Outing report: Burchell's Coucal Eco Trail, Illovo - 8 July 2018

Attendees: Sandy Olver, Stanley Gengan, Barrie Willis & Sue Hansbury, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Stan & Val Culley, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen (10)

Species: 57                                                         Text: Hazel van Rooyen

Water Thick-knee  (photo: HvR)

Our morning started off with some short sharp showers whilst travelling on the highway to Illovo but they quickly cleared to produce a lovely Indian ocean winter’s day.  On arriving at the business park we were temporarily flummoxed as the entrance was blocked off but we found another way in around the side.  The guard helpfully offered to get the key and open up the gate to the trail for us.

4 Water Thick-knees, well camouflaged (photo HvR)

As we parked we disturbed the resident family of Water Thick-knees which flew across the river and settled there for the day.  Blacksmith Lapwings, Cape Wagtails and Three-banded Plovers foraged at the water’s edge.  After a fairly quick breakfast we set off to do the walk.  Being mid-winter the river comprised of mostly trickles but deep enough in places to make it tempting for the African Fish Eagle and Reed Cormorant.  Red-wing and Black-bellied Starlings, Black-collared Barbets, Bronze Mannikins flitted amongst the trees while Southern Red Bishops and Thick-billed Weaver preferred the beds of tall reeds next to the river.

The track began with open grassland and produced African Stonechat, Fan-tailed Widowbird and Crested Barbet, amongst others.  

African Fish Eagle (photo: HvR)

Good views over the river (photo: HvR)

Viewpoints on hillocks provided good views of the river with bamboo fences providing some degree of cover.  Spurwing and Egyptian Geese congregated on a large sandspit and Stan spotted a Malachite Kingfisher and Brown-throated Martin flying across the river and the distinctive hollow bubbling call of the trail's namesake, the Burchell's Coucal, was heard.  A Hamerkop was seen several times searching up and down the river. 

Trail through riverine bush (photo: HvR)

After a while the track closed in and led us through quite dense riverine bush, producing Tawny-flanked Prinia, Bar-throated Apalis, Red-capped Robin-Chat and Dark-capped Yellow Warbler.  By this time, we had split into two groups and my group were meeting up with the leaders who were on their way back, having already done the loop.  En route they had seen Terrestrial Brownbul, Green-backed Cameroptera, and White-browed Scrub-Robin. Continuing back, Pin-tailed Whydah, Black Saw-wing, Black-headed Heron, Speckled Mousebird and Long-crested Eagle were spotted. 

Convenient shade for relaxing with views of the river (photo: HvR)

At the picnic site a barn-like structure provided a shady spot for us to relax and view the river and environs.  A flock of Woolly-necked Storks circled lazily overhead and Little Bee-eaters darted this way and that in the bushes on the opposite bank. 

Little Bee-eater (photo: Sue Salthouse)

Pied Wagtails inspected the river margin while a Familiar Chat popped over to see if we had dropped any crumbs.  Red-backed Mannikins and Cape White-eyes busied themselves in some young thorn trees close by.

A very pleasant morning was had by all and we were happy with our count of 57 species.

Apalis, Bar-throated Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Crested Bee-eater, Little Bishop, Southern Red Boubou, Southern Brownbul, Terrestrial Bulbul, Dark-capped Cameroptera, Green-backed Canary, Yellow-fronted Chat, Familiar Cormorant, Reed Coucal, Burchell’s Dove, Laughing Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Tambourine Drongo, Fork-tailed Eagle, Long-crested Fiscal, Common Flycatcher, Southern Black Goose, Egyptian Goose, Spurwing Greenbul, Sombre Hadedah, Ibis Hamerkop Heron, Black-headed Hoopoe, African Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied

Lapwing, Blacksmith Mannikin, Bronze Mannikin, Red-backed Martin, Brown-throated Mousebird, Speckled Plover, Three-banded Prinia, Tawny-flanked Robin-Chat, Red-capped Saw-wing, Black Scrub-Robin, White-browed Sparrow, Southern Grey-headed Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Red-winged Stonechat, African Stork, Woolly-necked Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Olive Thick-knee, Water Wagtail, Cape Wagtail, Pied Warbler, Dark-capped Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Village Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Whydah, Pin-tailed Widow, Fan-tailed

All photos property of photographer

Outing Report: Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, 8 October 2017

Attending:  Sandy Olver, Stan & Val Culley, Graham & Sue Salthouse, Stanley Gengan, Robin Eccles, Bob & Hazel van Rooyen (9)

Species: 77  (see end)                                                    Text: Hazel van Rooyen

We started off our day hesitantly, like rabbits with noses twitching, testing the air for signs of adverse weather.  But all proved well with some lovely sunshine brightening up the landscape during the course of the day.  By the time we arrived Sandy was well into her spotting with a count of 15 species already to her credit, including White-eared Barbet, Southern Black Fly-catcher, Yellow-fronted Canary, Red-fronted Tinkerbird and Purple-crested Turaco.  Whilst we waited for everyone to arrive, a nearby mulberry tree proved too tempting for some starlings and barbets, even though the fruit was not ripe.  A Woolly-necked Stork flew across to some tall trees with its beak full of nesting material.

Everyone having arrived, we drove slowly towards the entrance gate stopping first at a spot with a small stream trickling close by. 

Yellow Weaver (Photo: Sue Salthouse)

Here we spotted Yellow, Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Little Swift, Lesser-striped Swallow, Natal Spurfowl, Jackall Buzzard, Green Pigeon, Little Rush Warbler and Violet-backed Starling. 

A pretty Layman butterfly settled on a Senecio plant while a bee hurried to join in.  

Layman Butterfly (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Where the road turned towards the reserve, we stopped again and investigated the farm road where Brown-hooded Kingfishers and Pin-tailed Whydah perched  high on the telephone wire.  A Brown Scrub-Robin sang sweetly in the indigenous shrubbery while Gorgeous Bush-Shrike  and Southern Boubou called from the taller trees.   Driving slowly along Common Waxbills and African Firefinches flew in front of us.  At the gate we stopped for our breakfast, listening to the cries of a Crowned Eagle and Trumpeter Hornbill.  Suitably fortified we began our visit to the reserve proper. 

Driving through forest of low-hanging branches an African Goshawk flashed across in hot pursuit of another bird.  It paused briefly on a branch before speeding off again.

Turning  towards the view site we were met by an expanse of grassland covered with the different hues of yellow, blue and purple wild flowers.  

A mutual friendship (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Looking for birds (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

It's a kinda Magic (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Up here we saw African Stonechat, Black-crowned Tchagra, and Croaking Cisticola.  When we had had our fill of the breath-taking view, we made our way passed a dam which was devoid of any activity as far we could see and moved along to the other dam which we walked around.  Yellow-throated Longclaw were in abundance in the grassland.  

Yellow-throated Longclaw (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

 A Greater Double-collared Sunbird provided a splash of colour in a dead bush at the edge of the dam.  An uncommon sight was a family of Black Saw-wings resting in a dead tree – they are usually always on the move.  A prinia was spotted in some tall dead-looking grasses in a soggy area which fed into the dam – ah, but not a Tawny-flanked, Sandy noted.  On closer examination it was identified as a Drakensburg Prinia which is not listed for this reserve.  This was an exciting finish to the day and a Lifer for some.  After finishing our walk, we picnicked at the edge of the woods on top of the hill and returned home having had an excellent day’s birding.  

A Wildebeest looks on (photo: Hazel van Rooyen)

Stan & Val added a Black Sparrowhawk to the list on their way out.

From main road up to entrance gate: Species 51

Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, White-eared Boubou, Sunbird Bulbul, Dark-capped Buzzard, Jackal Camaroptera, Green-backed Canary, Brimstone Canary, Yellow-fronted Cisticola, Red-faced Coucal, Burchell’s Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Tambourine Drongo, Fork-tailed Drongo, Square-tailed Firefinch, African Flycatcher, Southern Black Greenbul, Sombre

Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Kingfisher, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Pygmy Kite, Yellow-billed Mousebird, Speckled Oriole, Black-headed Green-Pigeon, African Prinia, Tawny-flanked Robin, Brown Scrub Shrike, Gorgeous Bush Sparrow, Grey-headed Spurfowl, Natal Starling, Black-bellied Starling, Red-wing Starling, Violet-backed Stork, Woolly-necked Sunbird, Collared

Sunbird, White-bellied Swallow, Lesser-striped Swift, Little Swift, White-rumped Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Tinkerbird, Yellow-rumped Turaco, Purple-crested Wagtail, Cape Warbler, Little Rush Waxbill, Common Weaver, Cape Weaver, Spectacled Weaver, Thick-billed Weaver, Yellow White-eye, Cape Whydah, Pin-tailed Widowbird, Red-collared

 
In addition: Inside the Reserve: Species 26

Batis, Cape Cisticola, Croaking Cisticola, Rattling Eagle, Crowned Goshawk, African Honeyguide, Lesser Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Trumpeter Ibis, Hadedah

Lark, Rufous-naped Long-claw, Yellow-throated Neddicky Prinia, Drakensburg Raven, White-necked Saw-wing, Black Seed-eater, Streaky-headed Sparrowhawk, Black Starling, Cape Glossy

Stonechat, African Sunbird, Amethyst Sunbird, Greater Double-collared Tchagra, Black-crowned Weaver, Village Widowbird, Fan-tailed Wood-Hoopoe, Green Woodpecker, Golden-tailed

 
All photos property of photographer