Glen Austin Pan delivers

21 June 2025 - Glen Austin Pan

I'm still in the first month of my Big Bird Challenge, so enthusiasm is still high.

I had a quick visit to Glen Austin Pan, one of my local patches, as this site can always surprise with an unexpected species.

I managed to add Purple Swamphen (the new name)

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis)

Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

One of the many Grey-headed Gull's

Grey-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus)

and some Brown-throated Martin's that were feeding on the wing overhead

Brown-throated Martin (Riparia paludicola)

Cape Shoveler's could be considered resident

Cape Shoveler (Spatula smithii)

And then, what is that small white 'blob' in the middle of the Pan - no ways, a Black-necked Grebe! There are historical records of this species having been recorded at the Pan, but this was the first time I had ever seen one, so I was thrilled. I have now recorded all 3 Grebe species at Glen Austin Pan

Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)

Urban Parks

20 June 2025 - Lonehill Park

I had to drop my wife off at work in Lonehill and to avoid the rush hour traffic back to Midrand, I spent an enjoyable hour walking around Lonehill Park.

The Park is dominated by the large granite boulders in the Nature Reserve which accomodate good number's of Dassies

Rock Hyrax (Procavia capensis)

Walking around the Park, I found African Wattled Lapwing

African Wattled Lapwing (Vanellus senegallus)

Rose-ringed Parakeet's in warming up in the early morning winter sun

Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

A couple of Red-headed Finches around a feeder

Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala)

And a Southern Fiscal enjoying breakfast

Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris)

However, most of my time was spent at the small dam where I enjoyed a pair of African Black Duck's in the golden morning light

African Black Duck (Anas sparsa)

Also present were good numbers of Black-headed Heron

Black-headed Heron (Ardea melanocephala)

Reed Cormorant's

Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)

And a few Sacred Ibis or Bin Chicken's as the Aussies call them - maybe a more appropriate name

African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)

Both Red-knobbed Coot

Red-knobbed Coot (Fulica cristata)

and Moorhen were present

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

A small flock of noisy Hadeda's passed by overhead as I walked back to the car, after what was an enjoyable hour in the crisp winter air under a blue skies

Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)