06 April 2025 - Marievale
It's an early start from home to get to this highveld wetland reserve by sunrise on what turned out to be a gloomy and overcast morning. Fortunately, you can enter the reserve before official opening time and then just pay your visitor fee on the way out.
I decided to head to the causeway and the roads were wet and still filled with puddles from the good summer rain. The vegetation was heavy with dew and hanging into the road which resulted in some species feeding on the road and twin tracks heading to the causeway.
I got onto a small flock of Orange-breasted Waxbill's and even in the gloom, their orange plumage popped
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| Orange-breasted Waxbill (Amandava subflavus) |
I picked up a juvenile Common Waxbill in the flock
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| Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild) |
I was surprised with the number of Malachite Kingfishers along the road - here a juvenile complimented by the late summer Cosmos
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| Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristata) |
Along with an adult a little further on
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| Malachite Kingfisher (Corythornis cristata) |
I came across a large flock of Coot on the water flying fast and furious as they foraged and moved. Ok, flying is a compliment - it was more chaotic with vigorous flapping and running on the water getting from A to B
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| Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata) |
Once I got to the causeway, I parked then walked quietly and slowly along the track and this paid dividends. I came across a few Common Reed Warbler feeding in the roadside vegetation
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| Common Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) |
Along with the normally skulking Little Rush Warbler
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| Little Rush Warbler (Bradypterus baboecala) |
A Black Heron flyby, showing its diagnostic yellow feet
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| Black Heron (Egretta ardesiaca) |
Along with a few Knob-billed Duck that took off from a long distance away. Their diagnostic 'knob' not so prominent post the breeding season
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| Knob-billed Duck (Sarkidiornis melanotos) |
I then drove across the causeway into the grasslands and along the old mine dumps finding the resident Horus Swift. However, whilst watching the Swifts, I missed an African Marsh Harrier flying toward me and only managed to get onto it long after it passed me
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| African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus) |
It was back to and over the causeway, where I came across a cracking Squacco Heron foraging under the drooping dew laden vegetation on either side of the track
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| Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides) |
Briefly the sun appeared through the clouds, just as a pair of Red-billed Teals flew past in gorgeous light
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| Red-billed Teal (Anas erythrorhyncha) |
I then went on to explore some of the hides, finding Reed Cormorant
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| Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) |
A diminutive Blue-billed Teal
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| Blue-billed Teal (Spatula hottentota) |
On one of the bigger dams, a pair of Shelduck, but some distance away and always seem to be skittish and nervous
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| Female South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) |
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| Male South African Shelduck (Tadorna cana) |
I then departed the reserve, paying on the way out. But before leaving, explore the habitat where there seem to be Chalet's for hire near the entrance gate. Here I added Black-chested Prinia that were foraging in the clump of Blackjacks
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| Black-chested Prinia (Prinia flavicans) |
In the same area, a distant, but displaying Fan-tailed Widowbird
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| Fan-tailed Widowbird (Euplectes axillaris) |
Which was a decent bird to end an enjoyable morning, despite the inclement weather
