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

White-backed Vultures at sunset

So summer is officially in full swing as most of the migrant species that we have been looking forward to seeing, have arrived. The bush soundtrack now hosts the Red-chested Cuckoo and the distinctive car alarm sound of the Levaillant’s Cuckoo. Colour has been re-introduced as the Violet-backed Starling stalks the canopy.

Eurpean Bee-eater

 

We have received 78mm of rain in the last month and most of the birds are breeding as the insect population multiplies overnight. Unfortunately for one Green Wood-hoopoe group, a baboon discovered the nest in a Sycamore fig at the lodge and helped himself to six eggs. Luckily these birds have the time to lay another clutch and recoup their losses.

Verraux's Eagle-Owl

Bateleur

 

Birders Big 6

 

Saddle-billed stork

We haven’t seen the pair that is usually seen at Main dam in the last while, but as the grassland areas are flooded and frog numbers are on the increase, these birds are probably still in the area, but inaccessible to us.

 

The pair at Wild dog dam however has been in that area all the time. The immediate area surrounding the dam consists of sodic sites with flooded grass and is perfect habitat for these birds at this point in the season. They have been here on every drive I have done past Wild dog dam.

Saddle-billed Stork sightings

 

Ground Hornbill

The group of three have still been in the vicinity of the lodge. There have been sightings of them around Wild dog dam and three sightings at the lodge itself. An interesting sighting was one a guest had outside his suite with a group consisting of one female and two males. One of the males had a slightly injured leg and it seems he had a fight for dominance with the other male. The guest was lucky enough to see the dominant male mating with the female in a Sycamore fig in front of his suite. As we are trying our level best to document these endangered birds as much as possible, this information is priceless. Hopefully we’ll be having nesting Ground Hornbills close to the lodge in the very near future!

 

Another group was seen on the Khoka moya cutline. I can only surmise that this is the group that we see at Koppies and further north up to Skybeds and Windmill road.

 

Ground Hornbill Sightings

Martial Eagle

As usual, the size and pure presence of this majestic eagle has excited many guests lucky enough to see them.  We’ve had a few sightings in the last while, mostly around Tamboti drive and Madache road. I think these are the same birds that have also been seen around Buffalo plains.

The other sighting that we had was in the south around S9 road. The average size of a Martial Eagle pair’s territory in the lowveld is about 10,000 ha, so the density of Martial Eagles we are seeing is in line with the average.

Martial Eagle sightings

Specials

It’s been a fantastic time and some really interesting birds have turned up. Main dam has been at the centre of it all, once again, when during a coffee stop one morning we were waiting for the Fish Eagles to do their usual and chase some ducks. It has become a normal thing to see and fascinating to witness. However this morning was different when a Lanner Falcon turned up and started chasing the local Marsh Sandpipers. In twenty minutes we watched it chase the Sandpipers twice, once right above us.

 

White-faced Whistling Duck

 

The Fish Eagles however were not to be outdone and the next afternoon (with new guests) one of the Eagles caught a catfish right in front of us! Other specials at Main dam included Whiskered Tern and the Collared Pratincoles are still seen every time I go down there.

 

Senegal Lapwing

 

 Marsh Sandpiper

I’ve once again seen Yellow-billed Oxpeckers on Buffalo twice in the last while of which once was right at the lodge. Mpho also reported a Kori Bustard at Buffalo plains but I have unfortunately not seen it yet. I will keep my eyes peeled as usual!

 

Grey Heron
 

  African Hawk Eagle

All photos taken with a Nikon Coolpix P510