Ken Borland

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One of the main delights of birdwatching is the thrill of the hunt, tracking down your target, especially if it happens to be a lifer!

Going to Ndumo Game Reserve, on the Mozambique border in northern Zululand, about 60km from the coast is an absolute thrill in itself and something I do every summer. The remoteness is a big plus … even though you are aware there are other people around, you never see them! The last few years have not brought any lifers in amongst the hordes of birds, but this year was different!

While the wife – on her first camping trip with me! – was having a mid-day nap (yes, I wore her out with all the birding), I was pottering around camp, spotting what I could.

The scream of a Goldentailed Woodpecker alerted me to its presence in the trees a little way from our camp, but then we had a very special visitor in a Neergaard’s Sunbird in the tree in front of me. He hopped around quite low for a bit, giving me probably my best ever views of this sought-after bird that is restricted to the tropical east coast.

Shortly thereafter, there seemed to be a lot of activity going on up towards the car park so I thought I’d go have a squizz. Four Crowned Hornbill were dashing around in animated fashion so I kept my eye on them … They were mobbing a small raptor and actually chasing it.

I followed the melee for a good 300 metres, from tree-to-tree, the raptor often hiding in thick leaves on top of the trees … before it was eventually driven away from the main camp.

But the telltale grey back, brownish streaks below and heavily banded tail left me in no doubt that I had my first Sooty Falcon. It was a juvenile, but to get it in such exciting fashion also made it a special sighting.

Arriving on April 10, the bush was actually pretty quiet and most of the summer migrants had already left, although I did get a good sighting of a female Diederick Cuckoo sitting on a stump on our way to the main camp on the first afternoon.

The ubiquitous Nyala was the first creature we saw and we had a lovely Pale Flycatcher as our companion at our campsite.

The first morning was spent driving around the acacia woodland in the south-west and we spotted Green Pigeon, Bearded Woodpecker, Crested Guineafowl and Striped Kingfisher, as well as Giraffe, Red Duiker and Kudu among the more common animals.

We had our first look at Nyamithi Pan that afternoon and, although it sounded rather quiet walking down to the hide through the prickly sand forest, accompanied by our ever-present B52 dragonflies, the water levels were receding and there was quite a bit of life around.

Stacks of Yellowbilled Stork were nesting in the Fever Trees on the far side of the pan, while a couple of Pied Avocet, sweeping side-to-side, were a highlight. Wiretailed Swallow had a nest in the hide and there were also Openbilled Stork, Glossy Ibis, Squacco Heron, Woollynecked Stork, Pinkbacked Pelican (sharing the Yellowbilled’s tree) and Purple Heron.

The second morning was spent driving through the sand forest to Red Cliffs, where we had the traditional breakfast overlooking the Usuthu River and Mozambique, at one of the most tranquil spots on earth!

There initially weren’t many birds around though, apart from a White-Eared Barbet sitting high above the river, but then a bird party arrived and Fantailed Flycatcher and Black Saw-Wing Swallow were among the busyness.

On the way back to camp, I finally spotted a Whitebrowed Scrub Robin, which had been calling from hidden lairs for ages, and was interested to note very cinnamon flanks – a bit like the ovamboensis sub-species of northern Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe.

After the thrill of Neergaard’s Sunbird and Sooty Falcon at main camp, we returned to Nyamithi Pan without adding much except some European Swallows which were still around. We did some night driving to see what we could spot before 6pm and, as I turned the car around to head back to camp, there frozen in the headlights, not much bigger than a cat and standing on spindly little legs, was a Suni! It was only my second sighting of this elusive miniature antelope!

We did a guided walk to Paradise Pan, a north-eastern extension of Nyamithi, on our final morning and, on the drive down, spotted Lesser Blackwinged Plover and Palmnut Vulture where we always get them, at the vulture restaurant.

We went on foot from the second hide at Nyamithi, almost immediately flushing a Blackcrowned Night Heron. Water was not flowing over the concourse where the crocodiles normally wait but, in the pool below were two African Finfoot who dashed off in great alarm in a splash of wings and big orange feet.

There was also a Goliath Heron nearby and, after passing a quiet, but promising-looking Paradise Pan, we walked along the shore of Nyamithi Pan, passing close to the trees where all the Yellowbilled Stork, Pinkbacked Pelican and Whitebreasted Cormorant were nesting and allowed us a remarkably close approach without kicking up much fuss.

A delightful group of Whitecrowned Helmetshrikes were our fluttery companions for a while, before Joseph, our excellent guide, spotted that the “wood sandpiper” we were looking at didn’t have the white eyebrow extending beyond the eye – making it a very exciting Green Sandpiper. I was thinking it looked quite dark for its more common cousin, which was lurking just a little further along.

Kittlitz’s Plover was also present in the drying mud, while Yellowbilled Egret completed the set of egrets for us and we were able to marvel at the efficiency of dung beetles in turning piles of warthog poo into finely cut slivers of grass!

On the way back, I spotted Bluecheeked Bee-Eaters wheeling about and there was another sighting of Finfoot! Even Joseph was excited.

The final packing up at camp yielded Scarletchested Sunbird and one last look at the trees at the office yielded two favourites – Plumcoloured Starling and Yellow White-Eye.

A Bateleur was a farewell present from one of my favourite places on earth.

Sightings list

Nyala

Blackbacked Puffback

Crowned Hornbill

Impala

Diederick Cuckoo

Southern Black Flycatcher

Kurrichane Thrush

Blue Wildebeest

Forktailed Drongo

Crested Francolin

Pale Flycatcher

Vervet Monkey

Yellowbreasted Apalis

Blackeyed Bulbul

Spurwinged Goose

Chinspot Batis

Green Pigeon

Emeraldspotted Wood Dove

Rattling Cisticola

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Bearded Woodpecker

Giraffe

Warthog

Sombre Bulbul

Red Duiker

Crested Guineafowl

Greenbacked Camaroptera

Blue Waxbill

Lilacbreasted Roller

Yellowbilled Hornbill

Blackshouldered Kite

Whitefronted Bee-Eater

Yellowfronted Canary

Spottedbacked Weaver

Striped Kingfisher

Plains Zebra

Redfaced Mousebird

Cardinal Woodpecker

Striped Skink

Yellowthroated Sparrow

Whitebellied Sunbird

Little Swift

Southern Black Tit

Hadeda Ibis

Kudu

Crowned Plover

Greenbacked Heron

Yellowbilled Stork

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Egyptian Goose

Pied Avocet

Nile Crocodile

Blackwinged Stilt

Wiretailed Swallow

Sacred Ibis

Great White Egret

Blacksmith Plover

Whitefaced Duck

African Spoonbill

Openbilled Stork

Grey Heron

Hippopotamus

Glossy Ibis

Squacco Heron

Woollynecked Stork

Pinkbacked Pelican

Pied Kingfisher

Purple Heron

Gymnogene

Common Scimitarbill

White Helmetshrike

African Pied Wagtail

Threebanded Plover

White-Eared Barbet

Collared Sunbird

Fantailed Flycatcher

Paradise Flycatcher

Longbilled Crombec

Trumpeter Hornbill

Black Saw-Wing Swallow

Goldenbreasted Bunting

Whitebrowed Scrub Robin

Common Duiker

Goldentailed Woodpecker

Neergaard’s Sunbird

Sooty Falcon

Redeyed Dove

European Swallow

Suni

Lesser Blackwinged Plover

Palmnut Vulture

Blackcrowned Night Heron

African Finfoot

Goliath Heron

Hamerkop

Black Crake

African Fish Eagle

Redbilled Woodhoopoe

Green Sandpiper

Kittlitz’s Plover

Wood Sandpiper

Little Egret

Yellowbilled Egret

Slender Mongoose

Grassveld Pipit

Nile Monitor

Common Sandpiper

Bluecheeked Bee-Eater

Scarletchested Sunbird

Speckled Mousebird

Plumcoloured Starling

Yellow White-Eye

Bateleur

The best feature of Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve, 50km north-west of Brits, is the overwhelming sense of peace and natural tranquility you get sitting on the shore of the large dam.

On a steamy hot February morning, it was beautiful just to sit and soak in the clear blue skies, the odd koppie and the sounds of the waterbirds going about their business. I even used the opportunity to indulge in one of my favourite treats – dipping my cap into the cool water and then throwing it over my head … Bliss!

I judged the spot where I tiptoed into the water to be crocodile-free because moments earlier a large carp had come to that spot and briefly frolicked in the shallow water …

February 16 was a very hot day, but nevertheless it was a good birding trip.

I stopped at the little bridge across the Elands River and made a great start – a couple of Blackcrowned Night Herons roosting in the overhanging riverine trees.

It was a good spot, also throwing up African Darter, a fleeing Greenbacked Heron with its orange legs dangling conspicuously, Reed Cormorant, a fleeting glimpse of a Woodland Kingfisher, Cape Wagtail, a large flock of Greater Striped Swallows, Southern Red Bishop, Whitewinged Widow, Southern Masked Weaver and Pied Kingfisher. I also heard some rustling down below the bridge and shortly afterwards a large Nile Monitor came shuffling out with a plastic bag and some vegetable/reedy matter clamped tight in its jaws.

The people at Bushwillow kindly allowed me into their bird sanctuary and highlights there were Scalyfeathered Finch, my first European Roller of the summer (leaving it late!), Jameson’s Firefinch, an Ostrich, a nicely posing Lesser Grey Shrike and Goliath Heron.

I then took a little walk down to the dam and spotted a dashing Bluecheeked Bee-Eater, swooping around like a green bullet, as well as a Whiskered Tern that was meandering across the dam before suddenly changing direction and swooping back into the water to catch something small. A couple of dainty Black Heron were also amongst the waterbirds.

A lovely shaded little pool threw up a brilliant Malachite Kingfisher that posed all-too-briefly on a reedstem for me before vanishing in a blur of dazzling colours.

I stopped for lunch at the picnic site and spotted my second ever Great Sparrow (the first was in November at Mapungubwe), hopping about in an Acacia tree along with a Crested Barbet.

The signs warning anglers about the crocodiles are true because I spotted a two-metre reptile cruising in towards the shoreline before my attention was grabbed by a pair of fairly distant African Fish Eagle.

A very yellow Cape White-Eye also popped in to visit and, just before leaving Vaalkop, I spotted an Icterine Warbler in the thicker Acacia woodland in the southern part of the reserve.

By far the most common bird of the trip was the Spotted Flycatcher … there seemed to be one lurking under a tree ever 50 metres or so! As someone who’s birding foundation was in KZN, I’m used to Blackeyed Bulbuls dominating … in fact I didn’t see a single Toppie!

But another wonderful piece of African heaven discovered not that far from home and definite food for the soul …

Sightings list

Blackcrowned Night Heron

African Darter

Greenbacked Heron

Reed Cormorant

Woodland Kingfisher

Cape Wagtail

Greater Striped Swallow

Nile Monitor

Southern Red Bishop

Whitewinged Widow

Southern Masked Weaver

Pied Kingfisher

Laughing Dove

Little Egret

Grey Hornbill

Grey Lourie

Impala

Glossy Starling

European Bee-Eater

Scalyfeathered Finch

Redbilled Quelea

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Lilacbreasted Roller

Pied Crow

Kudu

European Swallow

Rufousnaped Lark

Cape Turtle Dove

European Roller

Fantailed Cisticola

Nyala (females)

Jameson’s Firefinch (female)

Spotted Flycatcher

Ostrich

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Lesser Grey Shrike

Grey Heron

Goliath Heron

Blacksmith Plover

Egyptian Goose

Bluecheeked Bee-Eater

Cattle Egret

Whiskered Tern (non-breeding)

Black Heron

Sabota Lark

Malachite Kingfisher

Longtailed Shrike

Vervet Monkey

Crested Barbet

Great Sparrow (male)

Common Myna (grrrrr)

Nile Crocodile

Redknobbed Coot

African Fish Eagle

Cape White-Eye

Sacred Ibis

Rattling Cisticola

Red Hartebeest

Bushbuck

Waterbuck (pregnant young cow)

Forktailed Drongo

Southern Black Tit (female)

Redbacked Shrike (male)

Icterine Warbler

The Zaagkuildrift to Kgomo-Kgomo road has such an evocative name – in fact, when I told one of my friends where I had been, he said I had made up the names!

But it was no fantasy, that partly cloudy, hot and humid day of January 26, with the route along the Pienaars River having a wonderfully tropical feel and the road still muddy and interrupted with deep puddles after recent heavy rain.

Having to negotiate the morning rush hour traffic of both Johannesburg and Pretoria meant I only started birding at 8.55am.

I began my adventure by mistakenly heading towards the railway station, but the detour did throw up Blackthroated Canary, Blackchested Prinia, Diederick Cuckoo, one of my favourite summer birds in the Woodland Kingfisher, and the first Steelblue Widowfinch I have seen in a long time. I also got Rattling Cisticola out of the way early on!

I had barely travelled two kilometres down the right road when my petrol light started showing about a hundred kilometres early, so it was back to Pienaarsrivier town for a refill and peace of mind.

On the third attempt I made it past the MCPA Dam and its hippo warnings and into the riverine bush. Highlights were House Martin, a Steppe Buzzard which insisted on returning to the telephone pole two ahead of the car before flying off again, the beautiful Melba Finch, Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver, good sighting of a Gabar Goshawk and Amur Falcon, Burchell’s and Wattled Starlings.

Apart from the excellent birding, the frustrated rally driver in me was having great fun taking on the mud and pools of water! But it seemed the fun would have to end when, perhaps a third of the way along the 26km route, I came to a gully where the road is closest to the Pienaars River.

A lengthy patch of mushy mud lay in front of a deep, wide pool of water and I decided I would not be able to generate enough speed through the mud to be sure of getting through the pond on the other side of it. So it was with a heavy heart that I turned back, before deciding to try and find a detour that would take me to the other side of the obstruction.

I headed back to the R101 and then turned off towards Syferkraal, from where I managed to find a road south to Walman and Tlovnane – the D1660 – that would hopefully join up again with the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road.

As much as I was revelling in God’s beautiful creation, it was also a reminder of a great spiritual truth: Often we are so set on the path that we want to go, and we get most upset if that way is blocked, but God has something much better in store. So it proved as the road from Syferkraal back to the Pienaars River produced some exceptional birding, including a LIFER!

The detour had already paid dividends as, on my way back past the MCPA Dam, I had spotted just my second ever Bluecheeked Bee-Eater.

Just outside of Syferkraal, I had stopped on the side of the road as there was plenty of activity in the Acacia woodland – Longtailed Paradise Whydah was showing off beautifully and there was also Marico Flycatcher and Chestnutvented Tit Babbler. But I had caught a glimpse of something else Whydah-like …

My first ever Shaft-tailed Whydah! A male in all his finery, like our very own bird of paradise, perching on the telephone line and showing off his wonderful tail.

My happiness only increased when I managed to get back on to the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road and just past Wolfhuiskraal Farm, I allowed my enthusiasm to get the better of me …

A shallow looking puddle lay across the road and I roared through it … unfortunately it was deeper than I expected and I was going a bit too fast, so as I exited the pond, the car cut out. I had managed to get water in the engine!

After 15 minutes of waiting, the car refusing to re-start, a gentleman in his bakkie arrived. I was practically out of the water and there was enough room on the right of me for him to get past, and I was hoping he could then use my tow-rope, give me a pull (not a tug) and I’d get started again.

Unfortunately he was not the adventurous sort and was afraid that he would get stuck in the mud! So he waited behind me with his lady friend …

Eventually, about half-an-hour later, two gents in a Landrover came along and, after some initial problems attaching the tow rope, I was back on the go again.

Unfortunately, it was shortlived because about two kilometres further down the road, there was another muddy stretch and deep puddle and I decided not to chance my arm because I’d already had enough excitement for one day!

So homewards I trekked, again via Syferkraal, and I managed to pick up a lovely group of Southern Pied Babbler (black & white can be so beautiful!), Kalahari Robin, Bluebilled & Redbilled Firefinch and, to end on a high note, a stunning Crimsonbreasted Shrike!

Even though my trip was disrupted, I had seen enough to know the Zaagkuildrift-KgomoKgomo road is a place of mystical wonder. Next time I think I’ll start on the Kgomo-Kgomo side ….

Sightings list

Blackthroated Canary

Blackchested Prinia

Laughing Dove

Diederick Cuckoo

Woodland Kingfisher

Rattling Cisticola

Steelblue Widowfinch

Redbacked Shrike

European Swallow

House Martin

Whitethroated Swallow

Rufousnaped Lark

Redwinged Starling

Whitewinged Widow

Cape Turtle Dove

Cinnamonbreasted Rock Bunting

Steppe Buzzard

Helmeted Guineafowl

Spurwinged Goose

Blue Waxbill

Melba Finch

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Whitebrowed Sparrow-Weaver

Yellowfronted Canary

Gabar Goshawk

Amur Falcon

Forktailed Drongo

Longtailed Shrike

Spottedbacked Weaver

Glossy Starling

Redfaced Mousebird

Burchell’s Starling

Wattled Starling

African Jacana

Bluecheeked Bee-Eater

Cattle Egret

Crested Francolin

Little Swift

Crowned Plover

Longtailed Paradise Whydah

Shaft-Tailed Whydah

Marico Flycatcher

Chestnutvented Tit Babbler

Fantailed Cisticola

Southern Yellowbilled Hornbill

Spotted Flycatcher

European Bee-Eater

Southern Pied Babbler

Kalahari Robin

Bluebilled Firefinch

Natal Francolin

Redbilled Firefinch

Redbilled Woodhoopoe

Crimsonbreasted Shrike