Allan Hobbs
Body in the UK, heart in South Africa
Great photos Martin. They are making me really impatient to get there - only 38 days until we leave :t:
Allan
Allan
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Sal
Well-known member
Umfolozi Part 3
Still on Friday's list!
We saw an African Harrier Hawk which was really working the rather dry and dead-looking winter trees, using its wings to hold it in place as it clung vertically to the bark and tried to lift patches of it to disturb lizards. Pied Crows wheeled overhead and at the picnic site we came across a Mocking Chat and a Brown Scrub-Robin. Down at the river were a couple of Woolly-necked Storks and Three-banded Plovers, and a pair of Black-collared Barbets called to each other, nodding madly, in a nearby tree.
Still on Friday's list!
We saw an African Harrier Hawk which was really working the rather dry and dead-looking winter trees, using its wings to hold it in place as it clung vertically to the bark and tried to lift patches of it to disturb lizards. Pied Crows wheeled overhead and at the picnic site we came across a Mocking Chat and a Brown Scrub-Robin. Down at the river were a couple of Woolly-necked Storks and Three-banded Plovers, and a pair of Black-collared Barbets called to each other, nodding madly, in a nearby tree.
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Sal
Well-known member
Umfolozi Part 4
Saturday
On Saturday we went to Hluhluwe travelled quite a distance.The land varied in both height and vegetation so we hoped we would see quite a few birds. We started off with some fairly common ones - Natal Spurfowland Cape Turtle Dove on the way down Mpila Hill, then found a little feeding party of birds we'd already seen, but including Long-billed Crombec. At the river there were Wire-tailed Swallows and Lesser Striped Swallows and then a lovely Striped Kingfisher perched on a bare twig quite close to the road. I haven't seen one of these since the '90's so I was quite excited and took about forty pics . . . all the same as it didn't move! We stopped at Mganu for tea and found Little Bee-eaters popping in and out of the vegetation, and then drove on towards the Centenary Centre where we hoped to buy a new tea-basket. On the way we saw an interesting sight - three zebra were trying to suck water off the surface of muddy footprints in a rapidly drying mud-wallow. They spent ages at this pastime, nuzzling each other gently off the most productive sludge and patiently drawing in about a teaspoon at a time of what looked like thick gravy. A whole family of warthog were waiting for them to finish, obviously respecting the Zebras' kicking and biting abilities. Tawny-flanked Prinias were flitting about in the bush behind them.
At the Centenary Centre we picked up a Grey-headed Bush-Shrike and a Cardinal Woodpecker and as we left - with our new tea-basket - a flight of Red-faced Mouse-birds wheeled overhead. Further on we saw quite a few African Pipits scuttling around in the grass near the side of the road. There is a bridge a little way before you get to the Nyalazi gate and as we drove over it, we picked up an awful smell, so we reversed back and had a look: there were the remains of a rather dead giraffe in the dry bed of the stream and whilst we were looking at it, a Yellow-throated Longclaw appeared in a thorny bush just beyond it and a Red-fronted Tinker-Barbet called from the thicket on the side of the stream.
Driving on into Hluhluwe, we came across Black-crowned Tchagras, Cape White-eyes and Lesser masked Weavers and then a rather interesting sighting of an African Yellow-bellied Bulbul which was flying at a Nyala , picking off the insects on its coat whilst still in flight and then twisting away and landing in a tree. It kept doing this but we couldn't see exactly what was attracting this behaviour. Once we got to Siwasamikhosikazi picnic site which is very well-treed and surrounded by thick bush we heard a Black-headed Oriole, which was soon traced to a nearby tree, Green Woodhoopoes giving their wonderful rendition of cackling old women and lots more White-browed Scrub-Robins hopping around on the ground.
The picnic site is on the edge of the Hluhluwe River just where it bends and in the past, water, rushing round this bend has worn the channel down, leaving a high cliff on the far side, and a not so high bank on the picnic-site side. Overlooking this area is a paved platform with a few benches on it. No-one else was there so we settled here and started looking for birds in the push at the side of the platform. Lots of them we'd already seen, but were able to add Red-capped Robin-Chat, Bearded Scrub Robin, Purple-crested Turaco, Brown Scrub-Robin, Pale Flycatcher and some Crested Francolin scuttling about in the reeds. Whilst doing this, I walked to the other end of the platform and idly looked down into the river bed just as a leopard walked out from the bushes and started sniffing around on the sand. I could hardly believe my eyes! In answer to my urgent signal my friend walked across and we stared in amazement. Just then the leopard looked up, froze in horror and then turned on itself in a flash and disappeared behind the reeds! We saw it once more a little later as it moved from one clump of reeds to another, then it was gone. Well that kind of distracted us from the birds for a while. We were constantly checking the slope of bush in front of us in case it had taken a notion to creep up and have birder for breakfast . . . .
We left the picnic site and started back for Umfolozi. On the way we saw our first Lilac-breasted Roller (so different from Kruger where there is one on every third tree), then a Brown-hooded Kingfisher, unusually, on the ground and then a Brown-crowned Tchagra, also on the ground. Later we saw a lot more of both kinds of Tchagra. As we passed the dead giraffe we stopped because there was a mass of feeding birds on it! White-crowned Shrikes, Brown-hooded Kingfishers, Dark-capped Bulbuls, Black and Brown-crowned Tchagras and White-fronted Bee-eaters. It seemed that the corpse was host to a large insect population to which these birds were attracted. It couln't have been the giraffe itself. It was biltong, believe me!
The last bird du jour was a Hamerkop flying down the river as we crossed it in the evening light.
Saturday
On Saturday we went to Hluhluwe travelled quite a distance.The land varied in both height and vegetation so we hoped we would see quite a few birds. We started off with some fairly common ones - Natal Spurfowland Cape Turtle Dove on the way down Mpila Hill, then found a little feeding party of birds we'd already seen, but including Long-billed Crombec. At the river there were Wire-tailed Swallows and Lesser Striped Swallows and then a lovely Striped Kingfisher perched on a bare twig quite close to the road. I haven't seen one of these since the '90's so I was quite excited and took about forty pics . . . all the same as it didn't move! We stopped at Mganu for tea and found Little Bee-eaters popping in and out of the vegetation, and then drove on towards the Centenary Centre where we hoped to buy a new tea-basket. On the way we saw an interesting sight - three zebra were trying to suck water off the surface of muddy footprints in a rapidly drying mud-wallow. They spent ages at this pastime, nuzzling each other gently off the most productive sludge and patiently drawing in about a teaspoon at a time of what looked like thick gravy. A whole family of warthog were waiting for them to finish, obviously respecting the Zebras' kicking and biting abilities. Tawny-flanked Prinias were flitting about in the bush behind them.
At the Centenary Centre we picked up a Grey-headed Bush-Shrike and a Cardinal Woodpecker and as we left - with our new tea-basket - a flight of Red-faced Mouse-birds wheeled overhead. Further on we saw quite a few African Pipits scuttling around in the grass near the side of the road. There is a bridge a little way before you get to the Nyalazi gate and as we drove over it, we picked up an awful smell, so we reversed back and had a look: there were the remains of a rather dead giraffe in the dry bed of the stream and whilst we were looking at it, a Yellow-throated Longclaw appeared in a thorny bush just beyond it and a Red-fronted Tinker-Barbet called from the thicket on the side of the stream.
Driving on into Hluhluwe, we came across Black-crowned Tchagras, Cape White-eyes and Lesser masked Weavers and then a rather interesting sighting of an African Yellow-bellied Bulbul which was flying at a Nyala , picking off the insects on its coat whilst still in flight and then twisting away and landing in a tree. It kept doing this but we couldn't see exactly what was attracting this behaviour. Once we got to Siwasamikhosikazi picnic site which is very well-treed and surrounded by thick bush we heard a Black-headed Oriole, which was soon traced to a nearby tree, Green Woodhoopoes giving their wonderful rendition of cackling old women and lots more White-browed Scrub-Robins hopping around on the ground.
The picnic site is on the edge of the Hluhluwe River just where it bends and in the past, water, rushing round this bend has worn the channel down, leaving a high cliff on the far side, and a not so high bank on the picnic-site side. Overlooking this area is a paved platform with a few benches on it. No-one else was there so we settled here and started looking for birds in the push at the side of the platform. Lots of them we'd already seen, but were able to add Red-capped Robin-Chat, Bearded Scrub Robin, Purple-crested Turaco, Brown Scrub-Robin, Pale Flycatcher and some Crested Francolin scuttling about in the reeds. Whilst doing this, I walked to the other end of the platform and idly looked down into the river bed just as a leopard walked out from the bushes and started sniffing around on the sand. I could hardly believe my eyes! In answer to my urgent signal my friend walked across and we stared in amazement. Just then the leopard looked up, froze in horror and then turned on itself in a flash and disappeared behind the reeds! We saw it once more a little later as it moved from one clump of reeds to another, then it was gone. Well that kind of distracted us from the birds for a while. We were constantly checking the slope of bush in front of us in case it had taken a notion to creep up and have birder for breakfast . . . .
We left the picnic site and started back for Umfolozi. On the way we saw our first Lilac-breasted Roller (so different from Kruger where there is one on every third tree), then a Brown-hooded Kingfisher, unusually, on the ground and then a Brown-crowned Tchagra, also on the ground. Later we saw a lot more of both kinds of Tchagra. As we passed the dead giraffe we stopped because there was a mass of feeding birds on it! White-crowned Shrikes, Brown-hooded Kingfishers, Dark-capped Bulbuls, Black and Brown-crowned Tchagras and White-fronted Bee-eaters. It seemed that the corpse was host to a large insect population to which these birds were attracted. It couln't have been the giraffe itself. It was biltong, believe me!
The last bird du jour was a Hamerkop flying down the river as we crossed it in the evening light.
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Sal
Well-known member
Umfolozi Part 5
Sunday to Tuesday
By this time we had seen a large proportion of the birds I would be likely to recognise.
On Sunday, taking a long drive round the outer reaches of the Umfolozi part of the park we only picked up a Yellow-billed Hornbill and a Sabota Lark but had a wonderful, exploratory day and spent an enchanted hour at a hide which was non-stop busy. Eventually we were driven out by a couple coming in with their picnic basket and then proceeding to chat non stop . . . .
On Monday, amongst other things, we were charged by a black rhino with young, and we picked up Reed Cormorant, Familiar Chat, Helmeted Guineafowl, Burchell's Coucal and Brubru; then we left early on Tuesday morning, very satisfied by our five night stay; having seen the big five, masses of other game, and quite a few birds. Oh, and did I say we saw our first Yellow-billed Kite of the season?
Sunday to Tuesday
By this time we had seen a large proportion of the birds I would be likely to recognise.
On Sunday, taking a long drive round the outer reaches of the Umfolozi part of the park we only picked up a Yellow-billed Hornbill and a Sabota Lark but had a wonderful, exploratory day and spent an enchanted hour at a hide which was non-stop busy. Eventually we were driven out by a couple coming in with their picnic basket and then proceeding to chat non stop . . . .
On Monday, amongst other things, we were charged by a black rhino with young, and we picked up Reed Cormorant, Familiar Chat, Helmeted Guineafowl, Burchell's Coucal and Brubru; then we left early on Tuesday morning, very satisfied by our five night stay; having seen the big five, masses of other game, and quite a few birds. Oh, and did I say we saw our first Yellow-billed Kite of the season?
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Great stuff Sal...! Keep your eyes open for any Pel's in Kruger!! 
Victor Soares
Well-known member
It's definitley an accipiter Vic, not a harrier. Looks like a Shikra
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
The Fickle Finger of Fate
Well, apologies to all of you who were expecting more on the south-west Cape trip. I was just in the process of getting used to my new knee, and hobbling about on crutches, when my hard drive - with two years left on its guarantee - self-destructed. Fortunately I had backed up all my writing and all my photo files, but the operating system etc had to be reconstructed, and I'm still busy with all that.
But fear not - for I hope to have the final Westen Cape episode posted within a short time.
It's nice to be back.
Best wishes,
Dave
Well, apologies to all of you who were expecting more on the south-west Cape trip. I was just in the process of getting used to my new knee, and hobbling about on crutches, when my hard drive - with two years left on its guarantee - self-destructed. Fortunately I had backed up all my writing and all my photo files, but the operating system etc had to be reconstructed, and I'm still busy with all that.
But fear not - for I hope to have the final Westen Cape episode posted within a short time.
It's nice to be back.
Best wishes,
Dave
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Dave,
The hard drive crash happened to me last year....I sympathise...
Unfortunately I wasn't as organised as you and hadn't backed up everything and so I lost some of my pictures.....but then it was a good reason to go and take some more...
Looking forward to the reports.
Martin
Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Vic,
I tend to agree with Ads with this one. It is an Accipiter, and the Shikra looks to be the nearest match considering the picture is a bit out of focus. There seems to be little colour on the breast and the banding is a redish-brownish colour as opposed to grey.
Martin
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
SW Cape: Episode the Seventh – Flight of the Cormorants
One of the sights of Velddrif is the evening influx of thousands of Cape Cormorants into the Berg River Estuary. Having presumably spent the day out on the fishing grounds, they form, in the late afternoon, long trains flying just above the water (Photo 1), and head for the estuary. All of the thousands of cormorants we watched came in from the north – we saw none approaching from the south. There was nothing haphazard about this flight – they all turned and funnelled neatly through the narrow harbour entrance between its two breakwaters (Photo 2). Still clinging closely to the water, they then followed the twists and turns of the estuary past the fishing boat quay (Photo 3), then inland along the estuary’s convoluted path (Photo 4). Their destination was the brine ponds of the Cerebos Salt Works next to the causeway bearing the road approaching Velddrif from the south. And there - and this is the good part – between 30 000 and 80 000 Cape Cormorants spend each night, happily crapping into Cerebos’s brine ponds. So now you know. Next time you wish to purchase salt, remember Velddrif and its thousands of cormorants. There can be, I am sure, no finer salt anywhere on the planet. A perfect pourer, its flavour enhanced beyond measure by a certain je ne sais quoi.......a true gourmet’s delight.
And the lazy sods don’t exactly get up at sparrow’s. Photo 5 was taken at the brine ponds at 09:05 in the morning, with the idlers and stragglers still just beginning the flight back to the sea. The cormorants fly almost 6 kms along the winding estuary twice a day. Yet if they flew straight in from the sea, the distance would only be around 3.5 km. That’s 5 extra kms flying per day.
I couldn't pin down an accurate estimate of how many cormorants are involved in this daily roosting flight. Such estimates as I found varied widely. But there were a hell of a lot of them.
Best wishes,
Dave
One of the sights of Velddrif is the evening influx of thousands of Cape Cormorants into the Berg River Estuary. Having presumably spent the day out on the fishing grounds, they form, in the late afternoon, long trains flying just above the water (Photo 1), and head for the estuary. All of the thousands of cormorants we watched came in from the north – we saw none approaching from the south. There was nothing haphazard about this flight – they all turned and funnelled neatly through the narrow harbour entrance between its two breakwaters (Photo 2). Still clinging closely to the water, they then followed the twists and turns of the estuary past the fishing boat quay (Photo 3), then inland along the estuary’s convoluted path (Photo 4). Their destination was the brine ponds of the Cerebos Salt Works next to the causeway bearing the road approaching Velddrif from the south. And there - and this is the good part – between 30 000 and 80 000 Cape Cormorants spend each night, happily crapping into Cerebos’s brine ponds. So now you know. Next time you wish to purchase salt, remember Velddrif and its thousands of cormorants. There can be, I am sure, no finer salt anywhere on the planet. A perfect pourer, its flavour enhanced beyond measure by a certain je ne sais quoi.......a true gourmet’s delight.
And the lazy sods don’t exactly get up at sparrow’s. Photo 5 was taken at the brine ponds at 09:05 in the morning, with the idlers and stragglers still just beginning the flight back to the sea. The cormorants fly almost 6 kms along the winding estuary twice a day. Yet if they flew straight in from the sea, the distance would only be around 3.5 km. That’s 5 extra kms flying per day.
I couldn't pin down an accurate estimate of how many cormorants are involved in this daily roosting flight. Such estimates as I found varied widely. But there were a hell of a lot of them.
Best wishes,
Dave
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Martin Hobbs
Well-known member
Dave,
Nice atmospheric pictures showing the lovely colours of dusk. The huge numbers are impressive.
It always impresses me how far birds can fly on migration, and do fly everyday as a matter of routine....the hollow bone structure is a marvel of evolution, allowing strength without the weight.
As for the salt......I am glad I don’t add salt to my food!!!
Martin
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Thanks, Martin.
The whole area becomes magical as the sun drops towards the horizon. The pelican photo in an earlier posting was also taken at the onset of evening, much further up the estuary.
Dave
Hey guys
What would be the best mammal fieldguide to bring out with me...?
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What would be the best mammal fieldguide to bring out with me...?
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Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Interesting question. On an average bush trip you are unlikely to see more than 20 to 30 mammal species, unlike birds where you've got about 900 to choose from. Consequently I don't really use a mammals field guide, because most times I know what I'm looking at. As far as smaller mammals are concerned, the chances of you being able to distinguish between, for example, a Sundevall's Leaf-nosed Bat and a Hildebrandts Horseshoe Bat, or a Vlei Rat and an Angoni Vlei Rat are minimal unless you shoot them, which - thank goodness - most naturalists stopped doing way back in Victorian times. I possess Smithers Land Mammals of Southen Africa - a Field Guide (1986) in case I spot a tricky duiker or some such creature, but I rarely use it as a field guide.
I'm sure there are some good mammal field guides, but it may be that a spot of judicious homework on the Net before your trip will give you much of the information you require. Should you wish to purchase a field guide, all good bookshops in South Africa and most of the National Parks will offer a good selection.
Best wishes,
Dave
Sal
Well-known member
Er - we're not supposed to take that story with a pinch of salt are we? :-O Lovely pics Dave, but, thanks to you, I'm not sure that I'm going to get much enjoyment from salted things any more (thank goodness there is some Maldon salt in the kitchen cupboard). . . . Its an amazing sight though and thanks for the description.
Dave Kennedy
Well-known member
Hi, Sal,
You'll probably find that all the British cormorants spend the night in Maldon's ponds. Walvis Bay's and Swakopmund's salt pans are also birding hot spots - think flamingos, cormorants and waders. I guess, since the whole process is structured round evaporation, it doesn't really matter.
Dave
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