Ardeola ralloides

The latest excitement to hit the Plettenberg Bay birding community is the arrival of a Squacco Heron.  This bird is usually found in the Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Free-State and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces of South Africa.

The Squacco Heron can be easily identified by its black tipped bill, yellow legs, buff (brown) and white body, and streaks around the fore neck.

The Squacco Heron feeds on insects, fish, frogs and spiders.

The bird is frequents a small wetland directly opposite the Stonefield Polo Estate and the best time to observe the bird is between 9am and 10am.

Many thanks go to Simon Valentine from Emily Moon River Lodge for originally identifying the Squacco Heron and notifying the members of the Plettenberg Bay bird club.

This is not the first out of range bird to be seen this year in Plettenberg Bay as we have also had a Sooty Falcon, Black-Collared Barbet and a White-Fronted Bee-Eater sightings in and around Plettenberg Bay.

What will be next?

References:

• Roberts’ Birds of Southern Africa- 6^th edition- Gordon Lindsay Maclean- John Voelcker Book Fund -1993
• Sasol Birds of Southern Africa- 4^th edition-Sinclair, Hockey, Tarboton and Ryan- Struik Nature-2011
• http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/072.pdf

]]> http://goldenorbtours.co.za/2012/08/652/feed/ 4 http://goldenorbtours.co.za/2012/08/klaass-cuckoo-courtship/ http://goldenorbtours.co.za/2012/08/klaass-cuckoo-courtship/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:06:49 +0000 Gareth http://goldenorbtours.co.za/?p=638 Read more »]]> Klaas’s Cuckoo

Chrysococcyx klaas

For the last month I have been hearing the may-i-kie-may-i-kie call of the male Klaas’s Cuckoo in my garden. Eventually in-between all the rain, I got a chance to get outside to hopefully photograph the bird. Luck was to be on my side that day and I happened to stumbled across what looked like a male cuckoo feeding a young cuckoo caterpillars.  This to me was very strange behaviour and after bit of research and help from other birders, I came to learn that this was courtship feeding. So in fact, this was an adult male cuckoo trying to impress a young female cuckoo by feeding her caterpillars which he  had plucked from a small tree called a Glossy Currant Searsia lucida.

This was my first time I have ever seen a female Klaas’s Cuckoo and it proves how you don’t always have to travel far to enjoy the marvels of nature.

Cuckoos are known as brood parasites, which mean that they lay their eggs in specific host’s nest. This is made possible by the male distracting the host and allowing the female cuckoo the opportunity to lay her similar looking egg in the host’s clutch of eggs.

The Cape Batis and Bar-Throated Apalis are known to be regular hosts of the Klaas’s Cuckoo.

Emerald, Red-Chested, Black and Dideric Cuckoos can be seen in the Plettenberg Bay area from October/November.

 Listen to the Klaas’s Cuckoo call on the Africam website link below.

http://www.africam.com/wildlife/soundsafricambirds#Klaascuckoo

References:

Beat about the Bush Birds by Trevor Carnaby – Jacana Media-2008

Roberts Nest and Eggs of Southern African Birds by Warwick Tarboton – John Voelcker Book Fund – 2011

Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa by Braam van Wyk and Piet van Wyk – Struik Publishers -1997

Gareth Robbins

Golden Orb Tours

www.goldenorbtours.co.za

info@goldenorbtours.co.za

July is the month that you will start to notice a fair amount of activity from the Cape Weaver. Males Weavers have started to come in to breeding plumage and are currently building their nests for the prize of attracting female weavers into their intricately woven nests. The nests are built from material such as fresh green grass which contracts when dry and therefore strengthens the nest. Once the nest is accepted by a female weaver, she will then line the inside of the nest with softer material, such as the leaves of the False Olive Buddleja saligna.

Contrary to popular belief the male weaver is the one who will demolish unaccepted nests, not the female weaver. If you know of a colony nearby, go and observe how these magnificent birds construct their nests in their colony.  A typical colony size can consist of around 20 nests.

Research is currently being done on all weavers, including Bishops and Widowbirds and their nesting habits through the Animal Demographic Unit of the University of Cape Town.

If you know of a Weaver colony in your garden or close by, you can contribute by sending your photos and nest counts to Photos of Weaver Nests (PHOWN) at http://vmus.adu.org.za/.

There will be a login process and you will need to register first to submit your finds.

Alternatively to learn more about Weavers go to http://weavers.adu.org.za

Keep a look out for the Southern Masked Weaver too!!

References:

Beat About the Bush Birds-Trevor Carnaby-Jacana Media-2008

Roberts Nests and Eggs of Southern African Birds-Warwick Tarboton-Jacana Media and John Voelcker Bird Book Fund-2011

Gareth Robbins

Golden Orb Tours

082 525 3946

info@goldenorbtours.co.za

The bird has taken up residence in an open area/greenbelt near the electric substation on Green Point Avenue, parallel to the Piesang Valley Road.

The White-Fronted Bee-eater is common in the Central and West Free State, Northern Cape, Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Mozambique and Zimbabwe, so according to many sources this bird is quite a long way out of its distribution and is therefore very rare in the Western Cape.

White-Fronted Bee-eaters can be solitary or seen in small groups, and prefer woodland habitat close to water where it feeds on flying insects and butterflies.

Reference:

Roberts Multimedia of South Africa PDA Version 2.2 – Guy Gibbon

Having moved to Plettenberg Bay a year ago, I have had the privilege to be only 2o minutes drive from one of the most beautiful places in South Africa; this place is Natures Valley.

From the N2, the R102 turnoff takes you to the town of Natures Valley.  Initially the natural vegetation is dominated by Fynbos and autumn is a good time to see the endemic Cape Sugarbirds as they whizz across the road with their magnificent long tails dangling in the air, searching for the next Sugarbush.

Once you make the descent towards Natures Valley which is the only residential area within a National Park, you will notice a change in the vegetation as you are suddenly surrounded by magnificent Outeniqua Yellowwood trees. Some are up to forty meters tall and covered in lichen. Many have been around for more than a century.

My first impression of forest birding was that it would be highly challenging. You never saw birds and only heard them calling. However this changed when in December 1999 I had a unique opportunity to go birding with the late Graeme Winch. After three hours of walking in the Umtiza Forest near East London he showed me my first Narina Trogon.  Immediately I forgot the hundreds of mosquito bites on my legs and feet and this wonderful experience left a long lasting impress ion on me.

So I had a sighted a Narina Trogon, but what else is there to look for in the forest? Since my first experience in Natures Valley compared to my current visits I have found that I have gradually got to know the different calls and habits of the forest birds. This is where a PDA becomes handy when trying to identify bird calls. (Remember to use such a device as discreetly as possible and for your own benefit of learning, but not frighten the bird.)

I have also learnt that to cover a lot of ground is not always the best option. It is often better to walk a short distance and listen for bird activity. Once you have heard a bird call stop and try to look for it; spend a couple of minutes in that specific area as there is probably a reason for the bird being there.  Possibly there are caterpillars or fruit that have attracted the bird to that specific spot and there could be other birds that you did not originally hear.

You should always take into consideration which trees you may find in the forest. Knysna Turacos love eating the fruits from Outeniqua Yellowwoods.  Turacos can be a very common sighting but an unforgettable sighting, especially once you see their crimson wings in flight. These birds can also be very noisy as they jump around from branch to branch; be careful as they have a habit of breaking branches that can fall on your head!

Always remember to take the season and weather into consideration, as you will be going into an area that has a high annual rainfall.  In the colder months the activity in the forest may only start late in the morning. I have personally had great sightings in May around 11am.

So in a nutshell, when it comes to forest birding, be well prepared and patient. I have also found it helpful to look at illustrations of the birds you intend on searching for and familiarise yourself with their calls.

These magnificent forests have become one of my favourite habitats for birding and I am extremely thankful to be a few minutes drive away. Every time I walk the forests I am treated to a great experience, even if it is only a Bush Buck wandering through the undergrowth. There is nothing better than being able to show a newcomer their first Knysna Turaco, Yellow-Throated Woodland Warbler, Cape Batis, Olive Woodpecker or Narina Trogon!

There are a variety of B&B’s in Natures Valley but if you prefer camping the De Vasselot Campsite is great place to stay. It is always clean and the birding is very good inside the campsite. If you are lucky you may be kept awake at night by the call of the Wood Owl.

Glossary:

PDA –Personal Digital Assistant: This device is a small computer which can be used as a digital bird book provided you have obtained the correct software.