Ken Borland

The Marievale Bird Sanctuary is a Ramsar-site whose vast reedbeds and multitude of open pools are home to thousands of waterbirds.

Perhaps the most regal of its denizens is the African Marsh Harrier, an uncommon raptor that spends most of the day gliding over the pools and reedbeds on the hunt for rodents and other tidbits.

The African Marsh Harrier spends half of its day in the air and it likes to get an early start, so there it was as the sun was rising on Human Rights Day setting off on the breakfast run as it quartered low over the reedbeds.

My wife and I had a fine view of this long-winged beauty as we sat with our morning tea on the balcony of our little chalet overlooking the wetland. Blackcrowned Night Heron, Grey Heron, Greyheaded Gull, Redknobbed Coot, Cape Shoveler, Whitewinged Tern, Whitebreasted Cormorant, Cattle Egret, Spurwinged Goose, Greater Flamingo and Glossy Ibis were all easily spotted from our chalet on the edge of the water.

Soon we were on our way, heading for the causeway over the Blesbokspruit. This tarred section is a wonderful spot because there are pools of water close-by on both sides of the road, as well as vegetation right up to the causeway.

On the way there, Redshouldered and Longtailed Widows were busy in the grasslands, Southern Masked Weavers were almost ubiquitous and the sexually dimorphic Amur Falcons were dotted along the power and telephone lines along the road.

A lone Swainson’s Francolin was out and about in the brisk morning air – 15° was the temperature for most of the day – and popping into the Hadeda Hide en route produced Little Egret and Reed Cormorant.

Both Yellow and Blackthroated Canary were enjoying the seeds of the many Docks (Rumex spp) along the road, before we turned west on to the causeway and the waterbirds came thick and fast.

Common Moorhen were swimming around the pools, Pied Kingfisher were hovering and diving for breakfast, Cape Reed Warblers were singing merrily as they worked their way through the reeds, African Jacana were standing stately on the lilypads and Whitethroated Swallow, along with Brownthroated Martin, were zooming about.

Purple Gallinule and Malachite Kingfisher were also around and, as we exited the car and walked towards the Otter Hide, a sleek, sinuous dark head rose from the water – it could have been considered reptilian except it had whiskers, and a little black nose and eyes – a Spottednecked Otter just where it should be!

A handsome Hottentot Teal was also swimming around and Black Crake and African Darter were spotted too.

The open waters between the causeway and the picnic site also produced Redbilled Teal and Dabchick.

The northern section of Marievale takes you through productive wetlands on your left and open grassland on your right. Here Blackshouldered Kite and Hadeda Ibis were on one side of the car, while Squacco Heron, Little Bittern and Whiskered Tern flew around on the other.

Great Crested Grebe were swimming on the large expanse of water in front of the Duiker Hide, while the Flamingo Hide, back by the picnic site, also has a wide vista of open water and reedbeds in front of it. Large flocks of European Swallow are found here, but there were also Blackwinged Stilt and a rather tame African Reed Warbler, who was at much closer quarters.

Popping into the Hadeda Hide again on our way back to our chalet yielded the archetypal wetland Cisticola, the Levaillant’s. From regal raptors to skulking little LBJs, Marievale Bird Sanctuary has it all.

Sightings list

Grey Heron

Greyheaded Gull

Redknobbed Coot

Cape Shoveler

Whitewinged Tern

Whitebreasted Cormorant

Cattle Egret

Spurwinged Goose

Greater Flamingo

Glossy Ibis

Blackcrowned Night Heron

Egyptian Goose

Blacksmith Plover

Sacred Ibis

African Marsh Harrier

Redshouldered Widow

Longtailed Widow

Little Egret

Reed Cormorant

Laughing Dove

Rock Pigeon

Southern Masked Weaver

Yellowbilled Duck

Swainson’s Francolin

Stonechat

Cape Turtle Dove

Amur Falcon

Fiscal Shrike

Yellow Canary

Blackthroated Canary

Common Moorhen

Pied Kingfisher

Cape Reed Warbler

African Jacana

Whitethroated Swallow

Purple Gallinule

Cape Wagtail

Brownthroated Martin

Malachite Kingfisher

Spottednecked Otter

Hottentot Teal

Black Crake

African Darter

Greater Striped Swallow

Dabchick

Redbilled Teal

Blackshouldered Kite

Hadeda Ibis

Squacco Heron

Redeyed Dove

Redfaced Mousebird

House Rat

Little Bittern

Whiskered Tern

European Swallow

Great Crested Grebe

Blackwinged Stilt

African Reed Warbler

Southern Greyheaded Sparrow

Levaillant’s Cisticola

 

There are many, many Phragmites reedbeds scattered through South Africa and they do sustain an array of life and are an important habitat for birdlife.

But one reedbed in particular has become pretty famous – the Lake Victoria wetland in Mount Moreland, La Lucia, about 25km north of Durban. That’s because since the 1970s it has been a roost for what is reputed to be millions of European Swallows and has become quite the tourist attraction and sundowner event for people on the North Coast.

I was drawn as much by the potentially amazing sight of all those swallows as by an old record of Black Coucal in the area but, as typically happens when one goes birding for something in particular, it fails to turn up!

There were about 50 swallows around as the shortest night of the year fell (December 21), but barely enough to be considered a flock!

It was still a wonderful way to enjoy sunset, sitting on the terraced banks above the reedbed, enjoying some snacks & beverages.

A Purple Heron flew over as a reminder that the reedbeds are valuable for other birds too, while I went walking in search of a Burchell’s Coucal that was calling away, only to return and find it posing on a dead treestump!

There was no sign of its Black cousin, but a half-dozen Hamerkop did fly over as well, shortly before the swallows made their underwhelming arrival.

 

Sightings list

Spottedbacked Weaver

Speckled Mousebird

Blackeyed Bulbul

Yellowbilled Kite

Hadeda Ibis

Burchell’s Coucal

Purple Heron

Hamerkop

European Swallow