Club Atlas Adventure #15 – Inanda Dam, South-west sector

For our July 2025 atlas outing, we revisited the south-western sector of the Inanda Dam quadrant, last surveyed in March 2024. On that previous occasion, inclement weather hampered our efforts — this time, it was the turn of the Amashova Cycle Race to throw a spanner in the works. Due to road closures along the M13, two members were unable to safely reach Hillcrest to join the outing.

Accompanying me for the day were Lauren Calenborne and Tayla van Rees. We met at Lillie’s Corner car park at 6:30 am for a quick meet-and-greet before heading toward Inanda Dam. Our first stop was right at the pentad boundary, near the western entrance to Cotswold Downs Estate. The combination of early morning bird calls, the adjacent grassland, and a small dam within the estate delivered a flurry of activity — we recorded 20 species within the first 15 minutes alone. The first entry on our trip card was a Cape Robin-Chat, perched proudly on a fence post and welcoming the day with its melodious song.

We continued, stopping frequently to investigate any signs of bird activity. Each pause proved rewarding, steadily adding to our species list. A particularly memorable moment came as we scanned over the escarpment and were treated to excellent views of a pair of African Firefinch flitting about in the undergrowth.

With summer still approaching, migrant species were largely absent, though a few early signs of movement were evident. We encountered two Klaas’s Cuckoos, a Common Reed Warbler, and several Black Saw-wings — likely overwintering individuals or perhaps early returnees from their travels?

Atlassing is all about documenting bird species — whether seen or heard — and it often involves listening out for elusive calls through dense vegetation. Some species are especially adept at staying out of sight, and on this occasion, a few notable “heard-only” or missed specials included Grey-headed and Gorgeous Bushshrike, Terrestrial Brownbul, Southern Boubou, Tambourine Dove, and Golden-tailed Woodpecker.

One of the highlights of the day came at a bridge crossing over a tributary feeding into Inanda Dam. Here, we found a rich assortment of species: numerous Little Bee-eaters hawked insects over the water, and a pair of White-fronted Bee-eaters made a surprise appearance — a first-ever record for pentad 2940_3045 after 225 previous Full Protocol cards! Interestingly, this follows a similar record from May this year in the adjacent western pentad, where the species was also recorded for the first time.

The area continued to deliver: dapper Wire-tailed Swallows skimmed the water gracefully, a pair of Three-banded Plovers scurried busily along the stream’s edge, and a Pied Kingfisher hovered repeatedly before retreating to its favourite perch. We also had wonderful views of a Malachite Kingfisher flitting along the water’s edge.

Driving through the valley along the Umgeni River is always rewarding — not only for the sweeping scenery but also for the habitat diversity, which is key to compiling a strong species list. Different birds favour different niches, and it pays to keep eyes (and ears) on all levels. Looking up, we spotted a Lanner Falcon, Black Sparrowhawk, African Palm Swift, Hamerkop, and African Hoopoe.

Exploration along the dam’s shoreline and stream inlets produced water-associated species such as Black Crake, Common Moorhen, African Black Duck, African Jacana, and a striking female Giant Kingfisher. The surrounding riverine thickets also yielded excellent birds: Sombre Greenbul, Black-headed Oriole, White-bellied Sunbird, Brimstone Canary, Grey Sunbird, and Black-bellied Starling. An unexpected treat was a pair of Dark-backed Weaver relaxed and visible out in the open — a species more often associated with forest habitat.

Brown-hooded Kingfisher (Photo Dave Rimmer)

Weather-wise, conditions were near-perfect: a cool, calm start giving way to warm, sunny conditions by midday, with virtually no wind throughout. We completed one Full Protocol card and recorded a solid total of 95 species.

Atlasing adds purpose to your birding and helps build valuable citizen science data. We hope to see you at the next BeKZN Atlasing Adventure in September!

The upper reaches of Inanda dam (Photo Dave Rimmer)

Trip report by Dave Rimmer.