A morning in the wetlands

06 April 2025 - Marievale

It's an early start from home to get to this highveld wetland reserve by sunrise on what turned out to be a gloomy and overcast morning. Fortunately, you can enter the reserve before official opening time and then just pay your visitor fee on the way out.

I decided to head to the causeway and the roads were wet and still filled with puddles from the good summer rain. The vegetation was heavy with dew and hanging into the road which resulted in some species feeding on the road and twin tracks heading to the causeway.

I got onto a small flock of Orange-breasted Waxbill's and even in the gloom, their orange plumage popped

Orange-breasted Waxbill (Amandava subflavus)

I picked up a juvenile Common Waxbill in the flock

Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)

I was surprised with the number of Malachite Kingfishers along the road - here a juvenile complimented by the late summer Cosmos

Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristata)

Along with an adult a little further on

Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristata)

I came across a large flock of Coot on the water flying fast and furious as they foraged and moved. Ok, flying is a compliment - it was more chaotic with vigorous flapping and running on the water getting from A to B

Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata)

Once I got to the causeway, I parked then walked quietly and slowly along the track and this paid dividends. I came across a few Common Reed Warbler feeding in the roadside vegetation

Common Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus)

Along with the normally skulking Little Rush Warbler

Little Rush Warbler (Bradypterus baboecala)

A Black Heron flyby, showing its diagnostic yellow feet

Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca)

Along with a few Knob-billed Duck that took off from a long distance away. Their diagnostic 'knob' not so prominent post the breeding season

Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos)

I then drove across the causeway into the grasslands and along the old mine dumps finding the resident Horus Swift. However, whilst watching the Swifts, I missed an African Marsh Harrier flying toward me and only managed to get onto it long after it passed me

African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus)

It was back to and over the causeway, where I came across a cracking Squacco Heron foraging under the drooping dew laden vegetation on either side of the track

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)

Briefly the sun appeared through the clouds, just as a pair of Red-billed Teals flew past in gorgeous light

Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha)

I then went on to explore some of the hides, finding Reed Cormorant

Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)

A diminutive Blue-billed Teal

Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota)

On one of the bigger dams, a pair of Shelduck, but some distance away and always seem to be skittish and nervous 

Female South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana)

Male South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana)

I then departed the reserve, paying on the way out. But before leaving, explore the habitat where there seem to be Chalet's for hire near the entrance gate. Here I added Black-chested Prinia that were foraging in the clump of Blackjacks

Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans)

In the same area, a distant, but displaying Fan-tailed Widowbird

Fan-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes axillaris)

Which was a decent bird to end an enjoyable morning, despite the inclement weather

Kyalami Estates March Round-up

31 March 2025 - Kyalami Estates

March birding with 48 species recorded was average compared to previous years - not the lowest and 11 species off the highest I have recorded since 2021.

I did manage a few images from my garden this month, mostly of the usual suspects - Grey Go-away-bird. The third image regurgitating and spitting out a fruit pellet

Grey Go-away-bird (Crinifer concolor)

Black-collared Barbet

Black-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus)

African Olive Pigeon in the canopy of the 'Umbrella' Thorn

African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix)

Karoo Thrush waiting on the boundary wall waiting to use the bird bath

Karoo Thrush (Turdus smithii)

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer diffusus)

The raucous Rose-ringed Parakeets that arrived in numbers a few days during the month

Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

And a juvenile African Harrier-Hawk that put up all the Rock Doves on the neighbour's roof

African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus)

On walks around the main park, Fiscal Flycatcher

Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens)

and the resident Wattled Lapwing's - love the first image framed by the trees behind

African Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus)

I also had a Lesser Honeyguide harassing the Thick-billed Weavers

Lesser Honeyguide (Indicator minor)

I watched with interest a female Red Bishop feeding her youngster and noted that she regurgitated seeds frequently whilst perched on the same reed and deposited them into the youngsters open mouth

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

Down at St Ledger, I connected with one of the pair of Malachite Kingfishers

Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristata)

And some recently fledged Thick-billed Weaver's that were clambering up and down the reeds, outside of their nest - both ugly and cute together

Juvenile Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

Southern Red Bishops sharing the same reedbed as the Thick-billed

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

One of my birding friends had heard Swainson's Spurfowl calling and early one morning, I was able to track it down - a pretty cool record for our Estate

Swainson's Spurfowl (Pternistis swainsonii)

Of course, there were a few butterflies about as summer was ending off - African Blue Pansy enjoying my freshly planted flowers

African Blue Pansy (Junonia o. madagascariensis)

One of the Grass Yellow's - always difficult with their wings closed

African Angled Grass Yellow (Eurema d. regularis)

We had quite a few of the striking Garden Inspector's make an appearance

Male Garden Inspector (Precis a. archesia)

Playing hide-and-seek with this Damselfly

Damselfly sp.

Some sort of Bee with distinctive eyes

Bee sp.

An interesting Fungi growing on the side of a Willow Tree

Fungi sp.

Early morning tranquility with the reeds on the dam at St Ledger

Early morning stillness