Wednesday 21 September 2016
Report back by Sandi du Preez.
Msinsi was rather quiet on arrival except for the many Kurrichane Thrushes running about busily, but soon livened up with the birds celebrating Springtime.
A few Rattling Cisticolas were calling from on top of a bush, and a White-browed Scrub-Robin gave us much pleasure as it sang it’s endless, joyful serenade from the top of a tree.
We had lovely views of male and female Chinspot Batis and after hearing the Southern Boubou most of the morning, we eventually saw a female in the forest area. We heard a Klaas’s Cuckoo calling close by and quickly located it in a tree.
The forest was alive with the signs of Spring. There was some definite movement inside a Spectacled Weaver’s nest and our patience was soon rewarded by an adult bringing food into the nest.
A Bar-throated Apalis flew back and forth with tidbits for it’s chick/s which must have been very demanding judging by the speed at which the meals were being delivered! Unfortunately we could not see the nest as the foliage was too dense.
A female Collared Sunbird was very busy collecting some fluffy nesting material. We were not sure, but it may have been spider web. Red-backed Mannikins were also collecting nesting material.
The sighting of the day was undoubtedly a pair of juvenile Olive Sunbirds on a branch in the foliage of a tree. They both had bright orange gapes which none of us had ever witnessed before. (On checking later in Roberts VII – the fledglings have bright orange gapes). The little birds had a beautiful bronzy glow when the sunlight caught them. And to add to the excitement, they were being fed by the parent!
Other good sightings were female Black Cuckooshrike, a male Paradise Flycatcher showing off his long tail, Lesser Honeyguide, Black-headed Oriole, Cardinal and Golden-tailed Woodpeckers, Square-tailed and Fork-tailed Drongos, Black-collared and White-eared Barbets, Tambourine Dove, African Firefinch, Brown-hooded Kingfisher, Red-capped Robin-chat, Purple-crested Turaco, Amethyst and White-bellied Sunbirds, African Black Swift, White-rumped Swift, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Dark-backed Weaver. We also heard a Buff-spotted Flufftail.
Unfortunately there was no sign of the Green Malkoha that we saw in June during the BMCG meeting.
Altogether we recorded a list of 62 species .
Sandi du Preez
