17 February 2024

Amanzimtoti Bird Park is a small venue on the upper South Coast that has provided some great bird sightings over the years. Species such as the Half-collared Kingfisher, Mangrove Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, and White-backed Night Heron have been recorded at the park in recent years. 

Sadly, as the outing drew near, the weather forecast didn’t look great. When we arrived on the morning of the outing, the clouds were thick overhead, and it was still quite dark. Nevertheless, a group of enthusiastic birders had gathered with the expectation of seeing some birds.

We slowly started to make our way through the park, and there was a lot more calling than birds were showing. As could be expected, one of the first species to call on the day was the noisy Hadada Ibis. On every outing in our area, you can almost guarantee hearing, and normally seeing, the Hadada Ibis, Sombre Greenbul, and Dark-capped Bulbul. All three species were both seen and heard over the course of the morning.

The small dam is badly overgrown and is a faint reflection of its former glory. However, the area allowed us to see various nesting species moving through the messy reed beds. Thick-billed Weaver, Village and Spectacled Weaver, and Southern Red Bishop, all showed themselves as they busily worked the reeds. A Little Rush Warbler called from deep in the reeds, ensuring we were made aware of its presence. A pair of Malachite Kingfishers hastily moved around the bridge area, allowing us brief glimpses of just why this is one of the region’s most photographed species.

The short loop on the west side of the bridge showed the importance of getting familiar with the calls of birds you may encounter. We saw almost no species, with most of the birds choosing to call from deep within the undergrowth. We heard species such as Tambourine Dove, Square-tailed Drongo, Sombre Greenbul, Yellow-bellied Greenbul, and Terrestrial Brownbul calling around us. It was also exciting to hear an African Goshawk calling from high in the trees. We were able to see a small bird party of Cape White-eyes moving in the trees above us. A Tawny-flanked Prinia both called and allowed us to see its characteristic tail movement.

After looking for the Mountain Wagtails, and only managing to see a pair of African Pied Wagtails, we moved to the northern section of the park. Once again, there was a small party of Cape White-eyes moving through the trees. We were blessed with a fantastic view of a Purple-crested Turaco high in a tree above us, before getting to see a Terrestrial Brownbul moving through the lower sections of the trees.

As we ended this section, the rain that had been threatening since we arrived made its arrival. We decided to seek shelter from the rain and head home. The day ended with a modest count of 37 species.