Birding Update: March 2013

Over the last month we really noticed a change in the air. As March progressed, the days grew slightly shorter and the morning air a little cooler. As all these things started happening, we also noticed a change in the bird population. Some of the summer migrants started moving north and some of the altitudinal winter migrants started making a comeback.

White-backed Vulture

It has been a fantastic month for birding with a few unexpected surprises turning up. As usual, Main dam produced some phenomenal water birding. For the month of March, 155 species were recorded and our total count for the reserve in the last ten months is now at 254 species.

Wooly-necked Stork

Raptors

March produced very much the same Raptors we have noticed before. However, we have had some fantastic sightings of these feathered fighter planes in action.

 

Eric had an amazing sighting of an African Harrier-Hawk chasing what looked like a lizard of some sort. As he watched this interaction, the Harrier-Hawk did what it was designed for. He was using the specially modified joint in his ankle to chase and pry the reptile out of tight corners and flushing it out of crevices in the bark of the dead tree.

 

His acrobatics were incredible and Eric managed to get phenomenal photos of this fascinating bird in action. 

I also had a great sighting of a Shikra that was close enough to get a few nice shots. It’s not often that you get the chance to succesfully photograph these small birds of prey. 

Birders Big 6

Saddle-billed Stork 

 

The sightings we have had of these beautiful birds have once again been of the Main dam pair. We've had several sightings of them on the northern side of Main dam. As usual, they have moved around mostly between Main dam, Ndlovu manzi south of Main dam and the Ntzaka sewerage area.

 

As it starts to dry out a little, the pans in the middle of the bush are becoming dry depressions and the frog activity is starting to wane. This is forcing the Storks to move back to permanent water sources and we can almost find these incredible birds at will.

 

Southern Ground Hornbill

In the last ten months we have identified at least four separate groups on the reserve. This is quite a dense population considering that the estimated population in the Greater Kruger National Park is only about 900 individuals.

The group that has produced the highest frequency of sightings this month has been the group of eight adults and one juvenile that moves around Main dam. Their territory has Main dam right in the centre. Most of the sightings however have been at Main Dam itself and to the west of the dam. Almost every morning, the low booming call of these birds can be heard in this particular area and adds to an already beautiful soundtrack. Every choir needs a bass!

 

Kori Bustard

Eventually we managed to find the heaviest flying bird in the world! Eric was lucky enough to find one close to Tortoise pan, about five kilometres north of the lodge. We have heard reports of these birds on Buffalo plains, but this is the first confirmed sighting and he managed to get a few photos as well.

 

Specials

Red-billed Oxpecker

As I mentioned before, Eric got the Kori Bustard at Tortoise pan on Buffalo plains. The African Quail-finches have made a return to the Main Dam flood plain, while the Black Cuckoo-shrikes are still calling along the drainage lines along Tamboti drive.

 

Burchells Coucal

 

Left: Green-backed Heron

Right: Blacksmith Lapwing

Grey Heron

The Trumpeter Hornbills have been seen and heard in the riverine forest in front of the lodge on several occasions during the month. I also found a Grey-Headed Kingfisher at S8 dam and an African Golden Oriole at the same time on one morning drive, all at the same place.

Yellow-billed Hornbill

 

Red-crested Korhaan

We had several sightings of Marsh Owl in the eastern parts of the reserve. I also found Harlequin Quail on Buffalo plains this month. Buffalo plains is our our best grassland birding area on the reserve.

Lilac-breasted Roller

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Spur-winged Goose

Verraux's Eagle-Owl

The Black-winged Stilts have also made a comeback to Main dam and can often been seen wading amongst the numerous crocodiles sunning on the sandbanks. Lastly, I also found Fan-tailed Widowbird on Buffalo plains and Jackal plains in the east. These birds are mostly found in the moist grasslands in the Natal province, so are a special find in the much drier lowveld.

 

Wood Sandpiper

 All photographs edited by Darren Roberts-York

Birding Update: February 2013

Southern Carmine Bee-eater

This time of the year all the breeding activity starts coming to an end. The activity starts to wind down and much less calling is heard and territorial behaviour is observed . Birding has none the less been quite spectacular and a few interesting species have shown themselves. For this month we unearthed 172 species with one or two good specials in the mix.

Egyptian Geese

 

One of the most interesting sightings we had was of a Yellow-billed Hornbill which had just caught a caterpillar of some sort. The caterpillar had plenty of stinging hairs, meant to protect the caterpillar, but the Hornbill had ways of dealing with these hairs.

 

We watched as the Hornbill slapped the caterpillar against the branch and then attempted to rub the hairs off. This was repeated over and over for several minutes and the nasty little hairs were slowly being removed by the process. Eventually the Hornbill flew off, possibly to a nest site nearby, and we enjoyed comparing our photos of yet another dramatic African scene.

Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver

 

Raptors

Black-shouldered Kite

 

The raptors have again given us plenty to look at over the last month. We even found a Long-crested Eagle very close to the lodge in the riverine forest of the Nwasisontso drainage line. Our resident pairs of Tawny Eagle and African Hawk Eagle have also been around and we have seen them on several occasions. The two pairs of African Fish Eagles we have been keeping an eye on, one at Main dam and the other at Wild dog Dam, have both have given us fantastic sightings as they interact with other species and rule the airways around their respective territories.

Bateleur

Tawny Eagle

 

We've also had a few accipiter sightings to note this month. A pair of Gabar Goshawks had set-up a nesting territory around Nyathi drive. One morning we watched as they were pushing their youngster away from the nest. Time to get out and grow up I suppose. The parents were flying around, calling and pushing the youngster for a while. We were literally watching as they cut the apron strings and sent the juvenile packing.

Hooded Vulture

 

This month has also produced lots of Owls and our after dark safaris have had plenty of good sightings of these night-time killers. We've had amazing views of Verreaux’s Eagle owl and Spotted Eagle Owl, we found African Barred Owlet at the lodge and a Marsh Owl presented itself in the eastern part of the reserve.

Verreaux's Eagle-Owl

Spotted Eagle-Owl

 

 

Birders Big 6

Saddle-billed Stork

 

This month we only saw one of the pairs that we have been following, the Main Dam pair. We have seen them several times and always at the dam itself. It has dried up a little and the frogs aren’t as prevalent as they were last month after the floods. This pair was once again forced to return to the happy hunting grounds of Main Dam.

 

Where the other pair is, is a mystery. The last we saw of them was in the flooded grasslands around Panicum road. They may have found a nice seasonal pan with lots of food, somewhere deep in the bush.

 Ground Hornbill

 

The only flock of Ground Hornbills we have seen in the last month was a group of six with no juveniles. We saw them from the Kruger national park boundary to the area south of Main Dam.

 

We had a few vocalisations in the deep south of the Manyeleti and this must be from a separate group. The three that we have been watching around the lodge have not been seen this month. They should show themselves again as soon as it dries up and everything settles down.

 

 

Specials

European Roller

 

Helmeted Guineafowl

Swainson's Spurfowl

Probably the biggest special we had this month was an African Golden Oriole that was seen at the lodge. Another good tick was a Yellow-billed Oxpecker seen at Wild Dog Dam and the Long-crested Eagle at our presidential suite was completely unexpected. Also a few traditionally highveld species have found their way down to the Manyeleti. These include sightings of Red-collared Widowbird at Wild Dog Dam and a Fan-tailed Widowbird on Buffalo plains

Woolly-necked Stork

 

All in all a great month of birding filled with many surprises.

 

Darren Roberts-York

 

Birding Update: January 2013

Double-banded Sandgrouse

 

 

Woodland Kingfisher
 

Once again birding in the Manyeleti has not let us down at all. The predatory birds have given us plenty of interesting action and a few special birds have shown up quite unexpectedly. As for the stars of the birding show, they have been showing themselves a fair amount.

 

Raptors

 

Brown Snake-Eagle taking off

There have been plenty of interesting sightings again. The breeding pair of Tawny Eagles have been showing themselves mostly around Ingwe Manzi, Madache road and the airstrip. They have indulged themselves in the many termite emergences and have joined many other species of raptors at these bush buffets. They have generally been joined by Amur Falcons, African Fish-Eagle, African Harrier-Hawk and Steppe Buzzards. We had a great sighting of one of the Tawny Eagles attempting to raid a Red-billed Buffalo Weavers nest. The smaller birds kept harassing the big Eagle and eventually attracting a pair of Fork-tailed Drongos, they managed to drive the large eagle off empty handed.

Tawny Eagle

 

Another great sighting was once again a Lanner Falcon at Main dam. It seems that this particular young Falcon has found a plethora of Sandpipers and small wading birds and regularly treats us to aerial dogfights over a sip of coffee.

Amur Falcon

 

 

Bateleur

 

 

Hooded Vulture

 

 

 

White-backed Vultures

Verraux's Eagle Owl

Birders Big 6

Saddle-billed Stork

 

The two pairs of Saddle-billed Storks have also been around quite a lot as well. The pair that are usually seen at Wild dog dam have moved towards the flooded grasslands around Panicum and the seasonal pans have yielded a steady supply of yummy African Bullfrogs.

The pair usually seen around Main dam have been moving around Ndlovu Manzi and scratches plain to the south of Main dam. They have been joined by a few other Stork species including Whooly-necked Storks and large flocks of White storks. We have noticed that they seem to be feeding on mostly frogs and also the massive termite emergences.

Ground Hornbills

Mostly two groups have been seen and the activity has mostly been centered around the lodge and just to the north of the lodge. We had a few sightings of the group of five around Tamboti and Windy Windy road. They have been seen mostly early in the morning.

 

The group of three have been hanging around Wild Dog dam and Foot road and have still been making frequent visits to the lodge. They are still giving a few guests an interesting wake up call from their afternoon siesta’s, with a few loud bangs on the windows.

 

Specials

A very big tick for this month was a Dwarf Bittern that I found on the frog rich seasonal pans on Panicum road. The Collared Pratincoles have still been around Main dam as have the Ruff’s. Other birds of interest have been Ostriches on the Kruger boundry and a tantalizing report of a Kori Bustard with chicks on Buffalo plains, but I'm yet to find these.

 

 

 

Comb Duck

 

Left: Spur-winged Goose

Right: Egyptian Geese

 

 

Black-bellied Bustard

 

 

Woodland Kingfisher

 

 

White-faced Duck

 

 

Red-billed Oxpecker

 

African Green Pigeon

 

European Roller

 

 

Cattle Egret in breeding plumage

 

 

 

Photo Editing: Darren Roberts-York