Comb Duck

We’ve had some awesome bird sightings in the last while! The big birds that we have been following have showed up and “paid the rent”.

 

African Spoonbill

 

 

 

Raptors

 

White-backed Vulture

 

We are spoilt for choice with birds of prey at the moment! A number of Wahlbergs Eagle pairs have set up shop, nesting all over the Manyeleti, Yellow-billed Kites regularly hunt the riverine forest canopies and the African Fish-Eagles are still stalking the waterways. A notable sighting to mention is one of a Fish Eagle that joined the Saddle-billed Storks at Vulture Pan in hunting frogs. This was definitely not the traditional Fish-Eagle sighting! The Tawny Eagle pair has still been seen around Ingwe Manzi, as well as Xiskankanka road, east of Ingwe Manzi.

Juvenile African Fish Eagle

 

African Harrier Hawk

 

 

 

Birders Big 6

Saddle-billed Stork

 

Both groups being followed at the moment have put in their appearances. The conditions around the Wild Dog dam area are still favourable to the Storks. Flooding on the grassy patches on the sodic sites is still good breeding ground for many Frog species and the Storks are cashing in. We’ve had great sightings of the pair on Panicum road on the clay soils.

The Main dam pair seems to have moved a little further north. We had beautiful sightings of them on Vultures pan, taking advantage of the same type of conditions, as the other pair.

 

 

 

Ground Hornbills

The group of three that have been around the lodge has been reduced to two. After the two males had an altercation, we have only seen a male and a female together. It’s possible that after the fight, the dominant male wouldn't accept the other male. We’ve seen the two on two separate occasions. The first was just off Foot road and the next day we saw them on the southern end of the airstrip.

We think the other group have a nest on an open area somewhere around Vulture pan. We have often seen them, early in the morning and late in the afternoon, in the same place. One morning, we had a particularly good sighting of one eating a Leopard tortoise, one of their favourite foods. This group comprises of five adults. They were also seen on the banks of Main dam.

 

 

 

 

Specials

The Collared Pratincoles are still at Main Dam amazing us with their acrobatics over the water. A sighting of a Squacco Heron had me in awe as this was the last bird I expected. The long awaited return of the Woodland Kingfisher happened on 12 November and its wonderful call has echoed through the bush since. While out on a walk we came across a Grey-headed Kingfisher on River road.

African Barred Owlet

Red-billed Buffalo Weaver

 

 

 

All photos taken with a Nikon Coolpix P510