27 October 2023 - Northern Farm
It had been sometime since I last visited the farm, so I planned an early morning blitz to see if any migrants had arrived. I was through the gate by 6am and driving toward the quarry when this White-throated Swallow preening on the fence above a canal in golden light caught my eye. Yes, it is on a fence, but that is what they roost on...
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| White-throated Swallow (Hirundo albigularis) |
The quarry was fairly quiet, with one migrant in the form of a Wood Sand in cracking plumage on the mud bank of the dam
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| Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) |
Close by, a young Three-banded Plover was foraging along the exposed mud
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| Three-banded Plover (Charadrius tricollaris) |
Levaillant's Cisticola's were pretty vocal around the dam
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| Levaillant's Cisticola (Cisticola tinniens) |
A few Black-headed Heron's passed by overhead on the way to their breeding location in the reserve
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| Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala) |
Continuing on the farm roads, a Black-winged Kite on the overhead lines
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| Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) |
Followed by a small flock of European Bee-eaters - their calls represent the true start of spring for me
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| European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) |
At one of the other dams, there were around 5 Black Crakes feeding on the floating vegetation
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| Back Crake (Zapornia flavirostra) |
Adjacent to one of the canals, the resident Long-crested Eagle was surveying it's domain
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| Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis) |
And finally in the grasslands, Zitting Cisticola where I normally find them
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| Zitting Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) |
After 2-hours, it was back home with a respectable 74 species with a couple of early migrants in the mix and which also included Cape Teal - always a good species to see on the farm
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