An overdue visit to a local reserve

15 June 2022 - Beaulieu Bird Sanctuary

It had been quite some time since I last visited this local bird sanctuary that is not too far from where I live. It used to host a large and active Heronry, but that has long been abandoned - not sure why? 

So, I enjoyed an early morning walk around the reserve after dropping our dogs at play school.

While waiting for the gate to open, I walked around the parking area finding Cape Glossy Starling

Cape Glossy Starling (Lamprotornis nitens)

A pair of Cape Wagtails feeding in a small stream

Cape Wagtail (Motacilla capensis)

A Crested Barbet calling from the top of a tree

Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii)

And a Southern Grey-headed Sparrow with a pleasing winter background

Southern Grey-headed Sparrow (Passer diffusus)

I quite liked this back lit Strelitzia

Strelitzia

Once inside, I came across a Southern Fiscal

Female Southern Fiscal (Lanius collaris)

Followed by a calling Red-throated Wryneck against a striking blue winter sky

Red-throated Wryneck (Jynx ruficollis)

that later moved to the parking area to feed

Red-throated Wryneck (Jynx ruficollis)

However, the highlight was an Ovambo Sparrowhawk trying and missing to catch an African Hoopoe

Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis) chasing African Hoopoe (Upupa africana)

After which it flew back to the big Eucalyptus Plantation where it had previously roosted waiting for breakfast to present itself. I believe they are resident in this reserve and this was certainly one of the better sightings I have had of this species

Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis)

Kyalami Estates - May Round-up

31 May 2022 - Kyalami Estates

With winter almost upon us, May was a relatively quiet month with only 48 species recorded. However, two sightings on the same late afternoon were certainly the highlight of the month.

A local birder alerted me to a Black Spa perched at the top of a dead Bluegum Tree opposite his house. I raced down from my house to find it was still there - a gorgeous pale form Black Sparrowhawk soaking up the late afternoon sun

Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus)

No sooner had I got back to my house, when he called again to say an Ovambo Sparrowhawk was now sitting in the same tree. Back down I went, but it had flown off. The sun had now gone down and I managed to connect with one of the two birds in less than favourable light

Ovambo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis)

From my balcony, I recorded a few African Green Pigeons perched in the top of a dead Pine Tree late one afternoon

African Green Pigeon (Treron calvus)

I also recorded African Olive Pigeon

African Olive Pigeon (Columba arquatrix)

Red-eyed Doves

Red-eyed Dove (Streptopelia semitorquata)

And Cape White-Eye feeding on the Bottlebrush

Cape White-Eye (Zosterops virens)

In the Parks, Reed Cormorants were occasionally seen

Reed Cormorant (Microcarbo africanus)

The small flock of Bronze Mannikin's were enjoying feeding on the seed heads of the Pampas Grass

Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata)

Whilst Red Bishops are all now in winter/non-breeding plumage

Southern Red Bishop (Euplectes orix)

And the Thick-billed Weavers are also still present in the reed habitat at the dam

Thick-billed Weaver (Amblyospiza albifrons)

Common Moorhen stroll around on the grass surrounding the dam

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

Whilst these Spotted Thick-knee's tried to keep low key in a flowerbed on the grass verge

Spotted Thick-knee (Burhinus capensis)

Mellow Yellow amongst the Wild Dagga

31 May 2022 - Northern Farms

Andre and I had tried unsuccessfully on our previous visits to find Yellow Warbler. Last week Andre let a Bird Club outing and connected with a number of these Warblers, so we hatched a plan for an early morning visit to try again.

We met early at the gate and picked up a Cape Longclaw sitting high on a plant in the soft early morning light.

Cape Longclaw (Macronyx capensis)

We then headed to the quarry and placed ourselves in amongst the Wild Dagga plants waiting for the sun to rise and get a little warmer. We picked up many of the usual suspects and enjoyed watching the two resident Sunbird's feeding on the flowering Wild Dagga (Leonotis). A few Amethyst were the most obliging

Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina)

Andre then picked up a Yellow Warbler low down in the Leonotis and we watched it working its way up the plant, stopping to sing every now and then - just magic in the crisp early morning light

African Yellow Warbler (Iduna natalensis)

There were around 3 - 4 birds and they moved around in the general area, giving more views of this not often seen species

African Yellow Warbler (Iduna natalensis)

Shortly after enjoying the Warbler's we had a distant Peregrine Falcon fly-by, another great bird for this location

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

As this was a focused outing, we called it a morning but stopped briefly at the large dam where there was a mixed species Heronry and had a Grey Heron flyby

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)