Marievale birding, Jan 2016

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In the first week of January, news filtered through of a Spotted crake seen at Marievale Bird Sanctuary. With no major plans yet for the year, we decided to take a day trip on 9 January. It was a very early start to drive the 140kms before dawn. We arrived just as the gates opened and met Owen Oertli who we’ve birded with before – he was also twitching the crake. Despite spending about four hours in the Otter hide at Marievale (from where it was seen) we never saw it. General birding was good though and we added over 80 birds in the morning’s birding before giving up and driving back home. We later heard that no-one else had seen the bird on Saturday either. However, on Sunday (10 January) a whole bunch of people saw it and on 11 and 12 January, another two Spotted crakes were seen at other places within the sanctuary. We decided to have another go at it. On 16 January we again started ridiculously early and arrived at Marievale to a large crowd of people already looking for it, including Geoff Lockwood. During the week, other cool birds like Western marsh harrier, Pectoral sandpiper and European honey buzzard were all recorded at Marievale so we had high hopes. We staked out the muddy wetlands immediately north of the Otter hide and occasionally wandered up and down the road to look at other birds. At around 7am the Pectoral sandpiper made an appearance and we happily ticked this one off. A distant Western marsh harrier was also seen but the crake remained elusive. After about four hours, with no-one having seen a crake, we decided to visit some of the other parts of the sanctuary. We drove around the back-end towards Duiker hide and also visited the pump station at the northernmost edge of the sanctuary. Apart from the common water and grassland birds, a definite highlight for us was a flock of Orange-breasted waxbills which Nicola managed to snap a quick photo of. On our way back, a passing vehicle informed us that the crake’s been seen and we rushed back to the Otter hide. It was there only about ten minutes before we got there but another hour and a half vigil produced absolutely nothing. Disappointed that we missed it again, we headed up towards Suikerbosrand for the afternoon. The weather was overcast and cool and perhaps because of this, birds were still very active in the afternoon. On top of the tourist drive we screeched to a halt when we saw a large black and white raptor fly past – it was a Pallid harrier! Another pair of birders soon caught up with us – it was Lia Steen and Fiona Wark Butchart who we saw earlier on at Marievale – they had seen the crake. We leap-frogged each other continuously throughout the afternoon and stopped at the picnic site to have a chat. We exited Suikerbosrand at 5pm having seen 67 species and returned to Nigel where we spent the night. On Sunday morning we left before dawn and were the first people to enter Marievale. This time Nicola got posted to the Otter hide while I sat outside looking around the mudflats on the northern side of the road. It wasn’t long before the first cars arrived and soon there were dozens of people around. Just after 6am I found the Pectoral sandpiper again and shortly after had great views of a Cape clawless otter that climbed out onto some reeds to sun itself. Just after 7am, my phone started ringing – it was Nicola. There was only reason for her to call so I jumped up and started running to the hide – they had just seen the crake! Nicola had a one-second glimpse of it before it disappeared and didn’t even have a chance to photograph it. I joined her in the hide and intently stared at the spot where it was seen. Half an hour later we were still waiting and Nicola decided to scour the other side again. More than an hour later I still haven’t seen a thing and very disappointed, we decided to bird the northern end of the sanctuary again. Nicola overheard that someone had seen a Black-tailed godwit at one of the other hides so maybe there was some consolation available. We did not find the godwit but did get fantastic views of two African quailfinches that came to sit in the road. With mid-day approaching we drove back to the Otter hide and discovered that a crake’s been seen again just ten minutes before we arrived. This time the hide was full so we sat down outside the hide and waited. Forty minutes later we still haven’t seen it and as it was now growing hot, we decided to call it a day. I’m happy for Nicola seeing the crake, however brief it was, but to me it was a major dip – I really hope we can pick this one up again with a weekend in Harare’s dambos in the next few weeks.

Polokwane birding Oct 2011

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• List of birds

Leaving home around 14:30 we immediately ran into problems. The N11 past Loskop dam was closed due to a truck overturning and we had to detour via Stofberg. When we finally got onto this road, we got stuck behind a queue of almost 2km long, caused by three trucks driving right behind one another and no-one being able to overtake them. It took us 30km to get to the front and overtake and we only arrived in Polokwane after 7pm. Luckily we had ready-made boerewors rolls for dinner.

We were up just after 5am and as Polokwane Game Reserve only opens at 7am, spent about 20 minutes picking up a decent number of birds at our accommodation, including African palm swift. Driving slowly towards the reserve, we added Black-headed oriole and Amethyst sunbird. At the reserve entrance, Black-faced waxbills were flitting in a bottlebrush and just beyond at the picnic site, three Hamerkops were disturbed from their roost by noisy campers. Driving around the reserve we picked our way through the regulars but were disappointed not to hear any cuckoos. By 10am we had around 80 birds on the list, including Northern black korhaan, Coqui francolin, Wahlberg's and Steppe eagles, Greater honeyguide, Yellow-fronted tinkerbird, Ashy tit and Violet-eared waxbill. The reserve was obviously very dry and not producing any water birds so we drove out to Polokwane Bird Sanctuary for these. Our previous visit to the Bird Sanctuary produced little more than lots of flies but this time it was much more productive with Wood sandpiper, Ruff, African jacana, African snipe, a few warblers, Orange-breasted bush-shrike and African fish eagle added to the list. We ate lunch at the picnic site and a fly-by Yellow-billed kite became our 100th bird for the day. It was still early so we decided to head off to Magoebaskloof. Despite a Stop/Go roadworks section just after Zion City we started the Woodbush Forest drive shortly before 3pm. We didn't expect to find much so late in the day but the calls of African emerald cuckoo, Sombre greenbul and Purple-crested turaco made good ticks on our list. Doing the Forest drive in Nicola's Jazz was entertaining but going very slowly did the trick. It was a very scenic drive and having added also Olive woodpecker, Scaly-throated honeyguide, Swee wasbill, Grey cuckooshrike, Chorister robin-chat and Olive bush-shrike, we ended with 114 species for the day. Still 12 short of our record but a really nice day's birding. Arriving back in Polokwane after dark, we got some take-aways for dinner.

Despite a late night, we were up early again. Not wanting to spend money for entering reserves again, we birded the suburbs for an hour or so before making our way slowly back home. So unfortunately unsuccessful in our record-breaking attempt this weekend but it was a very enjoyable outing and we are looking very much forward to Mkhuze next weekend.

Barberspan birding - May 2011

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• List of birds

On Friday afternoon, after dropping cats off at Nicola's parents and having a quick meeting with a work colleague, we took the N14 through Krugersdorp and Ventersdorp to Barberspan 25km west of Sannieshof. Arriving before dark, we were able to do a quick spot of birding along the pan's edge outside the reserve, picking up Half-collared kingfisher, Great crested grebe, Squacco heron, White-backed mousebird, Little bee-eater and our first western race Common fiscal (Lanius colaris subcoronatus) among a few others. Inside the sanctuary we drove slowly and at the bridge crossing the outflow of the pan, picked up African purple swamphen, Lesser swamp warbler, Common moorhen, lots of African darters and both Reed and White-breasted cormorants. We found the reception area all locked up and deserted but when we drove over to the staff quarters, got some help and eventually got the keys to the Pelican guesthouse. It was very basic, but had a kitchen, bathroom, lounge, 3 bedrooms and was clean. I started a fire for a braai while Nicola packed out the car. After dinner we went to bed early with the intention of rising long before sunrise.

Saturday morning after breakfast we were on the go before sunrise. We drove south towards Peter's Pan but after less than a kilometer found the roads completely submerged and impassable. Back-tracking, we added a bunch of waterbirds at the bridge, including Black crake and the usual Darters and Cormorants. We exited the sanctuary and turned south, picking up Northern black korhaan, Acacia pied barbet, Namaqua dove, Bar-throated apalis and Chestnut-vented tit-babbler before we entered the angling area around the southern edge of the pan. Here we saw both Whiskered and White-winged tern (surprisingly for this time of the year), Grey-headed gull, Kittlitz's plover, Malachite kingfisher, Cape teal, Brown-crowned tchagra and Goliath heron among quite a few other species. Luckily there were not too many anglers about and the birding here was fairly pleasant. Exiting the angling area, we made a quick stop at the Holiday resort to find out accommodation prices for future visits. We then headed north and stopped just before the bridge on the road towards Vergenoeg, setting up the scope with views towards Leeupan. Unfortunately there was much the same on this pan and no Maccoa duck, pelicans or flamingoes could be seen. However, a Double-banded courser and both Sand and Banded martins made up for this. We followed the road back towards the N14, picked up a few more birds before entering the sanctuary again from the eastern side. We had lunch in the hide just before the bridge but added no new birds for the day. Back at the guesthouse we had some tea under the large trees outside and were entertained by a very vocal Fiscal flycatcher. Around 2pm we made our way to the fence road on the western edge of the pan. Cape longclaw, Spike-heeled lark, Plain-backed and Long-billed pipits as well as Ant-eating chats were pretty common and we drove as far as we could go before the flooded roads turned us around. While starting the fire for dinner back at the guesthouse, we ended our birding for the day with a Cape robin-chat.

Up again at 05:15, we were packed and on our way well before sunrise. A quick drive through the campsite got us two Spotted thick-knees and at Northern bay Blacksmith lapwing, Red-billed teal and Goliath heron. At the bridge heading out of the sanctuary, we added all the usuals, including the cormorants, Black crake, African purple swamphen, Little and Great crested grebes, Half-collared kingfisher and an over-flying African spoonbill. Outside the sanctuary we made a quick stop at Leeu pan and picked up the Sand and Banded martins again, but surprisingly, also Pearl-breasted and Barn swallows. We scrutinized the Crowned lapwings carefully and eventually found the Double-banded courser again. Heading back down towards the N14, we heard Zitting, Cloud and Levaillant's cisticolas, Malachite kingfisher, Red-capped lark and Swainson's spurfowl. A quick drive through the angling area got us Grey-headed gull, Purple heron, Great sparrow, Whiskered tern, Three-banded and Kittlitz's plovers and a group of Spurwing geese flying over the pan. It was 9am when we got back on the N14, making the long drive back home.

An excellent birding weekend considering the time of the year. On Saturday we saw 98 species and our total for the weekend came to 109! Although the guesthouse's ablutions are a bit limited, it was so cheap that we would certainly consider staying there again next time.