later date)Thanks for your posts - some lovely pics and useful info for anyone visiting the area. Regarding the ringing on the Oystercatchers, see below:

Sal,
Welcome back.... looking forward to your tales of Kruger and Sabie Sabie..

Martin

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Dave,
Some feedback on your Thick-billed Weaver post.
I was at one of our company facilities on the East Rand very near the O R Tambo Airport on Friday and adjoining the building is a large Dam.
As I was early for the first meeting I had half an hour free and took the opportunity to go and look at the dam.
The first birds I noticed were a pair of Thick-billed Weavers feeding in the shrubs at the water’s edge.
It looks like you are correct, they are on the move.

Martin

Thanks for this info, Martin. That gives us, to our certain knowledge, two recent reports from Krugersdorp/Mogale city, one from Rustenbug, and one from the vicinity of O.R. Tambo. Looks like they have moved out of the Melrose Bird Sanctuary with a vengeance.
Best wishes,
Dave

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Hi Dave

Thanks for your posts - some lovely pics and useful info for anyone visiting the area. Regarding the ringing on the Oystercatchers, see below:

Martin

Hi, Martin.........there does not appear to be anything below......

Could you please re-post your missing info?
Thanks,
Dave

 

[Sal]

Hi, Martin.........there does not appear to be anything below......

Could you please re-post your missing info?
Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave - this was my post which Martin quoted. You already have this info . . . .

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Thanks for this info, Martin. That gives us, to our certain knowledge, two recent reports from Krugersdorp/Mogale city, one from Rustenbug, and one from the vicinity of O.R. Tambo. Looks like they have moved out of the Melrose Bird Sanctuary with a vengeance.
Best wishes,
Dave

Dave,
I keep checking for the Thick-billed at the Glen Austin Bird/Giant Bull Frog sanctuary. Although we have had much rain so far this year the level of water in the reserve is not good, and so the reeds are not high or thick.
I don't think the conditions are ok for them at this dam.

Martin

 

[Allan Hobbs]

Sal,
you've been back at least 10 minutes - where's the report

Allan

 

[Sal]

||||||:eek!::eek!::eek!:

Allan! I'm still unpacking!!!!

At the moment I can only sit at the computer for short periods (back spasm) so you'll have to be patient! I go back and forth, downloading a few pics at a time, doing a bit of unpacking, a bit of sitting, a bit more computer - its very tedious. But I'm getting there . . . .

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Return of the Barn Owl

Yesterday morning we noticed a Barn Owl perched in the trees next to the house. We had seen Barn Owls on a few occasions in the past, but had not seen any for the past two years.
It sat in the tree all day despite being constantly harassed by everything from Masked Weavers to Grey Louries, which at times were only a few centimeters away from it whilst shouting “Go away”!! all it did was waiver from side to side when the harassment got really close.
The last time the neighbour saw one was a few years ago when they used to nest in the eaves of their house every year, and then they moved out and were never seen again.
I hope they are back to stay, as they are lovely looking birds.

Martin

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Brilliant photos, Martin, of a superb bird. I hope indeed that they take up residence.
Best wishes,
Dave

 

[Sal]

Martin - lovely photos; how very special to have one in your garden.

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Brilliant photos, Martin, of a superb bird. I hope indeed that they take up residence.
Best wishes,
Dave

Thanks Dave,
I have spoken to the neighbour about it and he is going to keep a look out for them at the same place they used to nest in his eaves.
We both agree it would be great if they were to return.
He tells me that they were common in the 70's when he was the only house when the surrounding plots were still grassland, and they nested in the same place for year after year.
They started to frequent his plot less and less as more and more buildings went up on the surrounding plots, maybe due to hunting habitat loss of the open grasslands?
We still have open veld surrounding my plot on two sides and I have opened up some of my plot to try and encourage more grassland birds to visit, maybe this is the reason for the return to our area?
What ever the reason it certainly is nice to see them again.

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Martin - lovely photos; how very special to have one in your garden.

Thanks Sal,
I have heard the unmistakeable eerie screech often in the night in trees near to the house, but as I mentioned, I haven't seen them for a couple of years.
I hope they stay...

Martin

 

[cossypha]

Martin, great photos - I'd love to see one of those owls!

Sal - looking forward to seeing some pics from your trip

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Martin, great photos - I'd love to see one of those owls!

Sal - looking forward to seeing some pics from your trip

Nick,
Thanks.
I saw him again early Wednesday morning in another tree near our boundry with the empty plot next door.
I found him by following the noise the other birds were making, and thought this is either another Snake or the Owl..... it was the Owl.
I was so pleased....

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Dave,
If you haven't left yet, have a great trip and drive safely...
I hope you see more than you hope to...

Martin

 

[Sal]

Martin, great photos - I'd love to see one of those owls!

Sal - looking forward to seeing some pics from your trip

Oh dear, now I am beginning to feel guilty! I have about 3 000 pics to wade through! But I will start a report and post a couple now just to keep you going!

Kruger

We arrive at the Crocodile bridge.The sun is out, the plentiful water sparkles, a slight breeze ruffles our hair and the bush on the far side looks green and healthy. Quietly the world slows down, matched beat-for-beat by our heart-rates. On the little island just below us are Reed Cormorants; Blacksmith Lapwings and Egyptian Geese call loudly as they fly past and land on the far side; a couple of Grey Herons fish from the left bank. Beyond them is a Goliath Heron standing regally immobile in its purple garb. Eventually we get back into the car and drive with great contentment across the bridge to book in.

The bush smells different at this time of the year. More earthy somehow; warm and moist, with an underlying tang of green, crushed grass. We see a few birds as we drive up the tar: Long-tailed Shrikes, Yellow Hornbills, Cape Glossy Starlings, Neddicky, Yellow-eyed Canary and Yellow-billed Kite and we are astonished by the bursting greenery that is everywhere. At Afsaal, we see Blue-eared Glossy Starlings, Red-billed Hornbills and the resident Scops Owl.After seeing some lion, we decide to go to Biyamiti weir. So we set off along the H2 – 2 and very soon find a beautiful Bateleur in a tree which poses amicably whilst we take photos. Some Arrow-marked Babblers are perched in the bushes, strangely still and silent, wings loose and beaks open against the heat (by now it is 40C!). A little water is flowing over the weir when we reach it, just enough to make the road wet, but there is very little to be seen, other that a Grey Heron standing silently in the water above the road, and several open-beaked Water Thick-knees lining the pool on the other side. They are indulging in hefty gular flutters. We have a cup of tea here before turning round and heading back towards Berg-en-Dal. On the way back we pick up Blue Waxbills and a Brown Snake Eagle perched upright in the top of another naked tree. The temperature has now risen to an overwhelming 42.5C and we are driving along with windows open and the air-con on. It feels rather like being inside a giant hair dryer that is going full blast . . . .

A beautiful group of giraffe cross the road in front of us and start picking over the vegetation on the right. Behind them, in ludicrous contrast, scuttle a flock of Helmeted Guineafowl. and a Burchell's Glossy Starling flies over to join its mates in the tree that the giraffe are feeding on. A Woodland Kingfisher calls and we find it in a tree, happy to pose for our cameras – we are so much lower than we would be in the Rav, the pics are all taken of the underside of the bird! A Lilac-breasted Roller tumbles from the sky in a vivid electric flash, lands on the road in front of us and takes off almost immediately in a flurry of turquoise when it sees us. Three Crowned Plovers stalk about in the low grasses on the side of the road. Then we see a Diedrick’s Cuckoo, Red-billed Hornbill, and a Swainson’s Spurfowl looking little bit paler than normal.

Once we get to the Berg-en-Dal road we come across Grey Hornbills and back in camp, walking along the river path, we add Natal Francolin Pied and Giant Kingfisher to the list, plus Cape Robin and Kurrichane Thrush

 

[Sal]

Here are a few more pics. Note how pale the swainson's Spurfowl is, I am used to seeing them look much darker than this.

 

[Dryocopus]

Lovely shots , Martin.I especially like the third one - its legs all squashed up!
Talons crossed that the birds stay!

Yesterday morning we noticed a Barn Owl perched in the trees next to the house. We had seen Barn Owls on a few occasions in the past, but had not seen any for the past two years.
It sat in the tree all day despite being constantly harassed by everything from Masked Weavers to Grey Louries, which at times were only a few centimeters away from it whilst shouting “Go away”!! all it did was waiver from side to side when the harassment got really close.
The last time the neighbour saw one was a few years ago when they used to nest in the eaves of their house every year, and then they moved out and were never seen again.
I hope they are back to stay, as they are lovely looking birds.

Martin

 

[Dryocopus]

Hey Sal -

I am there!
Great photo's and text up to your usual standard!

Despite your pain you are giving us delights again!

oh meant to say to all - ifyou are thinking about a report from John (Reader) about their trip in November he is doing a shortened version and posting lots of photographs on his website
here

http://www.coventrybirder.co.uk/

Go to Trip Reports and scroll down to South Africa 2009 - text there and some photos -

I started reading it the other day.

 

[Sal]

Hi Dryocopus, good to see you here again! There are a couple of raptors to come - Brown Snake Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, a better pic of a Bateleur. Am still busy sorting through about 3 000 pics . . . .

Thanks for the info re John. I tried to go there just now, but am having problems at the moment - nothing to do with me, but the IT people who monitor the broadband out here and provide it to ISPs have some sort of hitch that manifests itself as an inability to open sites/pictures. Very arbitrarily too. At the moment it is targeting John's website . . . .