15 February 2025

In the days leading up to the Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve outing, the weather reports didn’t look promising. It seemed like we would be sleeping in instead of heading out to bird. But on the morning of the outing, although rain seemed imminent, it had not yet started, so we decided to go ahead and make our way to the reserve. As the group arrived at the gate, we had already started recording species. A Green Twinspot called from somewhere in the thickets but stubbornly refused to show itself. A Mountain Wagtail was calling from the roof of the toilet at the gate, eventually flying over our heads and disappearing somewhere up the small stream.

We slowly wound our way through the reserve in a trail of 4x4s, stopping often to see what we could find along the road. We heard and saw Knysna Turaco and Dark-backed Weaver, and the crying baby-like call of echoing around us. We were grateful for the tree canopy that provided some shelter from the rain, which had started to fall. Along the way, we also heard a Lemon Dove calling from the roadside thickets. Other species recorded included Common Square-tailed Drongo, Collared Sunbird, Cape Batis, and Green Wood Hoopoe. Stopping at the dam, we found it very quiet, with only Barn Swallow swooping over the water and a rather wet near the edge. The LBJs were easier to identify as they called, and over the course of the day, we managed to record Zitting, Rattling, Levaillant’s, and Croaking Cisticola. It was also great to spot a Red-backed Shrike and African Yellow Warbler near the dam—both nice additions to the day’s list. Walking through the grass left the bottoms of our pants soaked, but we remained enthusiastic about seeing more birds.

The small hide near the larger dam, while useful for cover, didn’t contribute much to our list. We only managed to see some Egyptian Geese along the water’s edge. At the picnic site, some birders chose to stay near the cars, while the more adventurous braved the rain and wet grass for a short walk. The effort paid off, as we spotted Willow Warblers moving low in the small trees, along with Common Waxbill and an Olive Sunbird. We returned to the cars even wetter than before, and after some snacks, we set off toward the high grassland at the back of the reserve. Sadly, this area wasn’t very productive, but we did get to enjoy some spectacular views.

We ended the day at the reserve’s campsite, which provided some much-needed cover from the rain. On the way out, we managed to add Wahlberg’s Eagle, Pin-tailed Whydah, and Lazy Cisticola to our list.

Despite the wet and rainy conditions, we recorded an impressive 67 species during the morning—proving once again that even in less-than-ideal weather, it’s always worth getting out to bird!

Text and pics by Adam Cruickshank