06 August 2025

Zaagies with fresh eyes

02 February 2025 - Zaagkuilsdrift

I had the opportunity to share and showcase 'our' famous Zaagkuilsdrift road with my birding friends Etienne, Marius and Gary who had never visited this famed route before. We met in the Estate in the wee hours and traveled in one car to reach the start of the road, just as the sun was peeking above the horizon and the sky slowly started lightening.

It always seems to be a dilemma as to where to start this road - we opted with much excitement and enthusiasm to start birding from the start of the road and make our way slowly to Kgomo Kgomo and just see how the morning panned out.

At this time of year, we were not the only ones who had planned to bird this route and there were a number of birders and birding groups both ahead and behind us, as is to be expected. 

In the pre-dawn gloom, we came across a young Gabar

Juvenile Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar)


A little further on, a small bird party that provided a fleeting view of a Common Whitethroat, but followed by a little more obliging Grey-backed Camaroptera

Grey-backed Camaroptera (Camaroptera brevicaudata)



There were a number of Cuckoo species calling and with some luck, we came across a small group of Jacobin Cuckoo

Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus)


Imagine our delight, when a dark morph suddenly made a brief appearance

Dark morph Jacobin Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus)


We had great birding and banter as we continued and when we reached Crake Road, made the left turn and just over the bridge, a Levaillant's Cuckoo greeted us, very close to the road

Levaillant's Cuckoo (Clamator levaillantii)


A little further down, a Dwarf Bittern watched us pass by from high up in a dead tree - a little uncharacteristic, but enjoyable nevertheless

Dwarf Bittern (Ixobrychus sturmii)


We proceeded to the Lodge, stopping for an Oxpecker on a domestic bovine

Red-billed Oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) 


We then visited Zaagkuilsdrift Lodge to check out the camping facilities for a future visit and were told very seriously that we could not bird anywhere around the lodge or car park, unless we paid the visitors fee. So, we just enjoyed a beer at the bar, as it was really starting to heat up by this stage

Thirst quenched, we made our way to Plat River where Lesser Moorhens were calling everywhere, but nowhere to be seen in their swampy habitat. 

There were many Herons and Egrets foraging in the flooded grasslands - Cattle Egret

Western Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)


Great Egret

Great Egret (Ardea alba)




and more Yellow-billed Egrets in one area than I had ever seen before - great for comparative purpose against the Great Egrets, feeding alongside

Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha)




We then made it to the Kgomo Kgomo floodplain where we got out to walk and stretch our legs - here Etienne and Gary enjoying the spectacle of birds in all directions

Etienne and Gary on the floodplain


There were fair numbers of Black-winged Pratincole around on the flood plain

Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni)



Next stop was the bridge where most birders congregate for a bite and coffee break. We did the same and enjoyed some of the many Blue-cheeked Bee-eater performing around us

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater (Merops persicus)


We were on a mission to get a visual of Lesser Moorhen and managed to find one looking back into the sun, but it was challenged by and submitted to a Common Moorhen that sent it packing after it was slowly walking across the Lily pads

Lesser Moorhen (Paragallinula angulata)

Incoming Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)


Fortunately, we picked up another on the other side of the road with the sun behind us that gave cracking views as it to, crossed from one side of the river to the other

Lesser Moorhen (Paragallinula angulata)






We then started heading back, stopping in the ever diminishing patch of Acacia Trees (seems each time we visit, more and more have been chopped down for firewood). Here we picked up the not always easy to find Great Sparrow

Male Great Sparrow (Passer motitensis)



and in the same area a small interactive flock of Cape Penduline Tits - both lifers for my mates

Cape Penduline Tit (Anthoscopus minutus)



The flowers were all in bloom and enjoyed by a myriad of butterflies and other insects - I picked up African Blue Pansy

African Blue Pansy (Junonia o. madagascariensis)


and Common Diadem as two colourful species that stood out from the others

Male Common Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus)



A Great Spotted Cuckoo seemingly begging on the overhead line caught my attention. Pity the light was so crappy....

Female Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)


This was followed by another Cuckoo flying in with a Caterpillar as an offering, which the first bird took from the second. I had never seen this behaviour before and later found out that it was the male that offers the female food, in exchange for mating

Male Great Spotted Cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)









At Plat River, an obliging Yellow-crowned Bishop puffed out its bumble Bee plumage whilst taking a break from his display flight over the flood plain

Male Yellow-crowned Bishop (Euplectes afer)


A pair of Red-breasted Swallow's chilling on a dead bush

Red-breasted Swallow (Cecropis semirufa)


And a Squacco in the lush and flooded grassland

Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)


Continuing, we had a gorgeous Little Bee-eater on the fence line

Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus)


and much further on near Wolfhuiskraal, a migrant European Roller on the overhead line

European Roller (Coracias garrulus)


By now the temperature had ratcheted up quite quickly and birding activity quietened down at the same rate. We had a great morning and it is always rewarding to show mates who had never visited Zaagies before, what a gem we have not too far from our doorsteps in Gauteng




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Zaagies with fresh eyes

02 February 2025 - Zaagkuilsdrift I had the opportunity to share and showcase 'our' famous Zaagkuilsdrift road with my birding frien...