and other photographic opportunities

A live blog by Ticky and Nicolette Forbes

This post will be updated with each day’s events so keep checking back.

Thursday 13 November

Leaving Durban to head for Ndumo Game Reserve a few days before our 28th Anniversary I am reminded that this destination was one of our first weekends away as a couple in 1995. During that trip I had the thrill of getting three honeyguides (Greater, Scaly-throated and Lesser) as lifers on the camp birdbath almost at once.

So as we drive towards the reserve I am excited by the prospect of birding another special northern KZN reserve and possibly adding Thick-billed Cuckoo to my lifer list. Ticky has had multiple sightings so this is catch up species for me.

The reserve is about a six and a half hour drive from Durban so watch this space for updates later today…

and before too long Jozini Dam is in sight. A quick refuel in Jozini at a fairly new Total was quick and we were off again for the final part of the journey

Despite it being 32 degrees and just past midday when we arrived at Ndumo, the birds were extremely active and vocal and between the gate and camp quickly racked up 35 species.

A large flock of European Bee–eater was the first delight and we spent a few minutes watching them cavort and catch insects. Eastern Nicator were in full voice as were the cuckoos – four species with Red-chested, Black, Klaas’ and Diederick. Greater Honeyguide and Scaly–throated Honeyguide were calling allowing us to atlas both of these species. More about birds tomorrow.

The camp was a wonderful surprise. The chalets are now en suite, each with their own cooking facilities, including a microwave, air conditioning and two three quarter beds. Each has a patio which has a large table with four chairs and looks out into slightly open grass/shrub areas which also hosts a braai for each unit. Contrary to what I had heard the camp is still very attractive, despite the addition of two large units, with large trees that still host magnificent Ansellia africana orchids.

We used the afternoon to explore the camp, fill the water bath near our unit and take in the camp birds before a quick and early pizza dinner and to sleep with great expectations for the next days birding.

Friday 14 November

After an early coffee and rusk on the patio we headed off to some locations provided by the bird guide based in St Lucia, Themba Mthembu, to potentially connect with THE cuckoo. It was overcast and cool which allowed us to extend the morning drive through to 13:00 before breakfast called us back. The drive was very productive with birds like Holub’s Golden Weaver, Pink-throated Twinspot, African Harrier Hawk, five cuckoos with great views of Red-chested Cuckoo and many calling Klaas’, Diederick, Black and Emerald Cuckoo as well as logging call records of Greater and Scaly–throated Honeyguide.

On arriving at the camp we saw that the group of BeKZN twitchers under the leadership of Dave Rimmer had also arrived to search for the cuckoo and a host of other potential lifers for some in the group. After chats and refreshments and some birding in the campsite they headed off for their ‘hunt’ at 3:30pm with the game viewer while we stayed in camp and watched the bird bath activity and enjoyed huge flocks of Little Swift doing their thing over the camp. We were lucky to have a pair of Broad-billed Roller come to visit us as well as a group of Retz’s Helmetshrike. The camp activity also including a nest building pair of Dark–backed Weaver, Yellow–bellied Greenbul, Terrestrial Brownbul, Yellow–fronted Canary, a special African Yellow White-eye and lots of highly animated Common Bulbul. Two Trumpeter Hornbill cruised through the large trees in the camp without the usual baby cry cacophony and Purple–crested Turaco were not too far behind them.

An early evening braai set us up for an early sleep to start out early the next day for more twitching. It was a quiet night with no obvious nocturnal birds calling (while we were awake anyway).

Saturday 15 November

Predicted to be hot, the start of the day was somewhat cloudy but already warming up quickly. After a coffee and rusk pick me up, we headed out in a different direction this time, to explore the western end of the reserve had us again hearing more birds than seeing them – one bonus is that the reserve is small enough to atlas two pentads thoroughly. We did manage some wonderful sightings of behaviour – two Crested Francolin were almost catatonic with joy sandbathing in the road, a watching a Fork–tailed Drongo diligently constructing a new nest in a precarious position, and watching some ritualistic dances between two Emerald-spotted Doves.

Sunday 16 November