We started off with 19 members and ended up with 27 (some late risers!!). Early in the morning the mist was lying over Shongweni but soon started to lift and turned into a lovely hot day’s birding. Our total bird count was 84. Thanks to Herman for leading the other group.

Shongweni Dam Wall with powerful overflow.

Shongweni Dam Wall with powerful overflow.

We had some great sightings and the bird of the day has to be the Osprey flying over the dam wall and down the river.

Western Osprey

Western Osprey

Western Osprey

No eagles! but we had Common Buzzards

African Harrier Hawks, YBK’s, White-necked Ravens and later on the Lanner Falcons appeared on the cliff face. We heard but did not see the Gorgeous and Orange-breasted Bush Shrikes. Rufous-napped Larks, Neddickys, Rattling Cisticolas, Twany-flanked Prinias called and displayed all morning. Some bird photos:

Black-headed Heron

African Black Ducks

African Pied Wagtail

Black-backed Puffback

Black-headed Heron

Black-headed Heron

Common Sandpiper

Green Wood-Hoopoe

Lurking Lanner Falcon

Mocking Cliff-Chats

Rufous-naped Lark

Rufous-naped Lark

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Tawny-flanked Prinia

Trumpeter Hornbill

Willow Warbler

Yellow-fronted Canary

White-breasted Cormorant,

As well as a number of Butterflies and another creature.

Butterfly

Butterfly

Brown Veined White

False Dotted Border

Spider

African Common White – perhaps?

African Common White – perhaps?

We had a Dideric Cuckoo begging to be fed by ‘Mama’ Village Weaver, the cuckoo fluttering and squawking and chasing after Ma demanding food whilst poor Ma was desperately hunting for ‘tidbits’ for her monster chick!

Later on we walked to the ‘giant’ steps but the birding was not too successful.

We then walked to the bottom of the dam wall & weir and picked up some nice stuff there. There was a mystery fledgling on a concrete block, maybe it was an Egyptian Goose but as Liz remarked where were the parents, normally Egypo’s are very protective of their chicks.

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Goose

As the day was getting too hot we parked off under the shade of some trees and did a little ‘armchair’ birding – checking out the cliff face.

Thanks to Penny de Vries, Dave Rimmer, Herman Bos, John Bremner & Paul Bartho for the pics.

Birder photographers

Cheers
Elena