Hard Core Day

23 November 2025 - Tzaneen

A hard core 1-day trip with my friend Selwyn Rautenbach and his friend Elouise who was chasing some target species for the Kruger Challenge that was a few weeks in the planning.

A total of 21-hours, 13-hours birding, 950km and 145 species recorded with 2 lifers for me.

We left from Midrand just after midnight, picking up Elouise in Pretoria on the way and them up the N4 to Polokwane before turning off toward Tzaneen. We were on site just before sunrise at 5:30 and ready for an epic days birding. Selwyn was a wealth of information and knows the area like the back of his hand.

First stop was Stanford Lake Cottage, but we were still a little early for our first target. So, we headed back up the road toward Polokwane detouring into a small remnant forest. It was still too gloomy for photography, but we starting adding a few good species to our trip list.

As the light improved, back to Stanford where we could hear our target bird, the endemic and Vulnerable Cape Parrot calling from the top of a massive dead tree some way into the property. It was a fairly big flock and not too long after they started flying, most right over our heads, but under a grey sky

Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus)

We thought they were gone for the day, but fortunately, a few returned later and landed in a fruiting tree much closer to us - giving really good views of this critically endangered species and the first of my lifers. A great start to the morning.

Cape Parrot Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus)

We then continued on our journey, stopping at all of Selwyn's key sites in the area over the course of the day. One stop was in Miombo type habitat where we have fleeting views of White-breasted Cuckooshrike, but cracking views of Pale Flycatcher

Pale Flycatcher (Agricola pallidus)

Next stop was in another Miombo patch where we had Red-faced Cisticola

Red-faced Cisticola (Cisticola erythrops)

But where we had to work really hard for cryptic views of a pair of Blue-spotted Doves

Blue-spotted Wood Dove (Turtur afer)

I did also find this Brown Pansy

Brown Pansy (Junonia n. natalica)

On the way back to Tzaneen, a pair of distant, but cool Broad-billed Rollers

Broad-billed Roller (Eurystomus glaucurus)

On the outskirts of Tzaneen, we worked hard again to find and then see a single Magpie Mannikin - the second of my target species for the day

Magpie Mannikin (Spermestes fringilloides)

There were a few Cicada's around - they get the Ugly Award of the Day.

Cicada sp.

It was then off to Agatha, the well known site for the resident Bat Hawks - tough to find in the towering trees, but eventually we did connect. They normally sleep during the day, but this one a least opened its eyes for a few minutes before dozing off again.

Bat Hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus)

It was then back to the forest near Stanford, where we picked up Grey Cuckoo-shrike, accompanied by Olive Woodpecker.

Grey Cuckoo-shrike (Ceblepyris caesia)

By now a big storm was brewing, so it was time to head back up the escarpment, just keeping ahead of the storm. Our last stop was Polokwane Nature Reserve where we tried unsuccessfully for the Green Sandpiper that was present the previous day. We did get a cracking Crimson-breasted Shrike in the dry thornveld.

Crimson-breasted Shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus)

Elouise needed a few species that I had, so while they went searching, I spent some time with Dragonflies

Red-veined Dropwing (Trithemis arteriosa)

Dragonfly sp.

Emperor sp. 

Our last stop was quite some way into the reserve where the Larks are present. Here a Northern Black Korhaan against a dark stormy sky

Northern Black Korhaan (Afrotis afraoides)

A Red-back Shrike while searching for the Lark

Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)

A Sabota just to throw us off

Sabota Lark (Calendulauda sabota)

But eventually connected with a few Short-clawed Larks that call this reserve home. Very skittish and flighty and to me more Pipit than Lark

Short-clawed Lark (Certhilauda chuana)

By now the sun was heading back down to the horizon, so we called it a day - a successful one at that. 

But as with any of these trips, always a few still missed as well as few with the camera, but I was more than happy at being able to connect with my two main target species and see a few Miombo species that I hadn't seen in decades.