9 August 2025

Doreen Clark is a small nature reserve in the mist belt forest of Hilton. The group met very early, some birders already seeing the resident Peregrine Falcon near The Quarry Centre on the way in. 

Birding in the car park yielded some good birds, including Long-crested Eagle and Cape Grassbird.

We started our walk on the circular loop which goes into the forest. We heard and saw Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers, and a White-Starred Robin, which we watched for a while, showing off its flycatcher-like behaviour. 

As we made our way around the loop, we encountered numerous forest species. A highlight was a pair of Olive Woodpeckers seen and an African Emerald Cuckoo calling its distinctive “Hello Georgie” from somewhere deeper in the forest.  After a tea and coffee break we decided to do a second loop. A White-starred Robin was seen again, giving the group another opportunity to get some photos. 

Some members had to leave early and missed out on sightings of Cape Batis, Lemon Dove and Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler. A birder who had separated from the group managed to see a Narina Trogon.

Forest birding can be challenging, with elusive and often skulky birds, but we were fortunate to see some exceptional species in this reserve. Several members of the group got lifers and a total of 43 different bird species were seen and heard by the group. A big thank you to all who attended, Simon Joubert for guiding us around the reserve, and BeKZN for organising these events for us each week.

Text by Cait Holyoake