1 June 2025

Thirteen participants (including one very well-behaved baby!) gathered in the parking lot on Acutts Drive on Sunday, 1 June 2025, for a morning walk along the Molweni River Trail. The morning air was chilly, with the forested valley still in shadow before the sun rose over the ridge. While waiting for everyone to gear up, we spotted a Collared Sunbird right in the parking lot and heard the call of a Knysna Turaco nearby.

We set off along the upper path, accompanied by the calls of Sombre Greenbul, Golden-tailed Woodpecker, Southern Boubou, and Olive Sunbird. Not long into the walk, the call of the secretive Lemon Dove caught our attention. This sparked a quiet, careful stalk through the undergrowth in hopes of a glimpse. It was during this that someone suddenly spotted a Narina Trogon, perched so discreetly that the whole group had to move forwards and backwards along the path to catch sight of it through the foliage.

Continuing along the trail, we heard what we suspected was a Blue-mantled Crested Flycatcher, soon confirmed when it flitted low through the undergrowth, offering brief but satisfying views. Other forest birds heard included Terrestrial Brownbul, Tambourine Dove, and Orange-breasted Bushshrike.

Reaching the waterfall about halfway through the trail, the sun was shining, and this sparked a noticeable flurry of bird activity along the bushy edges of the forest and open grassland. Here, we enjoyed sightings of a pair of Southern Black Tit, Olive Thrush, and group of Bronze Mannikin moving between the thickets. A particular highlight was a Mountain Wagtail that flew upstream and landed neatly at the top of the waterfall, allowing the group to admire it.

The second half of the walk, along the lower side of the trail, was both more challenging and more beautiful, with the river flowing alongside us. We were treated to the familiar call of Scaly-throated Honeyguide, heard from its usual spot along this trail. As the sunlight filtered deeper into the forest, bird activity picked up once more. We recorded Cape Batis, Dark-backed Weaver, Bar-throated Apalis, and a delightful Olive Woodpecker.

A second Narina Trogon added some excitement right near the end of the walk, seen flying across the trail by those towards the back of the group. We wrapped up the outing with a total of 45 species recorded, including both sightings and identifications by call – a testament to the group’s knowledge of forest bird calls and some nimble binocular work in the shady understory.

Everyone managed the river crossing successfully – though one cellphone had a brief dip but, thankfully, lives to tell the tale.

Text by Tayla van Rees