Zimbabwe updates? (1 Viewer)

[Jens Thalund]

I've been back home now for a month, so maybe it's about time I did a quick update on my trip.

Driving up to Zimbabwe from Johannesburg, I encountered the only substantial rainfall, lasting maybe half a day, after which I only had a few shovers, so the dambos in Harare where definately not wet, just slightly moist at the most.

Hiring a car in Jo'burg is 4-5 times cheaper than in Zimbabwe, but a cross-border letter from the rental company adds another 1000 ZAR to the cost, as well as 75-80 USD in different fees and taxes at the border. Taking a SA car into Zimbabwe, you need to buy a few items that are mandatory in Zim but not in SA: one small fire extinguisher, two red warning triangles, one reflective west, and two reflectors (plastic strips) at both front (white) and back (red). These can be bought at auto spareparts dealers in the SA border town of Musina for 180 ZAR.

Gasoline was cheap'ish at around 1.4 USD/liter, and widely available, and supermarkets were well stocked and only slightly more expensive than in SA, except some imported goods.

I camped throughout the trip, and found plenty of excellent sites in Zimbabwe, from guesthouses (Harare), lodges (Honde Valley), municipial campsites (Mutare) to reserves/parks (Bvumba, Gosho Park) - usually around 10-15 USD/night.

Woodland birding was quite hard, with breeding apparently over, and birds not very vocal and moving around in mixed flocks.

The following sites were visited -

Lake Mutirikwe (Great Zimbabwe) - White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Narina Trogon.

Cecil Kop NR (Mutare) - Striped and Wood Pipiit, Cinnamon-breasted Tit, Miombo Tit, Miombo Rock Thrush, Miombo Douuble-collared Sunbird, Cabani's Bunting.

Bvumba Botanical Garden/Forest Reserve - African Goshawk, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Orange Ground Thrush, Swynnerton's Robin, Robert's Warbler, Chirinda Apalis, Olive and Black-fronted Bushshrike, Red-faced Crimsonwing.

Aberfoyle/Wamba Marsh (Honde Valley) - Buff-spotted Flufftail, African Goshawk, Bat Hawk, Eleonora/Sooty Falcon, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, African Broadbill, Red-throated Twinspot, Anchieta's (Marsh) Tchagra.

Katiyo Tea Eastate (Honde valley) - Short-winged Cisticola, Magpie Mannikin, Retz's Helmetshrike

Gosho Park (Marondera) - Whyte's Barbet, Brown-backed Honeyguide, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Miombo Tit, Miombo Rock Thrush, Tree Pipit, Collared Flycatcher, Wood Pipit, Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, Black-eared Seedeater.

Lake 13 km east of Gosho (Home Park School) - all three Longclaws

Monavale Vlei (Harare) - African Crake. Black Coucal and Streaky-breasted Flufftail were present as well, but not seen/heard by me.

Marlborough Vlei/Sewage Works (Harare) - Lesser Moorhen, Red-chested Flufftail, Black-winged Pratincole. Not much of the wetland is left, as most of the area seems to be taken over by small scale farming, so the abandoned sewage works saw the most action.

Christon Bank (Harare) - Little Sparrowhawk, Whyte's Barbet, Striped Pipit, Orange-winged Pytilia,

Dam west of road, 30km south of Chivu (Felixburg) - Wattled Crane, Melodious Lark, Cuckoo Finch, Quail Finch

In South Africa a couple of sites were visited going back to Johannesburg -

Nylsvlei - a bushfire in September had burned down most of the hides, which made viewing of the wetlands difficult - Harlequin Quail, Northern Black Korhaan, Lesser Moorhen, Southern White-faced Owl, Quail Finch.

Ezemvelo - grassland reserve an hours drive from Jo'burg - Amur Falcon, Lesser Kestrel, Spotted Eagle Owl.

On top of these also numerous other widespread African species as well as a wide range of Palearctic migrants, stunning landscapes and lots of very friendly and welcomming people.

Jens

 

[amears]

Nice one, Jens - sounds great and a pretty successful trip. Can I ask, how did you go with Boulder Chats?

 

[Jens Thalund]

Hi Andy,
the only thing that approached Boulder Chat was my first encounter with the Cliff Chats at Gosho Park.
Dark bird of the right size, dipping into a crevice between the boulders, and then nothing - at least for a few seconds, and then a juvenile Cliff Chat popped up!
I tried several of the koppjies at Christon Bank, but not even a sound. Thankfully I saw them in Botswana some years back, but still a little irritating.

Jens

 

[amears]

The following gives some extra African Pitta thoughts from a friend of mine:

The Masoka Camp site (http://markalisha.blogspot.com/2013/12/zimbabwe-ocd-like-compendium-of-delights.html ) is probably a touch more reliable [than Moz], particularly in the early season (mid-December). The birds are more confiding than they are in the coutadas generally. Access to Masoka is perhaps a touch more difficult given the remoteness of the Zambezi Valley. It’s also Big 5 country. You will bump into elephants. Birders normally fly in to Harare and trek the 300km or so north west (half by tarmac; the rest gravel – the last 30 miles or so the most difficult). Once you’re at Masoka the resident guide usually has 3 or 4 staked-out spots for the pitta.... I heard that a group had excellent views of displaying birds in the camp, a week after our trip & also within spitting distance, so to speak. At that time of the year it’s hot, blistering hot – 43+ deg C in the shade. It’s hard hard work but very rewarding. The coutadas offer a little more variety and that’s possibly why most people venture there in the hope of finding pitta but in the knowledge that other specials are readily accessible eg: Alethe, Akalat etc. The Masoka spot is relatively new; under-birded in my opinion and possibly because of that fact, more reliable but that’s for pitta only. Accommodation at Masoka is rudimentary at best. It’s also self-catering. Notwithstanding, the local village is usually happy to cater, in need. We always take our own supplies. Mphingwe on the other hand is less difficult logistically and has food & beer on tap.

Masoka’s hard-core, bloody hot & dusty and very remote. It’s old Africa but not for newbies. It’s also the best spot for pitta in the sub-region, particularly if your timing’s off and you get here too early. The coutadas on the other hand are easier to bird, more comfortable to travel in and logistically easy. You might want to include the rising conflict between the govn. of Mozambique & Renamo in your deliberations. Regardless of what we’re usually told by tour companies & guides the conflict is real & Gorongosa is central to that conflict.

For what it’s worth if you want to see Africa as it once was, then Mana Pools and Masoka en route, is the way to go.

[Last note: a good gauge of local conflict in Mo' is the owner at Mphingwe, potential visitors might want to ask his opinion re safety etc]

 

[Shaun Coyle]

Just a brief note for those intending on heading to Masoka Village, Zimbabwe this winter for African Pitta:

Jon Gallagher and myself did this trip in December 2013. We camped at Small World Backpackers in Avondale, Harare http://smallworldlodge.com/ (walking distance to Monavale Vlei – though this site may have succumbed to development now). Staff at the backpackers arranged a taxi to take us to a roadside stop ($5) for minibuses to Guruve ($5 pp). From Guruve another minibus took us to Mushumbi Pools ($5 pp), and from here one to Masoka Village, then onto the lodge ($8 pp) a few km's away. The whole route can be done in a day. We did this trip on 'speck' (the only info I had at the time was from the South African Birdfinder) and were pretty surprised when we arrived at the village and told there was a guide called Mackenzie: [email protected] mobile number +26377980726, and a lodge. The next surprise was that Birdquest were there. As they had booked all the rooms we just camped in the kitchen area ($10 pp/night including some meals & coffee). We saw African Pitta briefly the evening we arrived and again the following morning. Mackenzie will help arrange transport from the village back to Mushumbi Pools (vehicle, or by motorbike). He can also make travel arrangements from Harare if you need it.

 

[GDK]

Just a brief note for those intending on heading to Masoka Village, Zimbabwe this winter for African Pitta:

Jon Gallagher and myself did this trip in December 2013. We camped at Small World Backpackers in Avondale, Harare http://smallworldlodge.com/ (walking distance to Monavale Vlei – though this site may have succumbed to development now). Staff at the backpackers arranged a taxi to take us to a roadside stop ($5) for minibuses to Guruve ($5 pp). From Guruve another minibus took us to Mushumbi Pools ($5 pp), and from here one to Masoka Village, then onto the lodge ($8 pp) a few km's away. The whole route can be done in a day. We did this trip on 'speck' (the only info I had at the time was from the South African Birdfinder) and were pretty surprised when we arrived at the village and told there was a guide called Mackenzie: [email protected] mobile number +26377980726, and a lodge. The next surprise was that Birdquest were there. As they had booked all the rooms we just camped in the kitchen area ($10 pp/night including some meals & coffee). We saw African Pitta briefly the evening we arrived and again the following morning. Mackenzie will help arrange transport from the village back to Mushumbi Pools (vehicle, or by motorbike). He can also make travel arrangements from Harare if you need it.

AFRICAN PITTA in Masoka Area

Some update contact details for Mackenzie at Masoka Village: +263 77 980 7261 - I would probably avoid the email address and the best way to contact is probably via whatsapp.


Another good option for the Masoka area is to use the services of local bird guides Derek & Deirdre Adams who also work with Doug Kok. These guys have access to Murara Camp in the Masoka area. They can organise trips from Harare to the camp & Masoka Village, and general birding trips throughout Zimbabwe. Contact via this website link (again you should be able to whatsapp via the phone number on that link) or via facebook.

The pitta season generally starts sometime from latter part of Nov onwards (depending upon rains) and can extend into January, especially if an active nest is located.

Cheers

 

[amears]

Gareth, did you go??

 

[GDK]

Gareth, did you go??

Sorry, Andy, totally missed this question til now!!

Yes, went in Dec last year, had great views of about 5 Pittas displaying on the morning we were at Masoka Camp with Makenzie. In the end they turned out to be pretty straightforward (for a Pitta) if you can hit that early arrival and display period. The hardest bit was driving to Masoka, and the gps point I had was a little off so we ended up asking around local villages to find the place.

I know from a friend that Derek had an active Pitta nest staked out in Jan 2019 in the Masoka area (and in 2018 there and at another site), so they were as guaranteed as you can get earlier this year... He does make the effort to try and find an active nest every year.

Cheers,

 

[amears]

Great stuff, thanks for the update

 

[baseline]

Another update on Masoka / African Pitta here:

https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=275336