BeKZN Walks… |New Germany Nature Reserve

9 November 2024

I arrived at the New Germany Nature Reserve Car Park at 7:00am and was greeted by the sight of some eager birders already prepping themselves for the walk. Some had already started logging their bird sightings! 10 species were on the list even before leaving the carpark!

In all, a group of about 12 Be KZN members set off into the reserve. The weather played it’s part and we had warm and cloudy conditions with the sun sneaking out from behind clouds, every now and again, for most of the entire walk. We decided to head out through the forest and up into the grassland slopes over-looking the reserve.

After exiting the small forest path, we were almost immediately treated to good visuals of a Yellow-bellied Greenbul, preening itself and taking a moment to look back at all the binoculars and cameras pointed in its direction.

An Orange-breasted Bushshrike called from a fair distance away. After scanning the edge of the forest, we made our way along the footpath into the grasslands. After walking a few yards, there was a call that sounded familiar, but I just couldn’t identify it. Then, someone asked what call could be heard. I was about to say that I couldn’t recall which bird it was, it then suddenly came to me… That’s an Africa Goshawk. Immediately I asked everyone look up into the sky…. and there it was! It flew above us for about one minute allowing everyone to get eyes on it.

After adding a few birds from the list, we made our way along the footpaths zig, zagging up and around the top of the reserve, adding Brimstone Canary, Black Saw-wing, Barn Swallow and Lesser Stripped Swallow to the list with both Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoo calling from a fair distance away. Along the paths, there are clumps of trees that we trained our eyes on and a Lesser Honeyguide, Red-backed Mannikin, Chinspot Batis, Purple-crested Turaco and Sombre Greenbul was our reward. In the distance, along the treeline, we sighted Yellow Billed Kite and Woolly-necked Stork.

Then a bird flew from the grass. I got eyes on it and alerted everyone to Yellow-throated Longclaw. Then an Orange-breasted Bushshrike treated the group to continuous raids across the grasslands snapping up fly ants erupting from the grasslands. Continuing along the path towards the other end of the grasslands we moved along a tree-lined riverine edge. At a point along this path, there was an opening in the bushes allowing us views up and into the shade of the trees, I was on the look-out for a possible Narina Trogan which we discovered in this location, during the last BeKZN Walk. Unfortunately, the trees had little to no activity and wewe made or way out the other side of the riverine forest.

Upon exiting the trees, we could hear the repetitive call of a bird, a fair distance away. It turned out to be White-browed Scrub Robin. Then another call from closer location. It was a clear view of a bird perched out in the open, calling. I took the opportunity to test group’s ID skills. Eventually, everyone got the ID right- a Kurrichane Thrush.

We got a sighting of a raptor flying above the group…. most likely a Common Buzzard. I managed to get my camera focussed on it…. Hold on… It’s an Ayres Hawk-Eagle!!! Wow, what a bird to find!! It flew a few circular routes above allowing everyone to get great views! This turned out be a lifer for many of the birders in the group!

After a couple of high fives, we meandered along the edge of the riverine forest. Then came the call I had been listening out for, a Narina Trogan. It gave a brief call of four notes and then went quiet. Even after a fair time of searching or listening for more calls to help locate it, it could not be sighted! Pity, as it would have been another great lifer for many on the walk!

The rest of the walk back past the dam and wetland to the hide was rather quiet with just a sighting of a Pin-tailed Whydah. The Hide a very quiet, with only a brief sighting of a Thick-billed Weaver. We then made our way along the path back up to the car park, with just a few more birds added to the list.

We managed to get to 60 species for the walk. A Rufous-naped Lark was the final bird added to the list, on the drive out of the reserve, to bring the total up to 61. Other species worth mentioning that were seen were: Grey Sunbird, Terrestrial Brownbul, Purple-crested Turaco, Natal Spurfowl, Common Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle and Grey-headed Bush-shrike.