Report by Rex Aspeling.

SAPPI Hide

View from Hide

View from Hide

21 Birders attended the SAPPI Hide outing so the group was split in two. One group staying at the hide and the other doing the walk through the picnic area for about a kilometre around the Hide Dam. This proved to be excellent birding with the assistance of two members having scopes. The group from the hide eventually joined the walking group.

Birdlist for the day amounted to 52 including 3 ticks for myself . Thanks to all the knowledgeable Twitchers who made the day a success.

The day ended with Bacon rolls for those who wanted and a lovely picnic enjoyed by all.

Some photos:

African Marsh Harrier

African Marsh Harrier

African Pied Wagtail

African Pied Wagtail

Burchell’s Coucal

African Spoonbill & Sacred Ibis

Comb Duck among Egyptian Geese

Comb Duck, Spur-winged Goose and Grey-crowned Crane

Comb Duck

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelicans

Comb Duck with Grey-crowned Crane and Spur-winged Goose

Hottentot Teal

Hottentot Teal

Little Stint

Little Stint

Mongoose

Mongooses

Mongoose

Osprey

Osprey

Pied Kingfisher

Ruff

Ruff

Ruff

Spur-winged Goose

White-faced Duck

Wire-tailed Swallow

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

Wooly-necked Stork

African Darters

White-faced Duck

White-breasted Cormorants on nest with young

Water Monitor

Water Monitor among friends

Water Thick-knees

A sequence of a yawning Pelican:

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Great White Pelican

Pelicans in flight and landing:

Great White Pelican in flight

Great White Pelican in flight

Great White Pelican in flight

Great White Pelican in flight

Great White Pelican in flight

Great White Pelican coming in to land

Great White Pelican coming in to land

Great White Pelican coming in to land

Great White Pelican coming in to land

A few people went back to the hide after the picnic and were lucky enough to see the Grey-crowned Cranes that were seen in a mating ritual earlier this month (and shown in an earlier post):

Comb Duck with Grey-crowned Crane and Spur-winged Goose

Grey-crowned Crane

Grey-crowned Crane

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Grey-crowned Cranes

Late photographic submission from Norman Freeman: