BeKZN Walks! Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve 

7 May 2022

On Saturday the 7 May, the BeKZN group ventured south to Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve in Yellowwood Park for a bit of birding and atlassing. Nine of us gathered at the car park at around 7am and the birding started with a bank right away as we viewed Olive Woodpecker, White-eared Barbet, Purple-crested Turaco, Dark-backed Weaver and Black-headed Oriole. The reserve offers a range of good habitats that provide opportunities for a varied list. We started in the grassland area that is flanked by thickets, perfect for the next few specials. We spotted Bar-throated and Yellow-breasted Apalis, Black-backed Puffback and Southern Boubou. The grasses hosted Yellow-throated Longclaw, Little Bee-eater and Fork-tailed Drongo.  As we approached the small dam, we spotted Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Collared Sunbird and Spectacled Weaver.

From there we moved along the road and into the forest area. Using our knowledge of bird sounds and taking a good look through our binoculars, we added Common Square-tailed Drongo, Amethyst Sunbird, Cardinal Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Greenbul and White-browed Scrub-Robin.

The walk was gentle, and we managed to get in a good four hours of birding before heading back to the car park for some coffee and to chat about the morning. The great thing about Stainbank is the fact that there are other creatures to view and enjoy. We saw Zebra and Red Duiker and there were some Mongoose tracks near the dam. Mark Liptrot added a butterfly angle which made the morning feel even more rewarding.

Just before we left, a few of us parked near the entrance and walked one last little loop to try and increase our list total. We were rewarded with an African Dusky Flycatcher and a Long-crested Eagle to lift our total to 51 species.

Written by Noleen Turner