Birding with Trish

Is it a bird............no of course not its a TOAD

2010-12-05T12:00:00.005+02:00

During my stay with Karen, Michael and Caleb I was introduced to the Western Leopard Toads that live in their garden in Kirstenhoff. Such amazing critters!!! December 2010

Sani Pass winter 2010

2010-12-05T11:36:00.008+02:00

During July Stuart and I had a super day in Lesotho, we atlased four three pentads and 'found' a group of Karoo Scrub-Robin which generated an ORF. Here below some happy snaps of our day

Red-Headed Quelea

2010-12-04T13:33:00.006+02:00

My very latest Garden bird.............

Red-Headed Quelea

Red-Headed Quelea above in winter plumage, looking very drab with little hints of red on their cheeks, full breeding plumage with bright red heads.

Catch up time

2010-12-04T12:51:00.011+02:00

Due to very slow download lines I've not kept up with my blog, but have decided its time to update. Here are some exciting snippets from our area during the past few months: Black-Chested Snake-Eagle were seen whilst atlasing down the Nhlavini road on Eland Hill.

A Greater-Double Collared Sunbird nested near our back verendah........ only one chick hatched and fledged on 3rd October, I noticed that the chick returned to the nest every evening for 25 days. Some evenings when the chick returned to the nest it would cover the entrance to the nest with some large feathers.

We discovered this Spottie with her youngsters down at the dam, I just love the 'smile' that she has on her face. This is the first time that I've seen young Spotties on our farm.
A delightful pair of Spectacled Weaver have nested in our garden. Here is some nest building going on.

A pair of YBK have set up home in a tree near our garden, they raised two chicks, very often I saw them feasting on young Red-eyed Doves.

Cape Wagtail

2009-12-03T10:56:00.013+02:00

In my mind Cape Wagtail are very brave little birds, they choose to nest in pretty hanging baskets near our houses.

The pretty nest site,Some eggs

Newly hatched chicks.

Springbrook garden update

2009-11-29T17:24:00.023+02:00

I have enjoyed watching and listening to a pair of Paradise Flycatcher as they flit around the Erythrina Tree in my garden, his long Chestnut tail feathers following him around like ribbons as he flits about collecting building material. Hopefully I'll get a clearer photo soon.

Next door to this Erythrina a pair of Southern Black Tit are nesting in a hole in a stone wall, I've been trying to get a photo of them, but wow they are fast the little things, I have many photos of the stone wall nest site!!

Fork-tailed Drongo are building just down the branch from the Paradise Flycatcher, their nest is a very flimsy hammock between two branches. Every now and again the Paradise Flycatcher feel a little intimidated by the FTD and chase them off.

Spoonbill Mom and Teaspoon her kid

2009-11-29T16:22:00.011+02:00

Teaspoon the Juv. Spoonbill has fledged, here is a photo of him being fed my his mom. I have learnt so much about Spoonbills since he/she hatched, the amazing patience of his mom, the commitment to look after her youngster while the rest of the flock moved off, even Teaspoon's dad moved off with the group, just Teaspoon and his mom stayed on in the 'Far away Tree' a huge Tulip Poplar in my garden.

Teaspoons mom is an amazing mom, she stood over him with her wings opened to shelter him from the boiling hot sun, the pouring rain and brought him lots of food. She made strange little "seagull X frog croaks" announcing her arrival in the big tree where teaspoon lived.

I watched her as she started coaxing Teaspoon out of the safety zone of his nest, she did not land in the nest with his food, she landed at the end of the branch, eventually after some hysterical begging calls Teaspoon realised that if he wanted some food he had to go to his mom, so he ventured out along the branch, flapping his right wing as he moved out of his comfort zone. As soon as he finished feeding he scurried back to the nest, flapping his wings wildly as he made his way along the branch.

Soon after that first adventure, I watched him, his mom was away getting food, being an adventurous kid he took a little flight from the nest to the end of the branch, where he waited until mom arrived with food. Then all too soon, he was following mom around the garden, she landed in a tree on the other side of the garden and let him know by her very strange croaks that she was around, he took off and found her, had his fill and flew back to his nest. Today he has been flying around, down to the dam, around the garden and even ventured into the pastures with the Hadeda Ibis.

I wish you well Teaspoon.....

Discovering Eshowe and Imfolozi

2009-11-02T20:50:00.016+02:00

These lovely people here are my folks, John and Marie Tyson, I had the privilege of taking them to Eshowe and Imfolozi during October, we had an amazing holiday together. Seen above on the Dlinza Boardwalk, at the top of the tower, and dad on a very rainy day, 'flying' his model airplane simulator on my laptop!!! At the bright age of 78 learning to fly and use a computer all in one day!! Dung beegles very busy at work, a large pile of dung is soon collected into little balls, rolled away from the scene of the large dung pile, then it is buried, very soon there is no sign of the original dung pile.

Could I tell you a secret? Or would would you prefer me to pluck your eyebrows?

Red-billed Oxpecker doing what they do best, cleaning little critters off bigger critters.

Wire-tailed Swallow

Imagine -

2009-10-30T20:56:00.008+02:00

Imagine the world without the duet of a Bokmakierie

Imagine the world without the vibrant colours of a rainbow

Imagine the world without the majestic Crowned Eagle
His powerful talons showing the world...don't mess with me!!
I cannot imagine that world and I don't need to imagine it that way.

Because....................................

God was extravagantly generous when he created our world.

As we enjoy His creation I'm sure it brings God great joy.

Birding in Gauteng 2nd - 8th October

2009-10-30T20:01:00.011+02:00

During the first week of October I treated myself to some birding in Gauteng, and went to watch the musical CATS. I was very surprised to find such amazing birding destinations in and around Pretoria. I was looked after by fantastic people who were very happy to drive me all over the place, while we atlased about ten pentads.

Crowned Plover egg

Spotted Thick-knee eggs

Some of the places where I atlased were Roodeplaat, Rust de Winter, Northern Farm where Ernst and I saw a stunning Half-collared Kingfisher, Ernst had the pleasure of seeing his first Red-chested Flufftail. We also went to Vaalkop and Rietvlei Dam. I got five lifers on the trip, Ovambo Sparrowhawk, Black-chested Prinia, Red-headed Finch, Marsh Warbler and Barrow's Korhaan.

Where ever we went our little feathered friends were either sitting on eggs, setting up home, building nests or raising chicks, here are just some of my happy memories of a wonderful trip.

Scaly-feathered Finch nest

Cape Wagtail Chicks

I would like to thank Ernst and his family for accommodating me, for driving me around to all those amazing places that we atlased. To Andre for fetching, carrying, feeding and making sure that I arrived safely at the airport in time to fly back home to work!!! And John Bannon for spending his last day in SA driving me around his precious patch........Rhenosterspruit. Thank you all very much, my time was precious.

Snippets from the past week.

2009-09-27T19:43:00.012+02:00

On 22nd September I was delighted to see some broken egg shells
below the Spoonbill nest in my garden,
this means that there are some new kids in my garden!!
The nest are too high for me to see any activity from the chicks,
I'm sure that once they are a little older I will see them bobbing about in the nest.

Saturday morning Jugen, Thomas and I went "Forest birding"this turned out to be a great day, lots of very interesting birds, just a very frustrating time for Thomas as the Barratt's Warbler tormented him from deep within the dense bushes. Whilst Thomas was trying to get a glimpse of the elusive bird, I took this photo of a spider web, with dew studded jewels, framed in a natural frame.

The bright green spring leaves of the

Celtis africana were an amazing sight in the

Marustwa Forest.

Podocarpus Falcatus (Outeniqua Yellowwood) are the

tallest trees in Marustwa Forest, here is one really large tree, (photo taken up the trunk)

Cape Parrots feed on the fruit. And some are lucky enough to find a hole in an old Yellowwood,set up home, lay eggs and bring some youngsters into this world.

At the end of a very long day "Forest Birding"

I suggested that the best way to see the Cape Parrots

was to take up a good posture - flat on ones back, on the ground!!

The guys took my advice, this photo is the result.

They were enjoying the six Cape Parrots that had come into Marutswa to roost for the night.

I had a great two days birding with Jurgen and Thomas, we saw some really super birds, some specials were Pygmy Geese, African Marsh Harrier, Little Rush, Lesser Swamp, Dark-capped Yellow, African Reed, Yellow-throated and Barratt's Warbler. Bush Blackcap is always a treat to see, as are the Knysna Turaco and Cape Vulture.

Atlasing 3015_3010

2009-09-20T17:41:00.003+02:00

After a week of misty - drizzly weather I decided to go out atlasing yesterday, and this is what what turned up - two pairs of Pygmy Geese.

I have seen one pair in the area, but never two pairs, this is such an amazing blessing, I hope that they are happy on this dam and feel safe enought to settle down and breed. When they swam across the dam I managed to get a photo of these tiny geese, together with Egyptian and Spur-winged Geese all in one frame, its a very long distant photo but its amazing to have seen all three togetherOther specials were two African Fish Eagle feeding youngsters on the nests, A Broad-Tailed Warbler and Red Headed Quelea.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!!

2009-09-18T19:12:00.009+02:00

This photo was taken looking over Springbrook farm dam towards our house,
the peace is tangible and the paddocks still brown from frost during the winter.
Living on this dairy farm has some amazing advantages, milk straight from the cow,
fresh home made yoghurt and of course many hectare to spend time birding,
walking and just being quiet.

During the past weekend it was not very quiet at 6am:

Story time in Gran’s bed!!! From left to right Emma, Ashley

and Nathan

There are three pairs of Spoonbill nesting in my garden;

yesterday this one decided it needed some new
nesting material, it flew down onto my lawn,

picked up this stick which proved rather large and very

comical, every time the bird moved the stick ‘attacked’ the bird.

Here is a pic through my office window of one very frustrated

Spoonbill trying to run away from the stick.

An Update from my patch

2009-09-09T13:20:00.004+02:00

Sunrise from our house, I'm truly blessed that

this is the sight that greets me some mornings.

What a delight that the Spoonbill are back and setting up home in my garden, it is a privilege to have eight pairs of very noisy and busy Spoonbill building nests in one's garden.

Whilst out and about collecting bird species data for Doug, I took some photos, here are some of them:

A very confiding Black-crowned Tchagra

A cute little Dusky Flycatcher

Love is: Common Waxbill Allopreening??

Then of course there is always that photo, that could do with the sun on the other side of the bird, or if only one could just remove that branch before the photo is

taken, here is one of those photos,

but hey I also enjoy some silhouette photos.

African Rail caught napping in the early morning sunshine

2009-08-21T21:46:00.008+02:00

This morning at 7am I was out birding in my home pentad (3010_3005) atlasing for an hour before my office duties!!! It was very chilly, three degree to be exact!! I found this African Rail soaking up the wonderful, but very weak sunshine.

I often see African Rail, dashing around in the thick reeds but this one must have decided that his toes needed some warmth. The Rail just sat there until I reversed my 'blue mobile bird hide' to try and get a better angle for some more photos.

The ground was white with frost, a few other little black critters in the form of Black Crake came into this little patch of sunshine to preen and get ready for the day.

Welcome home to 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle

2009-08-20T16:55:00.016+02:00

Early yesterday morning, I was sitting in bed, talking to God, when 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle started calling from outside our bedroom window,(first call for 2009)this is a great delight for me, so welcome home my special friend. I watched this afternoon,

as he/she started to re building the nest that they have used for

the past eight years. I wonder if this is mega 'bird faith' There is

no sign of any spouse but this Wahlberg's knows something that

I don't, he/she is setting up home knowing that soon someone

will arrive to share it.

I have a zillion questions for the Wahlberg's:
When you leave Springbrook Farm together, do you stay together all winter?
Do you spend that time together planning for the next summer at Springbrook?
or
Do you dump your spouse for a younger, prettier bride?
Do you? Do you? Do you? I wish I could speak "Wahlberg's"

I also so our first White-throated Swallow on 20th August. And then today I managed to take this photo, what an amazing colour this little feathered friend is.

Whilst out and about birding on our neighbours farm yesterday,
I saw this very blotchy Red Bishop,
a little while ago I asked a friend of mine,
where do the Red Bishops start changing the breeding plumage,
the black or the red, well here is my answer,

a very strange looking Red Bishop

And especially for John Bannon, that elusive Black-winged Lapwing. I saw them again today making lots of noise as they fly around the dairy pastures deciding where they would like to spend the day foraging.

Spring is here at Springbrook Farm

2009-08-10T20:47:00.005+02:00

Today was an amazing spring day, the first very exciting bird that I saw in my garden was a Scaly Throated Honeyguide. I have some honeycomb tied to a tree just outside my office window, I have been observing a juv. Greater Honeyguide(see photo) that comes down regularly to feed on the honeycomb, but today we had a new bird on the block. This is the first time that I have seen the Scaly Throated Honeyguide in my garden, a few weeks ago I heard it calling.

During a lovely long walk around the dams and pastures this afternoon I heard the first Little Rush Warbler calling from the reed beds, I also heard amongst others African Rail and Red Chested Flufftail. I saw a stunning Paradise Flycatcher male with very long tail feathers.

I look forward to the arrival of 'my' Wahlberg's Eagle.

Atlasing with two X three year olds

2009-08-08T20:34:00.003+02:00

This morning I needed to get out and see some birds, I decided to atlas the pentad adjacent to my home patch.
Once again I packed a picnic basket and loaded my very faithful Subaru with all my gear, today my gear included Emma and Nathan. Although we did not manage to see the Meeshie Moe bird again today, we did find 54 other species.
I managed to atlas for nearly three hours with these two little budding birders. Seen here learning how to use bins.

The Meeshie Moe Bird

2009-08-07T14:34:00.010+02:00

I have discovered another new bird on my block.......... this morning I was out with my grandchildren, discovering the world of birds, (Emma and Nathan are three year old twins, Ashley is their 15 month old little sister, and their mom Carike),we set out to search for Sunbirds in a lovely patch of Halleria Lucida.
With our picnic baskets packed we set off on this huge adventure, on the way to the patch of Halleria Lucida I saw some birds foraging in some grass, so I stopped and said, "I just need to check what birds those are" then Emma says in a very seriously voice, but gran those are Meeshie Moe birds!!! (New Order, New Family, New Genus, New Species????) Your guess is as good as mine.
Well.................talk about a new bird on my block, I now have a Meeshie Moe bird.

Oh to have the imagination of a three year old!!!!!

The Meeshie Moe bird really is.......a Cape Longclaw

New Birds on my Block

2009-08-07T13:56:00.010+02:00

Wow it seem to have been ages since I updated my birding blog, so here goes, some new infomation for 3010_3005.
I am currently atlasing the above pentad for the 70th time, yip, that is one mega commitment, but really worth while.
Last week the new bird on my patch was a Black-Winged Stilt, it looked very out of place amongst the Egyptian Geese.
This morning I found another new bird on my patch...............Sentinel Rock Thrush...........that makes the count for this dairy farm 206 species!! Well done to the farmers...

Springbrook Farm update

2009-06-16T19:49:00.004+02:00

I have been atlasing Springbrook farm every five days (pentade) for a few months now, and have found this so interesting. Little things that I have noted are as follow:
Two days ago was the first time I've seen Cape Canary around for a few months, I wonder where they go during summer?

Denham's Bustard just love maize silage - yip - I counted up to 18 the other day, they mooch around in the paddocks all morning, when they see that the silage has been put out for the cows, they fly over to the other side of the district road and sit on top of the silage piles eating..............what!! Silage of course.

The other morning I braved the winter chill and was down at the silage pit before the tractors arrived and this is what I saw - Black Crake, there were about fifteen of these "black chickens" running around on the road. A pair of Natal Spurfowl with their youngster joined in feasting on silage, then two Red Necked Spurfowl joined the feast.

There are zillions of Red-Billed Quelea, Red-Headed Quelea and Widowbirds that feast in this patch. Springbrook is a very productive farm.

Fouche Studios

2009-05-26T19:23:00.001+02:00

I spent some time with my dear friends Ingrid and Leon Fouche today, I am just so amazing at the talent that these two have been blessed with. Please go and check out their website.

Stunning art work.

www.fouchestudios.co.za

And the world went quiet...........

2009-05-13T19:45:00.010+02:00

On Sunday afternoon I decided to go for a drive, I'd been sick in bed for a few days and needed to get out and check what the birds in 'my' block were up to?

I found Red-eyed Doves on the Eskom line, looking a little like pegs on the washing line.

A little further along a huge flock of Red-Billed Quelea mixed with Widowbirds of various shapes and sizes, all very drab in their winter attire, were feeding in a pasture near a vlei. When I got level with the vlei, suddenly this huge flock came hurtling out of the sky and dropped like stones into the reeds,

and the world went quiet......................

I looked around for the cause of this sudden change and there coming towards me was a Red-Eyed Dove with a Lanner Falcon hot on its heals (well, should I say tail feathers) the Red-Eyed Dove chose to fly across the dam hoping to get away from the monster on its tail.............. a few seconds later it was Lanner dinner!!

Yip, I watch this whole drama take place as if in slow motion, the Dove flew a little close to the water, as it touched the water the Lanner had it. Feathers flew.......Lanner smiled........Dove cried and the LBJ's that had dropped like stones from the sky realised that the drama was over, they came out from their hiding place and merrily went on feeding in the pastures.

I had just witnessed a drama in the life of one Red-Eyed Dove and the hunting skills in the life of a Lanner Falcon.

After this drama, I continued with my drive,
I found a group of serene Grey Crowned Cranes dancing in the
pastures and Denham's Bustards quietly looking for a tasty morsel.

Satisfied that I had checked my patch I retired back to bed.

GPS pentad info

2009-05-08T17:13:00.002+02:00

To all those techno people out there who would like some really great additional pentad co-ordination info to download for your GPS, please check out Ernst Retief's blog, (see link)
.
Ernst spent hours getting this information together, its all there to download FREE!!

Expecting the unexpected in my 'patch'

2009-05-04T20:39:00.011+02:00

Atlasing 3010_3005 has become very exciting, I have been submitting a card every five days, although this becomes a huge commitment I decided to 'go for it'

Yesterday I added a new species to my pentad list Scaly Throated Honeyguide.

Today I was busy working in my office, submitting atlas cards for someone else, when I heard a screeching call in my garden.....................no way Cape Parrot in my garden...................never, the closest Cape Parrots to Highflats are about 40km away in Creighton, so I got back to work finishing off the last card.

Then I heard the screech again, this time, this gran jumped up, grabbed her bins and ran for the door, the wind was howling outside, the leaves on my 100 year old Tulip tree were making so much noise I began to get irritated with all the noise, I was trying so hard to local some tiny squeak that would indicate where the parrots had landed!!

I started to scan my very large Tulip tree, and then I saw them, these two little darlings have a wonderful preen in my front garden. The very large 'yellow' tree (in the above pic) is the Tulip tree in my garden, about 30m tall!! I'm sorry about the quality of the parrot pics, I just have a mik en drik camera, and these Polly's were right at the top of the tree.

Later on during the afternoon I decided to get out for a drive, I found another new species for this pentad - Little Egret.

When I'm out atlasing I tend to expect the unexpected!!! Well thats how I enjoy my atlasing.

African Grass-Owl in dairy farm pasture!!!

2009-03-22T22:02:00.005+02:00

This morning when Rob (my son) was driving around his pastures, on Springbrook farm, he nearly drove onto a African Grass-Owl nest.

Because of all the rain that we have had this season, some of the pastures have become overgrown. This pasture is a very rank mixture of mainly clover and different grasses. The nest is at the base of a very small "goat apple" bush.

We have cordoned off this section of the paddock, so that when the cows go into graze tomorrow they do not disturb this special nest.

When I was walking home through the pasture I did flush one of the adult birds, wow, this is a productive patch, 3010_3005.

I hope that you have atlased a pentad today? There is just no knowing what will turn up next.

African Crake at Springbrook Farm

2009-03-20T05:28:00.008+02:00

Wow, what an amazing species visits our patch.

Springbrook Farm has produced another lifer for me, an African Crake, and only about 400m from my back door!!!

Doug, my hubby kept telling me about this crake that he saw on our drive way, I just presumed that it was a Corn Crake, but when he mentioned how dark the bird was, my antennae suddenly went up and I asked for more information. After scanning all my field guides he said that it was an African Crake.

After lunch I took my camera, and other paraphernalia that I needed, stopped between bump one and two up the drive, called the African Crake a few times................................. this little thing came hot footing it up the road towards me. Just before the road became very busy with bakkies and tractors I managed to get some great photos.

A great LIFER and on my own patch........3010_3005 does it again

Oh yes, and have you atlased a pentad today? I'm doing a five day card, so this African Crake will join the other species on our list that is moving towards to 200 species list.

There are some other great "birds" that live here on our patch......

Four generations of Strachan ladies,

Left to right, Barbara (my mother in law, a beautiful great gran, who went to be with Jesus on 22nd March) Carike (my daughter in law)holding Ashley, Emma (who has a twin brother) and me.

The calls of 3010_3005

2009-03-07T20:57:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I listened and wondered..............

What is the call of Africa?
Some say the Lion - others say the Fish Eagle.
Well, for me on a beautiful Autumn morning at Springbrook Farm
The call of Africa went something like this...................

Hadeda Ibis and lots of them, all very alert at 4.30am, make a mad dash
Up our drive way where they find lots of earthworms wriggling about on the road.

Brubru, Grey Crowned Crane, Wahlberg's Eagle, Red Eyed Dove. Brown Hooded Kingfisher,

During the day the Cape Turtle Dove starts telling the lady who works in my garden to "work harder"

Crested Barbet, African Rail, African Darter, Egyptian Goose, Speckled Mousebird, Yellow Fronted Canary, Cape Grassbird, Little Grebe, African Jacana, Black Crake,

I could go on and on but hey..........................you all know that I have atlased this patch 40 times and have 184 species on my list. Remember this patch is RED - RED

In the evening Barnie (our special Barn owl) comes shrieking into check my duck pen, he has this passion for duckling for dinner!!

I am so blessed that I live in a special part of South Africa, and blessed that I can hear these calls.

Remember to listen to the call of your patch, it may be the Lion's roar, but for me its the call of
3010_3005

Very Busy Bronze Mannikins

2009-03-07T20:39:00.000+02:00

During the past week, I visited my parents in Scottburgh, they live in Summerhill Lodge, well I always check out what the birds in Scottburgh are up to!!!!

This is what I observed these little Mannikins doing - according to my parents a fairly large group spend each night in an old Village Weaver's nest. Well the nest must have become a little chilly, there was a mega amount of house repairing going on!!!

One Mannikin was inside the nest whilst a few others were bringing in very long bits of palm 'bark' this piece of palm was quickly taken into the nest and after much shuffling around the long thread of palm bark would disappear into the nest and then the collector of building material would dash out rush across the garden to collect another piece of palm, and DASH back to the nest.

This behaviour continued until I got tired of watching the little chaps, I wonder if anyone else has seen Bronze Mannikin's repairing their shelter? :-)

Trip to Aliwal North

2009-03-03T05:24:00.005+02:00

Trip report to Aliwal North 29th January – 3rd February 2009

The 29th January dawned cold, wet and misty, Gail and I started our trip to Aliwal North at 5am. After some advice we decided not to take the Naudesnek route, we could not go via Qacha’s Nek, through Lesotho, (Gail’s passport expired the day before we left). The route we travelled was via Kokstad, Matatiele, Mount Fletcher, Maclear, Elliot, Barkly East, and Lady Grey, eventually after ten happy hours we reached our very comfortable B&B near Aliwal North (Toll Inn Guest Farm).

You may ask why 10 hours to do 550km, well; we were birding along the way!!
We spent two hours atlasing the Maclear town pentad. This was very interesting; we got 55 species during the two hours, lots of White stork and Amur Falcon were the most interesting species for me. We also did adhoc and incidental observations along the way.

The scenery along the R58 from Elliot to Barkly East was breath taking, one travels through the Barkly Pass, then the Kraai River pass. I’m not sure what the soil types are, but it looked like sand stone formations, almost like the Golden Gate scenery. (I think that Barkly East will be my next birding destination.)

Gail and I started listing birds from the pentad that we atlased in Maclear, reaching a total of 155 bird species during our six day trip. Some special sightings were a pair of Blue Korhaan with two chicks, a pair of Double Banded Courser with chicks, we also saw a Tawny Eagle during the Saturday CAR count and a Verreauxs’ Eagle whilst up Kramberg Mountain.

I saw 11 ‘lifers’ and Gail saw 17!! Some of the most exciting were; Ludwig’s Bustard, Northern Black Korhaan, Pale Winged Starling, Orange River White-eye, Namaqua Warbler, Lark-like Bunting, Chat Flycatcher, Rock Pipit and Karoo Thrush. Spike heeled Lark and Eastern Clapper Lark run around like chickens in the veld.

Sadly I dipped on the Rufous-eared Warbler, Karoo Korhaan and Black-Headed Canary, well that’s the reason I’m going back to Aliwal North very soon

Aliwal North is a fantastic birding destination, such beautiful habitats

and majestic mountains, (Kramberg Mountain is 2018m ASL).

Rock formations on top of Kramberg Mountain were very interesting, as seen in this pic.

Arnold van der Westhuizen, a very passionate birder spent three days driving us around his patch, atlasing and doing his two CAR routes, he received his ringing licence whist we were there, we even watched him ringing.

I was delighted to find Arnold a lifer in his patch………… We were driving past some reed beds near town, I said wow “this is African Rail territory” Arnold said “no way I have never seen one here” within a few meters there they were calling loudly to each other!!!!! We even managed to coax them out of the thick reed beds so that Arnold could get a good look. He has lived in Aliwal North for 17 years and never seen an African Rail. Well, now he has, and about 500m from his house.

We had two wonderful sighting of Booted Eagle during our travels; one sighting was early morning on Friday 30th, as we watched these magnificent eagles soaring over the Oorlogsfontein Mountain I received a sms to say that Carol, my dear friend, birding buddie and spiritual sister had passed away.

To be watching Booted Eagle when I received this sms was extremely heart wrenching, Carol had spent a long time watching Booted Eagle in the Aliwal North area during her recent trip with Colin, she was so excited to have seen them and told me to expect to see them during our trip. She explained in minute detail, how she had seen the pale and dark form and how she had been able to see the diagnostic feature ‘landing lights’ (white patches on the base of leading edge of wing near body).

Booted Eagle will always remind me of Carol’s love and passion for birds, her amazing ability to identify bird calls, reproduce the calls of many larks and pipits with perfect tune and pitch. They will remind me of our last trip to Ntsikeni Vlei, they will remind me of Carol….................who is now with Jesus.

Birding with a purpose has brought a new meaning to my life, new birds to atlas, new places to see and new people to meet. Let us remember that life is short, life is fragile and it is important to live life to the full. Trish Strachan