Malagasy pond heron twitch, Jun 2017

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• List of birds

When news broke of a first confirmed South African record of a Malagasy pond heron being seen in Phinda Game Reserve around 13 June, we didn't give it much thought. We were a little sorry that we'd already booked and paid our long weekend's accommodation but it was quite a far drive anyway and located in a fairly inaccessible and expensive private reserve. However, Trevor Hardaker managed to gain permission from Phinda and Mziki shareblock (the private residents are where the heron was actually located) for birders to visit the reserve on a private game drive to view the bird. Over the weekend, the bird was located and photographed every single day and when by 20 June it seemed to have settled in nicely, we decided to give it a go. John Bradshaw booked and advertised a drive for Sunday morning 25 June and this suited us perfectly and I contacted him immediately. Places were going fast but we luckily got seats reserved and started getting excited.

Having decided that we could spend a bit of time birding around Mkuze on the Saturday, we used Friday evening to pack everything before dozing a little. Just after 1am on Saturday morning I woke Nicola up. Coffee and tea flasks packed, we jumped in the car and headed towards Mkuze. This time of the morning the road was relatively quiet but the N11 through to Ermelo and then N2 towards Piet Retief still had a fairly awful surface with plenty of roadworks around the towns. Despite this we managed to get Mkuze entrance gate shortly after opening time and we stopped for breakfast at Emshopi campsite. A stroll around the camp produced Chinspot batis, Bearded and Brown scrub robins, Cardinal and Golden-tailed woodpeckers, White-bellied and Scarlet-chested sunbirds, Yellow-bellied and Sombre greenbuls, Black-crowned tchagra, Grey-headed and Orange-breasted bushshrikes, Spectacled weaver, Square-tailed drongo, Red-fronted tinkerbird, Kurrichane thrush, African dusky flycatcher and Red-billed oxpecker. Nsumo pan looked in fairly good condition considering the crippling drought in Zululand over the past two years; we ticked Wire-tailed swallow, Saddle-billed and Yellow-billed storks, African jacana, White-faced whistling duck, Little grebe, Brown-hooded, Pied, Malachite and Half-collared kingfishers, Black-winged stilt, African spoonbill, African darter and a few others. We snacked for lunch in one of the hides along the pan and then headed north again to complete the loop past the airfield and then back to Emshopi campsite and entrance gate. All in all we listed a 102 species for the morning - another great day in Mkuze!

Cardinal woodpecker

With the intention of scoping out the area where Phinda was, we drove along the back roads towards Hluhluwe town but soon discovered that the access gate to Phinda was early on and we couldn't really go any further. So we turned towards Hluhluwe where we checked into Hlulala Guest House and got some takeaways for dinner. John Bradshaw, Joan and Diego showed up around 7pm and we chatted for a while before Nicola and I turned in and the others went for dinner.

On Sunday morning we were up and ready to go at 05:30. Traffic was light so early in the morning so we arrived at the Phinda Game Reserve in about 20 minutes. After signing in we drove for another 20 minutes or so to the meeting point just outside the Mziki shareblock. Our game ranger and another two passengers were already waiting so after sorting out indemnities, we were on our way. It was a very pleasant and cool morning with some clouds drifting in from the east (there was some rain earlier).

Sunrise over Mziki dam

The sun hadn't risen yet but the birds were out and singing and even before we reached the dam where the heron is located, we recorded Southern black tit, Blue waxbill, Sombre greenbul, White-bellied sunbird and Emerald-spotted wood dove. Upon first sighting of the dam, we stopped and scanned for as far as we could see and although we noted Reed cormorant, Blacksmith lapwing, Egyptian goose, African spoonbill, Goliath heron and several other waterbirds, there was no sign of the pond heron. Slowly our guide drove us around to the other side, close to the dam wall, but still nothing. We had only been searching for it for about 20 minutes but we could feel there was a slight edge to everyone's conversations! The shallow fringes opposite the dam wall had thicker grass and reed beds and we finally drove towards these. Just before reaching it, a small white heron flew up in front of us and our guide immediately exclaimed: "There it is!" The vehicle stopped dead in its tracks and eight pairs of binoculars whipped up to catch a quick glimpse. It was indeed the Malagasy pond heron!

First view of the Malagasy pond heron

With everyone having at least seen the bird, we now approached cautiously until we're about ten metres from the bird. It was happily wading in the grass-fringed shallows along with a couple of African spoonbills and we spent the next twenty minutes watching and taking hundreds of pictures. Having satisfied everyone's craving for a fantastic view, we started moving to different positions to try and maximise quality light and surroundings for better photos.

Malagasy pond heron feeding alongside African spoonbill

Staring down the barrel of a gun

By 08:30 we finally decided to go and have a celebratory coffee and left the heron. As we drove off, it decided to relocate to the other side of the dam and many of us got some in-flight pictures too. Coffee and biscuits went down well between all the smiles and before we returned, we drove down for another look at the heron, now in it's new position on the side of the dam where we started. The sun was out now and light conditions much better so we stayed with it for another half an hour to take pictures.

Better light on the opposite side of the dam

Preening

Finally our time was up and just before 10am we were back at our vehicles. We all said our goodbyes and left in different directions, Nicola and I still exploring a little more on the reserve's public roads before turning back home just before noon.

Another hugely successful twitch for us. Along with the Golden pipit in Pongola in 2010, this was definitely one of our top trips!

Northern Kruger National Park birding, Jun 2017

For our Youth Day (16 June) long weekend we decided to visit the far north of Kruger National Park for some birding. We left in the late afternoon of Thursday and after a rather unpleasant drive on the N1 (lots of roadworks and long weekend traffic) we arrived late evening at Avoca Vale hotel in the mountains above Makhado (Louis Trichardt). The place was a bit run down and located right on the highway (so a bit noisy) but we were tired and didn't really care so went straight to bed.

16 June
We were up at 03:30 and on the road by 4am for the 2-hour drive to Pafuri gate. We were the first to arrive at the gate, just before 6am and we waited patiently (gates open at 6am in winter) listening to the first bird calls. Six o'clock came and went but there was no activity around the gate compound. At 06:10, a quick hoot on the horn roused a sleepy security guard who rudely asked me what I wanted. I told him they need to open the gate so we can enter the park. He asked me "Why?". I said because it's past 6am and the gates are supposed to be open. Then he had the audacity to ask me "What is your problem?" On the verge of climbing the gate and having a go at the guard, he quickly disappeared and moments later came out again to open the gate. I was livid at this guy's insolence but decided to enjoy our weekend instead and deal with the issue later.

White-crowned lapwing

White-fronted bee-eaters

Conditions were overcast and windy and birding along the road was limited to the occasional bird parties we came across. These always contained Fork-tailed drongos, Southern black tits, Cinnamon-breasted buntings, Emerald-spotted wood doves, Blue waxbills, Greater blue-eared or Meves's starlings, a hornbill or two and one or both possible tchagras (Brown- and Black-crowned). By the time we reached the Levhuvhu river, the weather had improved marginally and the proximity to water also helped to improve the quality of the birding. The first surprise was a coucal that, upon realizing that it was quite large, lacked barring on the rump and streaks on the side of the neck, warranted closer inspection, and was confirmed as a Senegal coucal. At the bridge we saw Mottled spinetail, Woolly-necked stork, Giant kingfisher, White-fronted bee-eater, Southern boubou, Little swift, Wire-tailed swallow and Red-billed buffalo weaver. At Pafuri picnic site we added African paradise flycatcher, African pied wagtail, White-crowned lapwing, Three-banded plover, African green pigeon, Collared sunbird, Yellow-breasted apalis, African yellow white-eye, Brown-headed parrot and Green-backd camaroptera. By mid-afternoon we started heading south towards Punda Maria and added a few more birds along the way, notably Double-banded sandgrouse, Wattled starling, Black saw-wing, Yellow-bellied greenbul, Jameson's firefinch and Brown snake-eagle. We drove into the Punda Maria camp just after 5pm, checked in and started cooking dinner almost immediately.

Dickinson's kestrel

 After dinner we relaxed a little before walking back up to reception just before 8pm for the night drive we booked. We were ecstatic to discover we're the only people on the vehicle and with our request for night birding firmly placed with our ranger, we drove out the gate. It was quite a successful drive with fantastic views up close and personal of two male lions, less than 2m from our vehicle, herds of elephant and buffalo, large spotted genet, numerous spring hare and a skulking civet. Birding wise we picked up a beautiful Verreaux's eagle-owl and heard African scops owl several times. Just after 10pm we returned and collapsed into bed.

One of two brothers seen on our night drive

Verreaux's eagle-owl with a spring hare for dinner

17 June
Out the gate almost when it opened at 6am, we headed back towards Pafuri, birding slowly along the way. There wasn't much new for the trip but when we reached the Pafuri picnic site by lunch time, we'd had a very enjoyable morning's birding. Around Pafuri we had good views also of African hawk-eagle, Green-winged pytilia, Brown-necked (Grey-headed) parrot, Saddle-billed stork, Red-capped robin-chat, White-browed robin-chat and Village indigobird. Mid-afternoon we turned south again and arrived back at Punda Maria in time for a pleasant dinner in the restaurant.

African hawk-eagle

Brown-necked (Grey-headed) parrot

18 June
A cold front seems to have arrived as it was noticeably colder this morning and clouds started gathering after 7am. Since we had a long drive back, we decided to just bird the loop west of Punda Maria and then head home. Despite the chill in the air, birding was excellent and apart from the common expected birds we also logged Yellow-bellied greenbul, Golden-tailed, Cardinal and Bearded woodpeckers, Brown-headed parrot, Sabota lark, African green pigeon, Orange-breasted bushshrike, Yellow-breasted apalis, Scarlet-chested sunbird, Mosque swallow and Crowned hornbill. By 10am we exited the park and took the backroads via Giyani and Lydenburg to get home just before 5pm.

Female Double-banded sandgrouse

Mosque swallow

Male Double-banded sandgrouse

We ended the weekend with 125 species on the list - really not a bad effort considering it's mid-winter and the weather wasn't ideal. Pafuri always produces great birding and since it's so far, there are always far fewer people too. We'll be back soon!