Pilanesberg National Park
And so our trip around Pilanesberg the day after the Nedbank Golf Challenge finished at Sun City was marked by outstanding views of Jacobin Cuckoo and the lovely Scalyfeathered Finch, a seedeater of the drier country west of Johannesburg.
We were driving along the Kgama Drive, north of Lengau Dam, heading east, when two Jacobin Cuckoo flapped their way over the road. Being used to cuckoos being unobtrusive, I was in a rush to see them through the binocs and point them out to my wife. Little did I know that one would settle in a bush a couple of metres from the car and proceed to pose for us! Definitely my best sighting of this impressive black-and-white bird.
Jacobin Cuckoo
The Scalyfeathered Finch were on Mankwe Way, a delightful little party of them enjoying a relatively cool afternoon in the Pilanesberg, the temperature ranging between 21° and 25° and the previous day’s rain having given way to a lovely, mild sunny day. Some were on the ground nibbling at grass seeds, while others were on the brances overhanging the road, contentedly chirping away.
I had a feeling it would be a good drive when we entered through Bakubung Gate and immediately saw a Mocking Chat at reception!
From there we turned westwards on to Kgama Drive, which was busy with birds as the clouds cleared.
There was a lot of activity particularly around Lengau Dam, with Whitewinged Widow, the ever-present Marabou Stork, a group of Waterbuck, Sabota Lark, European Bee-Eater, Brownhooded Kingfisher and the Jacobin all being spotted.
A short detour for a comfort break at the Kubu picnic site allowed us to pick up Lilacbreasted Roller, both Streakyheaded and Yellowfronted Canaries in the same tree, Elephant and Plumcoloured Starling.
Mankwe Way is dominated more by thornveld and we saw Neddicky, Kalahari Robin, the Scalyfeathered Finch, Rufousnaped Lark (the signature Pilanesberg bird for me) and Yellowthroated Sparrow.
We exited the park via Tshwene Drive, which provided Redbreasted Swallow, Wahlberg’s Eagle and a good Blackchested Snake Eagle sighting, as well as Hippopotamus and Whitebrowed Sparrow Weaver at Tilodi Dam.
Sightings list
Mocking Chat
Southern Masked Weaver
Spotted Flycatcher
Greater Striped Swallow
Cape Wagtail
Goldenbreasted Bunting
Blackeyed Bulbul
Dabchick
Blacksmith Plover
Whitewinged Widow
Impala
Blue Wildebeest
Southern Greyheaded Sparrow
Blue Waxbill
Egyptian Goose
Marabou Stork
Sacred Ibis
European Swallow
Waterbuck
African Darter
Sabota Lark
European Bee-Eater
Brownhooded Kingfisher
Jacobin Cuckoo
Grassveld Pipit
Plains Zebra
Red Hartebeest
Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting
Familiar Chat
Glossy Starling
Lilacbreasted Roller
Streakyheaded Canary
Yellowfronted Canary
Rattling Cisticola
Elephant
Plumcoloured Starling
Neddicky
Giraffe
Warthog
Kalahari Robin
Scalyfeathered Finch
Rufousnaped Lark
Pied Crow
Crested Barbet
Yellowthroated Sparrow
Lesser Striped Swallow
Redbreasted Swallow
Springbok
Ostrich
Diederick Cuckoo
Wahlberg’s Eagle
Leopard Tortoise
Hippopotamus
Yellowbilled Hornbill
Whitebrowed Sparrow Weaver
Blackchested Snake Eagle
Threebanded Plover
Helmeted Guineafowl