Lowveld Birding Trip

In December we went on a birding trip to Nelspruit and the surrounding areas. It was amazing, providing we saw 22 new birds we could add on our list.

We managed to take some really nice photos…

Our first stop was the Nelspruit Botanical Gardens. It was a real treat (adding: very hot and humid). In the Nelspruit Botanical Gardens, we found a pair of Blue-mantled Flycatchers nesting. Here’s a picture of the female checking on her eggs.

While walking in the gardens we also came across Green-Backed Camaroptera, Green-Browed robin-chat, Little swift and Greated striped swallow… also 4 new sightings.

We stayed at Thinus’s family on a nursery… actually it’s more like a big farm for their nurseries in Nelspruit and Hoedspruit. They have the most amazing (and bird/animal friendly) garden that I’ve ever seen! In the palms there are fruit bats sleeping during day-time and palm swifts nesting in the adjacent palm trees. Here I saw the most Lesser-striped swallows I’ve ever seen since I started up birding.The new sightings in the garden were:

Scarlet-crested sunbird, Yellow-fronted canary, Golden Weaver and Spectacled Weaver. Again I spotted the Purple-Crested Turaco again and managed to get a picture of it… just because it’s so beautiful.

On the house’s porch the lady of the house kept a large bird cage with mainly doves inside. I later noticed one Blue Waxbill flying around inside and asked her if she caught it and put it in the cage… she said that the waxbill managed to get inside the cage by itself probably wanting the food inside. While sitting outside later the day a saw another Blue Waxbill outside next to the cage on the pavement… I think she missed her partner (and maybe a bit jealous because of the free food inside) J

The one day we went fishing on a small dam on the farm where we got a fair share of birdies… one new one: Red-headed Weaver.

We visited Kruger Park Lodge the next day and walked around the river and came across a cute bird hide where we almost completed our list of kingfishers with these 2 new sightings: Striped Kingfisher and Malachite Kingfisher. Alongside the river we also spotted a Purple Heron and in a tree growing in the middle of the river an Olive Woodpecker.

The entire time of our stay there was a Red chested Cuckoo making its common sound… even in the middle of the night… crazy bird. Only Thinus could spot it… it just wouldn’t show itself to me. I’ve heard that they are very shy birds though.

The most exiting of our trip were the visit to Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre for cheetahs, birds and other wild animals. Inside and outside were so many birds, it was difficult to establish if the birds was only there because of the free food or were ex-patients of the centre. At the reception there was a cheetah greeting us… but not as exciting as the birds of prey inside. We were led by a guide inside a cage where White-backed Vultures and Hooded Vultures are kept and rehabilitated. It was feeding time and Thinus had an opportunity to feed them under supervision of the guide of cause. They really are big birds… and quite heavy as seen on the picture. While at the waterhole where a baby hippo is kept I heard something that lead to my most exiting sighting… a Diderick Cuckoo!!!

Outside the reserve there’s several Marabou Storks and Vultures sitting in large flocks and flying around. During the tour a Yellow-billed Kite also was in the surroundings, but the guide said it was one of the birds rehabilitated there and stayed in the area.

The last night of our stay, I decided to walk around outside at sunset. While standing under a large tree (don’t ask me what… I’m into birds) a large bird came flying low and landed on one of the branches about 3 meters above my head. I stood frozen with amazement and watched the owl staring at me from its branch, probably deciding if I’m some type of overgrown mouse. We stood there, staring at each other for about 1 minute; me to afraid to lift my camera and scare it away and the owl maybe still wondering… To my disappointment, it flew off into the young night. It was truly the closest encounter I ever had with an owl and remembering its heart-shaped face (and sound later the evening), we identified it as a barn owl.

The lowveld is truly a wonderful place to go birding and there’s so much to do, you won’t go bored one day!

Our full bird list for this trip can be seen on www.thinusbotha.co.za/birdlist