Winter Bird Count June 2013

The winter bird count took place on Sat 29th June. We were joined by HO from Durban North who spent the weekend camping out at Amatigulu. Counting began at 07h30 and continued until late afternoon. There were 16 counters working in 3 groups, assigned to trails 1-4 and also the 4x4 trail.

The HO group out at Matshangulu Pan 

Priscilla with Helga and Rob from the Durban North HO group

Our list for the day totaled 82 birds with 48 species being spotted on the 4x4 trail (open veld, acacia forest and fresh water pan) , 46 on trails 1 and 2 combined (river sections), and 25 on trail 3 and 4 (riverine and open woodland).

Highlights were the sighting of a secretary bird on the 4x4 trail, a palm nut vulture on the river trail and a cuckoo strike on the forest trail.

The day ended with a braai back at camp. Paul and Mahesh with Pete Saville in the "camo" jacket

Secretary Bird

Trumpeter Hornbill

Little bee-eater

Burchell's Coucal

White fronted bee-eater.

Other interesting sighting on the day included:

African green pigeon

African black swift

Yellow-rumped tinkerbird

Orange throated longclaw

Black-bellied bustard

Jackal buzzard

African fish 

Cape Shoveler

Goliath heron and young

Red-billed teal

White-faced duck

Yellow-spotted nicator

Sombre bulbul

Red-capped robin chat

Yellow-breasted apalis

Long-billed crombec

Green-backed camreoptera

Dusky flycatcher

Black flycatcher

Blue-grey flycatcher

Paradise flycatcher

CNW