Southern African Forum (1 Viewer)

[Martin Hobbs]

The list doesn't seem much to you, but to me there are several nice birds that we don't get here. However, I can see why you were disappointed with the reserve. Wow, your puff adder certainly puts my little black wriggly thing into the shade (no, did not notice grey underneath btw). What is it that makes these large dangerous reptiles head straight towards you? :-O I am off to Hluhluwe soon so hope to report back with a few nice sightings.

Hi Sal,
I don't know what it is lately with these Reptiles..... but it does make a dull birding day a bit more exciting:eek!:

Looking forward to Hluhluwe trip feedback. You always seem to have good days there.

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Rietvlei

Hi All,
We recently returned to Rietvlei NR again, partly because it is close to home and partly as I am really becoming to like this little reserve between JHB and PTA.
The highlights were another sighting of a Secretarybird, a Black Heron preening himself in the setting sun, so many Ostrich, we could have been back in Oudtsoorn!!, and a Giant Kingfisher that sat patiently perched in a tree near Otter's Bridge and seemed adamant everybody in the Reserve should get his best side:-O

75 birds in total.

1 Ostrich Common
55 Cormorant White-breasted
58 Cormorant Reed
60 Darter African
63 Heron Black-headed
66 Egret Great
69 Heron Black
71 Egret Cattle
81 Hamerkop
91 Ibis African Sacred
94 Ibis Hadeda
102 Goose Egyptian
104 Duck Yellow-billed
105 Duck African Black
118 Secretarybird Secretarybird
180 Falcon Amur
199 Spurfowl Swainson's
203 Guineafowl Helmeted
226 Moorhen Common
228 Coot Red-knobbed
255 Lapwing Crowned
258 Lapwing Blacksmith
260 Lapwing African Wattled
297 Thick-knee Spotted
352 Dove Red-eyed
354 Dove Cape Turtle-
355 Dove Laughing
373 Go-away-bird Grey
386 Cuckoo Diderick
391 Coucal Burchell's
417 Swift Little
421 Swift African Palm-
424 Mousebird Speckled
429 Kingfisher Giant
431 Kingfisher Malachite
438 Bee-eater European
443 Bee-eater White-fronted
451 Hoopoe African
473 Barbet Crested
494 Lark Rufous-naped
498 Lark Sabota
518 Swallow Barn
520 Swallow White-throated
527 Swallow Lesser Striped
532 Martin Sand
534 Martin Banded
548 Crow Pied
568 Bulbul Dark-capped
595 Chat Ant-eating
596 Stonechat African
631 Warbler African Reed-
635 Warbler Lesser Swamp-
664 Cisticola Zitting
677 Cisticola Levaillant's
679 Cisticola Lazy
683 Prinia Tawny-flanked
693 Flycatcher Grey Tit-
696 Flycatcher Pale
713 Wagtail Cape
727 Longclaw Cape
732 Fiscal Common
746 Bokmakerie
787 Sunbird White-bellied
792 Sunbird Amethyst
796 White-eye Cape
804 Sparrow Southern Grey-headed
814 Weaver Southern Masked-
815 Weaver Lesser Masked-
824 Bishop Southern Red
831 Widowbird Red-collared
832 Widowbird Long-tailed
845 Waxbill Violet-eared
846 Waxbill Common
860 Whydah Pin-tailed
870 Canary Black-throated

I did find a Duck with a red eye ring, a white throat patch & a pale bill, which I cannot identify 100%, and I am posting it on Bird ID. I believe it is a juvenile African Black Duck...but I cannot find any descriptions or pictures showing a red eye ring.

We waited until after sunset to see and hear the Jackals within the reserve. We parked on top of a ridge and listened. Within a few minutes we could hear them calling from all over the reserve. I love the sound of Jackals, it always reminds me of Orpen Campsite in KNP.

Martin

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Return to the Land of the Living

Hi, all of the SA gang,

At long last our move is close to completion. We expect to move into the new house on Thursday 11th April, and I hope to be able to resume normal service sometime during the following week.

Thanks for keeping the flag flying.
Best wishes,
Dave

 

[Sal]

Hey Dave! Good to see you back. Hope the final move goes well - know what its like!!! Looking forward to some more postings soon. Happy birding in your new home.

 

[Sal]

Hi All,
We recently returned to Rietvlei NR again, partly because it is close to home and partly as I am really becoming to like this little reserve between JHB and PTA.
The highlights were another sighting of a Secretarybird, a Black Heron preening himself in the setting sun, so many Ostrich, we could have been back in Oudtsoorn!!, and a Giant Kingfisher that sat patiently perched in a tree near Otter's Bridge and seemed adamant everybody in the Reserve should get his best side:-O

75 birds in total.

1 Ostrich Common
55 Cormorant White-breasted
58 Cormorant Reed
60 Darter African
63 Heron Black-headed
66 Egret Great
69 Heron Black
71 Egret Cattle
81 Hamerkop
91 Ibis African Sacred
94 Ibis Hadeda
102 Goose Egyptian
104 Duck Yellow-billed
105 Duck African Black
118 Secretarybird Secretarybird
180 Falcon Amur
199 Spurfowl Swainson's
203 Guineafowl Helmeted
226 Moorhen Common
228 Coot Red-knobbed
255 Lapwing Crowned
258 Lapwing Blacksmith
260 Lapwing African Wattled
297 Thick-knee Spotted
352 Dove Red-eyed
354 Dove Cape Turtle-
355 Dove Laughing
373 Go-away-bird Grey
386 Cuckoo Diderick
391 Coucal Burchell's
417 Swift Little
421 Swift African Palm-
424 Mousebird Speckled
429 Kingfisher Giant
431 Kingfisher Malachite
438 Bee-eater European
443 Bee-eater White-fronted
451 Hoopoe African
473 Barbet Crested
494 Lark Rufous-naped
498 Lark Sabota
518 Swallow Barn
520 Swallow White-throated
527 Swallow Lesser Striped
532 Martin Sand
534 Martin Banded
548 Crow Pied
568 Bulbul Dark-capped
595 Chat Ant-eating
596 Stonechat African
631 Warbler African Reed-
635 Warbler Lesser Swamp-
664 Cisticola Zitting
677 Cisticola Levaillant's
679 Cisticola Lazy
683 Prinia Tawny-flanked
693 Flycatcher Grey Tit-
696 Flycatcher Pale
713 Wagtail Cape
727 Longclaw Cape
732 Fiscal Common
746 Bokmakerie
787 Sunbird White-bellied
792 Sunbird Amethyst
796 White-eye Cape
804 Sparrow Southern Grey-headed
814 Weaver Southern Masked-
815 Weaver Lesser Masked-
824 Bishop Southern Red
831 Widowbird Red-collared
832 Widowbird Long-tailed
845 Waxbill Violet-eared
846 Waxbill Common
860 Whydah Pin-tailed
870 Canary Black-throated

I did find a Duck with a red eye ring, a white throat patch & a pale bill, which I cannot identify 100%, and I am posting it on Bird ID. I believe it is a juvenile African Black Duck...but I cannot find any descriptions or pictures showing a red eye ring.

We waited until after sunset to see and hear the Jackals within the reserve. We parked on top of a ridge and listened. Within a few minutes we could hear them calling from all over the reserve. I love the sound of Jackals, it always reminds me of Orpen Campsite in KNP.

Martin

OMW Martin. You saw more birds at Reitvlei in one day than I saw in Hluhluwe in four days (heavy blush). Nice list. I see that you have the Cisticola's taped - I am pretty hopeless with them. Thanks for the pics - lovely White-breasted Cormorant landing on the water and a v. nice pic of Mrs Stonechat. It really does sound a great place to bird, lots of waterbirds which I like. Will post my Hluhluwe visit soon (ish . . .) :-O

 

[Sal]

Hluhluwe over the Easter Weekend

Obviously the Easter weekend is not the best time to visit somewhere for a tranquil weekend of birding and observing and both Hluhluwe and Umfolozi were fully booked so I was a tad apprehensive, but actually the roads were not busy and the camp was remarkably quiet. We had a self-catering chalet for three nights, then a rondavel for one, so from a generous-sized chalet with large bedroom, large lounge, well-supplied kitchen area, glass doors onto a deck overlooking the bush and a bathroom with bath and shower, we went to a mud hut with thatched roof out of the compost of which was growing a veritable forest of green things, no loo,no shower or bath, no kitchen and lots of bruise-making and toe-stubbing cupboards beds table and chairs in close proximity. However, we didn't mind one bit - we were there and that was all that was important.

I have never seen this region looking so lush. I would say that the carrying capacity for every species was probably as high as it could ever go in terms of food. The vegetation was rich, thick and green, trees were bursting with fruit (the figs especially were an amazing sight) there were masses of flowers, myriads of insects and, of course, water absolutely everywhere. So it didn't surprise us too much that we didn't see a huge number of animals - we could have passed fifty elephant 20m from the road without seeing a thing - but it was rather surprising that we didn't see very many birds.

We came in the Nyalazi gate and travelled slowly straight up to Hilltops. On the way we saw warthog, impala, a couple of elephants, one buffalo, some zebra, six rhino and some nyala and that was our total bag of animals. Our first bird was an African Harrier-Hawk doing its thing around the trees at the little bridge just to the left of the gate, then I was delighted to find quite a number of Red-backed Shrike as the times that we normally go into this park or Kruger are after they have left. Such a handsome bird. Fork-tailed Drongos abounded as did the Dark-fronted Bulbuls, and there were plenty of Yellow-throated Petronias about. The Barn Swallows were massing and feeding as fast as they could on millions of tiny insects. Then we came across Brown-hooded Kingfisher and Cape Turtle-Dove and, close to the camp, Red-winged Starling. That night whilst unloading we nearly walked into a slender, bright green snake draped across a tree in our path but upon inspection it turned out to be a Natal green snake and not a boomslang!

The next day we drove the Mansiya loop, but the river at the last crossing on the way back was too high and we retraced our route. We had stopped at the Nzimane causeway to watch the river and eat a yoghurt, when two guys dressed in rather faded and scruffy green fatigues with torn badges, armed with rifles and a very large bushknife came down the road towards us. As they passed us we said good morning but they were very unfriendly and unsmiling and we didn't feel comfortable sitting there as when they had passed us, they turned and stood in the shade of the trees and stared at us, so we drove on, but we could see them still watching us all the way up the road. By this time, we were thinking 'poachers?' of course and feeling a little unnerved, but when we checked with reception, they were apparently a patrol. . . . On this drive we saw Green-winged Pytilia, African Firefinch, Trumpeter Hornbill, Neddicky, Common Fiscal, Black-crowned Tchagra, Emerald -spotted Dove, Black -collared Barbet, Grassbird, Neddicky and Common Waxbill. Overhead soared a Black-chested Snake-Eagle, which I don't think is a common sight in Hluhluwe. We then went on to Siwa-samikhosikazi for a late brunch and some on-foot birding - Chinspot Batis, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-backed Puffback, Pied Wagtail and Sombre Bulbul were the only new birds picked up here and then back up to the waterhole at Isivivaneni seeing on the way Bully Canary, White-backed Vulture, Cape Vulture, and Egyptian Goose. We had tea with some Woolly-necked Storks fossicking in the water here before driving back to camp. The only new animals this day were vervet monkeys and giraffes but we saw lots more buffalo and some more rhino and elephants

On Saturday we decided to go to Umfolozi , again stopping at Siwa, and drove the Sontuli loop, which was remarkably lacking in anything alive, even people. We eventually found them all at the picnic site! No one had seen anything! The only new animal we added was a crocodile but again we saw large numbers of buffalo and plenty of other animals on the journey. The birds were Green-backed Eremomela, Burchell's Coucal, Martial Eagle, Rufous-naped Lark,Red-capped Robin-chat, Diderick Cuckoo, Purple-crested Turaco, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Cattle Egret, Pied Crow, White-faced Mousebird, White-fronted Bee-eater, Water Thick-knees, Blacksmith Lapwing, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Hamerkop, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Crested Francolin, African Hoopoe, Wire-tailed Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow. On the way back, we found masses and masses of Barn Swallows clustered on the bushes looking like some kind of blossom or fruit from afar.

Sunday was the day we had to move out of our chalet and of course we couldn't move into our hut till the afternoon so we had to do some creative packing of the car, trying to separate the stuff we would need for the last night and put it at the back, also the stuff needed for a cooked breakfast,, and at the same time have space for our photographic stuff, binoculars, tea etc near the front.

Having achieved something that looked possible, we drove out past a large troupe of Samango monkeys into an amazing world. It looked as though the sea had crept up overnight and the hills were sticking out of a thick mist like islands. In places the mist was lapping up the hillsides in tumbling strands that looked like breaking waves. After some creative photography we made our way to Isivaneni and sat at the waterhole watching the mists receding and the sun coming out in shafts of light here and there. We picked up Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Tit and Black Flycatcher before moving down the hill towards Maphumalo. Black-headed Oriole came next, followed by White-bellied Sunbird and White-browed Scrub-Robin. At a little bridge near the picnic site, to my enormous surprise, I found a Half-collared Kingfisher. After not having seen one for ages, I now see two in as many months! We saw Grey Heron, Green-backed Heron, Malachite Kingfisher, Square-tailed Drongo and Green Woodhoopoe at the picnic site and then on the loop back to the main road, Natal Spurfowl. After this we went in search of elephant over Gontshi way, and found a good breeding herd, one baby was so tiny it couldn't have been more than a few weeks old.The drive back up the main road provided Stonechat, Familiar Chat, Terrestrial Brownbul, Brown -throated Martin and Crested Barbet. Oh and we saw red duiker in the forest.

On Monday we left and finally managed to see the elusive Southern Boubou which had been calling everywhere during the weekend but was invisible in the thick bush. We also saw Red-eyed Dove and probably Levaillant's Cisticola. Oh and heard a Crowned Eagle but couldn't see it.

I think that makes a total of 74 birds.

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Hi, all of the SA gang,

At long last our move is close to completion. We expect to move into the new house on Thursday 11th April, and I hope to be able to resume normal service sometime during the following week.

Thanks for keeping the flag flying.
Best wishes,
Dave

Hi Dave,
Congratulations......not an easy or pleasurable task!

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

OMW Martin. You saw more birds at Reitvlei in one day than I saw in Hluhluwe in four days (heavy blush). Nice list. I see that you have the Cisticola's taped - I am pretty hopeless with them. Thanks for the pics - lovely White-breasted Cormorant landing on the water and a v. nice pic of Mrs Stonechat. It really does sound a great place to bird, lots of waterbirds which I like. Will post my Hluhluwe visit soon (ish . . .) :-O

Hi Sal,
Recording the Cisticolas is the only way I can be definite that I am identifying them correctly.
I started this in KNP last year, and it works...I am certain about identification of LBJ's now. I actively look for them now. It has given me much more confidence about LBJ identification now...... as long as they call at the time of course:-O

Rietvlei is a good birding spot, with lots of water....not the same as Marievale, south of JHB which is the better for water birds, however it is close and has grasslands a small area of Acacia and plenty of water, so diversity is the key to the number of birds.

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Obviously the Easter weekend is not the best time to visit somewhere for a tranquil weekend of birding and observing and both Hluhluwe and Umfolozi were fully booked so I was a tad apprehensive, but actually the roads were not busy and the camp was remarkably quiet. We had a self-catering chalet for three nights, then a rondavel for one, so from a generous-sized chalet with large bedroom, large lounge, well-supplied kitchen area, glass doors onto a deck overlooking the bush and a bathroom with bath and shower, we went to a mud hut with thatched roof out of the compost of which was growing a veritable forest of green things, no loo,no shower or bath, no kitchen and lots of bruise-making and toe-stubbing cupboards beds table and chairs in close proximity. However, we didn't mind one bit - we were there and that was all that was important.

I have never seen this region looking so lush. I would say that the carrying capacity for every species was probably as high as it could ever go in terms of food. The vegetation was rich, thick and green, trees were bursting with fruit (the figs especially were an amazing sight) there were masses of flowers, myriads of insects and, of course, water absolutely everywhere. So it didn't surprise us too much that we didn't see a huge number of animals - we could have passed fifty elephant 20m from the road without seeing a thing - but it was rather surprising that we didn't see very many birds.

We came in the Nyalazi gate and travelled slowly straight up to Hilltops. On the way we saw warthog, impala, a couple of elephants, one buffalo, some zebra, six rhino and some nyala and that was our total bag of animals. Our first bird was an African Harrier-Hawk doing its thing around the trees at the little bridge just to the left of the gate, then I was delighted to find quite a number of Red-backed Shrike as the times that we normally go into this park or Kruger are after they have left. Such a handsome bird. Fork-tailed Drongos abounded as did the Dark-fronted Bulbuls, and there were plenty of Yellow-throated Petronias about. The Barn Swallows were massing and feeding as fast as they could on millions of tiny insects. Then we came across Brown-hooded Kingfisher and Cape Turtle-Dove and, close to the camp, Red-winged Starling. That night whilst unloading we nearly walked into a slender, bright green snake draped across a tree in our path but upon inspection it turned out to be a Natal green snake and not a boomslang!

The next day we drove the Mansiya loop, but the river at the last crossing on the way back was too high and we retraced our route. We had stopped at the Nzimane causeway to watch the river and eat a yoghurt, when two guys dressed in rather faded and scruffy green fatigues with torn badges, armed with rifles and a very large bushknife came down the road towards us. As they passed us we said good morning but they were very unfriendly and unsmiling and we didn't feel comfortable sitting there as when they had passed us, they turned and stood in the shade of the trees and stared at us, so we drove on, but we could see them still watching us all the way up the road. By this time, we were thinking 'poachers?' of course and feeling a little unnerved, but when we checked with reception, they were apparently a patrol. . . . On this drive we saw Green-winged Pytilia, African Firefinch, Trumpeter Hornbill, Neddicky, Common Fiscal, Black-crowned Tchagra, Emerald -spotted Dove, Black -collared Barbet, Grassbird, Neddicky and Common Waxbill. Overhead soared a Black-chested Snake-Eagle, which I don't think is a common sight in Hluhluwe. We then went on to Siwa-samikhosikazi for a late brunch and some on-foot birding - Chinspot Batis, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black-backed Puffback, Pied Wagtail and Sombre Bulbul were the only new birds picked up here and then back up to the waterhole at Isivivaneni seeing on the way Bully Canary, White-backed Vulture, Cape Vulture, and Egyptian Goose. We had tea with some Woolly-necked Storks fossicking in the water here before driving back to camp. The only new animals this day were vervet monkeys and giraffes but we saw lots more buffalo and some more rhino and elephants

On Saturday we decided to go to Umfolozi , again stopping at Siwa, and drove the Sontuli loop, which was remarkably lacking in anything alive, even people. We eventually found them all at the picnic site! No one had seen anything! The only new animal we added was a crocodile but again we saw large numbers of buffalo and plenty of other animals on the journey. The birds were Green-backed Eremomela, Burchell's Coucal, Martial Eagle, Rufous-naped Lark,Red-capped Robin-chat, Diderick Cuckoo, Purple-crested Turaco, Gorgeous Bush Shrike, Cardinal Woodpecker, Bearded Woodpecker, Cattle Egret, Pied Crow, White-faced Mousebird, White-fronted Bee-eater, Water Thick-knees, Blacksmith Lapwing, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Hamerkop, Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, Crested Francolin, African Hoopoe, Wire-tailed Swallow, Lesser-striped Swallow. On the way back, we found masses and masses of Barn Swallows clustered on the bushes looking like some kind of blossom or fruit from afar.

Sunday was the day we had to move out of our chalet and of course we couldn't move into our hut till the afternoon so we had to do some creative packing of the car, trying to separate the stuff we would need for the last night and put it at the back, also the stuff needed for a cooked breakfast,, and at the same time have space for our photographic stuff, binoculars, tea etc near the front.

Having achieved something that looked possible, we drove out past a large troupe of Samango monkeys into an amazing world. It looked as though the sea had crept up overnight and the hills were sticking out of a thick mist like islands. In places the mist was lapping up the hillsides in tumbling strands that looked like breaking waves. After some creative photography we made our way to Isivaneni and sat at the waterhole watching the mists receding and the sun coming out in shafts of light here and there. We picked up Kurrichane Thrush, Southern Black Tit and Black Flycatcher before moving down the hill towards Maphumalo. Black-headed Oriole came next, followed by White-bellied Sunbird and White-browed Scrub-Robin. At a little bridge near the picnic site, to my enormous surprise, I found a Half-collared Kingfisher. After not having seen one for ages, I now see two in as many months! We saw Grey Heron, Green-backed Heron, Malachite Kingfisher, Square-tailed Drongo and Green Woodhoopoe at the picnic site and then on the loop back to the main road, Natal Spurfowl. After this we went in search of elephant over Gontshi way, and found a good breeding herd, one baby was so tiny it couldn't have been more than a few weeks old.The drive back up the main road provided Stonechat, Familiar Chat, Terrestrial Brownbul, Brown -throated Martin and Crested Barbet. Oh and we saw red duiker in the forest.

On Monday we left and finally managed to see the elusive Southern Boubou which had been calling everywhere during the weekend but was invisible in the thick bush. We also saw Red-eyed Dove and probably Levaillant's Cisticola. Oh and heard a Crowned Eagle but couldn't see it.

I think that makes a total of 74 birds.

Hi Sal,
Nice descriptions of the park, especially the morning mist....I can see it now, particularly with the shafts of sunlight coming through.....lovely image.
As for the birds...we spent one day in KNP the weekend before Easter as we were in Marloth Park. We also didn't see much as the veld was lush and thick. We also saw many Red-backed Shrikes though...not too many birds either...

It is being in the park that I always think is the most important....seeing lots of birds and animals just makes it even better.

Allan is coming over again later this month so we will be going up to MP again....not much opportunity to go into KNP, however I am sure Allan will be in there many times.

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Wood Duck

Hi,
Also seen in Rietvlei recently was the below Wood Duck.
I have had it confirmed by several birders from Europe and America from Birdforum ID, where these Ducks are common, and our South African Trevor Hardaker.
Trevor suggested an escapee....

This same (probably) Wood Duck was also confirmed by another birder (Fuzzy Birder, new to Birdforum) who saw it in Rietvlei the week before.

Martin

 

[Allan Hobbs]

Allan is coming over again later this month so we will be going up to MP again....not much opportunity to go into KNP, however I am sure Allan will be in there many times.

Martin

And I'm really looking forward to some South African sunshine. I'm fed up with the cold grey English skies.

Unfortunately this trip we will be spending a lot of time on the house, so trips to Kruger will be less frequent than we'd like. I'll post what we do see though.

This time next week we will be on the plane

Allan

 

[Sal]

And I'm really looking forward to some South African sunshine. I'm fed up with the cold grey English skies.

Unfortunately this trip we will be spending a lot of time on the house, so trips to Kruger will be less frequent than we'd like. I'll post what we do see though.

This time next week we will be on the plane

Allan

Lucky you. I still have 45 sleeps . . . . travel safely and have a great time in between house work.

 

[Sal]

Hi Sal,
Nice descriptions of the park, especially the morning mist....I can see it now, particularly with the shafts of sunlight coming through.....lovely image.
As for the birds...we spent one day in KNP the weekend before Easter as we were in Marloth Park. We also didn't see much as the veld was lush and thick. We also saw many Red-backed Shrikes though...not too many birds either...

It is being in the park that I always think is the most important....seeing lots of birds and animals just makes it even better.

Allan is coming over again later this month so we will be going up to MP again....not much opportunity to go into KNP, however I am sure Allan will be in there many times.

Martin

Martin you seem to see, bird-wise anyway, as much in Marloth as you do in Kruger so will be looking forward to a report-back with pics! I haven't been anywhere recently except Durban (not bird-watching) where most of what I saw was over-flying the house! Sacred Ibis, Pink-backed Pelicans, Egyptian Geese, White-breasted Cormorant, Black-headed Heron, Common Sparrow, Cape White-eye, Speckled Mousebird, Spectacled Weaver. Have a good time in Marloth.

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Martin you seem to see, bird-wise anyway, as much in Marloth as you do in Kruger so will be looking forward to a report-back with pics!

Hi Sal,
We do see as much on MP as we do in the south of KNP, they are either side of the Crocodile River!
The big advantage to MP is that you can walk around, and so you can see much more on foot than from a car, especially at dawn when I spend most of the time birding in MP. Nothing like watching the sun come up over the Crocodile River whilst listening to all the birds waking up.
I need to go back to the north of KNP though, as there are more specials up there, especially around Pafuri...and I love the north of the park more than the south..it is just different up there...and quieter as well.

The next trip will probably be back to St. Lucia though...my wife loves the sea!! and it gives me some more time to visit shore birds and Cape Vidal as well.

As for pics...of course...never go anywhere without my camera!!

Martin

 

[Sal]

Hi Sal,
We do see as much on MP as we do in the south of KNP, they are either side of the Crocodile River!
The big advantage to MP is that you can walk around, and so you can see much more on foot than from a car, especially at dawn when I spend most of the time birding in MP. Nothing like watching the sun come up over the Crocodile River whilst listening to all the birds waking up.


As for pics...of course...never go anywhere without my camera!!

Martin

I agree, birding on foot can be so much more productive. Just watch out for those crocodiles who regard pedestrian birders as equally productive in gastronomic terms.:-O

 

[Dave Kennedy]

Martin you seem to see, bird-wise anyway, as much in Marloth as you do in Kruger so will be looking forward to a report-back with pics!


The next trip will probably be back to St. Lucia though...my wife loves the sea!! and it gives me some more time to visit shore birds and Cape Vidal as well.

As for pics...of course...never go anywhere without my camera!!

Martin

Here's one for you, Martin - taken during the first week in April in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, on the road to Cape Vidal....in the clump of trees at the turn-off for the Dune Loop.....a Southern Banded Snake Eagle, a first for me, and in fact the first new bird for some time! Good luck with your visit.
Best wishes,
Dave
PS Still battling with the the house, still no PC - posting this on my daughter's PC.

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Here's one for you, Martin - taken during the first week in April in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, on the road to Cape Vidal....in the clump of trees at the turn-off for the Dune Loop.....a Southern Banded Snake Eagle, a first for me, and in fact the first new bird for some time! Good luck with your visit.
Best wishes,
Dave
PS Still battling with the the house, still no PC - posting this on my daughter's PC.

Hi Dave,
Excellent sighting. A really good sighting of this vulnerable species.
I wonder if it will be there when I visit next....:-O

Thanks for sharing.

Martin

 

[BillN]

Thanks for all your postings guys ..........wonderful descriptions and images

I cannot wait for our next trip in January 2014 ........ same place ....... 3 weeks in Knysna and another week moving around.

What is it like "bird spotting wise" through your winter period ....... July August September?

 

[Martin Hobbs]

I agree, birding on foot can be so much more productive. Just watch out for those crocodiles who regard pedestrian birders as equally productive in gastronomic terms.:-O

Hi Sal,
There is good and not so good news regarding our last visit to Marloth Park.
The good news is we had a great weekend with Allan & Catherine, and my wife's Brother & wife (they have retired to MP now).
We had a great Saturday braai and then sat around the fire after dark talking about all sorts of things...including lots of birding stories!
The not so good news is that we didn't leave there until after midnight and so I didn't get up for my early morning walk :-C
I am getting too old to stay up so late :eek!:
What I did do in the morning was to open all the patio doors and while packing ready to take the usual long and sad drive home, I listened to the birds around the house.
I heard the following:
Spurfowl Natal
Helmeted Guineafowl
African Mourning Dove
Laughing Dove
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Red-billed Hornbill
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Crested Barbet
Fork-tailed Drongo
Black-headed Oriole
Dark-capped Bulbul
Tawny-flanked Prinia
White-crested Helmet-shrike
Retz's Helmet-shrike
Blue Waxbill
The squeaking sound of a Gabor Goshawk flying over being harassed by 3 Bulbuls did get me racing out the open door though. He alighted in a tree in our empty plot next door and continued to complain to the Bulbuls. After maybe a minute he decided he had had enough and continued to fly on down the valley. The Bulbuls seemed satisfied and flew back up the ridge.

So no pics or sightings, but still nice to hear all the above...

Martin

 

[Martin Hobbs]

Thanks for all your postings guys ..........wonderful descriptions and images

I cannot wait for our next trip in January 2014 ........ same place ....... 3 weeks in Knysna and another week moving around.

What is it like "bird spotting wise" through your winter period ....... July August September?

Hi Bill,
Of our 956 species in Southern Africa, around 700 are resident, 174 of these are endemic,and so there is always something to see! Also many are over-wintering now as well.
It does of course depend on where you are.
Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Free State, Northern Cape and parts of Mpumalanga the rains have stopped and so everything turns brown and bare. It makes birding easier, however, when not in breeding colours identifying some of our LBJ (Little Brown Jobs) can be challenging! However, there is no confusion over juveniles/immature's to contend with!
In the Cape it is the opposite and Winter is the rainy season, and so it goes greener, and the migrant coastal birds have gone of course.

This region is a great birding area any time of the year. Sitting around a water hole in the northern dry winter months can be extremely rewarding as many birds will visit the water holes sometime during the day, but also bigger things visit water holes in the winter as well....variety of Buck, Elephant, Buffalo and of course Lion. Winter is the best time of year for Game viewing.

Martin