15 February 2022 - Northern Farm
I met Andre Marx at the gate to Northern Farm at 6am for a quick 2-hour Pentad bash and whilst some migrants are still present. During the bash, we also had two objectives, Yellow Wag and Red-footed Falcon amongst the Amur's.
We tried a good few paddocks for the Wagtail, without success although we did get Cape Wag and a few Red-capped Lark's. There were many Barn Swallows feeding on the wing around the paddocks
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuxLiT7Srz5vnSQ4RklYYSKwnQziPdosdQR7vFstv_qrYGwMi-KZwqzzjdqp4VZV1enFIPZthOJMS0XAxnf9D54SBUCBpINed7BWGQbD9udRIkSI-jIUzXDr59hnjcwD3TWKdG65SiPDJgf4LyVVldQ7yvPUZIgfPHhpElDaxfJIg0eUVJyRy1JQCoCA=w640-h426) |
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) |
including a lone Cliff Swallow
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSW-eUvCs4hDBugHgqNavPuZTpCC1fNWTETu1evOJYjfiFgHz3_ArXsazx6AOgGvBcx1NxR4YyAmMSBLJtKFptePeLb6T98sLciw0ghsSDZDUYbVhAqdhbjo4VZSEO74dLFQYJm_pB-YTzybePslONzfCx5HPQjbwC63sDpCp0X-7CuwQ8C8X-EmLrGg=w640-h426) |
South African Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon spilodera) |
We noted there were many Amur's roosting on the overhead lines and trees within the farm - no luck at the first stop for the Red-footed
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgT-QcD3mUP1pW1AOEwAIh82-EqRvPAXjSfRgeS9TDP_FeWEefuBA21ExCw_0onWiME0YZrk9MRj8iM44H4rQploGqa9hkeHW4sjyE7_yF9cWtsGgUxjLkyf0lnWLdevqaXEjsDn0hFuv2-zZ3jmKyzLSdKgVhO02Din-Gs4GpLHVJZeoycGDO7sH3h8A=w640-h426) |
Male Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBBGMR_S610EgNt8J-hPLzJpJfnqFFhZoqraz9EwvhPrbTV2Sqx7suOs89mSF6xtLFRiYIRuzxBxtsaVHc0TmROYUoExfYaK4L-TqkmtQnS9o7E0scg9NX1KPZytSBbV5nzJBr2OmLAhe2ZjdgdBCfuJupDMRauPdSD3a6neoW5H3x5duYEhll52UN3g=w640-h426) |
Female Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) |
We checked another location where there were many more. The female Amur's outnumber the males around 5:1
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIV9qZBU9VwbxHmjdxJgjkpZaJnXpYO-Egh4wpu73F9QXfqvxlqJGz05TRNKnV4gYi0-2FxcfHXganHb4rDc0TLjsjLg-xZ5SwwgW8DO5FKX3hnDoA57rCW144d7BBe826EPta1OWM6DsZF_LbBDw-SQBUULu3fyDYFUd6ja6PwrADrNKgm7bCPXaTQw=w640-h426) |
Male Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9Z4Xh3QKMprwfG_60ElJDDRA7rELlLnppf-I0sy873jOS_R2u7UNbu8ugGLEuHkxX3sz9gG7O6nRdkwyoV1TXOvipdVTMACuje_wR3Xfla4WhxB6nWwEP-hicZGYlb3XiyW9Rf8lDWPZmhXXl8TvWx_JqS93ifAyUaoElTYvitxtUL6Z5qC2M5kHT9A=w640-h426) |
Female and Male Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) |
But finally in amongst the Amur's a cracking sub-adult female with unusual plumage. One out of two objectives met
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPNcUM0kqlv-H17AAHF-dHrDlM6lsxCqlp9w22XS0vQsniwG8dmv2dX5atY42KiK-BhbrK_qRhZfk9w2qOzaVHOd3P92tEHImamqy2VeEDBRDV9cpaQYBtNKG-wJf41-RUHdgqMtmzp3KKidNXFelIaSzjCJ9q2ltlXKd5W3GUjEV6b0jtuFcnEiqW9w=w534-h640) |
Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) and Female Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsRWgjpV5Iims9jpDyDuoxaHTIXkI1BBRYof4oPWHhiBolb2LAbK3flY7xFs6-31fiSYmYUg7rmD65ZrcVBt-1BJf7Y8_gx9a6PVQtNIPmMz8jvY6Fqe_2RM7Az67Tj7NFXoG2CXbSCUfhgzJW7IsvlXxLyILafIXJ1imIrjAnrEGvvNOpbr1iIVixRA=w640-h426) |
Female Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus)
|
Heading back to the gate, we stopped for a magnificent Long-crested Eagle perched on a telephone pole. We were ready once it took off, to show its distinctive flight plumage
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJRiOBUGY542r7P4W8wplBjjp6qKImSxGc-SXFbcDyF3Wq4hWDsZUUKGKAfMjdW8lwuJsmkaPDYyq8Po0aJhmhlQI4fZbxzveUouTRVzpyruvW5Hf1OzY1rd9Hku5bb9olujf5y59h0wzLTlv4hG4Opcj9QOGuSWIe0AFpTDOrA5r-QjJzqHht4JkV1w=w640-h426) |
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) |
As it gained height, it was bombed by a Lanner Falcon that we hadn't seen - but the interaction didnt last long before the Lanner flew off
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWyKwLCXiNCW77nApkdidh83f9sqPuDvLtEgeaTR_zWh7iw6ApFW6lEHHAZKl5INY8GTYRXtMRhQG84eRch2L7dfv-YcHElcpc3R6KL0HGCbfqbyjASIq4ijzokSaLPfYdIipYamUX4Bw-YqQZwn-9dCugYp3J43dgoLqWJs-3-top7jrnri0oW0Yehw=w640-h426) |
Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) |
The birding was pretty good for the morning and we recorded 89 species including Great Reed, Marsh and Willow Warbler's. On the way back to the gate, a pair of Yellow-billed Ducks flew past with a nice grassland backdrop
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKUPqTALaspZEsjrivsCjqa8AqF533UZJS29H6naKYKzlUoFvlqmXCBXGGmTfWX1YBZ24hG9sBgjGQFxwhxUk6kpeRgr6aB4BsdAQBDCSfy_vz5FrZE4flWlTRlGFXgN52WavCCIZDUtHxp2asZH5DzqnLwxzNRxHSG_34g1i2mkMbwylYZaOhk3lk3g=w640-h426) |
Yellow-billed Duck (Anas undulata) |
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