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