9-13 July 2025
From Wednesday 9th to Sunday 13th July, members of BirdLife eThekwini KZN (BeKZN) gathered for the annual much anticipated BeKZN Weekend Away in one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most iconic reserves — uMkhuze Game Reserve. For some, it was a return to a beloved birding destination they’ve known since the 1970s, while for others, it was their very first taste of this jewel in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This is a place that has a way of gifting every visitor both peace and excitement in equal measure. This is also an event which forms part of the BirdLife KZN Forum activities and is labelled the BirdLife KZN Rendezvous. These are open to any KZN bird club members but have unfortunately been very poorly taken up by other clubs. This report will clearly indicate just how much people miss by being apathetic around these events…
Spectacular Settings
The reserve laid on its best welcome, greeting us with its rich diversity of landscapes: from ancient sand forest and acacia savanna to lush riverine thickets and sweeping floodplains. The scenery alone was worth the journey — mornings painted in mist, soft gold, days filled with birdsong, and evenings echoing with the calls of night creatures. From sweeping acacia savannas to shady sand forest and the jewel-like floodplains, uMkhuze’s habitats gave us scenery that never stopped changing. The hides are always a favourite part of the experience: kuMasinga, kwaMalibala and the iNsumo Pan hides offered us front-row seats to watch nature’s dramas unfold.
At iNsumo Pan, brimful with water and the background chorus of hippos grunting and blowing made every visit special. Raptors cruised above, forest specialists called from the shadows, and the bird list grew impressively day by day.
Birding Highlights
Of course, it was the birds that stole the show. Birds were everywhere from the start. Just a few of the birds that were out in abundance included, Dark-capped Bulbul, Village Weaver, Rattling Cisticola, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Fork-tailed Drongo, to name a few.
A Black-winged Kite, perched boldly on a bare tree, was one of the first raptors to greet a few arrivals at the park. The reserve’s famous hides delivered again and again, offering front-row seats to some of Africa’s finest wildlife theatre. At the much-loved kuMasinga Hide, the list grew quickly: African Green Pigeon, Red-backed Mannikin, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Green Twinspot, Blue Waxbill, Cape Starling, Three-banded Plover, Green Wood Hoopoe, Red-faced Mousebird, Red-billed Oxpecker, and even an African Harrier-hawk flying past. Across the reserve, birders also tracked down Marico and Neergard’s Sunbirds, Black-crowned Tchagra, Bearded Scrub Robin, Gorgeous and Orange-breasted Bushshrikes, and the rich song of an Eastern Nicator.
Judges Comment: Exposure is good so nothing is too bright or too dark. There is detail missing in the feathers which could be caused by cropping in heavily? It is a ‘record-shot’ of an African pigeon but doesn’t really tell a story.
Judges comment: A beautiful bird with beautiful colours. The tip of the beak is very white and appears over-exposed. The crop is quite tight, it would have been good to see a little more of the environment around this bird. I suspect it has been cropped quite a lot which has resulted in digital noise.
Judges Comment: What a pretty sight this must have been, such colourful birds at the water’s edge. There are a lot of reeds around both next to the birds and in the reflection in the water, that the reeds fight for attention with the birds. The focus on the birds is good and the exposure is also very good so no part of the photo is too dark or too bright.
With iNsumo Pan full to the brim, we were treated to the constant companionship of hippos grunting in the shallows. From the secretive species in the forest to raptors overhead and waterbirds on the floodplain, the tally of sightings was enough to thrill beginners and seasoned birders alike.
More than Birds – Wildlife Theatre Beyond Compare
But it wasn’t just about the birdlife. uMkhuze, of course, never fails to provide thrills beyond the birdlife. So it wasn’t only the birds that left us breathless. The game-viewing was superb, with giraffe silhouetted against the skyline, nyala grazing quietly in the shade, and the occasional elephant ambling past. This uMkhuze trip seemed determined to add a touch of wild drama at every turn.
Judges Comments: This elephant in typical habitat. Good composition, the out-of-focus green leaves on the lower left corner frames the elephant well. Focus and exposure are good, there is good detail in the face of the elephant.
- Elephants in camp: As the full moon bathed the tents in silver light, elephants moved right into Mantuma Camp around the Safari Tented section. Branches cracked, deep rumbles shook the air, and tusks gleamed in the moonlight, leaving tent occupants wide-eyed with excitement.
- Lionesses at ease: A pride of five lionesses, relaxed and curious, held court on the roadsides and in the bush, seemingly as interested in us as we were in them.
- Wild dog spectacle: At kuMasinga Hide, one lucky member witnessed nature at its rawest — a pack of wild dogs bringing down a female impala right at the water’s edge. The sheer speed and precision of the hunt left the hide silent in awe.
- Entertaining Warthogs: with their oxpeckers and antics at the hides
- Turrets of Terrapins – slow but still giving us something to watch during bird or mammal breaks.
- Other encounters: A massive rhino at a waterhole, Burchells zebra, blue wildebeest, impala and nyala in their dozens, and Slender Mongoose darting around the waterholes at the hides and along roads reminded us that uMkhuze’s magic lies in both the grand and the small.
Judge’s Comment: A good “record-shot” of a wild dog at the water. The exposure and focus are good, the animal and background are all in focus. Using a bigger aperture may have blurred the background thereby creating more interest. There isn’t much space around the animal to show the surroundings.
Judges Comment: A great action shot and a fast shutter speed has allowed us to see the dust kicked up and the gravel flying in the air underscording the action. The colours and focus are good and this adds to the enjoyment of this photo. I would have liked to see a bit more space all around these two animals, the crop is quite tight.
Judges Comment: An impressive yet very difficult scene to photograph. The python blends in with the tree trunks so it is difficult to see details. The prey bird can be seen but if it hadn’t been for the title, I wouldn’t have known what I was looking at.
Judges Comment: Resting rhino close-up with good focus on the animal. A fast shutter speed means the flying bird was captured clearly. When cropping animal shots like this one, allow some space in front of the animal and don’t cut feet off.
Judges Comment: This is a ‘record-shot’ of a slender mongoose so we can see what it looks like. Exposure is good.
Zimanga Aloe Garden
No BeKZN uMkhuze Weekend Away in July would be complete without the usual special outing, and on Saturday the group left uMkhuze for a few hours to explore the Zimanga Aloe Garden. The garden is vast and spectacular — a living tapestry of colour where towering Aloe marlothii and countless other species stand in full bloom, attracting both botanists and birders alike. Winding pathways revealed one breathtaking view after another: fiery aloe spikes set against the winter sky, immaculate landscaping, and an abundance of nectar-feeding birds flitting from flower to flower. Purple-banded, Scarlet-chested, White-bellied and Collared Sunbirds dazzled the eye, while Black-headed Oriole, Striped Kingfisher and Brubru added their calls to the soundscape. Overhead, Bateleur and White-backed Vultures circled on rising thermals. It was a celebration of botany, birding, and biodiversity all in one place, and a reminder of how richly interconnected our natural heritage is.
Judge’s Comment: Prickly indeed, what a magnificent specimen. The rocks show that this cactus grow in barren conditions. Unfortunately I can’t see any of the Aloe Garden in this image.
Judge’s Comment: The vibrant red aloes certainly brighten up this image. The background is blurred yet the flowers are in focus which means correct Aperture was used, as there is separation between the subject and the background. It is a good image of an eye-catching Aloe but the category is Best Aloe Garden and I can’t see anything of the garden other than this one bloom.
Judge’s Comment: A good garden-scape showing the aloes as well as other plants and trees. Focus is good and where it needs to be, the background is soft which separates the feature aloes well from the background. The sky is a little too bright, and this can be adjusted in post-processing. The yellow leaves on the lawn (front right-hand corner) could be removed in post-processing and this would tidy up this photo.
Judges comment: A phenomenal image, and if the category had not been “best Aloe Garden”, it would have been the winning shot. But as I can’t see the Aloe Garden, it will not get the score it deserves.
Judge’s Comment: Wow, a great macro shot of this insect. I like the way the insect is shown off against the blurry background, yet the insect and the flower petal are in perfect focus. This image would do well in a Macro/close-up category but as there is nothing else of the Aloe Garden showing, it won’t get the best score.
Judge’s Comment: A great shot, excellent composition shows the garden, both foreground, middle-ground and background. The focus is good throughout. The main culprit in this image is the black/red pipe sticking up, this can easily be removed in post-processing, as my eye is immediately drawn to this object. If you had reduced highlights slightly, lifted shadows and increased contract a little, it would improve this image.
Judges Comment: A lovely image with excellent composition. The tree trunk offering a view to the aloes behind adds great interest. The focus is in the correct part of the photo, the closest foreground (left hand side of the trunk) and the background is soft which leads the eye to the main subject which are the aloes. A clever image well done.
BeKZN Atlas Challenge | uMkhuze
The Bird Atlas Challenge is one of those elements that really showcases BeKZN’s conservation contribution and adds a fun, purposeful edge to the birding. An important part of the weekend, the BeKZN Atlas Challenge, gave the trip an added layer of purpose. Members divided into smaller groups or participated as individuals to cover the reserve, with the aim of systematically recording bird species for the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 (SABAP2). Although there is always an element of competition the challenge is also very much about collaboration — ensuring that a wide spread of habitats was sampled, from the shady sand forest and acacia savannas to pans, thickets, and the open grasslands. By pooling our observations, we generated valuable data that contribute directly to national biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning.
The amazing list accumulated by the 11 teams made up of 18 people to produce a combined list of 216 species in 3 days.
Winner of the Atlas Challenge | Tayla van Rees with a massive total of 160 species. Tayla wins a Hardcover copy of the latest Roberts Field Guide 2, plus a two year subscription to the Roberts Bird App with the image recognition module added.
BeKZN Photo Competition | uMkhuze
To add another layer of fun and creativity to the weekend, BeKZN ran a Photography Competition alongside the birding and atlas challenge. Members were encouraged to capture the magic of uMkhuze — under the four categories Best Landscape, Best Animal, Best Sunset/Sunrise and Best Aloe Garden
Entries reflected the diversity of the reserve itself: from close-up portraits of colourful sunbirds in the aloe blossoms, to dramatic action shots of raptors and wild dogs, to moody landscapes and playful moments around camp. Even the elusive slender mongooses managed to sneak into a few winning frames!
The competition wasn’t just about technical skill; it was about sharing perspectives. Each photographer brought their own eye to the weekend, reminding us that the beauty of uMkhuze lies as much in the small details as in the sweeping panoramas.
BEST LANDSCAPE CATEGORY
Winner | Dot van der Merwe
Runner Up | Tammy Harding
- Dot wins a sponsored night for the AGM 2026 in March for Bonamanzi and a hard cover copy of the Roberts Field Guide ver2 as the winner.
- Runner up Tammy a 2 year subscription to Roberts Bird App with image recognition.
Moody uMkhuze | Tammy Harding
Judge’s Comment: A dramatic sky with the trees outlined beautifully against the stormy clouds. The composition and focus is good. The image is quite dark, lifting shadows on the foreground may improve the image.
Mirror image | Dot Van Der Merwe
Judge’s Comment: A peaceful scene and the mirroring of the sky in the water is wonderful. The soft, dreamy hues add to the gentleness of the image. Cropping off the top of the sky may improve the image, the top clouds don’t add to the image and by cropping, the main scene would be more centered in the image.
BEST ANIMAL CATEGORY
Winner | Shirley Gillitt
First Runner Up | Shirley Gillit
Second Runner Up | Andrew Mather
- Shirley wins a sponsored night for the AGM 2026 in March for Bonamanzi and a hard cover copy of the Roberts Field Guide ver2 as the winner.
- Runners up Shirley by and Andrew a 2 year and 1 year subscription respectively for Roberts Bird App with image recognition.
Teamwork | Andrew Mather
Judge’s Comment: A unique shot telling a powerful story. You were there at the right time and managed to get a good shot, everything is in focus. The editing appears a little ‘heavy-handed’, it seems the contrast was pushed a bit too high.
Green pigeon take off | Shirley Gillitt
Judge’s Comment: A shot captured just at the right time. The colours and focus are good and the composition is great allowing space for the bird to ‘fly into’. The bits of wood in the air behind the bird gives an idea lf the power of taking off and it shows that correct shutter speed was used. There is great detail in the feathers, the eye is sharp and exposure is spot on.
Warthogs friends | Shirley Gillitt
Judge’s Comment: Lovely deep colours yet not too dark so perfect exposure. This close-up shows how a tight crop can work well, and by allowing space above the tip of the ears as well as negative space on the right of the warthog makes this composition excellent. This image tells a great story.
BEST SUNRISE/SUNSET
Winner | Howard Gillitt
First Runner Up | Shirley Gillitt
- Howard wins a sponsored night for the AGM 2026 in March for Bonamanzi and a 1 year subscription to the Roberts Bird App
- Shirley wins an SD camera card for her model of camera
Sunset uMkhuze | SHIRLEY GILLITT
Judge’s Comment: Gorgeous colours in the sky and the black tree adds a dramatic focal point in this beautiful scene. Exposure and focus are perfect. Try to crop a little off the top and fron the left, placing the tree a bit closer to the 3rd of the image.
Full Moon uMkhuze | Howard Gillitt
Judge’s Comment: Lovely deep colours yet not too dark so perfect exposure. This close-up shows how a tight crop can work well, and by allowing space above the tip of the ears as well as negative space on the right of the warthog makes this composition excellent. This image tells a great story.
BEST ALOE GARDEN WINNERS
Winner | Dot van der Merwe
Runner Up | Howard Gillitt
- Dot wins another sponsored night for the AGM 2026 in March for Bonamanzi and a 1 year subscription to the Roberts Bird App
- Howard wins an SD camera card for his model of camera
Zimanga Aloe Garden | Howard Gillitt
A good garden-scape shot. The winding road, the trees on either side framing the view and the points of interest throughout this image shows good composition. The image is well focused and the tonal range is well handled. The sky is bright but there is detail in the clouds so exposure is well managed.
Spectacular Entrance | Dot van der Merwe
Judge’s Comment: An interesting image showing the garden with aloes, a feature tree set perfectly against the interesting sky. Exposure is good so no part is too dark or too bright; the composition is spot-on with the tree adding interest but allowing both aloes, the background hills and the sky to also create interest. Perhaps the background tree on the left-hand side could have been removed in post-processing, this would have tidied up the edge of the image.
WINNER OF THE CHAIRS’ AWARD
Chairs Award | Tammy Harding
An award at the discretion of the Chair awarded to the photo that encapsulates the visit was given to the Purple-banded Sunbird entitled Bold and Beautiful by Tammy Harding.
Tammy wins 2 nights at Bonamanzi for the BeKZN 2026 AGM
BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL
Judges Comment: Fantastic focus makes this bird crisp and clear with great detail in the feathers. Correct aperture was used, the bird’s eyes, beak, head and chest are perfectly focused, the feet and back of the bird slightly blurred but this just adds emphasis overall. The background is also beautifully blurred. I wish a little more space could be left on the left-hand side so the bird’s foot wouldn’t be so close to the edge of the frame. If manipulation was allowed, removing the pink flower on the top left-hand side.
The traditional Saturday night group braai
Evenings brought as much camaraderie as the daylight hours. On Saturday night, the group gathered for a social at Mantuma’s picnic area. With Ticky on fire duty and Nicky running through the bird list, the celebration was in full swing — until the heavens unexpectedly opened. Rain in uMkhuze in mid-winter is a rare event — and though it sent us all scurrying for cover as soon as meat was cooked, it was quickly embraced as an African blessing. Plan B saw everyone squeezing into Cottage 16, which just managed to hold the entire gathering. There, the warmth of friendship replaced the warmth of the braai fires, and the evening carried on with laughter, lists, and congratulations for those who had achieved lifers.
The camaraderie
As remarkable as the sightings were, it was the spirit of the group that gave the trip its magic. Around the hides, in game-drive vehicles, and over shared meals, stories flowed as freely as the coffee. Friendships old and new deepened, and laughter was as much a soundtrack as birdsong. Nights were filled with tales of the day’s sightings, the rumble of elephants in the distance, and the anticipation of what tomorrow might bring.
Shared experiences
✨ The BeKZN Weekend Away to uMkhuze reminded us why we travel together: to immerse ourselves in wild beauty, to learn from the natural world, and to share the joy of discovery with those who understand it best. So to share not just bird lists but the unforgettable experiences that only wild places can give. From hippos at dawn to lions at dusk, from elephants in camp to mongooses on the road, it was a trip that will live in memory long after the dust has settled on our boots. Everyone left with memory cards full, hearts happy, and a deep gratitude for a weekend of exceptional birding and shared experiences.
A Lasting Memory
✨ The BeKZN Weekend Away at uMkhuze was everything it promised to be: spectacular landscapes, sensational birds, unforgettable wildlife drama, and the joy of sharing it all with like-minded friends. It will live long in memory as a trip of 216 species, many lifers — and countless special moments.
By the end of the trip, the birders had notched up a remarkable 216 species, with many lifers among them — proof of just how richly uMkhuze and its surrounds reward patient birding.
Downloads:
Atlas Bird List
Atlas Challenge link – https://www.birdlasser.com/private/events/bleThekiniuMkhuzeGR2025?id=7&id=3&id=1&id=4&id=9
Report written by Tammy Harding and Nicolette Forbes
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