Kyalami Estates - March Round-up

31 March 2021 - Kyalami Estates

Summer is slowly abating and migrants are preparing to depart, but there are still good birds to be enjoyed on morning and afternoon walks around the Estate. Of course species numbers will slowly reduce with the on-set of autumn.

This March, I recorded 59 species. A few notable birds seen included; African Paradise Flycatcher, European Bee-eater, Willow Warbler and African Green Pigeon which I have heard, but not yet seen.

Fellow birders in the Estate also recorded Black Stork and Levaillant's Cuckoo, whilst at the Mall across the road House Sparrow and Rock Martin are common - but not yet recorded in the Estate.

Of course I managed to photograph a few species during the month. Pigeons included African Olive

African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix)

and Speckled

Speckled Pigeon (Columba guinea)

Whilst Red-eyed Doves remain abundant

Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata)

From my garden and balcony I also photographed the raucous and highly adaptive Rose-ringed Parakeets

Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Streaky-headed Seedeater

Streaky-headed Seedeater (Crithagra gularis)

A young Karoo Thrush and it's shadow enjoying my bird bath

Karoo Thrush (Turdus smithii)

White-rumped Swift

White-rumped Swift (Apus caffer)

Thick-billed Weavers passing by occasionally

Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

as do Cape Glossy Starling

Cape Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis nitens)

A Crested Barbet pausing briefly on a chimney of my neighbours house

Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii)

as well as a male Cape Sparrow on an aerial

Cape Sparrow (Passer melanurus)

Migrants including Greater-striped Swallow. This one surprisingly still collecting nesting material

Greater-striped Swallow (Cecropis cucullata)

I had a flock of European Bee-eaters that entertained me over a couple of mornings as they departed from their roost close by and a few with Bee's caught in flight

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster)

Tawny-flanked Prinia are easy to find in and around the Parks

Tawny-flanked Prinia (Prinia subflava)

I added a new butterfly to my Estate list; Spotted Sailer

Spotted Sailer (Neptis s. marpessa)

Marsh Acraea's are still around the St Ledger Dam

Marsh Acraea (Telchinia r. rahira)

I'm always on the lookout for Odonata and found Violet Dropwing

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata)

Along with a number of Damselflies which are still a struggle to identify. Thanks again to Lappies for his guidance. This a male Common Threadtail

Male Common Threadtail (Elattoneura glauca)

Slate Sprite

Slate Sprite (Pseudagrion salisburyense)

and Acacia Sprite

Acacia Sprite (Pseudagrion acaciae)

In the garden the Carpenter Bees were quite active

Carpenter Bee (Genus Xylocopa)

along with an assortment of unidentified Bee's/Wasps

I will sign off this post for March, with an interesting sunset image

Kyalami Sunset